Hello From Barcelona!
I'm not feeling particularly creative at the moment, but I felt like an update was in order.
I arrived in Barcelona late Wednesday afternoon local time, which in L.A. the time was about 6 in the morning. Although the flight in first class from San Francisco to Frankfurt was comfortable, as usual I was not able to sleep a wink. However the Melatonin I took seemed to work wonders, because I felt as if I had slept and was able to make it the rest of the day just fine until it was time to hit the sack local time.
I had a few mishaps along the way, like nearly missing my connection in San Francisco, and not checking my bags all the way to Barcelona (they stopped in Frankfurt and I had to get them, then recheck them), but all-in-all I got here safely and secure. I'd hate to think about getting here any other way than I did.
I spent the past three days getting adjusted to the local time (nine hours later), and figuring out how to get the necessities of life (food, water, alchohol, sleep). They say in Barcelona everyone eats dinner very late (around 10) and if you go out drinking or to the gay bars it is after midnight. I've not been able to do that yet. I usually have a light dinner anyway, and I've been asleep by 10 every night I've been here! I need more time to adjust to that local tradition.
I've walked the La Rambla, taken the la turistic bus around town, and today I rode the very easy to use Metro to Park Guell where I visited the casa de Gaudi where he lived from about 1906 to 1926. Gaudi is the famous architect who is responsible for many of the famous modernistic buildings in the city including the "under contstruction" Sagrada Familia which is gigantic, beautiful and probably what Barcelona is most famous for. The park itself was actually once the grounds of a rich family and their beautiful home. It was crowded with tourists on this very beautiful sunny day. The weather has been so fantastic I've been walking around in shorts and a t-shirt and been very comfortable. The air was clear and lovely, and the view from the park was spectacular. You can see the entire city of Barcelona and the Mediterranean from its many viewpoints. I heard people speaking English (mostly British), Italian, and some Japanese. There are very few Americans here. Or if they're here, they are all sleeping and only come out at night because of the huge time adjustment. In fact I heard some British girls giggling about some American girls they met who were in fact at the time I was there, sleeping.
I must go back to the park on another spectacular day like today and take some pictures. Today however, I did not want to lug my camera along with me. These first days are devoted to getting acquainted with the city with they eyes of my body, not the eyes of my camera. I will post pictures eventually.
I am struck by how white and European everyone looks. I was expecting the Spanish to look, well, darker. If I spoke fluent Spanish, I could be mistaken for a local (well maybe not, I think someone put a target on my back that says "I'm American")! And everyone dresses casually around town, which is not what some friends told me. They told me that the Spanish tend to dress up, but I've found that everyone walking around (albeit they may mostly be tourists like me) are dressed pretty casually.
It's Saturday night in Barcelona, but I'm not going to brave the gay bar scene tonight. I feel much to intimidated, and OLD to do that right now. I'm afraid of rejection, and I won't be able to communicate effectively with anyone. Instead I am going to rest up the rest of the weekend and prepare myself for my Monday 8 a.m. placement test where I will be placed in my appropriate level of course (probably beginner) and then start my six hour Spanish language regimen at 9:00 a.m. I'll be doing 30 hours/week classes for the next two months, then 2 weeks off for the holidays and then back for two more weeks.
I arrived in Barcelona late Wednesday afternoon local time, which in L.A. the time was about 6 in the morning. Although the flight in first class from San Francisco to Frankfurt was comfortable, as usual I was not able to sleep a wink. However the Melatonin I took seemed to work wonders, because I felt as if I had slept and was able to make it the rest of the day just fine until it was time to hit the sack local time.
I had a few mishaps along the way, like nearly missing my connection in San Francisco, and not checking my bags all the way to Barcelona (they stopped in Frankfurt and I had to get them, then recheck them), but all-in-all I got here safely and secure. I'd hate to think about getting here any other way than I did.
I spent the past three days getting adjusted to the local time (nine hours later), and figuring out how to get the necessities of life (food, water, alchohol, sleep). They say in Barcelona everyone eats dinner very late (around 10) and if you go out drinking or to the gay bars it is after midnight. I've not been able to do that yet. I usually have a light dinner anyway, and I've been asleep by 10 every night I've been here! I need more time to adjust to that local tradition.
I've walked the La Rambla, taken the la turistic bus around town, and today I rode the very easy to use Metro to Park Guell where I visited the casa de Gaudi where he lived from about 1906 to 1926. Gaudi is the famous architect who is responsible for many of the famous modernistic buildings in the city including the "under contstruction" Sagrada Familia which is gigantic, beautiful and probably what Barcelona is most famous for. The park itself was actually once the grounds of a rich family and their beautiful home. It was crowded with tourists on this very beautiful sunny day. The weather has been so fantastic I've been walking around in shorts and a t-shirt and been very comfortable. The air was clear and lovely, and the view from the park was spectacular. You can see the entire city of Barcelona and the Mediterranean from its many viewpoints. I heard people speaking English (mostly British), Italian, and some Japanese. There are very few Americans here. Or if they're here, they are all sleeping and only come out at night because of the huge time adjustment. In fact I heard some British girls giggling about some American girls they met who were in fact at the time I was there, sleeping.
I must go back to the park on another spectacular day like today and take some pictures. Today however, I did not want to lug my camera along with me. These first days are devoted to getting acquainted with the city with they eyes of my body, not the eyes of my camera. I will post pictures eventually.
I am struck by how white and European everyone looks. I was expecting the Spanish to look, well, darker. If I spoke fluent Spanish, I could be mistaken for a local (well maybe not, I think someone put a target on my back that says "I'm American")! And everyone dresses casually around town, which is not what some friends told me. They told me that the Spanish tend to dress up, but I've found that everyone walking around (albeit they may mostly be tourists like me) are dressed pretty casually.
It's Saturday night in Barcelona, but I'm not going to brave the gay bar scene tonight. I feel much to intimidated, and OLD to do that right now. I'm afraid of rejection, and I won't be able to communicate effectively with anyone. Instead I am going to rest up the rest of the weekend and prepare myself for my Monday 8 a.m. placement test where I will be placed in my appropriate level of course (probably beginner) and then start my six hour Spanish language regimen at 9:00 a.m. I'll be doing 30 hours/week classes for the next two months, then 2 weeks off for the holidays and then back for two more weeks.
posted by Eagle Eye at 8:55 AM
1 Comments:
Wow, you've done it. Congrats. I spent my first five months here in Montreal going to French school 30 hours a week. I remember it fondly, and I'm sure you will too.
Looking forward, as always, to your updates.
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