Barcelona!

This past weekend, I ventured back to Spain! Friday afternoon I landed in Barcelona, and for the first time, had no one waiting for me on the other end. It was pouring, but it was much warmer than Paris. I took a bus from the airport to Placa de Catalunya and then took the short walk down Las Ramblas to my hostel. Even though it was raining, the streets were still bustling! I checked into my hostel and then started exploring. My first stop was Sagrada Familia, designed by the famous architect Gaudi; it is still being built! Due to the rain, the tower wasn't open, but I was still able to go inside and enjoy the beautiful windows and unique architecture. From here, I went to Park Guell, also designed by Gaudi. It was huge and absolutely stunning!! I would have spent hours there had I had the time! I climbed to the top and got an amazing view of Barcelona. I had to hurry through the park a bit to make it to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic before its light show ended. Every Friday and Saturday night, this fountain comes to life with flowing water and bright lights! It is definitely a great sight! Luckily, I was able to catch the show just in time before it ended and then climbed to the top of the Palau Nacional. By then, I was exhausted, so I headed back to Las Ramblas and enjoyed a delicious dinner of tapas, paella, and sangria!! When I got back to my hostel I was excited to meet the 7 other students who were in my room. They were all my age studying abroad in Rome from Iowa State. We all went out to a famous club on the beach, which was so much fun!! I really lucked out and met some amazing people! 

I didn't get much sleep that night, but I woke up early on Saturday and headed back to the beach to get a better glimpse in the daylight. It was beautiful!! From here I went to La Pedrera and climbed to the roof for another great view of the city. By this point the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. Afterwards, I went back to do some shopping and eating on Las Ramblas, and then it was time to catch my flight to Madrid!