Aaaannnd I'm back! And, luck for you, I'm a little more awake this time, too. So I suppose I'll continue right where I left off: My arrival in the beautiful city of Barcelona.
With a very short weekend and a mile-long list of things to see and do, there was little time for R&R upon my arrival. Yasi and Katie helped me put my god-awful duffel bag away, and back down the rickety Spanish elevator we went.
First on our list of sights: The Sagrada Familia Church, one of Antoni Gaudi's most beautiful pieces of architecture. The sight was magnificent. Over the past few weeks I have become accustomed to Ancient Greek architecture, which is beautiful and incredible in its own way, but Gaudi's work was something so different and modern it took my breath away. After we were all able to take our eyes off of the Sagrada Familia, we were then led to an equally amazing sight: Gaudi Park. In all honesty, I have never seen anything as unique and awesome as Gaudi Park. It is a collection of houses which look like a mixture of something out of Willy Wonka or Alice in Wonderland. When he designed these buildings, Gaudi had in mind a sort of housing development, which he hoped would become the new craze. The trend never caught on, but Gaudi still left us with some fun and incredible pieces of architecture that will forever draw a crowd.
Now, after running around Barcelona all afternoon (by the way...the hills in Spain rival the hills in Athens, and that's sayin' something), we were all ravenous. Yasi and Katie, now being connoisseurs of Spanish food, took me to a restaurant that is reputed as being one of the best places to eat in the city. We had a lavish meal that featured an exquisite paella accented by a delicate Sangria. I know that I may be "cheating" on Greece when I say this, but this was definitely the best meal I've had since arriving in Europe. I'm salivating at the thought of it!
Now, the girls had big, crazy plans for this night...clubbing, staying out all night and all that jazz. Sounds like what you're supposed to do as a 20-something in Spain...right? Yeah! I thought...until I had a sip of wine. I simply could not keep my eyes open. Staying up all night in an airport and navigating your way around an unfamiliar city will take a toll on you. I was toast. So as everyone strapped on their heels and headed out the door, Yasi tucked me into bed and I was off to dreamland for the first night of my crazy Spanish vacation. Smooth move, Hana.
As disappointing as that was, I was the only member of our traveling clan who wasn't hung over the next morning! Points for me, right? I was all smiles as we walked the touristy streets of Las Ramblas, taking pictures with the street performers. I was the most chipper of the bunch when we sunbathed on the beautiful Mediterranean Beach. And when we went out that evening, I swear I was the most well-rested person in Barcelona! ...Okay, maybe not, but you catch my drift.
The evening is all too much to describe but the highlight was discovering my new favorite drink: "The Boy Scout Shot." Espit Chupitos is one of the most famous bars in Barcelona; it specializes in shots and has over 200 to choose from! I was warned by a local not to try the "Kill Bill" (it features Tabasco). Well, minutes later, a kind young Italian man who offered to buy me a shot gave me just that. I don't recommend the "Kill Bill" to anyone. More successful (and tasty) was the "Boy Scout." I'm not quite sure what the alcohol is, but the cool thing about this shot is the way you take it. The bartender will give you a marshmallow on a stick, pour alcohol on the table around the shot glasses, and you roast your marshmallow on this flame. The flames infuse the alcohol with the marshmallow flavor, so when you take the shot it tastes just like marshmallow! You then chase your shot with your roasted treat, and you have now consumed the most delicious drink on the face of the planet. I would go back to Barcelona just to have a "Boy Scout" shot one more time.
After leaving Espit Chupitos, we happened to run into what looked like a gigantic fair of sorts. I saw fair-like paraphernalia and immediately found the cotton candy (which I have been intensely craving for weeks). I was now content and happy to see what all this fuss was about. Apparently MTV was having a huge music festival; we somehow wormed our way through the masses of people to the very front row. We danced along with the Spanish and Danish bands until the wee hours of the morning, and finally took a cab back to the apartments around 5 a.m.
I had to leave the next morning, but my homesickness had been appeased after seeing my friends. Exhausted and in need of a shower, I began the journey back to my new home in Athens. While waiting for my flight to arrive, I had a hearty meal of Patatas Bravas (a Spanish tapas) and Calamari. These two dishes were a delicious send-off from Spain, and a nice way to relax and celebrate the end of an exciting weekend.
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