Barcelona

So here I am, back in Amsterdam after 3 days in Barcelona, Spain. And what a trip it was. I really had an absolutely amazing time. I arrived there around noon on Thursday and took a bus into city centre where I met my roommate from school Joe. We spent the afternoon walking around the city, exploring various markets, bars, museums, beaches, and alley ways. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. 60 degrees and sunny is a far cry from 40 and rainy which is what I was greeted with upon my return to Holland. Friday was Joe's birthday, so Thursday night we went out in full force. And it turned out to be a really fun, really wild night. I mean what can you expect when one of your best friends is turning 21? So, after sleeping rather late Friday, we got up, grabbed some food at a nearby Irish pub, and continued exploring the city. There are certainly some pretty cool things to see in Barcelona. The city is beautiful, and I even got to dip my feet in the Mediterranean. It is a very different place than Amsterdam. But it just made me that much more excited for when the weather turns nice here. Friday night in Barcelona, we met up with a big group of people from Ithaca. Some that were studying abroad in BCN and some that were just visiting from other European cities. We ended up at a really popular night club dancing the night away until the sun came up.

Friday's weather was actually quite sub par by Barcelona standards, but it was all forgotten by the time Saturday rolled around. It was gorgeous out. So a bunch of us spent most of the afternoon sitting on the sidewalk outside a cafe, eating, drinking, people watching, and enjoying the weather. It was a perfect way to unwind from the long wild night before. Hours later after grabbing some dinner, we ended up at the apartment of a fellow Ithacan studying in BCN for the semester. We hung out there for a few hours, before taking off and bouncing around to a few bars and cafes where we just hung out and enjoyed the good company. By this time is was around 2 or 3am in Sunday morning, and my flight was due to leave at 6:45 am. So it was time for me to start making moves. We headed back to Joe's apartment (which was incredibly nice, with an unbelievable view of the city), so I could pack my stuff up and hop on a bus that would take me to the airport. Coincidentally, Joe's sister was coming to visit the following day and her plane was set to land at BCN at like 7 am. So Joe figured why not accompany me to the airport and pick his sister up, too. So that is exactly what we did. After enjoying a cup of coffee and an 8 dollar sandwich at some airport food place, Joe and I said our farewells and I headed through security. The plane ride went very smoothly, despite two crying babies on each side of me that didn't enjoy the ride as much as I did. But I was so tired that I basically passed right now, only to wake up and discover I was back in Amsterdam. As soon as I got back to my apartment from the airport, it was about 11 am, and I went right to sleep. I was exhausted. And with good reason, Barcelona is a city that certainly takes a lot of energy to survive in. But despite only being there for 3 days or so, I actually felt like I got a real good taste of Spanish culture. Well, I should say Cataluynian culture. They don't really identify with Spainish culture in Barcelona. They are Cataluynians. It's very different, and one of the defining characteristics of visiting Barcelona. All in all, I had a great time and I am so happy that I finally committed myself to doing that trip. Especially alone. It was really my first time ever planning and executing a major trip all by myself. And I must say, I think I handled it all very well.

Now I get back to Amsterdam, and I have one hell of a week ahead of me. I've spent that last two days (Monay and Tuesday) doing all my work for the week because Wednesday is St. Patrick's Day, and then Thursday and Friday and into the weekend is the start of March Madness and the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournement. It is probably one of the best 5 day periods in the entire year. But it doesn't even end there, because Sunday night I am going to Jam in the Dam, which is a 3 night concert event here in Amsterdam featuring some world class jam bands--Umphrey's McGee, Les Claypool, and Yonder Mountain String Band. It's one of the biggest concert events in the city and I am so stoked. This is going to be one hell of a week. And by this time next week it will be my 8th week here, but more importantly it is supposed to get into the 50's. WOOHOOO. What can I say? Life is good in Amsterdam.