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that’s what Easter’s all about, right? Christmas for the presents and easter for the Egg hunt.
At least, there’s finally some sun out there.
I’m sitting here, trying to work on my paper, can’t concentrate tho. Hate this paper. Have another paper waiting that I actually look forward to. *gah*
I’m really glad my BA’s over by this summer. I guess I am growing up.
First, fitting picture from Barcelona:
To put it in a nutshell, this city exhausted me.
The trip was much less fun than any of the city trips we’ve been on before.
I do admit that it is, in a way, my own fault, because I came very unprepared in terms ofwhat I wanted to do and see and I was very stressed out beforehand. Even though I consciously made the decision that I did not want to see everything so as not to pressure ourselves without reason… And of course, I didn’t get anything done for University, in spite of all my good will…
Anyhow, here’s what we did do:
We stayed at the Barcelona Dream Hostel, which was very nice and reasonably priced, however, way out there in Badalona, which is a suburb of BCN. We were very late in terms of booking and couldn’t get any other hostel and I enjoy those for the atmosphere. But it was more than 15 minutes by Tram to get to the Sagrada Familia and that kinda sucks if you’d like to go out at night…
Also, our room had the perfect sound to hear what exactly’s going on in the adjacent gymnasium. Lots of Basketball, apparently, also some Aerobic… 
The weather was so-so… The first few days, from Friday to Sunday, it was good, sunny, mild. I even went to the beach for an hour or so.
After that, it got very cold (think 3-6° C in the mornings) and windy. I was very glad I had brought more than one layer and a scarf. The weather was probably part of the reason why the citiy was so exhausting because walking around a lot w/ back packs and stuff is one thing, doing so in a cold breeze another.
Friday:
Arrived at BCN-Airport, caught the bus to the hostel (you can pay directly inside and need not get a ticket at the ticket vendor at the station!)
Got off the bus, onto the tram, found the hostel pretty quickly and were surprised by the spacious room with en suite bathroom. Very nice. Of course we had to tie together the beds (just the beds! 
) to be able to cuddle at night, but other than that, nice hostel with nice people! Breakfast’s included as well.
Later at night we wanted to go eat something and decided to take a trip into down town. We got off a station to early to see some of the city. However, it was dark already and we were very hungry. We picked a place called Can Ngal (C. Disputación 412) and it is very much NOT recommendable!
From the outside it looked like an average priced little restaurant.
However, it is owned by an asian family that specializes on Catalan Food… other specialities include dirty glasses and plates (even after you told them), a badly translated menu, a waitress who speaks hardly any English and raw meat and raw fish.
My boyfriend bravely ate the fish (and didn’t suffer from it), but still. Also, we paid about 10e for a dish which included no carbs or veggies, which I find rather expensive. Then again, all of Barcelona is expensive
Saturday
We tried to go see some stuff and spent some time just roaming the streets of BCN having forgot about the whole Siesta thing.
We walked down Las Ramblas, looking at the people and the artists and the chickens being sold there and tried to find the 2nd hand stores that were recommended to me in El Raval. But Lo!, the siesta. Stupid siesta!
Anyhow, we had some very good Falafel at a place called Maoz, there are a few of them all across the city!
At night, we wanted to go out, but seeing that the Beatsteaks were playing on Sunday, we decided to stay in and postpone the activities to the next night.
We bought some bread, Olive, Cheese and Ham at a supermarket and had a super-yummy dinner at the Hostel.
Sunday
I think, that was the day we went to the Museu de l’ Erótica.
By the way, if you consider the Lonely Planet for Barcelona – don’t buy it, it’s crappy. It’s badly translated, the maps are shit and the author’s weird. The museum’s cute and interesting, but nothing to really embarass you… It’s basically just the passion of one guy, I think, who’s rented this really spacious appartment at the Ramblas and made his collection of sex related stuff into a museum.
It’s cute and informative, in a way, but then sometimes lacking certain descriptions of things. For example, I don’t want to know what kind of stone the figurines are made of, I want to know where they are from and what they mean
Anyhow. That was that.
We also did some walking and taking pictures and such and followed the advice of one of the small english mini guide books (the ones that also contain personals and such) for lunch. Turned out the Xaica was more like a worker’s cafeteria, nobody, of course, spoke any english and my spanish just sucks. But we made it through their confusing system and actually had some tasty lunch. I first thought I’d picked half a rabbit, but I’m pretty sure it was lamb now
For the concert, we went to the Sala Mephisto, which is apparently THE alternative club in town.
Take the L4 to Llacuna and then go into the exact opposite direction of what google-maps tells you.
We didn’t, even met some German chicks who didn’t know their way and wandered a while into the wrong direction.
Half the people there must have been German, maybe even more and it was the last day of the Beatsteak-Tour so they promised us they’d kill themselves for us
The opening act was a local band called “nothink” and they weren’t bad, but kinda like the beatsteaks, just not as good.
The real deal, of course, kicked ass. The stage kinda ended right in front of the bar, so every now and then, the singer would stroll onto it, dispensing beer and graces. And he even had costume changes
They also did some funky hip hop skits to introduce the band, hailed the disco light and did some very oldskool punk. Yay.
Unfortunately, the boyfriend doesn’t dance anymore, so it took me a while to get into the crowd on my own, but it was, of course, a lot of fun…
We kinda had to run to catch the last Tram back, but… a very good night was had =)
Monday
Since the boyfriend’s conference started on Tuesday, we decided to take this day together slowl. We had wanted to see the Park Gaudí but since it had gotten so cold, we decided to settle for the Sagrada Família and the Cathedral instead.
The Sagrada Família was really much more of a building site than I would have expected, granted that I didn’t know very much about it. There’s something weird about seeing a huge MAN-truck inside a church right after passing the “Silence”-Sign. It also costs 2€ to take the elevators up the towers and there’s a huge Disney-Land-like line that has vending machines at the end 
The cathedral was also impressive. But then again, so are mostly all Cathedrals. What I found especiall weird was the concept of making people pay. Not for the general entrance but just for switching on the lights in the crypt for Sancta Eulalia. Poor Catholic Church, I guess….
I’m getting mixed up with the days, but I think it was Monday that I was very very exhausted and not hungry at all. We tried out a small restaurant close to the hostel called “El Castell” but it wasn’t that good. not bad, either but… We had very little “really good food” in Spain 
Tuesday
morning the boyfriend left very early for the conference. I just hung around at the Hostel for a while, trying to relax.
In the afternoon, I went shopping. I left too late really to check out very many small stores and drive around for a while, but I went into Lefties (cheap and cool), Zara and mango
I’m very much TOO big for the regular spanish sizes, I guess, but I did find some stuff.
I also went into El corte inglés (but that was sorta boring AND too big to take it all in…) and “desigual” which was very much TOO expensive for me … And too colourful
At night, the boyfriend was invited to the town hall for a conference meeting, and I went to the Picasso Museum. The museum was really crowded and loud which I guess goes along with Picasso’s notion that art shouldn’t just be revelled quietly but it was also a little arduous because of all the sort of white noise. Also, I got called in the museum and even though it was noisy everywhere, I got singled out by the security and hissed up. uhm. ah well. It was very interesting though.
I basically only knew about Picasso as the very very abstract modern artist while in fact he did very impressive classical artwork as well which I liked. And his whole idea of doing stuff and making it his own even though I’m still not particularly a fan of all of his work.
My boyfriend was the one who called, of course, because his reception turned out to be pretty boring.
We strolled through the Gothic Quarter for a bit, encountered a messed up ATm machine that tried to swallow credit cards and finally settled for the “Orígens” in the Carrer de la Cidrieria.
It’s a really cute place (finally the lonely planet recommended something nice) with funny, attentive waiters and very good food.
I guess it is a bit pricey, but you can share 5-6 little plates between two people and it’s really yummy. I recommend the duck with dried figs and… and the pea stew with lamb was pretty good. Don’t take the vegetables, it’s just cooked deep fried stuff with no salt!
Wednesday
Was another day that I got up late and hung around the hostel for a bit.
I met the boyfriend for lunch which was a bit of a hassle because we miscommunicated, I left late, he had to wait for me for an hour, I rand out of money on my cell phone and he didn’t get it and waited for my call but we finally did find each other among hords and hords of Glasgow Celtic Fans singing in the streets.
We had lunch at a Arab Restaurant, the Kasbah, which was good and spicy and we stayed there for a while afterwards, just relaxing.
Then we decided to just go back home to the hostel and have a drink before the boyfriend’s conference dinner which was at the harbour.
Turnt out we again left too late and there was really nothing like a nice café to sit in at the harbour. You woulnd’t think so but there was really nothing else than posh restaurants or run down cerverzerias tring to smoke you out. So we had a look at the museum shop of the historic museum where the posh boyfriend dined and then parted ways.
I had one of those famous hot chocolates on my way back at some place around the Jaume 1 and he came home after midnite
Thursday
was the day I left. Of course, it suddenly was sunny and warm again.
the girl at the hsotel gave me wrong directions of how to get to the airport so I thought I had plenty of time when I left. Turned out that the bus to the airport didn’t leave where it dropped us off on friday though, so I had to run back to the centre of town with my bags (and, luckily, the boyfriend to help) to catch the bus, just to find that there was a HUGE demonstration going on because of the elections…
We did find the bus stand but by then it was so late that I decided to take the cab which got stuck in the traffic andcost me another 25€. But hey, I made it through safe and sound and my plane was even delayed. Go figure…
____
So, that’s that for Barcelona. Maybe I should give the city another chance. In warm, sunny weather
tonight and tomorrow are my last days and I get sick… It must be just from swimming in the freezing cold sea in Marbella yesterday… Or maybe from the wind from the fans in the appartment. I don’t know but it bugs me…
Also I’ve met this guy who wants to give me a tattoo (he owns the place here) but I’m really indecisive. I mean, I’ve wanted a musical key for the longest time, but I wanted it in my neck until I met a girl with a tattoo just like that and now I can’t think of a spot more original than that… :-/
Spain is VERY exhausting.
Today I have 6 hours of school and only slept 4,5 hours or so. Add to that the heat, the previous exhaustion and then top it off with the noisy feria going on in town and you get the picture.
When I get home at 5 I’ll just sleep til 11 or so and then go out to the feria again sine there are no classes tomorrow and I can just spend the whole day at the beach. Yay. If I write weird stuff it’s due to the complete language chaos that’s up there in my head… I guess that happens when you speak so much spanish in school, live with another guy who shares your native tongue and then speak and think in English the whole time
Anyways, here’s a few Feria-Pictures for you!
I’m serious… my feet have never hurt THIS FUCKING MUCH in all my fucking life…
It was a mistake to go on the visitado cultural yesterday… We saw the Cathedral and the Alcazaba which was nice and interisting and I actually understood most of what the guys said, but… my feet are fucking killing me…
Yesterday, the Feria de Malaga started. It’s THE big party of the year here. But I couldn’t go, because my feet hurt. Painkillers, caffeine, cold showers and feet deodarant – nothing worked. So I missed the fireworks, the concert and all the partying…
Bueno, I wanted to go shopping today anyway (last chance, stores close down in the afternoon next week cause of the feria and I have classes in the morning. Well – now, after 3 hours of walking, my feet hurt so much, I could start crying on the spot. On the street. No kidding…!
I seriously don’t know what to do.
Oh, also my grandpa’s in the hospital now. Been in since Tuesday but they didn’t thought to tell me since yesterday. They don’t know what’s wrong yet, tho…
people are so damn stupid…
I don’t get why, cause it’s really not that hard to try and act intelligent, but… okay. suit yourself…
I just wonder… We’re ging to the market instead of having regular class, right… Well, we’re in the fruit sectin. I say “oh, I wanna buy some food” – “oh. yeah,. go buy some fruit” and two minutes later everyone?s leaving saying “we’ll come back for fruit”. Okay. Vale.
The next moment, we’re crossing the street, leaving the markt, heading for a famous bar. “You can meet us there later.”
Okay. So I ask L. if she wants to come with me, cause she needs more fruit. She says yes and then turns to leave with the other. I run to follow her and ask her what she’s doing. Oh, she wants to see the bar the others are going to so she can find it. “Okay”, I say, “but I have class in 40 minutes, I need to hurry.” She says she understands. We get to the bar and I assume we’ll leave right away to go back to the market. “let’s go”, I say and she responds that now she wants to stay and have a drink with the other. Great, okay, so I’m on my own anyway now… I go back to the market, buy my fruit, all’s good, I return to the bar. It’s sticky, hot, reeking of smoke, pretty damn bad. So suddenly L. says “oh, well, I will go back to the market now and buy fruit. wanna come with?”
No, dammit, I have class, remember?
So I walk back with the others to the school except they take detour after detour and seem to be racing snails and losing, window shopping and what not. So I say “okay, I’m just gonna go now cause I have class at 2″. Not that I haven’t said that a bazillion times yet. “Okay, I understand. Oh, wanna come into that shop with me?”
FOR GOD’s SAKE I HAVE CLASS… NOW. So I hurry by myself… to find out my class is being rescheduled…
Also, the heat is killing me and I don’t have any shoes left that don’t hurt my feet like hell because my O’neill Flip Flops that I’ve had for just about 6 years now, suddenly gave me bilsters between my toes. Now I can’t wear any of my flipflops, my Chucks are way to hot, my sandals have heels and my ballerina shoes are too small on my swollen feet…
Which is great, really, because all I am going to do today after walking the market is going on a cultural tour in the ancient town center and to a concert later tonite. Nothing tiring if you get what I’m saying.
God, I’m sick of the heat.
*g* didn’t think I’d write so soon…
But I could log into an insecured wireless here, and I woke up two hours early as I was in bed by 8.30pm last night…
After I chatted away the whole night before the flight I actually got up alright (and I seem to have not forgotten anything except for a USB-wire and someone forgot one that just fits my mp3-payer. YEAH!)
Well, I got up, fed the rabbits, watered the flowers, had breakfast – and the taxi didn’t come. It turns out they spelled out my last name as “Lambertini” and… surprise, no one with that name could be found here… :-S
So, I was on a really tight schedule when I called again, ordered them back to the right house (they’d driven down to a similar sounding house number) and had to pay full price to get to the station…
I jumped on a train, got to the airport and checked in exactly 40 minutes before take off. This time, though, my name wasn’t already being called out when I passed security, I didn’t even have to show them my SLR worked and when I got on the plane, I was actually really relaxed =)
I slept through most of the flight despite the little children we had on… There was an orthodoxe Jewish family with the mother actually wearing a wig, and the cutes little girl…! All the older children wore a kippa and had a partially shaved head with the locks on both temples which confused me a bit. I thought that was only for the males? Do you know?
Well, so i got to Málaga alright, got on the bus, got my keys to the appartment – and then the key to the front door didn’t fit. That was my first test of Spanish then since none of the girls living here opened the door and the guy living next door didn’t speak any english… I didn’t know what “key” meant (la llave!) but I managed to squeeze in “No puedo abrir la puerta” and he let me in.
So, I’m here now with Canadians Tiffany, Nathalie, Carina from Denmark and a girl from Russia whose name no one seems to be able to remember
They’re all fun though, I think. They’re staying well longer than me but leaving around the same time I do.
So, schools in about an hours – see you later !
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