I have now been able to (somewhat) adjust to my school schedule and life in Barcelona. I have Spanish class at 8:30 am Monday–Thursday. This has definitely been the roughest adjustment. Most of my friends do not have such early classes so they stay up in the apartment and it is usually difficult for me to have the discipline to send myself to bed when I want to stay up and spend time with them. It was especially challenging last week because my friends at UAB (the University most kids in my UMD study abroad program are attending) had yet to start classes. As a result, they were going out and staying up late while I was having to wake up the following morning at 7:30 for class. Nonetheless, my body is slowly accepting the early wake up. I really like my classes and all my professors. I think it’s good having Spanish as frequently as I do because it gives me an opportunity to really immerse myself in the language. There are certain things that are different about universities here compared to the states. For one, all my lectures are two hours long – but, halfway through we have a 10-minute break which is nice. The cafeteria doubles as a cafe, serving croissants, sandwiches, and other nice little breakfast options. Another interesting thing about the cafeterias is the selection of beer! It is not uncommon to see students smoking a hand-rolled cigarette and sipping a beer in between classes. I have yet to partake in a morning beer.
This past Tuesday, we took a walk around a central part of the city to do some shopping. Dan and I set out to Las Arenas – a historic Bull fighting arena that has been renovated into a modern mall. On our way, we tried homemade white chocolate mochi and stopped in an art gallery and took some pictures of the interesting works of art that were for sale.
The mall was a little underwhelming. There were some cool restaurants, a grocery store, and a comic book store. But, I guess we were just expecting something on the scale of an American mall.
Then, on Wednesday, after my classes, I took a walk around Parc de la Ciutadella – the gorgeous public park adjacent to my university. There were beautiful palm trees, cute perritos, and ping pong tables (all park necessities). And, at the center of the park was a giant palace with a huge fountain decorated with renaissance-era sculptures.
I decided to tell my friends about it and we returned the following day for lunch and to read our books in the park. It felt like the most tranquil place on earth. We decided to sit on what must have been a 100-year-old tree stump. We sat there reading, surrounded by palm trees and the warm smells of nature. We could hear the distant sound of two men playing some soothing, African music. We watched dog walkers and kids run by us on the nearby path. It was one of my personal highlights of the trip thus far.
On our way out of the park, my friend, Dan, pointed out what he had seen on his recent trip to a nearby bathroom. A swarm of people surrounded a local drummer who was playing along to American classics – Queen, ACDC, and even the Weeknd. The front of his drum set was draped in the Ukrainian flag. He was playing with immense passion and halfway through, placed a blindfold over his eyes and continued to play with just as much vigor as before.
Later that night Karthik, Matteus, and I walked around our neighborhood and did a little bar hop to check out the local spots. At one of the bars, we met a professor who teaches at one of the Barcelona Universities in the city (one none of us attend). He was nice and told us about his gripes with American students studying in Barcelona. He also recommended we travel to Berlin so we have added it to our list.
Then, Saturday morning we woke up around 9 to go on a hike up to Tibidabo Cathedral. The school has some organized events (hikes, day trips, etc.) and this was one of them. It was a beautiful hike with scenic views, goats, and friends! There were also a ton of cyclists. It made me want to bring my bike and traverse up and down the mountain. After our hike, we got “tapas” (basically appetizers) at a local restaurant with an amazing view of the city. One of the coolest restaurants I’ve ever been to. I got nachos and chicken tenders. I know, too American…but, it was good.
I’ve been going for runs while I’ve been here. It’s been really nice and meditative. I usually run in the mornings or after school and, usually, there’s a beautiful view of the sunset over the city skyline. I normally finish at the top of this hill near my apartment. There’s a big soccer field where kids are practicing. It’s a nice place to breathe, stretch, and decompress after my run.
One last little note: We had an activity in Spanish class yesterday where we listened to a Spanish song and filled in the blanks on a printed sheet of the lyrics. I really like it now. Its called Limon y Sál de Julieta Venegas! Take a listen!
Nick Henderson
4:38pm
Barcelona, Spain