Beautiful Views + Tapas = Great Day

Today was such a great day!!! But first a few notes: so many people in Barcelona spoke cigarettes and it's a little ridiculous. I didn't really notice it until Ryan said something yesterday but now I notice it everywhere. If we are walking in crowded areas it's like walking in a bar, cigarette smoke just clinging to the air around you. So that stinks. Also the bathrooms/water in general is way different here. Sometimes I feel like I'm in NYC or something but then I'll remember there are no water fountains and you don't get tap water at restaurants and I'm like oh, right, not America. But overall Barcelona is pretty cool!!

Montserrat

So today we started off the day with a chocolate croissant, a cliff bar, and a coach bus that took us to the top of a mountain. Yesterday I was saying how I was sad we didn't get to learn about this history as much but since this was a guided tour we got lots of information! It was also nice waking up with a plan and a place to go. So we head up on the bus for about an hour outside Barcelona and arrive at Montserrat, the mountain with a famous monastery on top. The sun was way stronger than I expected (good thing I remembered to put on some sunscreen before I left!) but it was windy so it felt really great at the top. We got the see the old chapel and learn about a Virgin Mary sculpture that is famous in Spain. There's some Spanish name for her but it translates into the "little black one". I think it has something to do with the material she's made of and it darkens over time? But after our guided tour we had about two hours of free time so Ryan and I did a short hike to an overlook and did a liquor tasting that was included with our trip. Apparently when the monks weren't praising Jesus they were brewing up some liquor. They don't make it on the mountain anymore but we got to try four different kinds. They were all gross. The overlook was BEAUTIFUL though! There's nothing like being about to look out and see whole cities and new mountain ranges on the skyline. It makes the world feel giant but also right at your fingertips. Overall the trip was really great and I'm glad we got to go!

Da Streets

We made dinner reservations for 7 pm and the tour ended at about 2:30 so we had some time to kill. We got a little snack at a burger place and spent the rest of the time walking the streets. It's crazy here. Imagine a maze but within the maze there are shops on every street. I have no clue how anyone finds their way around let alone memorize where places are! It also feels like you're waking around residential areas because the streets are so small and apartments and on top of all the shops. We did a little bit of shopping and eventually made our way to a tapas place that our friend had suggested. It. Was. Awesome.

Dinner

Dinner was so fun!! This was my first experience with tapas and I must say, it set the bar quite high. The restaurant was called Sensi Taps Gourmet. We ordered one cheese plate, four tapas, and a dessert. They bring the tapas out one at a time and make them all on the spot. All the kitchens here are so tiny and restaurants are rarely that big. We had the first reservation time and were the only people in the restaurant at 7, but by 730 the place was packed wall to wall. We got a steak and potato confit, a ravioli that was life changing, pork tenderloin (we could have done without this), and cheese risotto. To top it off we had dulce de leche cheese cake which was just the icing on the cake. This was all a pretty penny but it was worth it I would go back there in a heartbeat!

Clubbin

Barcelona has a really big club scene but I don't think I'll be able to see it because they don't start until 1 am. Tonight we went into an ice bar at 9 pm and were the only ones in there lol. For those who don't know an ice bar is a bar made entirely of ice and kept at freezing temperatures. They give you a parka, gloves, and a glass made of ice for your drink. I was so cold I couldn't feel my fingers for ten minutes so no bueno. We did meet these nice girls (2 girls ended up joining our solo dance party) and we got to talk to them for a little bit. They had just graduated from the University of Edinburgh! Anyway maybe one night we will make it to "da cluubb" but until then it home at 11 and accidentally falling asleep before I wake up and write a blog post :)

Goodnight ttyl!!

Emily