!Viva a Barcelona!

This last weekend, I took my first official trip arranged all by myself. It's weird to think that I can somehow fly from Italy to Spain and across the Mediterranean for cheaper than from Milwaukee to Chicago...

With the multiple airlines and websites at our disposal to book cheap flights, Emma Hentzen and I found a flew round trip to Barcelona for about 60 euros. Unfortunately, on the way home we had to fly into Milan because there were no relatively cheap flights into Pisa or Florence the day we had to come home, but we were able to buy a train ticket from Milan to Florence to get us home.

While the Milan train station was quite the experience and filled with tons of people that do not speak english in times of crisis, we actually managed to make it home.

I am luck enough to have a cousin living in Barcelona who was able to pick us up from the bus stop right by their apartment in the city. Without Emily and her boyfriend, Pepelu, I am not sure how I would have made it through most of what we did. They took us around to their favorite restaurants, walking tours, clubs and more, and were able to speak and translate for us the entire time.

Barcelona is truly beautiful and it was nice being in a place that had a normal "city feel" to it. The day we arrived, we went to a restaurant that Emily and Pepelu are regulars at. We were spoiled with good wine, meat and cheese, and especially their patatas bravas. While they may appear to be regular potatoes, they happened to be covered in the most amazing sauce. I have no idea what it is made of, I just know that it is spicy and creamy and yummy.

The next day, Emma and I took a walking tour of the city and were able to look at the beautiful architecture and learn a little bit about what we were looking at. Following the tour, we were able to meet up with 2 of Emma's friends who are studying in Barcelona for the semester. They took us to an amazing organic restaurant for lunch and showed us their apartment.

Later that day, Emma and I rested up for what we knew was going to be a late night. Pepelu made us a traditional Spanish meal including his town's famous ham. We had ham, cheese, crackers, wine, and another dish that included eggs, potatoes, and more. It was absolutely delicious and one of the best meals I have had abroad. In Spain (and Europe in general), the eating times are a bit different. That night we ate dinner around 10:30, which is quite normal.

After dinner and a few more drinks, we began our first true Spanish night out. We finally got to the club around 1:15 in the morning (yep...). All the clubs are lined up along the beach, providing a great back drop and fun outdoor areas. The club we went to, Opium, had bars everywhere, a giant pit dance area, and weirdly dressed dancers on platforms. Aside from my fitbit being stolen, the night was a success and so much fun. I somehow happened to run into 3 other sorority sisters at the same club, I am not exactly sure how but I was overwhelmingly excited to see them! To describe how much fun it really was, I will just say that we left Opium around 5 am. Also, when we left, the club was still packed.

All in all, the weekend in Barcelona was incredible and so much fun. I wish I was there for longer and could go back. The city is definitely one that I need to go back to sometime in my lifetime. I am quite jealous my cousin gets to live there. I will say though, I am still recovering from the short 2 hours of sleep I got before my trip home...