A short update on what I did with my day off. As most students around the world headed to their Wednesday classes, I partook in a slightly different adventure. A general strike (the first in eight years) had all major modes of transportation(Metro, flights, etc.) shut down throughout Barcelona, as well as many other major European cities, yesterday. No one was really clear about how this strike would manifest itself, but we knew there was going to be a protest in the Plaza Catalunya. Interested, and with time to spare, Matt, Kevin, and I decided to run the 5km (~3mi) from our apartment to Plaza Catalunya. There we met our friend Cassie and walked through the crowds of protestors. At some point in the middle of the afternoon the (rather large) protest got interesting (read: violent). This prompted the city's riot police to create a barricade around the bank in Plaza Catalunya. From there, the protestors got a tid-bit worked up. They were singing protest songs (none of which I could quite make out) and alternated between peaceful protest and hurling glass bottles at the riot police. Nearly every trash can within a 1 mile radius of the Plaza Catalunya was dumped into the street/used as a blockade to shut roads down/ set on fire.
As the afternoon went on, things got more serious. Empty bottles turned to Molotov cocktails and a police car was burned to the ground. I had an interesting conversation with a local protestor about my perspective on the situation as an American. Needless to say, it was a new experience.
Heres some video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11439079
So, what did you do with YOUR Wednesday?
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Sweating out my secrets in the temazcal.
This weekend was a crazy mix of climbing with spaniards and seeing the festival "La Mercé" in Barcelona. Overall, both events were a success in my mind. I have, however, incurred some form of hand injury, which has prompted me to take a 2 week hiatus from the sport. ¡Joder!
Let's talk climbing.
I met a Spanish guy at the gym named Victor. Little did I know, Victor is the unofficial king of a local group of climbers who, in true Catalan form, climb outside all weekend every weekend. This being roughly my sixth conversation with a spaniard about possibly getting out to climb, I was less than ecstatic when VIctor told me he would put me on the e-mail group of all these local climbers. When I checked my e-mail the following day, however, I had 15 new messages welcoming me to the group and wondering where we should climb this weekend. This group is the best thing since ORHO email. After heated debate, we settled on climbing one day in Santa Linya and one day in Santa Ana. I woke up at 7:30 on Friday morning, packed my things (what things I have, that is), and headed to Plaza Espanya to meet the gang.
We ended up being a group of 12! We headed west toward the town of Lleida, the central hub on climbing in Catalunya. From Lleida there are roughly 50 crags within an hour's drive, most of which offer world class limestone. We chose an area that would be full of moderates with a few more difficult climbs, as to accomodate the skill level of the entire group. The first day we climbed was at the Futbolín sector of Santa Linya. There were some fun climbs, very few of which suited my style. Victor, knowing my penchant for bouldering, pointed me in the direction of a 7b (5.12b) route called Cólera. the route is roughly 80 feet long and breaks down into 30 feet of 5.11, a v5, and 40 feet of 5.10a. Perfect. the boulder section revolves around grabbing a right hand pinch and left hand crimp and thrutching to a juggy edge. From there you high step, out right, back flag, grab a sharp right hand pinch, bring the left foot up and reach for a jug (which you can't see). from there, the route is essentially over. Onsite attempt: reached the crux dry-fired off the left hand crimp, held on to the pinch with the right, re-situated myself, and missed the jug (due to bad foot placement). 2nd go: breezed the crux and mistakenly grabbed the sloping mess of nothing next to the would-be "finish jug". Bummer! 3rd go: cruise control to the top. 7b is by no means at my physical limit. Frankly, it should be closer to a warm up. However, im trying to take my route climbing experience here as a learning experience and understand how to climb longer climbs efficiently. Thus, I'm proud of having sent something longer than "Under Attack" at Jack's Canyon (roughly 35 feet). I don't have a photo of myself on the route, but hopefully you can imagine it.
Futbolíin, Santa Linya.
Trying hard on some routes.
Day two sent us to Santa Ana, where there were a ton of new routes to be tried.We camped in a cave and slept under the stars (in a sleeping bag Victor graciously provided). Everyone on this trip was happy to share their dinner, water, and wine with everyone else. It never fails to amaze me how well climbers treat each other, even those that are total strangers. I brought nearly nothing on the trip and went to bed with a full stomach in a warm sleeping bag. My goal of spontaneity on my adventures here has, thus far, been rewarded. The next day we climbed at Santa Ana. I warmed up slowly due to some hand pain and tried for an onsight of a 7a+, but couldn't quite manage it. Not an ideal climbing day for me, but it was great to be out with nice people.
After climbing, a carload of us trekked back to town. As much as I was loving the climbing, i was eager to get back to see the events of La Mercè.
Matt and I woke up Sunday and walked the city looking for cool events. One of the most important aspects of this festival, according to locals, is the Castell competition, where groups of men, women, and children stack themselves into human towers. Here's a shot of one of the teams:
The thing I was most excited for, however, was the firework show. Each night of La Mercè a different team presents their firework show in competition for a spot at the event's closing ceremony, held at Montjuic. The group that won this year did a great job orchestrating a 45 minute firework show choreographed to the most random collaboration of classic rock (and Coolio's "Gangster's Paradise). These elaborate fireworks, set against the backdrop of the castle at Montjuic, and in conjunction with the fountain, inspired me to go big at the next family reunion! But seriously, this show was awesome. Here are some shots.
Apparently we were the only people in the crowd who didn't get the memos regarding the sparklers...
Overall another eventful weekend here in Barcelona. Due to the current situation with my hand, however, im taking a short hiatus (2 weeks) from climbing. No fun, but hopefully it will mean I can climb more in the later season, in Font, and in Hueco when I get back!
More soon!
Let's talk climbing.
I met a Spanish guy at the gym named Victor. Little did I know, Victor is the unofficial king of a local group of climbers who, in true Catalan form, climb outside all weekend every weekend. This being roughly my sixth conversation with a spaniard about possibly getting out to climb, I was less than ecstatic when VIctor told me he would put me on the e-mail group of all these local climbers. When I checked my e-mail the following day, however, I had 15 new messages welcoming me to the group and wondering where we should climb this weekend. This group is the best thing since ORHO email. After heated debate, we settled on climbing one day in Santa Linya and one day in Santa Ana. I woke up at 7:30 on Friday morning, packed my things (what things I have, that is), and headed to Plaza Espanya to meet the gang.
We ended up being a group of 12! We headed west toward the town of Lleida, the central hub on climbing in Catalunya. From Lleida there are roughly 50 crags within an hour's drive, most of which offer world class limestone. We chose an area that would be full of moderates with a few more difficult climbs, as to accomodate the skill level of the entire group. The first day we climbed was at the Futbolín sector of Santa Linya. There were some fun climbs, very few of which suited my style. Victor, knowing my penchant for bouldering, pointed me in the direction of a 7b (5.12b) route called Cólera. the route is roughly 80 feet long and breaks down into 30 feet of 5.11, a v5, and 40 feet of 5.10a. Perfect. the boulder section revolves around grabbing a right hand pinch and left hand crimp and thrutching to a juggy edge. From there you high step, out right, back flag, grab a sharp right hand pinch, bring the left foot up and reach for a jug (which you can't see). from there, the route is essentially over. Onsite attempt: reached the crux dry-fired off the left hand crimp, held on to the pinch with the right, re-situated myself, and missed the jug (due to bad foot placement). 2nd go: breezed the crux and mistakenly grabbed the sloping mess of nothing next to the would-be "finish jug". Bummer! 3rd go: cruise control to the top. 7b is by no means at my physical limit. Frankly, it should be closer to a warm up. However, im trying to take my route climbing experience here as a learning experience and understand how to climb longer climbs efficiently. Thus, I'm proud of having sent something longer than "Under Attack" at Jack's Canyon (roughly 35 feet). I don't have a photo of myself on the route, but hopefully you can imagine it.
Futbolíin, Santa Linya.
Trying hard on some routes.
Day two sent us to Santa Ana, where there were a ton of new routes to be tried.We camped in a cave and slept under the stars (in a sleeping bag Victor graciously provided). Everyone on this trip was happy to share their dinner, water, and wine with everyone else. It never fails to amaze me how well climbers treat each other, even those that are total strangers. I brought nearly nothing on the trip and went to bed with a full stomach in a warm sleeping bag. My goal of spontaneity on my adventures here has, thus far, been rewarded. The next day we climbed at Santa Ana. I warmed up slowly due to some hand pain and tried for an onsight of a 7a+, but couldn't quite manage it. Not an ideal climbing day for me, but it was great to be out with nice people.
After climbing, a carload of us trekked back to town. As much as I was loving the climbing, i was eager to get back to see the events of La Mercè.
Matt and I woke up Sunday and walked the city looking for cool events. One of the most important aspects of this festival, according to locals, is the Castell competition, where groups of men, women, and children stack themselves into human towers. Here's a shot of one of the teams:
The thing I was most excited for, however, was the firework show. Each night of La Mercè a different team presents their firework show in competition for a spot at the event's closing ceremony, held at Montjuic. The group that won this year did a great job orchestrating a 45 minute firework show choreographed to the most random collaboration of classic rock (and Coolio's "Gangster's Paradise). These elaborate fireworks, set against the backdrop of the castle at Montjuic, and in conjunction with the fountain, inspired me to go big at the next family reunion! But seriously, this show was awesome. Here are some shots.
Apparently we were the only people in the crowd who didn't get the memos regarding the sparklers...
Overall another eventful weekend here in Barcelona. Due to the current situation with my hand, however, im taking a short hiatus (2 weeks) from climbing. No fun, but hopefully it will mean I can climb more in the later season, in Font, and in Hueco when I get back!
More soon!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Montjuic
Last week I had the strangest climbing-related experience I've ever had. I don't know why I continue to be surprised at all the weird things I see in Barcelona, but this one was really crazy. I had heard rumors of a tunnel somewhere in the Barcelona area plastered with climbing holds. Since I've seen bridges, tunnels, and even silos in the U.S. equipped with holds and bolted sport climbs, I wasn't immediately blown away. When I did some research, however, I found that this place is unique in its own right. Located on the hill of Montjuic, the site of the Olympic Games which is still heavily saturated with sporting activities, there is a long tunnel between two rugby fields. The story I was told goes as follows:
There once was a tunnel. Some crazy spaniards had the bright idea of plastering of the walls of this tunnel with old (and i mean old) climbing holds. This lead to sport routes being equipped within the tunnel itself. From there, hordes of crazy spaniards joined in on the fun plastering and bolting. When the tunnel was sufficiently full, the bastards started drilling into the concrete covered wall of the next-door hill. This stuff is chunky, rocky, sharp concrete. What are the ethics of chipping and hold manufacturing on concrete? None, as you'd imagine. Some routes on this wall had holds plastered on, while others used the "natural" features. this wall runs for maybe a hundred yards and is roughly 40 feet tall. Its equipped with all of the usual safety features-- bolts and anchors-- and the routes are even named and graded. Furthermore, if only to spice things up, the bits of rebar hanging out of the concrete have NOT been removed, making whippers a more serious risk, and thus making the route that much more classic (read: terrifying).
But alas, I've gone off on another tangent. Where were we? Oh yeah, hordes of climbers. So these guys were such avid tunnel climbers, and so numerous, that the traffic issues they caused prompted the city to shut the tunnel down to motor vehicles and build a new one! Score one for climbers! This place is too funny. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Anyway, enough talking. Check it out for yourselves:
An 8a!!!! For those who don't speak Euro grades, that's 5.13b
All the little orange squares are actually foot-long pieces of rebar. In case you're silly enough to ask, no I did not climb any of these death routes.
One section of wall. The 100 yard tunnel was plastered like this all the way down.
An idea of the length of the tunnel. This traverse, due to bad feet and some slick old holds, can actually get you a little pumped!
I know its not as cool as Santa Linya, Margalef, or Rodellar, but climbing within Barcelona itself is definitely an adventure!
There once was a tunnel. Some crazy spaniards had the bright idea of plastering of the walls of this tunnel with old (and i mean old) climbing holds. This lead to sport routes being equipped within the tunnel itself. From there, hordes of crazy spaniards joined in on the fun plastering and bolting. When the tunnel was sufficiently full, the bastards started drilling into the concrete covered wall of the next-door hill. This stuff is chunky, rocky, sharp concrete. What are the ethics of chipping and hold manufacturing on concrete? None, as you'd imagine. Some routes on this wall had holds plastered on, while others used the "natural" features. this wall runs for maybe a hundred yards and is roughly 40 feet tall. Its equipped with all of the usual safety features-- bolts and anchors-- and the routes are even named and graded. Furthermore, if only to spice things up, the bits of rebar hanging out of the concrete have NOT been removed, making whippers a more serious risk, and thus making the route that much more classic (read: terrifying).
But alas, I've gone off on another tangent. Where were we? Oh yeah, hordes of climbers. So these guys were such avid tunnel climbers, and so numerous, that the traffic issues they caused prompted the city to shut the tunnel down to motor vehicles and build a new one! Score one for climbers! This place is too funny. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Anyway, enough talking. Check it out for yourselves:
An 8a!!!! For those who don't speak Euro grades, that's 5.13b
All the little orange squares are actually foot-long pieces of rebar. In case you're silly enough to ask, no I did not climb any of these death routes.
One section of wall. The 100 yard tunnel was plastered like this all the way down.
An idea of the length of the tunnel. This traverse, due to bad feet and some slick old holds, can actually get you a little pumped!
I know its not as cool as Santa Linya, Margalef, or Rodellar, but climbing within Barcelona itself is definitely an adventure!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Los Pirineos (The Pyrenees).
This weekend we went with our CEA group (technically groups 2 and 3) to the Pyrenees. Once again, I signed up for this adventure without asking even the simplest questions until the night before the trip. My roommate Matt has become somewhat of a nanny for me-- planning trips, telling me where to go and when to do so. I don't hate it. With little to no research on what we were doing, Matt and I woke up at 730 on Saturday (the earliest I've been up since being in Europe), pounded some coffee, and met up with the other CEA kids. We filled a charter bus and headed vaguely northeast. After a few hours we stopped in some little town and were given a 2 hour lunch/exploration break. Seeing as how I've gotten this wonderful camera from Dr. Michael Pang, MD I set out to take some photos. All of this after eating, of course.
Matt and I exploring the town. If anyone knows what this town was called, let me know. It was literally four square blocks, but it was a cool little place to stop and the weather was beautiful.
After riding on the bus a while longer, we began to hit some pretty steep switchbacks and eventually arrived here:
This little town is called Taüll. It's situated in the Boi valley and historically it's famous for its 12th century churches, most notably Sant Climent de Taüll seen here:
In more recent times, however, Taüll is a ski town. The Pyrenees ski resorts are only a few minutes farther up the road. In the summer time tourists come to hike in the nearby national forest. Seeing as we came in neither summer nor winter, this place was DEAD. There were possibly a dozen other people in the town and a good majority of the shops/restaurants were closed. One place that was still open was a very down to earth looking bar/café called the Café Sedona. A strange name for a restaurant in the middle of nowhere Spain, I thought. When the bartender didn't know how to make any drinks, he called the owner who, as he informed me, was from "North America". Imagine my surprise when an Arizona boy showed up! This guy grew up in Phoenix and went to U of A. As we were both from the best state in the country, we hit it off talking about home, climbing, and snowboarding. After our dinner we went back to the bar where the owner gave us all great drink deals and proceeded to get drunk with everyone and occasionally hand out free drinks. Awesome.
In the morning we woke up and "hiked". Our hike was in the Parc Nacional D'aiguestortes I Estany Sant Maurici and was relatively flat for the majority of the time on a well established and might I add, wide trail. We made several stops as not all the members of our group were experienced hikers. We walked to a big lake called Pino Negro (Black Pine). From there we split up into two groups-- those who wanted to do a short, more intense hike to another lake and those who wanted to stay. Of course I continued on, running through fields and forests, kneeling, crouching, bending, and turning in an attempt to take some decent photos. Overall it was a great day, the previous days clouds and rain had disappeared and the sun was out. I hope you like the shots.
Our "trail". Possibly the most well established walkway I've ever hiked on.
Pino Negro
Lake #2. I don't remember what it was called, but it was a great place to stop for lunch.
Matt and I exploring the town. If anyone knows what this town was called, let me know. It was literally four square blocks, but it was a cool little place to stop and the weather was beautiful.
After riding on the bus a while longer, we began to hit some pretty steep switchbacks and eventually arrived here:
This little town is called Taüll. It's situated in the Boi valley and historically it's famous for its 12th century churches, most notably Sant Climent de Taüll seen here:
In more recent times, however, Taüll is a ski town. The Pyrenees ski resorts are only a few minutes farther up the road. In the summer time tourists come to hike in the nearby national forest. Seeing as we came in neither summer nor winter, this place was DEAD. There were possibly a dozen other people in the town and a good majority of the shops/restaurants were closed. One place that was still open was a very down to earth looking bar/café called the Café Sedona. A strange name for a restaurant in the middle of nowhere Spain, I thought. When the bartender didn't know how to make any drinks, he called the owner who, as he informed me, was from "North America". Imagine my surprise when an Arizona boy showed up! This guy grew up in Phoenix and went to U of A. As we were both from the best state in the country, we hit it off talking about home, climbing, and snowboarding. After our dinner we went back to the bar where the owner gave us all great drink deals and proceeded to get drunk with everyone and occasionally hand out free drinks. Awesome.
In the morning we woke up and "hiked". Our hike was in the Parc Nacional D'aiguestortes I Estany Sant Maurici and was relatively flat for the majority of the time on a well established and might I add, wide trail. We made several stops as not all the members of our group were experienced hikers. We walked to a big lake called Pino Negro (Black Pine). From there we split up into two groups-- those who wanted to do a short, more intense hike to another lake and those who wanted to stay. Of course I continued on, running through fields and forests, kneeling, crouching, bending, and turning in an attempt to take some decent photos. Overall it was a great day, the previous days clouds and rain had disappeared and the sun was out. I hope you like the shots.
Our "trail". Possibly the most well established walkway I've ever hiked on.
Pino Negro
Lake #2. I don't remember what it was called, but it was a great place to stop for lunch.
Monday, September 13, 2010
¡Venga Bicho!
I went to Mallorca this weekend and stayed with a group of some of the nicest people I've ever met. Our crew consisted of Gustavo, Sara, Matt, Jeremy, Antonio ("JB"), Steve, and Bret (Mogli). I was only in town for a weekend, but these guys are crushing it island style for an entire month. Thy have rented out an apartment with enough beds for six, which left Mogli on the couch (and me on the patio floor). Anything to climb.
Saturday we went to a place called Cala Barques which was about 30 minutes from the apartment by car. After turning onto a road marked "Private Property, Do Not Enter", we drove about a mile until we reached a sign that said "No Aparcar" (No Parking) and parked next to it. If that wasn't enough, we slipped through a gate that was poorly chained closed and spray painted with the words "Keep out". So far, a very inviting experience. A 15 minute walk on a bushy trail led us to a beach PACKED with people. There were multiple slack lines set up, boats of all shapes and sizes not far from shore, and, as has been the case at every beach thus far, boobies!
We marched past the inviting beach in favor of more bushwhacking, which brought us upon one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen-- two caves rising up out of the ocean and chalk marks all the way up both of them. The first cave is called Metrosexual cave, as the main route there is called Metrosexual. Here are some pictures.
Me on Metrosexual.
JB flexin' near the top of Metrosexual.
Me on Strangers in Paradise in the cave next to Metrosexual.
The next day we went to Porto Colom. This place was the exact opposite of Cala Barques-- A steep down climb to a rocky cove where the only people we saw all day were also climbing. No beach, no boobies. This place, however, proved to be just as fun. I climbed a 75ft route called Me Llamo Chris that actually topped out. There is an option to bail at a little ledge around 50ft, still counting as a valid send. However, after I managed to mantle up onto the ledge, everything in my body told me to keep going! We also worked a sweet tufa project that probably goes at 7c/c+ (12d or 13a).
Me on the Porto Colom Proj
Closer up on the proj.
Gustavo pullin!
There's a video of me sending Strangers in Paradise, I just can't manage to get it on the damn blog. I'll try again later. Hope everyone enjoys the pictures! It was really the experience of a lifetime. I'm so grateful for everyone's hospitality this weekend. This is just the beginning of my Euro climbing adventure!
Saturday we went to a place called Cala Barques which was about 30 minutes from the apartment by car. After turning onto a road marked "Private Property, Do Not Enter", we drove about a mile until we reached a sign that said "No Aparcar" (No Parking) and parked next to it. If that wasn't enough, we slipped through a gate that was poorly chained closed and spray painted with the words "Keep out". So far, a very inviting experience. A 15 minute walk on a bushy trail led us to a beach PACKED with people. There were multiple slack lines set up, boats of all shapes and sizes not far from shore, and, as has been the case at every beach thus far, boobies!
We marched past the inviting beach in favor of more bushwhacking, which brought us upon one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen-- two caves rising up out of the ocean and chalk marks all the way up both of them. The first cave is called Metrosexual cave, as the main route there is called Metrosexual. Here are some pictures.
Me on Metrosexual.
JB flexin' near the top of Metrosexual.
Me on Strangers in Paradise in the cave next to Metrosexual.
The next day we went to Porto Colom. This place was the exact opposite of Cala Barques-- A steep down climb to a rocky cove where the only people we saw all day were also climbing. No beach, no boobies. This place, however, proved to be just as fun. I climbed a 75ft route called Me Llamo Chris that actually topped out. There is an option to bail at a little ledge around 50ft, still counting as a valid send. However, after I managed to mantle up onto the ledge, everything in my body told me to keep going! We also worked a sweet tufa project that probably goes at 7c/c+ (12d or 13a).
Me on the Porto Colom Proj
Closer up on the proj.
Gustavo pullin!
There's a video of me sending Strangers in Paradise, I just can't manage to get it on the damn blog. I'll try again later. Hope everyone enjoys the pictures! It was really the experience of a lifetime. I'm so grateful for everyone's hospitality this weekend. This is just the beginning of my Euro climbing adventure!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wherever you go, there you are.
I officially start class this morning at 12:30pm, which is hardly morning (but I'm not complaining). Although most of the kids from CEA are studying mainly at the CEA global campus-- a tiny building where only Americans study-- I'm in a program at UPF with kids from CEA, other American and European study abroad programs, and Spanish students. This is cool because I have the opportunity to meet a lot more people, if I so choose.
My roommate Matt and I have spent some time walking around the city, trying to get to know it a little better. This place is big. REAL big. Here are some adventure pictures:
Two ubiquitous modes of transportation- the metro and Bicing. The latter is a company from Barcelona that rents bikes to residents. You can pick up a bike at any rack and ride until until you feel like getting off (there are racks everywhere). Then you can grab a new one for the ride home.
I'm not gonna lie. I have no idea what this statue is. It was right outside of our hotel in Plaza Espanya, but I never found out why it's significant.
A sign reprimanding public urinators. Apparently this is a real issue. Maybe it's all the day drinking...
The building that housed the World's Fair and the view looking back toward the city.
Roommate shot.
I'm headed to Mallorca tonight to go deep water soloing for the weekend. I'll post any pics I can get next week!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Walking. And walking. And walking...
Whoa! So, almost a week has gone by here in Barcelona and I haven't been writing because I've been out running around the city day and night. Where to start? I am officially moved into my apartment. My roommates Kevin and Matt are both super nice guys and we've been having fun getting to know the city better. On our second day here we were given a guided tour of the city which took us all around to a ton of famous places, most of which I can't remember. Here are some photos of my early explorations of Barcelona:
A view of the city from Montjuic.
The hotel we were staying at for the first few days. Its in the Plaza Espanya, a pretty close walk to a ton of restaurants, shops, climbing gyms, etc.
La Sagrada Familia. Possibly the coolest church I have ever seen in my entire life (and when finished, the tallest church in Europe). Currently under construction until 2035 or something crazy like that.
My roommate Matt walking down one of a million back streets in Barcelona. How cool is this place?
Me, Erica, Juliet, and Matt trying to find our way back to the hotel on a 2 mile venture through the city.
Why? Because we can.
Yes, you read that right. Strangest bar I've ever been to.
A couple things to note about life in Barcelona thus far:
-I have done more walking here than I ever have before in my life. Mostly, this is out of the overwhelming urge I feel to see every single part of the city. Also, I may or may not have gotten lost more than once. Either way, in the past 48 hours I think I walked around 10 miles. Whether or not this is a lifestyle to get used to or I just need to stop getting lost is yet to be determined.
-The metro is the shit. A system of underground tunnels to connect the city. Why didn't Phoenix think of this. Worst part about the metro-- having no idea which direction you're facing once you get off. This may be part of the reason I've spent so much time walking.
-Washers? Check. Dryers? Ummmm... So it seems literally every single person in Barcelona hangs their clothes out to dry. This cultural adaption doesn't seem too crazy unless you factor in weird things like sheets. I currently own one set of the cheapest, scratchiest sheets available in Barcelona (cost: 30 euro). Whenever I decide to wash these sheets I have to pick a day to wake up early, wash them, pull them out of the washer, and hope that its sunny on my balcony. How long does it take for sheets to dry? Less than a day I hope. This will take some getting used to.
-"Cafe" here generally means espresso. Thus, "cafe con leche" is a latte. No small wonder that the first thing I figured out here was where to buy coffee. Coincidentally, every shop will make you a latte and they're all good. Which brings us to my next point:
-Every 5th shop or so on any given street is a cafe/bar/small restaurant. It seats anywhere from 5-15 people inside and generally has outdoor seating. You can eat sandwiches (bread with tomato spread and meat or cheese [or both if you're lucky]), get a coffee, usually find a pastry, or drink a beer. Furthermore, there is no time bracket for any of these items, meaning you can get a coffee at 11 at night or, in the case of the man sitting next to me at breakfast this morning, drink a beer with your sandwich. This still blows my mind. In America you are definitely an alcoholic for this behavior, but here it is totally fine.
-Public drinking: totally cool here. House parties: not acceptable. At our orientation we were told about the apartments people live in and how thin the walls are (this is true). Since people all across the city are living in such close quarters, house parties are generally not acceptable. I was literally told that it was rude to be making too much noise in the apartment, especially at night, and that I should "take my drinking into the street like a normal person". I didn't fully understand this until last night on the Metro a group of 20-something Spanish people were drinking their beers/mixed drinks out of glasses on the metro. I dont mean glass bottles, I mean cups from home. Awesome.
-Nudity is totally acceptable in storefront ads, and not even for porn. I was walking by a spa and saw an ad for some skin treatment, then BOOM, boobies. Out of nowhere. I'm not angry.
-Cab drivers can be sketchy: Last night, around 230 a.m. (still early) we decided to head home. My roommate Matt and I got into the first cab we could flag down. The cab driver was mumbling some shit we could hardly understand. We got the impression he lost something and he went to town looking for it while driving. After repeated attempts to figure out what he lost, I gave up. This guy pulled the E-break at every red light and forgot to put it down every time the light changed (read: loud noises from engine and no movement). About 100ft from our destination this guy finally finds what he has been searching for: a joint. Lost. My. Shit. Matt and I got out on some corner and walked home, thanking God we were still alive.
-Sooooooo, almost none of the signs around the city are in Spanish. Strange? I thought so too. Catalan is the primary language for signs, pamphlets, etc. For those who don't know, Catalan is a mix of Spanish, French, and Italian. Knowing Spanish helps to guess at what signs might say in Catalan, but its not a guarantee. Although all the signs are in Catalan, Spanish seems to be spoken primarily. Its taking some getting used to, but I'm beginning to understand the accent through the lisping and weird pronunciations.
Finally moved into my apartment. Here are some pics:
My room.
Bathroom.
Living room.
Kitchen area.
Thats all for now. Why not end on a quote from a favorite author?
"There are only two mantras, yum and yuck, mine is yum."
--Tom Robbins (Still Life With Woodpecker)
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