Merry Christmas everyone! Its Christmas morning here in Barcelona, and I am the only one awake. I also am the only one not still dealing with jet lag and the adjustment it takes to being in a new place for a few days. Nonetheless my Mom, Dad, brother and sister are here in Spain with me celebrating Christmas so we can all be together. This is one big present for our family so this year won’t be as much about gift giving, but culture experiencing.
So far we have been to a couple cathedrals and walked around the beautiful streets of Barcelona, enjoying food, wine and each other’s company. Barcelona and Madrid are quite different, Barcelona’s main language is Catalan and the architecture is different for each and every building.
Last night we watched “The Sound of Music,” (which is popular in Spain as well it is just called “Sonrisas y Lagrimas” Smiles and tears) and it has become a new tradition to watch on Christmas eve, as we have since my Nana passed away four years ago. It was one of her favorite movies and it was a good way to end a day of walking around and seeing Christmas lights. Today we are having a relaxing day where the family will open MY presents too them, and we’ll head out to one of the few restaurants that will be open on Christmas day. It won’t be my mother’s homemade Italian meatballs or anything, but Italian food will be had later on this week.
….
To continue the previous thought, yes, we did have Italian food. Twice.
And I will say Barcelona’s roman influence is very apparent in their Italian
cuisine. Hopefully I can find as good of
a place in Madrid as we did here! I’ve
been afraid to try…
My family is back on their way to the United States and I am
sitting in the Barcelona airport getting ready to fly to the UK for New
Years. We had a really nice time hanging
out, and enjoying all that Barcelona has to offer. It’s a beautiful city influenced by Romans
and the Spanish, creating “Cataluña.” We
saw the famous architecture of Anton Gaudi, like the Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila
and Parc Guel. I think it’s safe to say
we walked around a lot and ate our weight in tapas. It was fun to have a “grown up” vacation,
drink wine, and enjoy the nicer things in life with my parents. That being said, it’s funny how quickly your
brother and sister can transform you from an adult, to a child in seconds.
Several times during the trip, my siblings and I let
ourselves be kids and played “I spy,” in an art museum. Complete with running around, anxious
pointing and silly picture taking.
Thankfully those who noticed us smiled, and didn’t seem to be upset by
the obnoxious young adults/teenager.
Needless to say that made me a little nostalgic for home and appreciate
the relationship I have with my family. It’s
a long journey from the U.S. to Spain and I am happy they came to keep me
company during Christmas.
I am thoroughly enjoying Madrid, and plan to reapply for the
program in order to stay in Spain one more year. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t miss home
and the people I left behind.
It’s time to go on another adventure to a new country, the
United Kingdom! I will be traveling with
a native Brit in the north of England, seeing York, Whitby and Manchester. I’m prepared for cold and rain, so I’ll let
you know if I see any sunshine!
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