Epilogue

This trip has been more than amazing; words cannot even describe how much fun I have had during these four months. I am so blessed that my parents let me do this. If I could I would stay in Barcelona for at least another year. Being here for four months is long but I’m just starting to get into the click of things, I’m making new friends my Spanish has gotten way better and now I only have a few days until I go home. This whole trip has felt like a dream it has gone by so fast and there was so much I did that I am going to have to sit for a while and remember. While in Europe I visited, France, Italy, Ireland, and Belgium; though, these other cities were awesome Barcelona holds a special place in my heart. I will definitely be back in Barcelona in the future, not for four months but I need to come back. One thing that I truly want to see is the Sagrada Familia when it is all done. This is my favorite building in all of Barcelona not to mention the whole world and when it is done Barcelona will attract more tourists than ever. I am very sad to leave but my parents and family miss me and I want to see them. I have been living in fairy tale land with all my expenses paid and it’s time to go back to reality. I will miss; the people of Barcelona, my teachers, all my new friends, my apartment, FCB Barcelona Futbol, and most of all Barcelona City. Adios

Field Trip Journal: Medieval Barcelona

Barcelona received influences from the Islamic world and Carolingian Europe during the late Middle Ages, and developed a leading role across the Mediterranean basin during the Gothic period. As the capital of Catalonia, the city came to govern extensive territories which included such far-away places as Sicily and Athens. In medieval times, Barcelona was an extremely important trading centre for the whole of the Mediterranean. There are many buildings and areas of the city which bear witness to this flourishing period which spans the 13th to 15th centuries. The history of medieval Barcelona is fully evident today in its urban layout, formed essentially by important Romanesque and, above all, Gothic buildings which tell us about the city’s past. This makes it one of the European cities where history comes to life as you walk through its Gothic Quarter. Walking through the city one comes to understand the various changes made to its walled enclosures which accompanied its growth in medieval times, or the importance of institutions, evidenced by the Romanesque and Gothic part of the City Hall and the Palau de la Generalitat; the monarchy and the nobility, with the Royal Palace and mansions on Carrer Montcada; and the role of the Church, with the Cathedral and churches, such as Santa Maria del Mar, which had close ties with the bourgeois guilds. Taken as a whole, these landmarks and events make Barcelona one of the most artistically wealthy cities of Europe in terms of medieval heritage which today’s visitors can discover on an extraordinary route. While on the field trip with Xavi we saw where the highest part of the old city is.

Field Trip Journal: Raval

Raval used to be a neighborhood that had many drug dealers and prostitutes. All one has to do to obtain drugs or prostitutes is visit Raval. Raval used to be a neighborhood that had many drug dealers and prostitutes. All one has to do to obtain drugs or prostitutes is visit Raval. The Modern Art Museum was created in this area in order to draw tourists and locals. The museum is known for its fin art and its artistic exhibits. Museums are notorious for brining in a more sophisticated and well-off crowd. Due to this new Museum now situated in the area once known as the ghetto a whole new crowd of people arrived, this time drug free and clean. the city created a trash system that cleared the streets of all garbage. The next move consecutively to improve the lifestyle of Raval was to clean the area up. They created an underground system for the garbage so that the trash would not stink up the neighborhood. Due to these two major changes, the city was able to significantly clean the streets of Raval and make the area a much more livable for families making it much safer than it previously was. The creation of cultural buildings like th the Modern Art Museum, and cleaning up the streets, the city was able to change the entire crowd of people that hung around there. By changing the population of individuals that spend time in Raval, it also eliminated the safety issue of the area. The new crowd of wealthy people put the drug dealers out of business because there were no more junkies to sell to. Drugs, junkies and prostitutes almost completely disappeared from Raval. If you haven’t been to Raval I suggest that you go because it is one of the coolest parts of Barcelona.

Cultural Activity Journal: New Friends

I was anxious about coming to Barcelona, I didn’t know if the people were nice, if the city was safe, I really didn’t know anything. When I finally got to Barcelona I soon discovered that it is one of the best places to live. The people are very kind, (not to mention that the women are gorgeous) the city is beautiful and the weather is amazing. The second week of being in my apartment I met my doorman, and my neighbors for the first time. Paco my doorman is very helpful and will always tell me where I need to go to buy certain things. The next few days I met a new friend here that is Catalan, Jordi. Jordi is just a few years older than me and is trying his hardest to learn English. He asked me if I could speak with him, he would help me learn more Spanish and I would help him learn English, pretty easy right. WRONG! I soon found out that teaching someone English is really difficult, much harder than learning Spanish. But we stuck to it and kept meeting for practice. I really enjoyed this because it helped me not be hesitant when approaching locals when I needed help. Jordi’s English was also a lot better and was able to hold a decent conversation with me and my roommates. It’s been about a month or so since I have seen Jordi, or my neighbors. I know my neighbors are not the biggest fans of my friends and I because they have called the police on us a few times for being too loud.

Leisure Activity Journal: Nightlife in Barcelona

The one thing that everyone told me before I came to Barcelona is that the night life is out of this world. Friends kept telling me that people in Barca do not go out to the clubs until two or three and stay out until six in the morning; I thought people were kidding until I experienced my first night. The first night I went to a club/ lounge known as Opium Mar right on the beach in Barceloneta. Barceloneta is known for its clubs, bars, and casinos and is notorious for attracting foreigners. On the weekends this area of Barcelona is incredibly loud and is crowded with musicians, street performers and club promoters. Barceloneta is not the only place however to go to have fun, there are numerous clubs all over the city such as Razzmatazz, Elephant, Tiffany’s, and Broad Bar. The normal night for me and my roommates begins with dinner either at home or a small restaurant near our apartment, Bogo. After dinner we go to a bar to get a little pregame Chupitos, Cyranos, Ovella Negra, Pippermint, or the Smoking Dog. Then depending on what night it is and where we can get in for free we head to the club. My favorite club in Barcelona is Razzmatazz, not only is it huge with multiple rooms but there are many local chicas there. I have only had to pay a cover three times to get into clubs while in Barcelona; those clubs are Appollo, Razzmatazz, and usually Opium. On the nights where I did not feel like going to a club and bar I still found things to do like go to a jazz concert or even a Barcelona futbol match. There are numerous things to do in Barcelona at night it is up to you to find what suites you. So far I have been to sic other countries and Barcelona holds the gold medal for having the best night life in the world.

Field Trip Journal: Roman Barcino

The Roman Barcino was my favorite field trip because I enjoy looking at ancient roman structures. One reason I took the class history of Barcelona is because I’ve always been interested about learning facts about the Roman Empire. Going to the museum made it possible for me to understand how clever and civilized the Romans were. The museum was a sight of a rich family’s house. The rich lived in single-storey houses which were built around a central hall known as an atrium. Atrium had rooms opening up off of them and they were also open to the weather as they had no roofs. Many atriums had a trough built into their design so that water could be collected when it rained. The museum was very nicely constructed and for every piece of architecture there was information on it in English, so it made it possible for everyone to learn about everything in the museum. I was surprised at how far down the ruins were. The ruins were probably 20 -30 feet below were the level of the ground is now and we had to take an elevator to go down to them. While in the museum I saw different types of tools that the Romans used for personal care. They had tools such as; toothpicks, toothpaste, bathing soap, iron tooth’s, and much more. While at the museum I saw that the Romans had large stone bowls that were bigger than baths. These large bowls held oil and wine back in the day for conservation. While at the gym I also learned that Romans were very concerned about how they looked so they always washed their clothes. They used ashes to get stains out of their white clothes. They also had different substances to dye their clothing. I really enjoyed this museum and hope to go back one day.

Restaurant Journal: Bogo

The food all of over Barcelona is amazing but very expensive at the same time. One restaurant that I eat frequently at is a place called Bogo. Bogo is a small upcoming restaurant owned by a young Argentinean named Sebastian. Bogo opened up about two months ago and has been doing very well with customers. The cuisine at this restaurant is crepes, so if you’re a crepe lover this is your place. They serve breakfast crepes, dinner crepes with chicken and mushrooms with a delicious crème sauce, and lastly they serve tasty desert crepes. Luckily Bogo is also on the same street as I live one (Paris Street) and is only an eight minute walk from my house. When FCB Barcelona has a game on TV it is impossible to get a table at Bogo because this restaurant is more of a local spot than a tourist. Another cool thing about this restaurant is that every meal is named after a famous plate; they have the Rod Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne, Tom Petty, and Michael Jackson just to name a few. The front room consists of the bar and seven to eight tables with a large flat screen. The back room is more of a lounge area with two couches for people to smoke and watch the games. If you become a local at Bogo and make friends with Sebastian, he will give you free shots at times. I have eaten at Bogo easily over eight times now and am never dipleased with the food or service. If you are looking for a great restaurant to take a girl or just a friend, Bogo is always a great choice.