Week 2 is complete, and it definitely lived up to the hype of Week 1. Things got easier, and things definitely got better. First, we had a week's worth of classes.
This week's lectures were incredible. We discussed comparative healthcare, which was definitely interesting to me. Sometimes healthcare discussion can seem boring to some, but this topic was one that I was extremely interested in, as it is a major player in public health practices. Learning about the pros and cons of different styles of healthcare increased my perspective on the systems of the world. We then discussed the history of the sauna and got to enjoy Dr. Wasser introducing us to Becky G's song "Break a Sweat" (go listen to it right now). Also, we all learned the proper pronunciation of loyly, the steam that comes from the sauna. We had our first pharmacology lectures, which were more interesting than I could've imagined. They greatly focused on group discussions and readings, which made the class more real world applicable.
After class, we went to BARCELONA!!!! I had to try my hardest to not make a Cheetah Girls 2 reference at every possible moment (Strut like you mean it amirite). When we landed, the people on the flight clapped, which bugged me more than it should have lol. The airbnb was basically a hostel, but we had a private room and it came with Q Tips! I got a message from my family right after arriving in Barca that they had lost both of my dogs. I had to sleep that night not knowing if they were found. The next morning, I woke up to pictures of my dogs in our backyard covered in mud. They were safe!!!
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| Lola after being found |
The next day, we hit Barcelona hard. Thank goodness for Megyn and her knowledge of the metro system and the city as a whole. After an incredible brunch at Milk, we strolled down Las Ramblas, and got some juices at La Boqueria. Later that day on Las Ramblas, we drank from the mythical fountain. Apparently, if you drink from the fountain, you will return to Barcelona. It worked for Megyn! On the Passeig de Gracia, we saw the Casa Battlo and Casa Mila. The architecture was truly incredible and I've decided to stan Gaudi. We enjoyed our first (of three!) Barcelona beach visits. This day, we had an incredible $4 sandwich, and tapas that were to die for. We also saw the Olympic Park and a view point from Cheetah Girls 2, where Aqua herself said the city couldn't be seen in a day.
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| Drinking from the fountain on Las Ramblas |
We had a much more chill second day in Barcelona. We started by going to the Sagrada Familia, another Gaudi architectural marvel. We had an incredible lunch at a Venezuelan place near the Sagrada. We strolled through a park that had a beautiful fountain and the Parliament of Catalonia. We went to our second beach visit and got some nice pictures before it started to rain on us. To escape the rain, we went a place called La Xocalateria. They had churros dipped in warm dark chocolate. To finish the day, we had a nice meal at Macchina pasta bar. They were build your own, and it was so good and inexpensive.
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| Aggie Ring in front of the Sagrada Familia |
On our final day in Barcelona, we woke up very early to get to Park Guell (another Guadi masterpiece), to gain entrance before they begin charging admission. The view at the top was breathtaking, and the mosaics throughout the park were so intricate. After a nap, we met up with one of my high school friends that was studying abroad in Barcelona. We went to lunch and got a three course meal, including a drink, for 10 euros. After I said my goodbyes, we went back to Las Ramblas to find some souvenirs. I was not planning on buying anything, until I saw a mosaic dog. My heart couldn't let it go, so I bought it. It was very Gaudi and very Barcelona. We went to the beach one last time, where we just sat down and soaked up the Barcelona air. In that moment I knew I was in one of my new favorite cities in the world, and I was sad that I did not know when I would return. Barcelona now has a piece of my heart.
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| Park Guell |
Getting back to Bonn was an adventure. Our flight was delayed about two hours. There was no McDonald's in the airport, and I had to settle for Burger King. After landing in Cologne, we ran to the train, but missed it. We had to pay for a taxi, which was $55. Then, I had to wait another 30 minutes for the tram from the Bonn Hbf. I didn't get home until 1:50 am. I had to shower and pack for our upcoming trip to Norderney. I ended up barely making the train to Norderney the next morning.
Now, some explanation on the title of this blog. When I arrived in Barcelona, I quickly realized I had forgotten to pack underwear. The next day, we went to a department store and I bought some underwear. I then immediately left them at the lunch table that day. Even with this unfortunate event, Barcelona allowed me to get closer to some people on the trip, and showed me a very good weekend. I loved this city, I loved the food, and I loved the company. I cannot wait to return back to Barcelona. Most importantly, our group survived both Paris and Barcelona without getting pickpocketed! It's been a surreal first two weeks, and I can't believe I am one-third of the way through this experience.
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