The next morning, Tuesday, we started out with some breakfast and a quick packing before heading into town. In town we learned all about the bass house in norderney which is a huge sauna and spa dedicated to relaxation and rehabilitation. In this spa there is a floor of pools ranging from temperatures or 80-140 degrees Fahrenheit as well as a pool with a salt content similar to the Dead Sea so floating takes no thought at all. All the water in the facility is pumped in from the North Sea and heated to the facility needs. In these pools you can relax and swim or enjoy the 6 meter waterfall shower. On the floor above is the saunas and steam rooms. In these rooms is where we as classmates bonded during our mud cleansing a together in the steam baths. After our luxury visit we headed out for lunch and gelato after some warm showers. After we arrived back at our hostel we had time to nap or do our neurophysiology of music test which luckily I was done with thanks to the uneventful 8 hour journey to norderney. We were then graced with a BBQ prepared by our professors, TA, and coordinator. This BBQ was very enjoyable and gave everyone more of a chance to connect with one another. After this BBQ a group of us actually biked into town to grab some drinks for people and we enjoyed a beach sunset as a class and some of us stayed on the beach until late just talking together.
On Wednesday we had a slightly slower start to the morning which consisted of a museum visit followed by a walking tour of all the pinnacle points or norderney. After this we were gifted with a lunch break where I proceeded to find the best strawberry shortcake I have ever eaten hands down. This thing was amazing. It has strawberries in a jello like substance and the cake was just perfect. I made multiple trips to this shop after that lunch. But after this lunch was where the trip started to waiver. The next item on our agenda was the mud flat hiking. This took approximately 2 hours to complete and we were recommended to wear shorts even though it was cold as ever outside. To make it worse the second we pulled up on our bikes it started to rain. This trip was very insightful and interesting but I just couldn’t focus on anything other than the slit on the center of my foot that I had gotten walking down the stones throbbing in the mud with every step. Luckily when this trip was over we were given free time and we all crashed the pizza place that was next door in soaking wet clothes for food and drinks. After some of us grabbed more and hung out in one of our rooms until no one could keep their eyes open anymore.
When Thursday rolled around it was a bittersweet feeling. For one I was excited to get from Norderney to Barcelona but also it was sad leaving such a beautiful landscape such as this one. On this day we all had breakfast and proceeded to pack up our belongings before some of us embarked on an island bike tour, this tour was slightly more of a island bird tour but what else could you expect from Dr. Wasser considering he wanted to study birds forever. The tour as a whole was beautiful, we got to see the island lighthouse, bike through some dunes, as well as witness some incredible views. The wind was a little tough on the tour but considering all of us that went were all biking advocates it ended up going smoothly. After this tour we were free to go as we pleased so we headed back to town to enjoy one more last meal. When we were all said and done, we handed our bikes back over, hopped on the ferry and headed home. The train ride wasn't so bad except for the part where I started to get sick from the cold weather and that we didn't get to Bonn until like 12 am.
Now comes the fun part. After this 12 am arrival time in Bonn the bus to bring us back home never showed up meaning me and Sarah had to walk the mile home with suitcases at around 12:45 am. This was followed by the hasty unpacking and repacking for Barcelona which we proceeded to do in about an hour of time. By the time all packing was complete, 2 taxis had cancelled on us leaving us to walk to Siegburg/Bonn train station, about a 2 mile hike, with our suitcases at 3 am. Luckily for us Bonn is a very safe place so we ran into sketchy situations unless you count the 4 different cats that came by. Once we reached the train station it was smooth sailing to the airport and through security meaning we were so close to getting to Barcelona and OUR FAMILIES! I was lucky enough to get about 2 hours of sleep on this plane ride meaning I was nice and refreshed for when I met my family. This was honestly a cool trip all around just because I got to spend the entire thing with my parents, brother, and aunts. Arriving early on Friday also meant lots of adventures that day, everyone had landed and was at the hotel by 1 pm so the day was still young. Our family walked the path to our first excursion where we stopped at a random little cafe for some food and drinks which is always a plus. Next we went on a tour of the La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral decided by Antoni Gaudà which was absolutely beautiful. Inside all the mosaics made it look as if the cathedral was a rainbow when you spun around. After this we all headed over to a travel bar to embark on a Paella cooking class. This class consisted of shopping for the food, making the food, and of course eating the food. There were a bunch of people there so it was a right laugh with everyone that was present. We got great seafood paella, great sangria, and some amazing bread for this meal.
Our next day consisted of a bright and early morning call. We had to wake up and head out in order to catch a bus to show us the more beach side of Barcelona. On this trip we got to the sunny costa brava where my brother and I enjoyed a stroll in the ticklish sand and a nice drink before we met up and all cruised down the coast line in a boat. On this boat we got to see some spectacular views of shoreline and smaller beaches that line costa brava. We then reached the little town of Tossa de Mar where we explored the old Roman city that is still standing and took in all the majestic views. After our walking tour we stopped for lunch at a small restaurant with impeccable food before heading back to our group and bussing home. After returning home some of us decided to enjoy the terrace bar the hotel had to offer before we set out to a tapas restaurant for the night.
Sunday meant the last full day in Barcelona which meant lots of activities. This day consisted of going to visit Park Guell. This park was also designed by Antoni GaudÃ, it had similar characteristics when it came to the fact that the man hated straight lines apparently. The park was beautiful though and we even got to hike to the top of the property and enjoy the great outlook that was offered. After this a nice quaint lunch was had at a whole in the wall Italian place before we headed over to a meeting point where we were picked up by another bus. This time however it was to go to Monserrat. Monserrat is a monastery in the mountains that houses the Black Madonna. The cathedral in this place was unlike any cathedral I had seen before. It housed such beauty and elegance, this monastery also specializes in liquor making, just making it all the more better. We got a guided tour through the main areas before we were released on our own to explore the mountainous village. After our bus ride back we visited another tapas restaurant where we were entertained by all different types of street performers.
Monday rolling around meant the last day of family and Barcelona. We started it right with sleeping in and a late breakfast followed by shopping, walking around, and then a small lunch with a big drink. The walking around definitely benefited us though because we somehow stumbled upon the cathedral of Barcelona. This was the perfect way to end the perfect long weekend with the family. Stay tuned to next week where you get to find out how I reacted to being in a live OR for the first time! Will I survive? Will I faint? Stay tuned!
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