Yes, the honeymoon stage is over and I am in class, 14 whole hours a week! But, I'll start with last weekend. Saturday I walked around on my own getting a solid mastry of all the winding streets, which are a bit more like alleyways. Found some cute window shopping areas near where were our group had chocolate and churros (I still dream about it). On Sunday we walked around an area called Barceloneta, which goes down towards the water and had some promising looking hotels. Very cute, and seemingly quieter. As you can see in the picture we didn't really have any idea where we were going. We went to the history museum... didn't go in though, but scoped out the area. Then we caught a wiff of something, something glorious. It was like when you're at the carnival and you can smell the fried dough, but you don;t know where the heck it is; we followed the smell. This might be my favorite activity in Barcelona so far. We encountered one of the worst street performers, and thus, perhaps one of the most entertaining because of this. He stood on stilts but just did the same thing over and over and when he did do risky things he almost always came close to not being able to pull through; the split was the best. There were also some great stalls with handmade things, and then we found the smell. It was candied nuts. But it was amazing, like a mollasses and brown sugar and maple syrup and amazing. I ate one of my friends, I'll save my own four euro purchase for a special treat day. I also found something very similar at the market i went to yesterday, more later. That Monday marked the beginning of the rest of classes. I know have Spanish class Monday to Thursday 11-12:30 instead of everyday for two and a half hours. On Tuesday and Thursday I have Arte y Artistas and then Comparative European Politics from 3-7 (two hours each). Both of these professors are amazing. Unfortunately, I am not signed up for either of them, but I wont have any trouble getting into the politics one and I am still hopeful about the art one, he seems a little too cooky for some peoples taste. He starts the class off with painting on the projector and music, and e sit and take it all in. 
This past class it was the Ladies of Avignon, by Picasso (to the left).Then we acted it out to see what was really going on, because it was a very controversial painting. Then he will go in and compare to like painting of the time, and before, is influences, etc. Very interesting.
This past class it was the Ladies of Avignon, by Picasso (to the left).Then we acted it out to see what was really going on, because it was a very controversial painting. Then he will go in and compare to like painting of the time, and before, is influences, etc. Very interesting. BC gave us a pamphlet with the stages of our adjustment to studying abroad, with a honeymoon stage and a stage where everything is frustrating, because small things can be hard to do, like call family, find stamps, open jars of zauerkraut. I'm handling it pretty well, despite my lack of patience, and fully enjoy when i get those things accomplished. On Thursday I sad in a cafe/restaurant next door for a about two hours writing letters ( but pretend to be surprised when you get them) and reading, drinking a cup of a coffee. It was perfect. The picture below is when, after thirty minutes of trying, I successsfully open my friend's huge jar of sauerkraut. It really was incredibly exciting, and surprisingly delicious ( I was rewarded with a bite of her dinner). 
On thursday we also had another cultural outing, on BC! It was to this cute area to have patatas bravas. And my end of the table was clearly the fatty end. We cleared off three rounds of bravas... meaning three plates three times between five girls. Granted they were small plates. So patatas bravas are potatoes, like homefries?, chucnks of potatoe cooked on a frying pan with some oil, then with this magical sauce. The sauce can be too spicey for me sometimes, it is usually an oily, spicey kind of ketchup taste, but better than that (It is hard to decribe) Sometimes the sauce is thick, but this one was thin, oily, and delicius. They also have patatas alioli, which is the same potatoes but in a garlic and mayo sauce. You can order them mixta- which is both sauces 
The trick, for me, is for them not to put too much on it. Once I order alioli, the first bite was great, but as I went on I wanted to die. So fuerte (strong). Regardless, they were absolutely delcious, so sis, get ready for a metro ride to get them. Look how good they look, and how much I like them!
On thursday we also had another cultural outing, on BC! It was to this cute area to have patatas bravas. And my end of the table was clearly the fatty end. We cleared off three rounds of bravas... meaning three plates three times between five girls. Granted they were small plates. So patatas bravas are potatoes, like homefries?, chucnks of potatoe cooked on a frying pan with some oil, then with this magical sauce. The sauce can be too spicey for me sometimes, it is usually an oily, spicey kind of ketchup taste, but better than that (It is hard to decribe) Sometimes the sauce is thick, but this one was thin, oily, and delicius. They also have patatas alioli, which is the same potatoes but in a garlic and mayo sauce. You can order them mixta- which is both sauces 
The trick, for me, is for them not to put too much on it. Once I order alioli, the first bite was great, but as I went on I wanted to die. So fuerte (strong). Regardless, they were absolutely delcious, so sis, get ready for a metro ride to get them. Look how good they look, and how much I like them! Yesterday I went for a loooong walk. Started out with a girl Sydney here who wanted to check out a hostel close by for her friends, but i didn't feel like looking at any more after so we went our separate ways. I wents swervy turvery towards la rambla -a main road and a touristy area, but there are still natives there- and walked around, with the intention of buying stamps, but nowhere was open ( at four)....siesta time. I ended up going to the main market in Barcelona, Mercat Boqueria, Grammy would go crazy. I went to a market before this here, but this was certainly better and bigger. Fresh, fresh, fresh...everywhere. I ordered some meat from the carniceria (butcher/meat stall) some more chorizo iberico and a nice ham...not the nicest becausethe nicest is wicked expensive, so I succesfully mentioned the name in spanish and asked him to recommend me a comparable quality ham for less. YAYYYY i speak spanish. Needless to say, both are delicious. I walked around a bit more, found some candied nuts like I had seen a week before ( they weren't warm but they looked just as delicious). I also walked by a frut stand that was selling fresh cups of juice...about 16 ounces....for a euro, I got strawberry. It was soooo good. So fresh, nothing added to it. Gah! Delicious, and that was my snack for the walk home.
Now its Saturday, supposedly it is going to rain, we'll see. I am still on a mission for stamps, and hopefully the little stores won't be closed! Perhaps a coffee is in the cards, too :)
Besos Y amor!!!!
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