Barcelona PCE talks about their latest adventures!

The Westcoast Blogger

Que fin de semana! What an incredible weekend we spent as our last in Barcelona!
 
On Friday night we got all dressed up to go out for dinner in a beautiful part of the city: the Olympic Port. Filled with hundreds of sailboats, and lined with palm trees, we dined alongside the boardwalk and enjoyed the gorgeous evening sea breeze. Micky and Darren splurged on authentic Mediterranean lobster, while Amanda enjoyed some vegetarian Spanish paella. Then it was off to OLIMPIA, an appropriately named Dance Club right in the heart of the port where we partied Barcelona style until the wee hours of the morning! We met our fellow 360 Student Travelers on the Spanish Spectacular and enjoyed mingling with new friends for the night. We even got to experience the nightlife in Barcelona by taking the metro home after midnight, while the majority of the locals were on their way out!
 
We had a leisurely Saturday morning to recuperate from all the dancing we had done the night before and gear up for a busy weekend ahead of us. We hopped on a hired coach to Port Aventura: Barcelona’s neighboring Amusement park! We arrived in the late afternoon while the sun was still strong and the park was still bustling. Carly, Deni and Rosie bee-lined it for the high-speed, foot-dangling rollercoaster, while Pauline, Jen and Emma opted for the tamer ride options! Ellie and Alana braved it through their first rollercoaster rides EVER while Matt, Ben and Luke chilled out with Ben & Jerry’s ice cream treats between rides to settle their nerves. While night-time settled in and the park grew dark, we stuck around for the grand finale fireworks show, which amazed us as we watched from an old Pirate Ship on the water. Then it was back to into the city way past our bedtime, as we all fell asleep on the bus ride home after an exhausting but exhilarating day at Port Aventura.
 
Sunday was off to an exciting start as we cruised up the windy roads of Montserrat by bus. Montserrat meaning ¨serrated mountain¨ is an absolutely gorgeous mountain range just outside the city of Barcelona which attracts many locals and tourists all year long with its amazing hikes and spectacular vistas. We started things off with a stroll down the mountain side to an old monastery, where we stopped to take pictures of the incredible landscape and the serene structure. Nicole was the first one back up to the top when we settled down to grab a well-deserved bite to eat at the local lunch spot. Then we had some free time to explore the town of Montserrat, and it’s Cathedral. Soon enough it was back into the city to catch ¨La Corrida del Toros¨ or as we call it: a bullfight! Although we were super excited to see what all the fuss is about. We joined up with the Spanish Spectacular program again, and Rob, their tour director, shared a ton of information with us about the history and cultural significance of the Spanish bullfights, while the matadors below gave us a show. Then we headed to a nearby restaurant for some amazing Spanish influenced food. We all practiced our Spanish menu skills by ordering our meals in Spanish, and before we knew it, it was time to head out again to catch the Mon Juic Fountain Show at the Placa Espana uptown.
 
The bus dropped us off at the bottom of Placa Espana and we raced up to the top of the steps just in time for the giant fountain to light up and the classical music to start blasting. Harrison, Stacy, Christin and Jess, one of our tour leaders, found a great spot to catch the show from atop a few neighboring steps. We were definitely wowed by the fountain show, and once the crowds parted we stuck around to chill in the Placa as Austin and Dylan strummed their guitars, and we all sat around singing.
 
Yesterday it was back to school for our last week here in Barcelona. We spent the morning exploring the Barrio Gottic (Gothic Quarter) with our Spanish teachers and learning how to order different tapas and foods at local restaurants. In the afternoon, some of us hung out on the Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona’s famous shopping strip filled with Gaudi’s buildings, such as Casa de Ojos (House of Bones).  Loren and Steph explored the museum and rooftop of La Pedrera! Sara, Lisa, Jared headed back to the DiR, the fitness club near our residence to get a workout in, while Mike, Cale and Justin lounged by the pool in the late afternoon sun.
 
This afternoon we’re headed back to the Parc Cituadella, down by Barceloneta beach to kick the soccer ball around and check out all the cool statues dispered throughout the greenery of the enormous park. We rode through it on our bike tour the first weekend here, which seems like months ago now. It’s hard to believe it’s coming to an end so soon, as we have only 3 more days of classes left before we pack up our things and say goodbye to Barcelona before a few relaxing days in Sitges… and then home! We have a LOT planned for this week, so we’re definitely looking forward to some R & R coming up this weekend.
 
Hasta Luego Todos!