¡Barcelona! cue Ed Sheeran

Lets pretend we're dancing in the streeeettt... Zaragoza is wonderfully positioned between Barcelona and Madrid. The AVE can get you to Madrid in an hour and a half and to Barcelona in two. This weekend I visited the beautiful city of Barcelona.

I took the AVE at 8 am from Zaragoza which was incredible because I was able to arrive at 10 and have a full day in Barcelona, but I also hated it a little bit because that early in the morning I have to take a taxi to the train station (16 euros ughh,) because public transportation is not reliable at 6:45 on a Saturday morning.

My journey went well and it was FAST. The AVE is the way to go man. I was spoiled when my family came to visit because we always took the AVE and now I need to start taking buses again because my wallet is less than thrilled with the current arrangement.

You would never have guessed from my last post but I am now a pro at figuring out public transport. From my two metro rides ever (one in Madrid and one ride in New York when I was 14,) I was able to figure out the Barcelona metro to get to my friend's flat in twice the time Google Maps told me it would take. I arrived safely (all that matters:)). Little victories y'all. Little victories.

My sweet friend let me stay with her for the night in the cutest little flat! The experience made me consider living in an international city in the future. We did a few touristy things, but I was not in a rush to see all of Barcelona in one weekend. I know I'll be back to visit, and my dear cousin, aunt, and bffs from the States are flying into BCN when they come to visit in March!

It was a sunny, blue-sky day so we hopped on the metro to see the beautifully bronze bricked Arc de Triomf. Passing a multitude of street performers we made our way through the funky neighborhood El Born and ended staring wide-eyed at the architecture of the Barcelona Cathedral. Lunch was on a street known for lots of tapas bars and we chose Vi & Beers (can't stop laughing at the Catalan-English name) because they had outdoor heaters.

The Bunkers del Carmel gave an INCREDIBLE view. A must-do if you're ever in Barcelona, and worth the short hike. I have never seen a more beautiful view of a city nor the sunset (except maybe in the Grand Canyon). This is a spot for young people. It is also a spot where Barcelona's international identity is clearly displayed: I cannot count how many different languages I heard here, and there was so much English.

We became a sweet group of four for dinner that night at Veggie Garden. An early Spanish dinner at 8:00 PM (20:00).

*Sidenote* While explaining AM and PM, I used the American term "military time" for the European method of counting time and my host family laughed at me.

Dinner was AMAZING. I thrived in BCN with all the vegan and health conscious foodie options. I definitely indulged this weekend, and when I ordered a "smoothie" ie: milkshake (SUGAR, almond milk, banana, and cacao) as my beverage and then later asked for a tequila sunrise my waitress actually laughed at me as she gave me a strange look. (I'll admit my reasoning was I felt a bit like a child as my friends drank their cocktails and I sipped on a milkshake. Friends don't cave to what you perceive is the norm! I found out one girl was actually drinking a green juice and thought "man! I should have ordered that!")

Sunday morning my dear friend made me a Cracker Barrel special of an egg inside a piece of toast (picture below) and it was incredible! I made it the following three days for breakfast back home in Zaragoza.

The International Church of Barcelona (ICB):

I teared up before I even entered the room where the service would take place. We arrived early and there were so many people and so much English being spoken and people were so genuinely loving (the kind you can sense, not a sappy display,) and I fell in love with it instantly. I realized that I feel the Lord more/easily in my native tongue. But I still had the opportunity to speak some Spanish which is really fun.

I was getting to spend time with my friends who I hadn't seen since November, and had the opportunity to watch them as they served others in their church.

After church my friends and I were meeting up for lunch at a Chinese place (Out of China-it was delicious but if you go here definitely don't try splitting the bill). This group of three turned into a group of nine and was the most incredible experience. I pinched myself the entire lunch, not able to fathom that this was my life as I shared the table with three native Catalans, a Scot, three other Americans, and one woman from the Caribbean. During our time flipping between English, Spanish, Catalan, and French, these women were funny, present, and their love for the Lord evident; this meal was particularly noteworthy even in a weekend full of being poured into.

Walking to the metro on my way home I caught a glimpse of the Sagrada Familia and cannot wait to return if only to marvel at it's grandeur (and the fact that its still under construction) and will pay the 15 euros to see the inside.

Preparing for this trip I wasn't sure what to expect. I had been to Catalunya twice, but both were at the beginning of my time in Europe, and I didn't understand what all the yellow ribbons signified nor what language was being spoken around me.

English: Catalan is a mix of Spanish and French.

Spanish: Catalán es una mezcla de español y francés.

Catalan: Català és una barreja d'espanyol i francès.

French: Catalan est un mélange d'espagnol et de français.

Over the past four months I have deepened my understanding of the fight for independence in Catalunya. There is a must see documentary on Netflix called Two Catalonias and you can watch it with English subtitles. I think it does a good job of presenting both sides of the story fairly, and enables you to develop an understanding in just two hours of what's been going on for thirty years. I encourage you to broaden your worldview:). I am not a Catalan nor a Spaniard so I wouldn't dare take a position on the political situation. I will say I have loved all the Catalan people I have met and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in this gorgeous region.