The last few days in Barcelona have been very relaxing. I booked my hostel late, so instead of
staying with my friends in their room, I am in a private room in another
hostel. However, it turned out
that my hostel is directly across the street from them! It is very
convenient. It is nice not staying
in a dorm, and having my own little room. The only downside, they have air
conditioning, and I don’t! In Barcelona right now, it’s over 95 degrees every day.
We are not far from the beach, but the walk feels like a never-ending marathon in
the desert. Though, we still
walk, trying to save our ever-decreasing wallets! Once we actually get to the
beach, the water is beautiful, and there are people all over enjoying
themselves. Since this is the last
weekend in August, everyone is vacationing, before the end of summer. It is a
very fun, relaxed environment.
We did a few things this time, that I missed on my last
trip. We went to a large
outdoor market, to buy snacks for the beach. It was filled with every fruit, vegetable, meat, fish, candy,
you could imagine! I bought a passion fruit, a delicious coconut smoothie, and
a bag of nuts, all for very cheap! This market is off of the busy ‘Las Ramblas’
street, but it is not well known, it's a local treasure. I recommend visiting
it!
I also had paella! Last time, we did not find a good place
to eat some. A lot of tourist-y restaurants serve paella, but a local told us that in these places the yellow
color is artificial. They do not make the paella from scratch. So, we ended up finding a delicious,
small restaurant. I shared mine
with a friend, when we were finished, there was nothing left in the large pan.
After Barcelona, my friends planned on going to Ibiza, a
small island off of Spain. I was
also planning on going. However,
in Paris my foot began hurting and became very swollen.
See Picture Below (It's not pretty)
Therefore, I decided that
going to an island best known for it’s dance parties, would not be a smart
decision. So, I stayed in
Barcelona on my own. During this
time, I still met a lot of people, so it wasn’t lonely! Just sitting at the
beach, you end up having conversations and meeting new people! Since there were a lot of French people
vacationing here, I had a chance to communicate with them.
In Spanish, it was a
little harder…
One night, I did something I have never done before, and ate
at a restaurant alone! It was a small restaurant right near the hostel. I was hungry, so I had no other choice!
However, I am so happy I did. It
turns out, it was the night of the Barcelona versus Real Madrid soccer
match. These teams both have tons
of supporters and huge rivalries.
Everyone was watching the match in the restaurant, supporting
Barcelona. It was exciting!
Barcelona won, which made it even better!
I can’t believe my time in Europe is almost over. I am so grateful I had these
experiences and met so many different people. I am looking forward to seeing
all of my family and friends, and also catching up on some sleep. I loved visiting these different
places, but I don’t know how long I could keep backpacking! If I was just
staying in France, I’d never want to leave, but always on the go can take a lot
out of you!
Coming home, I will have no iphone, a significantly
decreased bank account, and a swollen foot. BUT I enjoyed every minute in
Europe and would 100% do it again.
I feel I have grown so much on this trip, and would like to thank you
all for taking the time to read about it! Part 2 of my blog will be called:
‘Coping with being home’. Kidding!
Until the next voyage: Au revoir! Auf Wiedersehen! Doei!
Adios!
X Audrey
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