Barcelona, mi amor

When André came to visit me at the end of October, I asked him to bring me a few things from home: pancake mix, maple syrup and my winter coat. Hearing this, our friend Greg laughed at me. He grew up in Belgium; apparently, their winters don’t warrant heavy coats. To be honest, I was actually swallowing my pride in complaining about the cold. Canadians are modest, except when it comes to winter. In fact, people from Ottawa are the worst. No matter what, our snow banks are higher, our temperatures lower and our winds stronger. We’ve all had frostbite to the point where we no longer have feeling in our ears. Did you know we have the second-coldest capital in the world? Even colder than Russia. It’s all very hard-core and impressive.

Anyway, by the end of November it was obvious to me that we were getting into an abnormal Belgian winter. Luckily the weekend that the snow blanketed a paralyzed Louvain-la-Neuve, I was meeting Logan in warm, sunny, beautiful Barcelona!

Once again, I was benefiting from the popularity of the Queen’s exchange program. Our very welcoming classmates, Ran and Rami, had beds and everything ready for us. Within minutes of arriving at their apartment in Barcelona, Logan and I were whisked to La Rambla and to the beach to take in the main sites of the city. That night, my Erasmus got a little bigger when we met the Esade international crew for dinner and for a party at Ran and Rami’s place. Such a great time! There were just enough North Americans to weigh in our favour and play a few exciting rounds of flip cup. Of course, Team Canada was leading the way.

I dragged Logan out of bed at an ungodly hour so we could enjoy the sun and do some of the tourist stuff.  First stop, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia... despite it being unfinished (how that is the case, I still cannot fathom), it’s quite the sight to behold. Unfortunately, the line was wrapped around the building so we didn’t make it inside, but if what our next stop showed us was any indication, I’m sure it was simply extraordinary. So, in keeping with the Gaudi theme, Logan and I visited Casa Batlló, a privately owned house that was entirely designed by Gaudi. I can’t gush enough about this site. As much as the exterior facade attracts your attention, the inside is... fascinating, quirky, breathtaking. With your entry fee, you get a great audio tour and gain a better appreciation for Gaudi and his fantastic attention to detail (the railings and the doorhandles, for example, are all designed to fit your hand). There are so many different Gaudi buildings to see, it’s difficult to chose, but I certainly recommend this one. It was a great way to spend the first part of our day.

Next, we wondered over to beautiful Parc Monjuïc, which offered amazing views of the city. On our way back to the city centre, we found one of those coveted perfect non-tourist-trap restaurants. I played it safe with Catalonian sausages (which were delicious), while Logan got a little crazy and ordered mussels. I think he might be still regretting those. We did a little window shopping in the gothic quarter, and after a quick nap back at Rami’s, grabbed a drink. At this point, Logan got hit on by the waiter... maybe because he ordered a drink which came with fruit on the side. Rami joined us for dinner at a restaurant near the harbour. After that, he brought us to an awesome bar... Anyone and everyone who goes to Barcelona needs to make this a pit stop. It served only shots. Like 200 of them, each for 2 Euros. In most cases, they require fire. Aweeeesoommmeee. I ordered (what else?) the Harry Potter shot.

Sunday morning, I packed my stuff and went off solo. I had been told Parc Guell was a must, so I wasn’t going to let the opportunity of a sunny day pass me by. To my ultimate delight, Parc Guell is like Gaudi World. It was beautiful and really relaxing. I found myself a bench, snacked on my baguette and read a book. Bliss, baby, bliss.

After a little more shopping in the gothic quarter (CHRISTMAS!), it was a train, a plane, a bus, a train and another train until I was back to Louvain-la-Neuve, completely exhausted. Thanks again to Ran and Rami for their extraordinary hospitality and for sharing their passion for such a fantastic city!