Day 25/Mount Tibidabo and Farewell dinner and last night in Barcelona

We had planned on going here before finals today, but the lift to the top doesn't start running until noon, so that plan got messed up. So, a friend and I got out of our second final early and hurried our way to the top of this must-see monument before our farewell dinner. We had to hop on the secondary train to get to the bottom of the mountain, and once there had to walk across the street and get on a trolley that took us even closer, and once here, had to walk across another street and ride up a tram to the very top of the mountain. It took us about an hour to get from Barcelona to the top, but it was definitely worth it! Unfortunately, it was really cloudy so we didn't get the full experience, so I will just have to do it again when I come back, but i'll make sure that it's on a clear day. At the top, there is an old amusement park, an old church where you take an elevator up many floors to get to the highest view in Barcelona, from which you can undoubtedly see the ENTIRE city. We didn't have long before the dinner, so we quickly walked around the park and took pictures before we went to the top of the church. We went inside the sanctuary and then took an elevator to the top, where we got out and took some more pictures before walking even higher to the very top. And of course, as soon as we got up here, massive clouds began to overtake the skies and we couldn't see 20 feet in front of us, except at rare breaks in them. I mean, we were IN the clouds, touching them and all. The times when we were able to see the city were incredible. You could see from Montjuic and the airport to Sagrada Familia and Torre Agbar, all across the city. Unfortunately it wasn't sunny though and the city was dark from the clouds. We tried to wait it out because the clouds were moving fast, but it was such a big overcast that it never stopped. We headed back down towards the bottom and on our hour trek back to school. It was definitely worth it coming up here because everyone on the trip said it was a must-see, but this left us with no time to change for dinner and we hadn't even started packing yet. So, we got to dinner only to be wearing casual street clothes as girls were wearing dresses and guys were wearing collared shirts and button-ups, seeming to be going out immediately after dinner. Needless to say, we were underdressed. We ate at a restaurant on the beach, but since the weather wasn't ideal, we ate inside rather than outside on the patio-seating. The meal was definitely tasty (I ordered the Paella, of course) and there seemed to be some good conversation going on at each table. And for some unexpected entertainment, a few of the illegal street vendors walked up to the windows where we were and tried to sell us their merchandise! After dinner, people began saying their goodbyes because it was unlikely that we would all be going to the same place. Unfortunately, some people skipped out early so I didn't get to farewell everybody, but that's what Facebook is for. Most of them were travelling after the trip, which I wish I could have done, but it was time for me to come back home. I was really bummed that I had to go home and pack instead of going out with everybody after dinner because I probably would not be able to find them because I didn't have a cell phone. So, my roommate and I went back to the apartment and I began to pack. Someway, somehow, I fit everything into my suitcases and it only took a few hours! I really have no idea how it all fit, but I had to pay a 55 Euro overweight fee at the airport haha. After getting everything together, I went over to a friend's apartment for a little bit to kill time because I wasn't going to sleep or else I would miss my flight! I really wish I met up with some other people on the last night because this apartment wasn't exactly having a good time and ended up in pranks going too far and fights erupting (I was not involved though). So much for a good last night! So, after I had enough I took a cab back to the apartment to relax for a little, only to miss a few of my friends who had just left. Luckily my other roommates were back now so we were able to share stories for a little while. It seemed like they had a really good time with everybody. If only I could have found with them! After a little while, it was time to go so we said our goodbyes and off to the airport I was. Only a 30 Euro cab ride...JEEZ LOUISE! I'm glad I got to the airport when I did because people started pouring in soon after and the lines were moving slow because they didn't have many employees working that early. The Barcelona airport is really nice so I was able to kill time for a little bit before my flight and grab a small snack for breakfast. When we were boarding, we took stairs down the ground and hopped on a bus that drove us to our plane. I even met a guy who just got done studying abroad with API for 8 weeks who goes to Ole Dominion in Virginia, so we chatted for a little bit before it was nap time on both flights. The BCN airport is right next to the ocean so I looked out the window for a little before falling asleep, but sure enough I slept the rest of the way. The terminal where we got off from this flight and where we boarded the next one back to the U.S. were very far away from each other, so it is good that I had a 2 hour layover to give me time to get there. I grabbed one last baguette before my flight for old time's sake and tried to stay awake. We flew Aer Lingus back to the U.S. too (the Irish air line) so looking at all the green put a smile on my face. I got a window seat this time so I was able to check out the Spanish country side a little bit before we went above the clouds. I was sleeping on and off for the whole trip, but I was able to watch a movie and luckily wake up just in time to see the coast of Portugal as we flew over it. There wasn't much else to look at for a while except the ocean so I tried to take a long snooze here and it didn't even matter how uncomfortable it was, I was able to fall right asleep. With the 6 hour time difference in Barcelona and the U.S., we left Madrid at 11am and arrived in D.C. around 2pm (which means it was only a 3 hour flight, right?) They had alotted 9 hours to get back because of the tailwinds, but the winds were not as strong as anticipated, so it only took about 8 hours and we arrived earlier than expected. It was so good to hear the English language everywhere again that I didn't even mind paying the $30 cab ride back to my cousin's house! I played a trick on my dad though and told him that I missed my flight in Madrid and the next plane was having "mechanical issues" so I had to sleep in the Madrid airport over night, when really everything went according to plan and it was all part of my scheme to surprise him! Which I did, somewhat. It was such a long day but in order to prevent jet-lag I had to try and stay awake, so I watched TV, went and exchanged my iPhone for a new one (luckily it was still under warranty!), and treated myself to a delicious Chipotle burrito before crashing that night at 9pm after a Domino's pizza! Mhhhmm, that new recipe is phenomenal!

 one of the trams to the top of Mount Tibidabo

 the other tram to the top of Mount Tibidabo

 view of some of Barcelona

 some of the amusement park rides

 the church at the top

 eye-level with the clouds. Dark underneath and blue skies above!

 view of some of the city

 official Tibidabo sign

 bottom of the church

 one of the statues about halfway up

 tiny staircase that you had to walk up to get to the very top

 statue at the top

 view of down below

 view of the top when the clouds came over

 first course of the farewell dinner: bread with a tomato sauce

 second course: salad (but no ranch!)

 third course: I don't know (not croquettes)

 fourth course: asparagus and eggs

 fifth course: scallops

 half of the program; notice the beer bottle light fixtures above, neat crafstmanship

 the other half of the program

 sixth course/entree; seafood paella (or hamburger without a bun. I made the right choice!)

 dessert option 1: pineapple slices and ice cream

 dessert option 2: brownie and ice cream with berry sauce

room key for the last time

Day 24/Estrella Damm beer factory field trip

Today, we finally went on a field trip in our International Business class. We went to the old Estrella Damm beer factory, which was pretty close to Sagrada Familia, where we got to see the history of the company and even sample a few beers after the tour. The factory wasn't big, but had a couple cool exhibits and some funny commercials. Apparently it is nothing like our first choice of the Casa Bacardi in Sitges, but that is far away and only open Friday-Sunday, so this had to do. I am not complaining though because it got us out of class! It was a good way to spend our last class together before the final exam, and cool to hang out with our professor outside of the classroom, although it was technically still a school event...until 6pm! We didn't leave until 6:30ish, so we spent a good hour and a half there just mingling and observing the scenery. I really like both of my professors and they really seemed to warm up to us as the month went on. My business teacher looks like a spanish Adam Sandler, so everyone calls him Happy (Gilmore) when referring to him, but not to his face. So, needless to say, we have a lot of fun as a class. Everybody slowly left group by group after the tour and went their own ways, only to regroup later that night. I passed up the opportunity to go inside of Sagrada Familia with a friend because I was planning on going the next day, but my plans changed so I never got to go inside which was a bummer. But it just gives me more reason to go back! That night, we went to Club Opium again to see Steve Angello (one of the three members of Swedish House Mafia) so that was fun, besides the high cover fee. Although he was good, I liked Tiesto much better. Tonight was my last chance to see the sun rise in Barcelona, so I luckily I found one of my friend's who was down for the same. Come 5:30am though, it was beyond tough to stay awake, but we managed to do it. When the club closed, we walked down the beach a little bit onto a jetty-type structure and chilled for a little while we waited on the sun to rise. After about 30 minutes, sure enough it did and it was beautiful! I had been wanting to do this since I got here so i'm glad that I didn't have to do it alone, because that is usually when people get mugged! And it just so happened that we had finals that same morning so going to bed at 8am and waking up at 10:30 wasn't exactly the best idea, but luckily for me I was taking my classes pass/fail!

former Estrella Damm beer factory

 former Estrella Damm beer factory

 former Estrella Damm beer factory

 orange tree outside of the factory

 chandelier made out of beer bottles!

 Estrella Damm beers on tap

 company logo

 some classmates and I...and the professor! After the business day had ended, of course

 Steve Angello of Swedish House Mafia

the beach before the sun came up

 slowly rising...

 The W hotel in the background

 it's getting higher

Day 22 & 23/Museu Xocolata (Chocolate Museum) & Bullfighting Museum

I went to the Chocolate Museum today before my first class. Some people had been telling me that I needed to check it out, so I figured why not. It was in a cool part of town, located near the Picasso Museum. Needless to say, I got lost on my way there so it is good that I gave myself extra time. When I finally found it, I walked in and my jaw dropped immediately at the chocolate fondu fountain behind the register. And instead of getting a paper ticket, they give you a chocolate bar as your admission voucher! Once inside, I walked around the entire museum, (it wasn't very big) and checked out all of the chocolate sculptures. They had them ranging from a Roman coliseum gladiator fight to a western saloon to Sagrada Familia, and even a scene from the movie "Up". I wanted to buy some souvenirs to take back home, but they would have melted and gotten smooshed on the plane so I decided to pass on that. I had some more time to kill, so I went to get authentic gelato and tapas before my class. My favorite tapa was sushi-like, with cold salmon and avocado on top of the bread. After class, I went to La Boqueria one last time, where I was finally able to walk throughout the entire market. Some of the vendors were closed though because of how late in the day it was, but I still got to see a lot of other really cool ones! It was so cheap! 1 Euro blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple! And I found a booth with truffles and other chocolately treats so of course I couldn't resist! By the end of the trip, I had spent about 40 Euros, just inside of a farmer's market! It was time to come back home though to take a nap before finishing a paper, so off I went...until I passed some souvenir shops to do some last minute gifting. These last few days are going by way too quickly. There's not enough time!

The next day, for my Sport & Culture class, we went on a field trip to the Bullfighting museum in Barca. It was a little old, but it was cool to see the history in the museum and actually go into the arena where the fights take place. There was even blood on the sand from the night before! We walked around the inside of the arena where we saw the different walls with horn marks in them from where the bulls had tried to attack the fighters. The museum was by the stables and we even got to see a few of them before we headed out. I am bummed that I wasn't able to catch a fight while I was in Spain, so I guess that i'll just have to come back and do it some other time! Not that I condone it, I just want to be immersed in the cultural experience because it is  engrained in Spain's history and seen more as an art form rather than a sport. We even got to play around a little bit in the ring, with some of us acting as fighters (or toreros) and others acting like bulls and making horns with our hands and charging each other! It was really funny and good to see that we get amused so easily. This class has really given me the opportunity to see things that I otherwise would not have had the chance too, and actually increased my appreciation of soccer  (still not a diehard yet though!)

 outside of the bullfighting museum

 tunnel into the arena

 inside of the stadium

 inside of the arena

 and the fight begins!

 other side of the arena

 outside of the tunnel

 three of the remaining bulls

candy at La Boqueria

 fruit at La Boqueria

 more candy at La Boqueria

 chocolate and nuts at La Boqueria

purchases at La Boqueria; blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, and a fruit salad

 chocolate museum

 one of the sculptures

 chocolate bullfight sculpture

 chocolate sculpture of the lizard in Parc Guell

 chocolate sculpture of the Roman Coliseum

 chocolate sculpture of a saloon

 chocolate sculpture of the movie "Up"

 chocolate sculpture of Sarada Familia

 the room where they make all of the chocolate and the sculptures

 chocolate fondu fountain

entry ticket to the museum