My weekend in Barcelona

This weekend I finally had a chance to see more of Barcelona. Friday night a friend and I had topas, which are mini appetizers, at Txapela. They were delicious! Later we met up with couple other friends and walked around Plaça Cataluyna. Barcelona has Christmas lights up all over the city. It is such a beautiful sight. We drank some red wine at El Racó, which was quite delightful. We sat outside and enjoyed the atmosphere.
On Saturday, I went to El Born with my family. This is a little town within Barcelona. There is much more history in this city than I thought. The city of Barcelona was bombed 300 years ago when Spain took over Catalunya. Cataluyna was a separate country at this point, but were not strong enough to defend themselves. Catalan people still feel very strongly about their freedom and would like to have their independence back. Anyways, on Saturday I saw the Capitol building, the Cathedral, and went to some great shops and cafés. There is so much to do and see in this city.
Saturday night I went to the Barcelona vs. Seville fútbol match! It was a blast and an awesome experience! I have always wanted to attend a professional fútbol game. Barcelona won 5-1, Messi scored a hat trick, and also broke the record for the most goals scored in Spainish fútbol history. The crowd was going nuts! It was an exciting moment to see. After the game I went to dinner with Anna and Xavi at a local Japanese restaurant called Zuo. It was the best Japanese I've ever had. The fish was so fresh. It defintely was not like the Japanese food in America. It was very light and healthy.

On Sunday, I hiked up Tibidabo Mountain. I could see the entire city of Barcelona. It was breath taking. I'm sad because my pictures did not turn out well due to some cloudiness, but the view was extraordinary. There is church built right on top of the mountain that looks like an ancient castle. Many of the buildings I saw this weekend have the Gothic stlye build. There is also an amusement park located at the top of the mountain! It is so awesome! It is a goregous place to visit. Along the hiking trail up the mountain there are stops along the way where you can sit and have lunch or have a nice read. It's a very peaceful place to visit. After Tibidabo, I went to Parc Guell which was designed and built by the famous Guadi. His work is unbelievable. The park is great. There is the main part where all of the Guadi structures are and then there is the actual park which is massive. It has all of these walking paths, stone walkways, and bridges. There are many places to sit and have lunch. The forestry at the park is beautiful. I went home after seeing these places, showered, and went straight to bed. I have walked so much since I've been here. I love it, but it's exhuasting! I'm looking forward to my week at school. Then on Friday I am heading to Rome for the weekend! Ahhh I'm so excited! Until then :)