When in Roma

Went to Rome for the weekend and had the best time! I flew out on Friday with my friends, Grace, Halle, and Hannah. When we arrived we took a train from the airport and then a cab from the train station to our apartment for the weekend. Prior to our arrival I had no idea where we were staying because one of the other girls had made the arrangements, so I was just along for the ride. We arrive at our apartment and we are in a dark alley and tgere is no one to be seen. We were supposed to be meeting a woman at the place to let us in and give us the keys. There were two apartments in the building and we weren't sure which one it was so Hannah rang both of the buzzers. Then al of a sudden a old man from the top floor flings his shutter doors open and starts screaming at us in Italian. We had no idea what he was saying. The cab driver pulled away and we could not get a hold of the woman that we were to meeting up with. So we're standing outside the place, still shocked that we got screamed at and wondering what to do next. We were thinking that we were going to have to find another place the hat stay and that this place was a scam. So we're talking about what to do next and the old man comes back out of his window, but this time with a bucket of water....yes water, and throws it at us. We ran and luckily.did not get wet, but we could not believe that this man was so angry at us that he decided to pour water on us. It was like something out of a movie. This was literally within the first 10 minutes of us arriving to Rome. So we started walking back to a main area where there were some restaurants and shops because we were probably going to have to find somewhere else to stay. Fortunately we finally got a hold of the woman and she sent us the address to the place, it was the same place where we got water thrown at us. So we went back and she came out to meet us. The place we stayed was right below the old man that was so angry with us. The place was really nice and located right in the middle of the Roman Forum. You could see all of the ruins and the Collesseum was only a five minute walk from us. It was an amazing location, but we hoped that we weren't going to run into this old man during the weekend. Luckily we didnt.
The trip was fantastic!!! Everywhere we turned there was something extraordinary to see. It's crazy to think about how long ago all of these structures were built. We ate some delicious pasta and drank some tasty wine to go with it. Literally the most interesting place I have ever been to. I couldn't be I was there actually seeing all of this in person. I will never forget this trip, it was absolutely amazing. I feel blessed to have gone. I only have 1 and 1/2 weeks left here in Barcelona! Time has flown by and I have enjoyed every second of it.

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 :)