The city is unbelievable. Our apartment is within a block of the subway station, which makes getting anywhere convenient- class is only a 20 minute journey. Even so, it is very tempting to just play hooky every day and explore. We have hit the beach a few times (can't quite muster the courage to purchase a speedo yet), the clubs more than a few times, and even managed to take advantage of the free admission to the Picasso museum the first Sunday of every month. The museum is also 50 feet from our apartment- we're planning our painting heist as we speak. We're about 2 blocks from a huge medieval church, and a 5 minute walk from Las Ramblas, the main pedestrian avenue which is an adventure in itself.
Other than exploring, we have been taking a few (sometimes frustrating) shopping trips while we are trying to settle down- getting milk, sour cream and ranch dressing has proven difficult. Will and I scored a minor victory, though, when we found one of the only bagel stores in Barcelona- again, a 5 minute walk. That and some philly cream cheese has been a little slice of home.
Not to say we haven't been trying our hand at the local cuisine though- Bobby has so far served up a tasty batch of his unique brand of sangria, as well as a very Spanish potato and cheese pie. All of us contributed on our epic fajita night last night, which certainly rivaled that of world renowned chef Helge in Kappa Sig. We might not be cooking up feasts every night- but Pizza Hut delivery-by-scooter is only a phone call away.
The nightlife has most certainly been worthy of mention as well- we have found some awesome themed bars in all corners of the town- some too crowded for their own good, some very chill and relaxed spots. Highlights have included a forest-themed bar, a bar where Hemingway used to spend time, and a bar called Dow Jones where the prices of drinks rise and fall with purchases like stocks, and the market suffers an epic collapse every hour. I wanted to make a new drink and put it on the market with an IPO, but no luck. Annoying club promoters are also relentless in their pursuit of abroad American partygoers, but we are shifting away from that trend.
Trip planning has also been a time commitment. We are hoping to go to an FC Barcelona game in the near future, and with our new official '08 jerseys with the names of our favorite players, we are sure to be among the most stylish fans. We have even tried our hand at learning the club's official anthem, which apparently is the first song any decent Catalan couple teaches their kids. Gabe and I have not forgotten about football (and baseball) back at home though- we are in the process of searching for an American place where we can hopefully catch a few games throughout the season. Go Giants and Mets.
Ok, that's all for now.
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