Katie and I both like Giraffes.

In case it wasn't already obvious due to the major picture upload here it is all spelled out: today I was a major tourist.  So I'm in Barcelona, but I don't get to move into an apartment until I'm done having my hand held by the directors of my program aka I live in a dorm, eat in a cafeteria and go on mandatory excursions with a huge group of other American students. WooHoo!

I'm making it sound so much worse than it actually was.  Other than the fact that it was a REALLY long, hot day and I sat on a bus a lot with a bunch of loud people, it was pretty interesting.  The sites that we saw were super rad, and I'm glad I got a ride.

Oh, Calder.

Location: In front of the Fundacion de Joan Miro.

Oh, Miro. 

(P.S. Just imagine the accents because I don't know how to put them in.)

Lovely view of Barcelona from the courtyard at the Fundacion de Joan Miro on Montjuic.

Bird Lady in a Park.

Roof of Casa Pedrera.  The moral of the story is: Antoni Gaudi must have been completely, out of his mind crazy.

More Casa Pedrera.

Hardwood floor of the 4th floor apartment in Casa Pedrera.  

I'm not going to lie, at first glance I found Gaudi's architecture to be a bit tacky.  Yes, it's completely crazy looking, but what's so great about it?  After visiting a few of his masterpieces, I now know.  Gaudi's attention to detail is like nothing i've ever experienced; each aspect of his design is carefully considered and intentional based on pretty basic criterion; a couple of examples being the importance of natural light, and the emulation of nature (in the case of Casa Pedrera the inspiration is the ocean and its undulating waves).  This floor was beautiful (the floor of each room in the habitation is unique).  There are still parts of it that I don't necessarily like, but his overall aesthetic is consistent, his vision so uninhibited , and I have a profound respect for his work.

Model of Casa Pedrera, an apartment building on Passeig de Gracia designed by Antoni Gaudi.

I am fascinated by anteaters.

La Universitat de Barcelona (un parte pequeno)

After having recently swam in the Mediterranean for the first time, I was feeling pretty great about life.

Barcelona feels like the Twilight Zone on Sundays.  Nothing is open, and there are no people.  We saw a few security guard types, and after much searching we FINALLY found coffee (thank the lord), and eventually were able to score some sandwiches (another thank you to 'that guy' because we missed breakfast due to waking up at 3 pm and dinner's not until 8:30!).  Oh yeah, and these are my new friends Katie (far left) and Jeremy (far right).

8/22/09.  Day One at Collegi Major "Sant Jordi": Dinner.  Yes.  I am back in the dorms, complete with cafeteria meals and everything.  This somehow seems like a big step back in life, but i've convinced myself that it isn't because I'm in Barcelona and it's only for a month.

So about 5 hours into the flight (it was 10 hours total), a small disaster struck.  I woke up delirious and in need of water.  So, naturally, I grabbed my kleen kanteen and took a big slug.... apparently a bad idea.  I immediately felt nauseous and decided that I must get to the bathroom as efficiently as possible.  Well I never made it into the bathroom per-se.  Yep.  You Guessed it.  I fainted.  Right in front of the bathroom (well actually it was right in front of the stairway leading down to the bathrooms.  Yeah that's right... Lufthansa's bathrooms are on a completely different level than where people sit.  How civilized.)  Anyway, so I come too with about 10 German crew members in my face, kind of smacking me around to wake me up.  It was all very dramatic and uncomfortable.

However, the good thing about fainting on an airplane is this (rant #2 about why Lufthansa is so great):  The flight attendants all feel really bad about the fact that you've collapsed mid-flight with 5 hours to go so they make you a little bed on the floor in the back of the plane and let you lay down until you feel better.  That said, I do not necessarily recommend fainting purely for the benefits of a horizontal resting position.  Overall, it was very awkward.

I always wait until the very last minute to get on the plane so that (god willing) by the time I am walking down the aisle (so to speak), everyone else has already dealt with getting their shit put away and I can stroll peacefully to my seat relatively close to the time that we actually take off.  What I did not take into account this time around is that it would be the first time that i've ever had to use the overhead bin (I usually insist on keeping everything as close to me as humanly possible, but since I packed for an 11 month trip, the 30+ pound carry-on bag plus backpack would not all fit under my seat).  The result was basically me frantic and red in the face (it was really hot), shuffling books/pens/paper out of my 30+ pound carry-on and into my backpack (which I would continue to do periodically throughout the flight) so that I had plenty of options for entertainment at my fingertips (this is very important to me when flying), then struggling to get the 30+ pound carry-on into the overhead bin all while being watched by a very full and very silent airplane.  When I finally sat down, I felt altogether overheated, but relieved.  

...And here is where I rant about how wonderful Lufthansa Airlines is because they serve free alcoholic beverages for the full length and breadth of the flight.  That's right folks.  Not only can you order free drinks of your choice, but then the lovely crew members walk down the aisles and offer you red or white wine periodically, and then they offer you a choice of cognac or bailey's after your meal!  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that all airlines do this.  

It was a teary goodbye at SFO.  Due to the fact that I have refused to let the whole 'moving to Spain' thing occupy any of my time or thoughts up until very recently, arriving at the airport and parting with those I love for the last time was, as you can imagine, somewhat difficult.  Okay that is an understatement... VERY difficult.

FLASHBACK TO THE AIRPLANE: As I may have told some of you, I plan to make a comic in conjunction with this trip.  It all started at the Airport....

Well I made it to Barcelona.  It's officially my first day here and I have successfully wandered the neighborhood around my hotel for the majority of the day.  It is incredibly too hot.  It seems like bulk of the population of Europe is currently vacationing in Barcelona.  The reason for this feeling is that the location of my hotel (where I am staying until the language program begins tomorrow) is the Gran Via de Les Corts Catalanes AKA the main street with all of the shit on it that everyone wants to visit.  Actually, it's a good place to be because I was able to find everything I could possibly need and more rather quickly.  What's interesting is that if you leave the main drag in either direction, the crowd thins to nearly deserted within a block or two.  

I saw two Gaudi buildings (as shown above).

I ate figs, drank delicious espresso, and (if I can get over my phobia of chlorinated bodies of water) I might go for a dip in the pool before too long.  Adeu!