Barcelona!! (And Madrid)

This weekend a few of us from the group traveled to Barcelona as a last hurrah before classes start! We left Wednesday morning and just got back today. I took the train from Salamanca to Madrid (2.5 hours) then we hung out in Madrid for the whole day before boarding a train to Barcelona at 10:30 pm. Here are some pics from Madrid!! We also went inside the Prado Museum (the louvre of Spain) but couldn't take pics =[

Karen and I in front of a fountain

I thought this poster was funny haha it says "This chicken loves Gin and tonics"

Plaza Mayor in Madrid (ours is better...fun fact:Salamanca's plaza mayor is ranked as one of  the best plazas in Spain!)

Tapas outside the Plaza! Going clockwise around the table starting at me: Me, Jaime, Paty, Ericka, Ivy, Erika, Michelle, Karen

Us in the plaza after dinner!! 

After a long day of walking around Madrid we hopped on the train to Barcelona. We arrived in Barcelona at around 7:30 am, got on the subway and took it to the hostel. The hostel was very well kept, very secure, and it was super fun to meet people from all over the world! The first day we were there we wanted to just have a chill day but ended up walking close to 8-10 miles...my feet are still yelling at me. Here's some pics from the first day!

The first day we just looked at the Sagrada Familia because it was so crowded.

Guelle Park! A park designed by Gaudi. We got some sandwiches from a local deli on our walk there and then ate them here =]

Our group!! 

Some dude playing a lute in the park. There were lots of performers but we sat and listened to this guy for about 30 minutes.

There was a water show at 9:30 that night too! Kind of like the Bellagio hotel in Vegas.

Plaça Espanya at night (seeing Catalán all the time was confusing...)

The next day we went around and some of us got up around 8 am and walked to La Sagrada Familia to beat the crowd. Best idea ever....we even got into the church before construction started so it was super quiet and you could hear music from mass in the crypt (sounds odd but the main area is just for tourists so mass is held below.) We paid $14 to tour the cathedral AND go up in the towers. Super cool...super scary. After that we went and got some sandwiches again and changed into swimsuits and took the metro to the beach and hung out there/baked for 3-4 hours and then went shopping! Super fun day =]

Compare this with the photo from above and you can see why we went so early rather than at 2 in the afternoon!

Inside

Super cool staircase and I thought this was a cool picture too

Choir lofts! yes all three....I'd be terrified to be all the way up top.

From up top on the towers 

Añadir leyenda

From the bottom of the staircase. We went up in an elevator 50m and then climbed another 40m upwards via stairs. But going down...all stairs...

The façade of the building (fancy letters). The tower tour went up into the farthest right tower and you climbed up stairs into the second tower. Then you went across that bridge thing behind the center part and worked your way down between those two towers.

A Gaudi house

Most terrifying part of Barcelona....this plaza thing...soooo many pigeons I think I screamed the whole way across.

Plaça Reial where we met for our Gothic Quarter tour.

Oldest gothic cathedral in Barcelona

Their old patron saint 

City hall

Bridge

We went inside a courtyard in memory of their patron saint and we could only go in if  our shoulders and legs were covered so I borrowed the tour guides scarves.

Geese inside the memorial

Super cute courtyard that Gaudi would go to and confess every day in the church.

Old entrance to Barcelona when the romans were still there

Headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition (Just for you Dad :p)

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION!!