El Clasico

El Clasico was a night I will never forget.  The name is given to any match when FC Barcelona and Real Madrid meet to play.  The game usually happens twice a year, and people go absolutely nuts during it.  We didn’t have the money to get actual tickets to the game, so we went to Ovella Negra to get a table and watch the action.  One of my friends got lucky and was invited by a friend to the game, and he said the atmosphere inside the stadium was jam-packed with energy and crazy fans.

Celebrating the win

We had to show up at Ovella Negra 3 hours before the game to make sure we could get seats.  It was well worth it though because we ended up getting a table right in front of the big screen projector and had a perfect view of all the action.  A lot of my friends actually were putting bets on the game.  My best friend Charlie bet everyone 5 Euro that Madrid would win, so he was pretty mad when FC Barcelona scored a goal right at the start of the match.

The crowd on Ramblas

Then we were making bets saying that the game would be over/under 3 goals.  A lot of people thought there was no way it would be over 3 goals, but they ended up being very wrong.  After Barcelona stomped all over Christiano Renaldo and the rest of Real Madrid, we headed out to Plaza Cataluna to celebrate with everyone else.  When we got there we saw people all over the streets celebrating and chanting on Las Ramblas.  People were lighting off fireworks and climbing up light posts to wave FC Barcelona flags.  It was a very cool experience and I’m glad I was here to see it.  It’s too bad I wasn’t here when Spain won the world cup this summer.

The Beach

Hanging out on the rocks

Getting a little sun at the beach

I always knew that I wanted to study in Spain when I went abroad.  I just was never sure I knew where exactly in Spain I wanted to go.  So when it came down to deciding, I had to choose between Madrid and Barcelona.  One of the main reasons I chose to study in Barcelona instead of Madrid was because of the beach.  Back at home in Chicago, I live right next to the beach, and I couldn't imagine not living near the water while studying in Madrid for the semester.  That is how I knew I needed to come to Barcelona.  As it turns out, the beach in Barcelona is a big part of life here.

A perfect sky

There are so many things to do on the beaches in Barcelona.  The beach that is close to our apartment is surrounded by a large park filled with grass and trees.  Many people congregate on the grass when it is warm to play soccer, eat food and drink with friends and family.  There is also a small skateboard park that I have enjoyed living close to.  It is always fun to go down to the water and skate in the ocean breeze.  There are also many things to do on the beaches themselves.

One of our first trips to the beach

The beach that is closest to us is actually a gay beach, but we didn’t figure that out for a few weeks.  I’m sure people might have looked at us a little funny when we went down there in groups of about 10 people.  Once we figured out, we stopped going to that beach as frequently and went to the one that is a little closer to Opium Mar and that area of town.  It is more of a cove, surrounded by rocks.  Because the rocks protect from heavy waves, there are often many people windsurfing out on the water.  On the beach itself many people play soccer and sand volleyball with friends.  One thing that is a lot different from American beaches is that there are many people on the beach trying to sell beer and souvenirs, as well as drugs sometimes.  Also there are Asian women who walk around and try to offer massages for 5 Euro, which is something that doesn’t happen in the states ever.

One of the beach bars I like

 

 

 One other thing that is great about Barcelona is that the beaches have many bars on them to get a drink if you get thirsty from being out in the sun too long.  They offer many refreshing drinks, both alcoholic and non as well as tapas.  They also play music pretty loud that is nice to listen to when you are hanging out in the water.  The bars on the beach make Barcelona feel much more like a tropical island than an actual city where people work and live.  Some of the bars stay open past dark and allow people to dance in them.   One of those bars that is very upscale and nice is located outside of Hotel W, a very famous and expensive hotel in Barcelona.

The bar area at Hotel W

The beach outside of Hotel W

Sagrada Familia

Sagrada Familia was one of the very first places I went when I got to Barcelona.  I had only been off the plane for just about 24 hours when I saw the giant church that sticks out on the Barcelona city skyline.  Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church that was designed by Antoni Gaudi.  Antoni Gaudi is very well known for being his unique style of design.  He designed Park Guell, which is widely recognized for its highly individualistic architecture.  One famous part of Park Guell is the longest bench in the world, which is made up of many small colored stones.  Another interesting part of the park are the slanted arches that are built into a hillside, as they were completely original in their time period.  Park Guell is very famous but not quite as grand as Sagrada Familia.  

The arches in Park Guell

Construction on Sagrada Familia started in 1882 and continues still to this day.  In fact, construction on the church is supposed to continue all the way 2026, which is the centennial anniversary of Gaudi’s death.  The church is a combination of Gothic style and Art Nouveau, with very large arches and columns.  The church only opened recently in mid-2010 and now allows regular services even though it is not yet completed. 

One thing that I found really interesting about Sagrada Familia is that it was actually consecrated by the Pope on November 7^th while I was in Barcelona.  That’s a pretty significant event to be in Barcelona for.  Even King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sophia went to the Basilica to witness the Pope conduct the ceremony with about 6,500 other people.  It was even such a big deal that 50,000 other people stood outside the church during the procedure.

A friend and I outside Sagrada Familia

Traveling Abroad

I think the best part about this whole experience for me has been the many chances I have gotten to travel abroad in Europe during the weekends.  It would seem like a weekend isn't that long to explore new cities, but if you do it right it is very easy to see many sights in only a short amount of time.  There were many historical things that I wanted to see when I came to Europe, but also many things that I had never heard about.  I have now seen so many cool things over here that I am finding it very hard to leave.  Over the past few months I had the privilege of visiting Ibiza, Munich, the Vatican, Nice, Eze, Seville, Madrid, Antibes, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Paris, Florence, Rome, Pisa, Amsterdam, Calgari, and more.  Each and every place I went had unique and interesting aspects about it.  There is not one thing I can say I regret about traveling, except maybe missing out on some sleep!

Ibiza: Ibiza was an amazing experience for me.  I have dreamed of going to Ibiza ever since I got into house and dubstep music a few years ago.  The island is a mecca for all types of electronic music, and I am glad I was able to experience it with a huge group of friends.  I would go back to Ibiza every season if I could.

Hanging at the pool in Ibiza

At Es Paradis in Ibiza

Paris: Paris was awesome to see.  It is my mother's favorite city in the world, so she made sure to make of point of making me go there.  While in Paris I saw Notre Dame, the Louvre, Versailles and much more.  It was a beautiful city and full of history.  The food was also amazing, which I loved.

Hanging with some friends at Notre Dame

Me at the Eiffel Tower

The French Riviera:  The French Riviera was one of the first trips I was able to take.  We went to Eze, Nice, Antibes, Cannes and Monte Carlo.  It was certainly a very busy weekend to say the least.  We saw breathtaking views during the day, and spent our nights out in the city.  A friend and I got jumped by some guys in Nice which sucked, but other than that the trip was very fun.

On the beach in Nice

Amsterdam:  Amsterdam was a very fun city.  We definitely all had a great time exploring the Red Light District and seeing other sites the city had to offer.  Touring the Heineken factory was a huge highlight for me.  We also ate so much food I probably came back 15 pounds heavier.

With some friends on a bridge in Amsterdam

Barcelona Nightlife: The Best in The World

Opium Mar, one of Barcelona's most famous clubs

Before I came to Barcelona I had no idea what to expect.  I really didn’t know much about the people that live here, their culture or their city.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into.

The culture of Barcelona is very different from what I am used to in the United States.  The people here go out to eat much later than what is typical of people in America, or anywhere else in the world for that matter.  A usual dinner doesn’t start until at least 9 or 10 o’clock in Barcelona, and some are much later.  The dinner scene is very nice, but that isn’t the whole nightlife.  Barcelona is world famous for it’s many clubs and bars.

A friend and I inside Otto Zutz

Club nights in Barcelona are a lot different from a club night anywhere else in the world, except maybe Ibiza.  They are different because there is nowhere else in the world where clubs open up so late and stay packed with people until the early hours of the morning.  When I say late I mean really late, as most clubs don’t even open until midnight or close until 5:30 AM.

There are many different options for nightlife in Barcelona.  If you want to make it a “port night” you can head down to the beach, which has clubs like Opium Mar, Shoko, CDLC, and Ice Bar to name a few.  Beware, these clubs are very touristy because they are the flashiest and most prominent clubs in the city.  They attract partiers from all over the world.  If you are a girl, keep your eyes out for the “hawks”, or men that come from the interior of Spain in search of American girls.  They can sometimes come off as being very aggressive, because the American culture has a very different perception of dating.

View from the DJ booth

 

If you don’t feel like hitting the beach, there are many other options as well.  For instance you could bar crawl through any of Barcelona’s hundreds of bars and pubs.  If you’re still looking for a club experience off of the beach, I would recommend checking out the world famous Razzmatazz; it is in my neighborhood and attracts people from all types of places who are looking to dance and have a great night.  Razzmatazz is also a great place to see live music.  This year they have gotten live acts such as MGMT, Ke$ha, Scissor Sisters, and Vampire Weekend.  Don't worry if they don't have live music while you are in town though, as there is always a good DJ spinning music every night of the week.  

Some friends and I at Otto Zutz

There are many other clubs in the interior of the city, like Otto Zutz, City Hall, Oshum, Elephant, and many more.  If you are just looking for a laid back night though, pubs like Dow Jones, Ovella Negra (my favorite), George Payne's and Pippermints are all great places to sit down and enjoy a beer.  A nice mix of club/bar atmosphere is Chupito's, known as the shot bar.  No matter what you are looking for in a night, Barcelona will surely have it.

Skateboarding in Barcelona

Skateboarding is a very popular leisure activity in Barcelona.  Barcelona has long been hailed as one of the best skate cities in the world.  Many professional skaters say this is due to its unique architecture, which allows them to be very creative by performing tricks in crazy spots that don't exist in any other city in the world.  I personally love to skateboard, so coming to Barcelona has been like a dream come true.  I will never forget the first time I saw people skateboarding in Barcelona in a video when I was about 10 years old.  The features they were hitting seemed to be especially built for skateboarding, but it was just the regular landscape of the city.

The "Big Four" at Macba

Many of the spots we pass every day in Barcelona are legendary skate spots.  Macba, where we took a field trip the other day, is known as being a great hangout for skaters both amateur and pro alike.  The reason it is so popular is because there is a large plaza for practicing flatland tricks, as well as a nice ledge to grind on.  Macba also boasts the "Big Four", a famous set of stairs that skaters like to pull tricks off of.  Macba has appeared in many famous American skateboarding movies.

A skater at Para-lel

Another very famous spot to skate in Barcelona is Para-lel.  There are many times when I have seen dozens of skaters all practicing their moves in that area.  It would probably have to be my favorite area to skate, but I also like skating down near the beach.  Other popular skate spots are the Parc d Joan Miro grass curbs, the Bonanova banks, Alfons X, Bellvitge and many curbs near the port.

 

The video above is of a very famous American skater named Paul Rodriguez.  He has been called one of the best skaters of his generation because he has flawless style and can perform many very technical tricks.  It is a very short and entertaining video, so if you have time I would advise watching it.  There are many spots in the video that are easy to recognize, like the beach, the bench rail near Sabadell, Para-lel and Macba.

News Article: Lady Gaga arrasa con su concierto en Madrid

Lady Gaga performing in Madrid

Lady Gaga arrasa con su concierto en Madrid

This article was found on the Vanguardia website filed under the culture section.  Lady Gaga is ending her tour through Europe, but the article describes how it was tainted by a group who forged tickets.  The forged tickets were sold to many people, and as a result over a thousand people were not able to get into the concert.

This was a major problem, as there were many concert-goers but not enough security to handle all of the people.  At times, the crowd surged up and the promoters were very worried something bad would happen with so many people out of control.  Still, the show got a positive review from fans thanks to dazzling effects and great theatrics.  It was said that the Sports Palace bowed down to Lady Gaga, and hailed her as the next Madonna, which is saying a lot because she has not been around long at all.

Tickets to the show had been sold out for several months, especially after she played for a sold out crowd in Barcelona at Palau Sant Jordi and impressed many people in the crowd.  Fans agreed that they got their moneys worth.  The tour has already been through France, Poland, Portugal and Belgium, selling out stages far in advance.  The last two legs of the tour are through London and Paris, with a short break before resuming in February. 

News Article: Obama califica de "actos irresponsables" las filtraciones de Wikileaks

 

Obama califica de "actos irresponsables" las filtraciones de Wikileaks

This article is very important politically for the United States and all of our allies, because it details what has been going on recently with Wikileaks.  Wikileaks is a free website created by Julian Assange that hosts millions of classified American war reports from the conflicts in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.  Some of the information contained in the files is of very sensitive subject matter, and the United States government has been very worried about what could happen if the information got out.  The website is actively expanding; in it's first year alone the database contained more than 1.2 million articles.

The article explains a recent political summit (COP16) held in Cancun to discuss the possible fallout of Wikileaks with the Mexican President, Felipe Calderon.  193 countries all were able to reach a sort of understanding about the situation, but not the Bolivian Delegation.  The problem with Wikileaks is that it could seriously damage American relationship's with allies, as some of the documents may prove how the American government has sometimes done less than courteous things to get their way with other countries.

After the summit, Obama congratulated Calderon "for his leadership and excellent work done by the government of Mexico" for his help in a successful end to the meeting.  Obama was also quoted saying that "thanks to Mexico in Cancun Conferences historic agreements were achieved and concrete and effective action on climate change, which represent an important step in the right direction on this matter,"  At the end of the summit, the presidents of both countries agreed that they would not let Wikileaks pollute the otherwise great relationship between Mexico and the United States.

News Article: El Barça deleita al Camp Nou con otra manita ante la Real Sociedad

El Barça deleita al Camp Nou con otra manita ante la Real Sociedad

 

This article talked about how well FC Barcelona has been playing this season.  They just defeated Real Sociedad by a huge margin, scoring five goals while shutting out the opponent.  The article credits the heroic plays of Xavi, Messi and David Villa.  Not only is it a huge deal that Barcelona won by such a large amount in a game that usually only sees one or two goals scored a game, but also because it is their ninth straight win this year, and a crowd of about 80,000 witnessed it happen. 

Inside Camp Nou

In their recent win streak they have defeated teams like Getafe, Ceuta, Villarreal, and Almeria to name a few.  But the biggest win came when they defeated their biggest rival in El Classico, Real Madrid.  The article does not forget to highlight their epic 5-0 win against Christiano Renaldo and the rest of the Real Madrid squad, which was a game I will never forget watching.  I had one friend who was able to see the Real Madrid game live, but the rest of us had to watch it at a bar called La Ovella Negra.  Regardless, the atmosphere was intense and everyone enjoyed watching FC Barcelona crush Real Madrid.

My friends and I after Barcelona defeated Real Madrid

The crowd on Las Ramblas after the Madrid game

Barcelona sports director Andoni Zubizarreta captured the feeling of the crowd best when he said  “Cada minuto hay que disfrutarlo porque vivimos algo excepcional” or in English “Every minute you still enjoy watching us because we are something exceptional” (which is what he said, as far as I can understand).  FC Barcelona truly is an exceptional football club to watch; since Saturday November 20^th they have scored a whopping twenty-one goals for while getting zero against.

Restaurant Profile: George Payne’s

 

George Payne’s Irish Pub is by far the restaurant I have spent the most time at while in Barcelona.  It is located about one block away from CEA campus, and is known as being the biggest Irish bar in Barcelona.  At George Payne’s they serve exactly the kind of food you would expect from a typical Irish pub, pub food.  The wild success of George Payne’s with CEA students is no surprise, because they offer unbeatable prices.

These unbeatable prices include two-for-one lunch deals, which means you can get a huge lunch for under six Euro.  That makes George Payne’s a steal even compared to fast food restaurants in the area like Burger King and KFC.  My favorite dish to get at the pub is called a Hawaiian burger, it consists of a huge cheeseburger with a pineapple on top smothered in special thousand island dressing.  But the food isn’t the only reason it’s a popular spot.

The pub is very popular because of special drink deals and promotional nights.  For instance, on Sunday nights they play American football games on multiple projectors inside the pub; this business tactic ensures that the bar is filled up almost every night of the week.  There have been many nights where I went to cheer on my favorite NFL players at George Payne’s Irish Pub.  I even took my parents there for lunch one day when they visited Barcelona.  In my opinion, it has a very friendly and inviting atmosphere that anyone can enjoy.

 

Restaurant Profile: La Rosa Negra

One of the better restaurants that I have had the pleasure of eating at during my stay in Barcelona is called La Rosa Negra.  It is located between the Jaume I and Urquinanoa metro stops, which is very fortunate for me because it is only a short distance away from the CEA building.  Unfortunately I didn’t find it at the start of the trip, but if I had I would have eaten there a lot more often.

The first time I went there will always stick out to me.  We had already gone to most of the restaurants around CEA, and only had about and hour to kill before our next class of the day.  We were sick of going to Burger King, George Payne’s, Bo Da B and our other same restaurants every day, so we wandered down the street in a direction we had never been before.  We had heard of a place called La Rosa Negra, but had never actually been able to find it.  Needless to say, when the sign came into view my two friends and I were all very excited.

One of the main foods I miss from the United States are the burritos I buy weekly from a place called Chipotle.  Since coming to Barcelona, I had not been able to locate a decent burrito, but that was quickly changed when I stepped into La Rosa Negra.  Once we got inside, we were quickly seated in the upstairs section of the restaurant by a waitress.  She would turn out to be one of the worst waitresses I have ever had in my life, but the food was amazing.

 

On that particular day I was exhausted and super hungry.  I immediately ordered a Coke with a steak burrito.  The Coke tasted pretty standard, but the burrito was out of this world.  To this day it still might be one of the best meals I have had in Barcelona.  While I didn’t love the service, the food was outstanding.  Since that day I have been to that restaurant many times; I even went out on a date there because I love the food so much.  I would definitely recommend this place to anyone I knew visiting the city.

 

Restaurant Profile: El Timbal

On my first night living in Poblenou, my roommates and I decided to go out and take a long walk around the neighborhood to explore our surroundings.  About a block away from our apartment we ran into a small tapas restaurant called “El Timbal”.  We sat down at a table outside to grab a beer and some tapas, and talked to our waiter for a long time asking him about Barcelona.

I don’t speak the best Spanish, but I was able to converse with him pretty easily.  One of my friends is also very good at the language, so he helped.  We decided as a group that El Timbal would be a restaurant during our time in Barcelona.  We would try to go there a few times a week, even if it was just to grab a beer.  We have since become fairly regular visitors to the restaurant, and I have a lot of great memories from the time I have spent there.  We are also pretty friendly with the waiter who served us on the first day, because he works there almost every day.

My favorite dish at El Timbal is a sandwich called Kiki.  It is a very plain creation: grilled chicken breasts with mayo and a tomato sauce between a fresh baguette.  Even writing about it right now is making my mouth water.  For starters I always order the same appetizer, the patatas bravas.  They just consist of several large hunks of fried potato covered in a special house sauce.  I am not sure what exactly is in the sauce because our waiter won’t tell us the exact recipe, but I know there is definitely a mix of mayonnaise and paprika, along with different types of pepper.  All this is only made better as I wash most of my meals down with a cold glass of Estrella Damm.  When I leave Barcelona I will definitely miss eating at El Timbal.

My Corner of Barcelona: Poblenou

Standing on the roof of our apartment building on Pere IV the day we moved in

When I first arrived in Barcelona, I had no idea where in the city I would be living.  I didn’t even know how big the city was, nor did I understand how different and unique each neighborhood was.  So when we got on the CEA bus and pulled away from the hotel, I was very unsure of what my living arrangements would be like.  We arrived in Poblenou after a short drive from the hotel, and unloaded our bags into the apartment.  My roommates chose our beds, and then immediately went out to explore the neighborhood that would be our home for the next few months. 

The area around my apartment is situated right near two preschools, so there are always a lot of little kids running around yelling and playing games with each other.  I walk past the Pere IV preschool everyday on my way to classes at CEA, and I always smile when I hear the little kids speaking much better Spanish than I know.  Poblenou was not always filled with young families though.  In the 19^th century when Poblenou was first built, it consisted of many textile factories.  There are still many remnants around today that remind people what it used to look like.  In fact, they have preserved many of the old smoke stacks that used to be attached to the factories where laborers worked.

Walking down the street near the preschool

Today Poblenou is much different.  Many of the old factories have been torn down, but a good amount of them still remain.  Some of them have been converted into studios for artists and young people to live and party inside of.  One old factory that everyone knows about is the famous club, Razzmatazz.  My roommates and I have enjoyed many nights on the dance floor of Razzmatazz with both fellow CEA students and local Spanish girls.

A church in Poblenou

Poblenou is one of my favorite locations in the city because it is pretty quiet.  I like Jaume Prime and Las Ramblas, but those areas are packed with tourists and are always very congested and busy with people.  I enjoy spending time in those areas of the city, but it is nice at the end of the day to come home to a setting that allows me to relax.  Another great part about my apartment in Poblenou is how close we are located to the beach.  We are only a five minute walk from the ocean, which is great to hang out at when the weather is warm enough.  My friends and I have even been challenged to games of beach volleyball by some of the locals.  Most of the time we win, but we have also suffered some bad losses.

One of the old smokestacks in Poblenou

Poblenou is located very close to a ramblas as well.  There are many different shops and places to get food on the Ramblas.  When the weather is warm enough, many old people sit, people watch and talk on the benches that line the Ramblas to pass the time.  There is a large circular plaza in front of the Supermercado that is always very crowded with people doing all sorts of different things.  There is a man that lives in the square who is always very drunk when we walk by, and harasses everyone who passes by him.  

The skatepark near the beach

The dining around our apartment is great.  We have dozens of small cafes and tapas restaurants with outside table seating.  There is also a Doner Kebab, as well as some upscale restaurants like La Braseria De Poblenou which we can not afford to go to often.  There seems to be a large Indian population in our area, and a lot of the shops cater to Indian tastes by offering dishes like Chicken Tiki Marsala.

My roommates messing around in our apartment

Overall, I am very pleased that I got to live in Poblenou.  It is by far my favorite area of the city, and I find its location to be ideal.  I love long boarding on the streets around my neighborhood.  We live close enough to a large mall that has everything you could ever need, which is nice.  We also live only a fifteen minute walk from Opium Mar and Shoko, which has come in handy because cabs can be quite expensive.  If I ever came back to Barcelona to live for another extended period of time, I would definitely like to live in Poblenou.

Poblenou is well-known for how much graffiti is around