My 5(3) days of vacation

Continue... the story of Barcelona. I study spain and thought the trip would be really good change to practice. It seems easier than italian, since I love spanish music and there are countless spanish tv-series here. I even bought a dictionnary! Well, it didn't really work, all the time I spoke spanish, they answered in english. Maybe the reason was the official language, catalan! When I was in museum of history of catalunia and art of catalunia, all the texts were in catalan. In the history museum, the big texts were in english and spanish too, that reminded me about Finnish museums, which have texts in 3 languages also.



I felt also, that the 2 places where I've been, (forgetting the other places that don't fit into my theory), have quite similar history, though not identical, and quite close feeling of the mother state; that is Scotland and Catalunia. I must admit it was really big mistake to go to history museum on my final day, I would have got so much more out of the trip. Anyway, the both countries have really strong nationalism, due to several wars they have gone through. Cataluña has it's own distinct language and has had to fight for it, but as I understand the old country is divided between Spain and France, whereas Scotland is more coherent, I don't know, I'm just brainstorming...



Funny thing about that, my other french teacher is from Perpignon, and his mother tongue is catalan! He's also jewish whore born in Algeria, and now lives here speaking finnish. Only langue he seems to hate more than anything is english! He was also quite upset when hearing, that Germany has now more people than France, and when reminded of Switzerland, Austria and other minorities of german speakers he almost cried.



Back to Barcelona. It must be amaizing place in the summer! Only problem perhaps was that I really wanted to go to Madrid... Btw, I had the job interview to International Services just berofe leaving, I didn't get it. And no other job, yet. My sister's a cleaner, but she said that's bad firm to work, so I've no idea... That reminds me to apply some more today. That Cimo work in Paris or London embassy was closed on friday, totally forgot!!! It's so sad, but the most amazing city yet has been London. It's so boring, and if you know me, you would never think I would like it. Even I was surprised! I'm the kind of opera, castle, flower kind of girl, the most boring type. But as so many other clue, this just shows that nobody's so simlpe than you think. I was never afraid in London, maybe because I could understand all.



By the way, in barcelona most spoke french, then italian, maybe then spanish/catalan, the next would probably be finnish (nooo). I saw few people speaking swedish too and other scandinavian. The finnish that I saw was 2 people speaking on the phone to the 3rd on a dark, small alley the very 1st day, then a family in the art museum, who were too scared to go through the security (which was probably the only reason I desided to go inside, to show not all finnish are idiots) and 2 more, again at night, yelling drunkenly behind, so there was (or not) more Finns. All in all, too much tourists, but I spent time in tourist places...



Oookay... I completely lost the plot there... Sorry. I just human. But at least there's lots of pictures! For the final note, my quick recommendations: Parc Güell beautiful but really big, so good shoes. Museum of the History of Catalunia was big, great and free (for uni students). Museun ot Catalan art expensive but ticket was for 2 days, don't go on your last day like I, and get a friend with good sense of direction, it was those moders white box secret door museums.And not even in Scotland I saw one of these: fucking 3 litre's Vodka!!!

Greetings from Catalunya

Now I'm home, finally! I don't remember being happier arriving in my stident flat before! I thought I would quickly summarise the trip. I left on monday, after a job interview (from which I still have no answer). I was really nervous in airports, in both Helsinki and Barcelona, because I had no idea what to do. I had to show my passport only once! I just walked straight through... Thank you Shengen and your liberties, really scary. In airplane I noticed, that I had forgotted my mobile pin code. Niice, now I didn't have music, and I had promised to call my mother. I heard the whole time I was abroad Where was plain disaster movies in tv...



In BCN my hostel was in Barri Gòtic, just in the next street of Cathedral. Also I noticed it was really short distance everywhere. I also liked the shops being open until 10 pm. The next day was sunny, although in Ciutat Vella there was no sun because tall stone houses. I just walked around, trying to find shops. I didn't go to beach, too far to walk... To Sacrada Familia I went, thanks to my mother, and miserably go tlost in the area, in the dark, too scared to look a map terrified to be thought as tourist, who could be robbed. The next day I packed lunch and desided to go to Parc Güell. The clouds emerged but I went anyway. Good thing because the next day it was raining. I walked almoust to the to pf the hill, but just before the end turned back. Then I hurt my knee. First I just thought "shit", but now I think, that I had walked down the same distance it would have taken to walk to the top, so maybe it was planned for me to have been injured at the top. What would have happened then? Would my principe azul have rescued me? Not funny. I had thought to go to Montjüic as well, but now I just jumped to hostel and rested.



The last day, as said, was rainy. But luckily warm rain. I walked to shopping centre at the harbour, visited museum of the history of Catalunya and museum of Catalunyan art and then waited with 50 very wet tourists for the light and music show of Magic Fountain. Didn't happen. If I'm not scared of rain, why would the fountain be?!!! Finally the next morning I started to go towards Placa Catalunya, got lost and was again in harbour. Already at 9 it was really warm! In airplane I finally saw real mountains, the Alps!!!



Tjis picture honors a movie I like, L'auberge Espanol. It was nice to see the places myself. I was told to read ruiz zafon carlos' book la sobra del viento, but they didn't have it in the library, and I didn't have time to read all the travel guides I had. I think I should have, I wouldn't have had so boring time then. Barcelona really needs friends with you.