I left Madrid Friday night at around eleven o'clock and had my first train sleeper car experience ever. It was cool I suppose; thankfully the other two people that I was sharing the litera with didn't snore or smell or anything, haha. Anyway, I got in at eight o'clock on Saturday morning and met up with my friend. We went to my hostel where I showered and changed, and then we headed out to do lots of sightseeing.
Honestly, I don't really remember what order we did things in, but I know we visited Las Ramblas, Plaça de Catalunya, Barrio Gótico, La Boqueria, Via Laietana, Passeig de Gràcia, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, and Casa Amatller all before stopping to have a falafel pita near UB in the afternoon (read: lots and lots of walking happened).
In the evening, we went to Park Güell, which I think was my favorite spot in the whole city. Here are a couple of photos courtesy of Wikipedia:
Then we headed to the apartment of HZ's host mother, Nuria, for dinner. Nuria was kind enough to make vegetarian paella, and it was really delicious. Hooray for trying a well-known national dish!
On Sunday, we went to Sagrada Família. It was quite lovely, although I'm sure it'll look even better in 2026 when they finish all of the construction on it and get rid of the scaffolding that disrupts the views of the façades. So, afterward, we checked out Hospital de Sant Pau and then had lunch at this great restaurant called "Organic." Everything was so tasty, but most especially the chocolate mousse that we had for dessert ^_^ In the afternoon, we headed to Tibidabo, the tallest mountain in the Serra de Collserola. We spent a few hours at the amusement park there, which was really fun, although the weather wasn't exactly the most favorable. (It was very cold and windy.) For dinner, we went to this place called "Rosa Negra" and had some pretty great Mexican food. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't usually compliment Mexican restaurants, because they never even come close to my Mom's authentic home cooking, but this establishment deserves the praise. We had some fantastic guacamole, rice, beans, and enchiladas rojas. Their cocktails could have been better, but overall it was surprisingly good.
Finally, on Monday HZ showed me the Arc de Triomf and the Parc de la Ciutadella (both located near the university where she is studying) before I headed back to San Lorenzo. Ultimately, what I came away with, aside from an enjoyable time visiting various tourist locales and eating a ton, is that Catalonia is very much a different region, and after this trip, I get why many locals want to separate from the rest of Spain. Their language especially is entirely unique, and it makes more sense to me now why they want to be their own country.
Alas, my experience had to come to an end of course, but it was terrific while it lasted. Here's to more such marvelous journeys!
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