Episode 9: Barcelona, Spain

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Today was my fifth and final day at the Esplai Port d'Aiguadolc sailing camp. The first thing we did that day at camp was play a game called 'ninja'. It was a fun game that helped improve your reflexes. Then the instructors split the kids into 2 groups. The older kids (which included me) went out on a sailboat called the Cristalmina with a 5 horsepower motor. The younger kids went out on 2 smaller boats. That day, I learned how to tie types of knots, how to raise the sails, and how to steer the boat. I had a blast on the water.

That afternoon, after lunch, the older kid group went down to the beach to surf again. I think the waves yesterday were the best waves I have had so far. Too bad it had to end at 2:00.

I had a good 2 and a half hours to rest, read, and do math before my mom, Teja, and I left the house and hit the train tracks. We caught a 5:15 train ride into Barcelona. When we arrived, at around 6:00, we were getting hungry. So we stopped to eat at a mediterranean restaurant (my first authentic food since we arrived in Spain). We got pizza, salad, and other various goods including frozen yogurt for dessert. When we finished our evening meal, we resumed our walk to our final destination, the Palau de Musica.

The Palau de Musica is an amazing building built in the early 1900's. The outside is made entirely out of bricks. It has beautiful statues sticking out of its side, stained glass windows, and many other amazing features. It is where many great musicians go to play in Spain. In fact, Teja once played there.

When we arrived at the Palau, we were surprised to see the musician, Pedro Javier Gonzalez, sitting on the steps. My mom even got a picture of me with him, as you can see.

As spectacular as the outside is, it is the inside that is truly stunning. As I sat listening to Pedro play, I couldn't help admiring how beautiful the concert hall was. He plays in a style called Flamenco. He was truly an amazing musician: it's amazing to see somebody play as well as he did for a minute, but truly unbelievable watching him play for an hour and a half. Here is a link to his website:

http://www.pedrojaviergonzalez.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=2&Itemid=8〈=en

The event ended at 10:30 in the night, but we weren't home until past midnight. It's a good thing I slept in as much as I did...

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