Au Revouir y Hola!

---

Hola from Barcelona! I got here this morning after taking the night train from Paris. That was a pretty cool experience, a little cramped but not too bad, and much better than sitting through a 10 hour trip during the day. I already love Spain and Barcelona, I think somewhat speaking and understanding the language helps a lot. The country is beautiful too, we rode past some of the coast on the way in and it was amazing. My hostel is right in Plaza Real, off of Las Ramblas, which is the major stretch in Barcelona. Its lined with flower stands and vendors and tapas restaurants. I really enjoyed Paris and will definitely go back, but I think I fit in Spain better.
As for Paris, I think I crammed as much in to 2 days as I possibly could. I went to the Louvre on the first day and wandered around. I spent longer there than I did last time, but I still didn't really get into it. I felt kind of similar to when I was at the Vatican, very impressed but with no real knowledge on which to base what I was looking at. Jesus shows up a lot in both places too, maybe that has something to do with it. I spent most of the rest of the day window shopping around the Champs Elysees and walking through the Tuilleries. I revisited the sandwich stand in the park that we found on my first trip, their mozzarrella sandwiches are still just as yummy! Went to the Eiffel tower at night, I didn't go up this time but took pictures from below. It still overwhelms me how enormous it is!
Yesterday I had planned to get up and go running, but after all the walking the day before, my legs said no. So I wandered around Montmartre, where I would definitely stay again! I love cemeteries (I'm weird, I know), and there is a huge one in Montmartre, so I walked around there for a while. It was amazing, and that says a lot coming from New Orleans! I found a vegetarian restaurant near my hotel, had delicious hummus. The girl who worked there was from Cambridge, so we talked for a bit. I headed across town to drop my bag at the train station, then walked (in the rain) to the Orsay museum. I really liked it, its much more manageable than the Louvre, and the art seems more "real" I guess. I really like Degas' dancers and the Monets.
Hmmm, I think that gets me to about now. I'm sitting in the common area of my hostel, which is playing constant 80's music (of course). I'm here until EARLY on Monday morning, when I leave for Tenerife. I will try and update before then.
Music: M. Ward: "Chinese Translation", Low: "Like a Forest", The Clientele: "These Days Nothing But Sunshine", Ben Lee "Light", Calexico: "Guero Canelo", Bright Eyes: "A Scale, A Mirror, and Those Indifferent Clocks" (yeah, its a lot this time)
and Billy Joel, because that's what they're playing right now :-)

---

Comments

[Sara]

Love Barcelona!
Aaaghh! I'm so jealous!! I can totally picture where you are right now in Barcelona. I LOVED that city! I'm so proud/impressed that you put this amazing trip together and are all by yourself (some ppl might freak out at the thought...not mentioning names...). I think I'm gonna have you plan my next trip ;-) Keep the updates coming...I'm completely living vicariously through you! Miss ya and can't wait to hang out when you get back to NOLA. Sara