When in Rome do as the Romans do, right?
That has been the AIFS motto for the past week, not only in Spain, but also while we were in London. We have attempted to blend in (like that would ever happen) and act like we know what is going on, even if we had to ask for directions a few times. Everyone we have asked directions from has been SO helpful and willing to give their time.
In London I took the Tube (metro, subway, etc.) which was one of my first times riding anything like that in my adult life. Our group is pretty good at just walking around and finding wonderful places to eat. On Monday in London we took a tour of the city. Who knew London was over 600 sq. miles? The original part of London was built off the Thames and then it grew from there! We saw Westminster Abbey (from the outside. Dale and I were dying to go in but we ran out of time), Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the London Bridge, and so many other beautiful places. A group of us decided to get off the bus early and do a tour of the Tower of London, which is where some of the first Royals lived. The Tower of London is pretty much a city within the city. 43 families still live within the towers walls today. We saw the crown jewels (EEEEKKKKKKK), including a 524 carat diamond, the torture chambers, the bedrooms, and many more cool things. Then our group continued to walk around London for the rest of the day which included stops at the Natural History Museum and the British National Museum where we saw mummies and the Rosetta Stone. We ended our night by going to a Sports Cafe to watch the Alabama game (there is an Alabama fan on the trip). The bouncer at the club checked IDs and Dale and another guy realized then that they had left them in their rooms back at the hotel (about a 30-45 minute trip one way on the Tube) so they proceeded to head back and grab them. She made it back to the bar in time for all the girls to leave and go back to the hotel...what a night out she had! The next day was spent on an airplane headed to Barcelona. The flight was wonderful, only an hour and forty minutes, and they served lunch! Customs was much easier to get through at the Spanish airport, they were a little more relaxed, a lot friendlier, and more willing to chat about what you were there for. The group then headed for the Residencia where the majority of us are staying. The rooms are nice; every room has its own bathroom and it is only one person per room with an adjoining kitchen. Dale and I are roommates/suitemates of course!
Tuesday was spent walking around some of Barcelona trying to learn where things are. There are so many markets right around the Residencia and all of the food is fresh. I'm pretty sure we know how to use the metro system now. Today we got a small tour of the AIFS Barcelona office and got to go to one of the UAB satellite campuses where some of our classes will be held. We had a welcome dinner tonight at a wonderful restaurant/bar called Milk located in an older section of the city. We had lots of tapas for dinner, including some salmon crackers, something with tuna, sliders, buffalo wings, hummus, and so much more! Tomorrow we get to visit the other satellite campus in Sant Pau which is a metro ride away from the Residencia. Friday will be spent doing a tour of La Sagrada Familia, so look out for pictures (either in the next post or on Facebook)!
The primary language in Barcelona is Catalan, which is a mix of French and Spanish (Barcelona is close to the French border). They tend to have a sort of lisp (if that is what you want to call it) when speaking. It isn't gracias, it's gra-the-as. It is a little hard to get used to and Dale and I are trying so hard to not speak English, but it's tough and will probably take a few weeks to get used to. As much as you try to prepare yourself for something experiences like this, you will never truly be ready.
I have to say the AIFS group is AWESOME!!! We all get along really well and everyone looks after one another. We are like our own little family! We have had a wonderful time getting to know each other and look forward to making many more memories together!
Stay tuned for pictures and more adventures!
xoxo
Kelcey
No comments:
Post a Comment