Barcelona - half Saturday

Okay well I said I was going to do Saturday and Sunday on the next blog but I think I am only going to be able to fit in the first half of Saturday because I want to have a lot of pictures of this and the Barcelona game which was Saturday night.  Gah this takes forever and I should probably be doing homework but it is so much more fun to write in a language that I can try to entertaining in.  Okay so we were really tired and didn't really get going until just before noon.  Still, I probably accomplished more on this Saturday than I have in many days here.  My friend Kelsey left to go shopping (addicted...haha) and Jeff and I didn't really know what to do so we wandered around.  First, we walked down to the beach, crossed a humongous humongous humongous street (my photo doesn't do it justice) and landed at the marina. It was pretty cool because there was a giant field of grass right there and I almost cried out in joy.  I was going to post a picture of it but I figured that would be excessive and Oregonians have seen plenty of grass (But Spanish grass is rare!).  The guy that worked in our hostel told us about a tram that runs over the water, so we set off for that.  After what seemed like forever walking on a gimp foot (I don't know what it was but my heel really hurt, and I didn't do anything to injure it so tendinitis? whatever) we got there and they told us we had to start on the other side of the water.  After we chilled at the beach for a while.

Main street along the water, like six lanes, with six more under it. You can see Columbus at the end!

Marina, and the tram we tried to take in the back, even with the end of the boats.

The beach is made with sand imported from Egypt before the Olympic games in 1992

Open space!!!

One of many street acts. Couldn't figure out how he did it. So crazy.

The Christopher Columbus Monument sits at the bottom of the famous street La Rambla.  Funny thing is that instead of pointing towards the New World he points East (so I was told).  Well we worked our way up La Rambla, not really stopping to look at the repetitive vendors, until we found La Boquería.  Seeing that we were going to the Barcelona game and I didn't have much battery on my camera I didn't take any pictures, but I definitely should have.  So much fruit, pork, fish, "everything you need and more" as they say in Cabo.  I'll try and steal some of Jeff's pictures and give you an update.  At this point I felt like I had done a ton in the day, but it was only like 2:30 so we went and sat by the Metro station in Plaza Catalunya to wait for Kelsey (the plaza surrounded by Corte Ingléses...that looks weird).

But you went the other way to kill all the indigenous people!

Base of Columbus monument. If I ever get super billionaire power my monument(s) are going to look like the ones in Barcelona.

La Rambla La Rambla La Rambla... everyone kept rambling about La Rambla.

Mercado La Boqueria. So much crazy/fresh/everything food stands.

Another street performer. Only used his right foot, looked just like Rhonaldino, and was actually pretty damn good.

Had to get a moped shot in Plaza Catalunya.

Plaza de Catalunya. I'd say the main plaza in Barcelona. So many topless statues...

Thought this was a cool picture, and realized I hadn't taken any pictures of Corte Inglés while I've been here. This store owns spain. Basically Walmart, except there was another one on the other side of the plaza that was just as huge. They're even highlighted on maps.

We made it to Plaza Espanya with the help of a nice Catalunyan bum's help. He probably makes bank standing by the metro ticket station and helping clueless tourists.  My original plan had been to walk to the Olympic stadium, which we did, but it turned out to be so so so much more.  There was random stuff on the map in between the Plaza and the stadium but I had no idea it would be so cool.  I don't really know much about the places that we saw except that they were spectacular so I'll just stop making you read.

Plaza de Espanya (Catalan doesn't use ñ so-->ny)

Random towers that we found in my quest to see the Estadi Olîmpic. How are they not on the map? Turned out to be a really good decision to search for the stadium.

Palau Nacional/Museo Nacional d'Art de Catalunya... another random surprise on the way to the stadium.

Catalunya hates Spain. They don't have street signs in Spanish. If you're a Spanish person and you ask someone from Catalunya a question in Spanish, you'll probably get an answer in Catalan (which is a dick move because most people don't understand Catalan).

Barcelona. View from the Palau Nacional

Back view of Palau Nacional, that kid almost went down the escalator on his bike. I shouldn't have encourage it.

Estadi Olimpic

Inside the Estadi Olimpic

I don't really have much else to say other than this trip was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm working on the Barcelona game blog next, or like, now.

[Side note: the kitchen ladies are so nice :-)] 

[[Double side note: in case you didn't know you can click on the pictures to see them in original size, if you want.]]