Entry 04

The barrios of Barcelona

Week one in Barcelona has come to a close, filled with nesting and exploration.

I visited a flea market in the small Glories Barrio (neighborhood). Accompanied by Mom, we handpicked some fabric to fashion into curtains, a defense against the scorching 90 ℉ weather invading my snug apartment. Our finds didn't stop there – a small mirror and sweet table linen add a touch of Barcelona style to my living space. They will make their photographic debut in a later post about my apartment when I complete decorating.

I took Mom to explore Gracia, another barrio near my school that I looked at when I was searching for apartments. It is an artsy neighborhood that is filled to the brim with eateries. I swear you could eat at a different one each day for a full year without exhaustively exploring all it has to offer. It just so happened that while Mom was here to help me move, Gracia was holding their annual festival, La Festa Major de Gracia. It is held for one week every summer and streets are decorated and filled with live music and beer. The people living on each street decorate using recycled materials and then tend bar to raise money for the decorations next year. I honestly have no idea where they keep all of these decorations before the festival as I can’t imagine that their apartments are much larger than mine.

Mom and I had a quick turn about the Gotico barrio which is the older part of the city. Although it was incredibly hot and chock-full of tourists, so we didn’t spend too much time there. Just enough time to eat a meal and walk by the Cathedral.

Sarria, my chosen barrio, has swiftly become familiar terrain. I’ve been to five small grocery stores that lie within just a couple blocks from my house. Practically all my purchases have been confined within a mere 100 yards of my doorstep. These small neighborhood stores are like having a mini Amazon store in real life. They sell everything from ribbon to toilet plungers, to birthday candles, cooking knives, and bed linen. My favorite store is owned by a sweet man who is puzzled by my aversion to the “bolsa” (bag) for transporting all of my purchases to my apartment. He shakes his head as he watches me cross the street and to the front step of my apartment. On my walk to school, I pass by eight bakeries and restrained myself to have only visited three for a small breakfast treat. I have yet to explore a large market at the top of the large hill I live on, but I think I will venture there later this week

I spent last night at Playa de Bogatell with a colleague and their family. Many people were on the beach even when I arrived at 6:30. The sand was still warm from the hot day, and surprisingly, there wasn’t much breeze coming off the water. The water was lovely, a cool temperature, but not anywhere near as cold as I am used to in the PNW. A refreshing dip produced an instant smile, and I anticipate frequenting the beach in the weeks ahead.

I am getting used to using public transport and have already attended most of the appointments I need for my residency. Despite this, it still feels like I am at a sleepaway summer camp, but I’m not sure that will change until after my students return to school. Dad is coming to visit this weekend, but it is supposed to rain every day. Fingers crossed that the weather changes!