Welcome to my nieghborhood...

Alex Verch
Date: April 27th, 2011           

My five roommates and I live in Fort Pienc, a neighborhood of the Eixample area near the Marina Metro stop. Our address is 136 Ausias March, and we absolutely love living there. We are in a great location, situated across the street from the local market, library, and school for young children. Instead of rambling on anymore about my neighborhood I thought actually showing you my neighborhood would be more enjoyable…

Bye Barcelona!

Alex Verch

Date: April 26^th, 2011

            After four months of living in Barcelona it is now time to go back to the United States. I can’t believe how quickly these last 4 months have flown by. It feels like just yeserday that I was boarding the plane at JFK airport. Now I’ll be boarding it with tears in my eyes to go back home.

            I could not have asked for a better abroad experience. Learning the city, the culture, and meeting new people every day in Barcelona has been more than I could have every imagined. I came here knowing very little about Spain and Barcelona and I can now leave with a true sense of the Barcelona Culture.

            I have become very independent as a result of living and studying here. Traveling every weekend and living in my very own apartment has taught me a lot about being an adult. I now am a seasoned traveler, can speak decent Spanish, and can navigate my way around the city of Barcelona.

            I will cherish every moment I spent in Barcelona and can assure you I will be back one day in the near future.

Vietnam, Russia Urged to Enhance Cooperation

Alex Verch

National News

Date: April 26^th, 2011

            In a recent article titled, “Vietnam, Russia Urged to Enhance Cooperation” sparked my attention because I feel as though being in Barcelona has truly made me focus more on what is going on in the rest of the world rather than just in the United States. I enjoy reading the paper and politics is something I am interested in so reading this article definitely kept my attention.

            The article discusses how Prime Minister Dung is needs Vietnam and Russia to work closely with one another to implement agreements signed by leaders, focusing on boosting bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, culture, among other things.

            There are negotiations being made on a free trade agreement between Vietnam and Russia which is why the cooperation of the two countries is very important. This agreement will facilitate trade, investment, and raise two way trade to the United States by billions of dollars starting in 2012.

The article says, “Vietnam asked for Russia’s support in its bid for membership of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2013-2016 term and as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term and the Russians acknowledged Vietnam’s proposal”.

            The cooperation of the two countries will be very beneficial to all.

Wounded Barcelona Braced for Latest Real Duel

Alex Verch

Local news

Date: April 26^th, 2011

            As far as recent local news goes, the last article I read was titled, “Wounded Barcelona Braced for Latest Real Duel”.  Barcelona lost to Real Madrid in the exciting Kings Cup game only five short days ago. After Barcelona’s loss to Madrid, Madrid is now one step closer to winning a tenth European Cup Championship.

            The Madrid Manager stated, “There is no reason we can't beat them in the Champions League because we have just drawn once against them and then beaten them." He is referring to the Barcelona team when he explains that he is positive Real Madrid will be victorious over them once again.

            Unfortunately for Barcelona Real Madrid has come out in top in their last two semi final games played against one another. Clearly, the teams have quite a history. Barcelona has made it to the Champions league semi-finals for four years in a row so of course the team is hoping they finally come out of this one as winners. Barcelona, however, is currently on track to win La Liga title as they have for two years in a row now.

            The Barcelona team has certainly had a long season, as any fan can tell you. Although the coach of the Barcelona team believes the long lasting season has worn the team out fans are hoping they stay strong for the big game against Madrid.

            Unfortunately some Barcelona players are out on injury so the team will have to try their best to make up for those players’ absences.

            Although I was not a huge soccer fan before I came to Barcelona I have definitely developed a love for the sport. I am very interested to see what the results of the game are. However, reading this article made me a little skeptical since it seems as though the team has a negative attitude about the upcoming game. I hope they can pull it together.

Small fire set at Sagrada Familia

Alex Verch

Local News

Date:April 25^th, 2011

            I was horrified and stunned when I heard that a small fire had been set at Sagrada Familia. Thankfully no one was harmed and the beautiful structure is still standing. When I heard the news and later read the article I could not understand why someone would want to set fire to such a famous and historical church.

            The article, which is titled Spain: small fire set to Sagrada Familia basilica, states that a suspected arsonist is responsible for the incident. The small fire forced the evacuation of hundreds of people, which of course caused much chaos. The article also states that one Catalan officer estimated around 1500 people were evactuated Tuesday from the church.

            One tourist said he saw smoke and immediately reported it. If it was not for him who knows what could have happened to the beautiful Gaudi structure.  I know that if I had been touring the church that Tuesday I would have been petrified. The arsonist was arrested but his name remains anonymous. There was slight damage caused as a result of the fire but no injuries were reported.

            This is extremely scary news and I pray that nothing else like this ever happens again.

Victory for Rafael Nadal!

Alex Verch

Local News

Date: April 25^th, 2011

            Rafael Nadal won his most recent tennis match in Barcelona yesterday. He is known as the world’s number one tennis player and this win marks six titles for Nadal here in Barcelona. In this particular match Nadal took the victory over David Ferrer, marking his sixth Barcelona Open title in just seven years.

            Nadal also won in last week’s Monte Carlo Masters final, again proving he is the best there is right now. This win here in Barcelona marked Nadal’s 31^st win on clay courts. Having Nadal win in Barcelona is a very big deal because he had won numerous titles in this city and is extremely popular around the world. The Open he played in Barcelona stirred up a lot of tourism and was ultimately very beneficial for the city.

            Also, Rafael Nadal was spotted out at the popular club Opium the night of his big win. If I had to take a guess I’d say he was most definitely celebrating his victory. It is crazy that this 24-year-old tennis superstar is not much older than I am.

Trip #4: MACB

Alex Verch

Trip #4: MACB

Date: April 14^th, 2011

            Today we went on a field trip to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the MACB. We met everyone outside the museum in front of a sign that read, “Ravalejar”. Of course I immediately wondered what that meant, but would soon find out as the field trip progressed.

            The area where the MACB is located is Raval, which is located on the right side of Ramblas. At first, the area was a place where very poor people lived and where sailors first arrived in search of bars and prostitutes. There were many drug issues in the area as well, which was of course not ideal for families to come settle in with their children. Town hall wished to change the image of the area in order to attract families with their kids. Once hotels, boutiques, and hotels started to form in the area it became a more ideal place for people to live and gather. During the field trip I learned that this was one of the few areas where poor people were actually living in the center of the city as opposed to the outskirts.

            As our class continued to walk around we strolled through the inside of the MACB and saw some very interesting exhibits. My favorite was the dancing chairs. I learned that at night there are concerts and events held in the area. We also visited the beautiful Sant Pau del Camp church that was restored in order to attract people to the Raval area.  FAD, which is a design school to help young professionals, also exists in this area and is perfect for young kids to socialize, learn, and have available work space for design if they are interested.

            The Raval area has truly come a long way from its rocky start. The English translation for “Ravalejar” is hang out an explore an area. When the sailors first arrived there that is exactly what they did, hung out and explored. Now Raval of Barcelona is a place for families to hang out, explore, live, and socialize.

Italian Food in Barcelona

Alex Verch

Food in Barcelona

Date: April 12^th, 2011

            My roommates family was here to visit this week and her father is a huge fan of Italian food. He was dying to take us all out for dinner and since he is kind of a picky eater we decided that Da Greco would be the perfect spot for him. On Monday night my five roommates, my friend’s parents, and I all went out for dinner to the Italian restaurant on Passeig De Gracia.

            This was only my second time going to Da Greco because I am not a huge fan of Italian food and since I am only living in Spain once I feel as though it is important to actually try the typical Barcelona food. However, it is always nice to eat the foods your familiar with.

            We pulled up to the restaurant just in time for our ten PM reservation. When we sat down the waitress did not waste a second before bringing us warm bread and oil. Of course I filled up on the bread and was already full before we could even order our meals. We got a few bottles of white wine to share for the table too. After looking at the menu I decided to share the steak with my friend’s dad. Everyone else ordered pasta dishes.

            Da Greco is great because when you order a pasta dish they bring an extra dish to the table for everyone to taste. By the end of the meal we had all eaten so much we could barely move. My friend’s dad treated us to dinner which was very generous and thoughtful of him. My roommates and I were all so full by the end of the meal we could not even go out to the clubs for Loco Lunes. Instead, we just went home to our apartment. 

Sushi in Barcelona

Alex Verch

Food in Barcelona

Date: April 6^th, 2011

            Back in the United States I eat a lot of sushi. Whenever my family and I decide to go out to dinner it is usually to a Japanese restaurant. Prior to coming abroad I was a little nervous that I would have to put my sushi obsession on hold. However, my friends and I quickly found our favorite Japanese restaurant in Barcelona. Although Barcelona is known for its Catalan food such as Butifarra and Escudella I really enjoy the sushi.

            The restaurant my friends and I frequent is called Kibuka. It is located a Calle Goya, 9 and is absolutely delicious. I first went with my friend Ariel who was recommended to go there by a friend of hers. Ever since then I have been going back almost weekly.

            I always get the same dishes when I go to Kibuka. I start with the miso sarrada, which is a green salad with delicious miso dressing. Then, as my main course I order the eel roll and the tuna roll. Unfortunately for me Kibuka has delicious ice cream for dessert. I can never resist their selection of vanilla, red bean, and green tea ice cream. Sometimes we splurge and get all three.

            If you are a sushi fan I highly recommend Kibuka. Although I like the food here in Barcelona it is always nice to get a taste of home with food you are familiar with, which is why my friends and I frequently go to Kibuka.

Tapas

Alex Verch

Food in Barcelona

Date: April 3^rd, 2011

            My Boyfriend Max came to visit me from Rome this past weekend and was dying for me to take him to my favorite Tapa restaurant. I have been telling him for weeks now how much I love eating tapas over a typical style meal because you  truly get to try everything you are interested in on the menu. I have been to a few various places and finally found the Tapas restaurant I like best. It is called Qu Qu and it located at Passeig de Gràcia, 24.

            We went for lunch on Saturday and sat outside because the weather was so beautiful. Max and I shared a pitcher of sangria to start off the meal. After gazing at the menu for what felt like quite a long time we finally picked out a few different options and ordered. We ordered chips wit avocado, meatballs, chicken skewers, a shrimp dish, and of course the typical Catalan appetizer bread with tomato paste. It is funny because when I first came to Barcelona I thought that this bread was free but I soon found out that it is not. I enjoy Tapas restaurants because they provide pictures on the menus so I am able to see what the food I may order will actually look like. Max liked this aspect of Tapas too.

            Our food came very quickly and of course we finished everything on our plates. We decided to order another pitcher of sangria after we were done eating because it was just that delicious. After about an hour and a half we paid the check and walked around Barcelona. It was a great day.

Nightlife in Barcelona

Alex Verch

Leisure Activity: Clubs!

Date: March 10^th, 2011

            The nightlife in Barcelona is even more wild than I ever imagined. It is absolutely wild that my friends and I go out to the clubs most nights during the week. I could already tell that my exhaustion is definitely starting to catch up to me. It is only a Thursday and we have already gone out three days this week already.

On Monday night we went to Otto Zutz. We invited some friends over for drinks at our apartment prior to heading over to the club. Loco Lunes, or Nasty Mondays as some prefer to call it, was truly loco this week. It seemed like everyone in Barcelona was out on Monday night. We danced all night until our feet couldn’t handle anymore. Although waking up for class on Tuesday wasn’t easy I dragged myself out of bed and made it on time to my favorite class, Barcelona City Past and Present.

On Tuesday night we went to Shoko, which is located directly on the beach. I really enjoyed Shoko because I was able to go outside for fresh air every once and a while. There were couches and heat lamps set up too and since I am always cold this was the perfect place for me.

Last night, Wednesday, we all went to Chupitos before going to Broad Bar. Chuptios was packed with people but luckily we got there early enough and were able to get a table. We went to Broad Bar around 1:30 am. This is another one of my favorite night time hang-outs because it is a smaller and more intimate place than some of the other clubs we frequent.

            I love the Barcelona night life and am looking forward to going to Opium tonight for another great night with my friends!

Shopping in the city

Alex Verch

Leisure Activity: La Rambla/ Shopping on Passeig de Gracia

Date: March 29^th. 2011

            Today my friend Gill and I walked over to Plaza Catalunya to do some shopping. My first stop was Corte Ingles. We walked in with out any intentions of buying anything. Our plan was just to browse around the extremely large and overwhelming department store. I strolled through the make-up department before heading over to the handbags. Gill took a look at the scarves.

We then proceeded to the sunglass section where I just couldn’t resist buying a pair. The lovely saleswoman at the store, who may I add spoke very little English, was very excited to sell me a pair. Although at first I found it difficult to communicate with her I quickly put my Spanish skills to the test and eventually we were able to hold a conversation. I put my new glasses on and left the store.

            Gill and I then headed over to Las Ramblas. The street was packed with people all huddled around the various street performers. We topped to take a quick look at the interesting ones but then continued walking down Las Ramblas. I bought a beautiful leather and silver bracelet from one the venders and Gill bought a ring. We turned around when we got to the end and walked towards Passeig de Gracia. However, when we passed La Boqueria (The market) we couldn’t resist going in to grab some candy. We each bought a bag filled with gummies, chocolates, and delicious dried fruit and ate most before we could even step foot out of the market.

            After the market we walked down Passeig de Gracia and admired all the beautiful store windows of the designer shops. We finished our shopping day with lunch at Qu Qu where we shared delicious tapas. It was a lovely day.

Trip to the Beach

Alex Verch

Leisure Activity: The beach

Date: March 24^th, 2011

            Fortunately for my roommates and I our apartment is situated very close to the beach. When we first arrived the proximity of our apartment to the beach meant very little to me. The weather was not nearly nice enough to lay out or have lunch outside. However, now that we are finally experiencing the beautiful Barcelona weather I had heard so much about I can finally take advantage of the beach and the marina.

            Today I went to the beach with my five roommates. We went to class first and then headed back to our apartment to change our clothes. We left our apartment for the day around 15:00 and headed to Carpe Dium Lounge and Club for cocktails and a bite to eat. We sat  on the enormous comfortable couches located on the deck. The women working walked around offering massages to the customers so of course we jumped at the opportunity to unwind. We sat for a while and relaxed before heading down to the sand. We brought towels and blankets with us and laid them out on the sand. Around us people were playing ball, listening to music, and taking in the beautiful scenery. As I sat out on the beach today I realized how lucky I am that I have been able to call this place my home for the past few months.

            After we had enough sun we decided to take a walk on the beach towards the beautiful W Hotel, which is situated directly on the beach. We strolled up and down the boardwalk and even climbed up on the jungle-gym type apparatus located on the sand.

            When the sun started to go down around 19:00 we walked back to our apartment. I truly enjoyed my relaxing day at the beach and am looking forward to doing it again very soon.

Barcelona Stadium Visit

Alex Verch

Cultural Activity: FCBarca Stadium

Date: March 16^th, 2011

            The other day my Sport and Culture class went on a field trip to the FCBarcelona stadium. I was so excited for this trip because I had never seen a soccer stadium and had heard great things about it. When we walked in I was drawn to all the trophies displayed in their glass cases in the area that seemed to be the ¨museum portion of the stadium. As we walked around my teacher explained some of the history of the stadium.

            We then walked to the locker room, which I thought was very interesting. It was actually situated exactly how I pictured it, with a physical therapy area, showers, lockers, and benches. We then wandered off on our own to finish the tour by ourselves. I got to see the press conference room and the boxes where the announcers sit to announce the games.

            I thought the field was beautiful and so neatly kept. I took lots of pictures while in the stands. I had learned that in the seats was written ¨Mas que un club¨ so it was great to actually see it in person. We finished the stadium visit with a trip to the stadium store. I browsed around but resisted from buying anything.

            My visit to the Barcelona stadium was very fun and I really enjoyed seeing the trophies, locker room, and especially the stadium itself.  Even though I have watched soccer matches on television seeing the actual stadium in person was really great.

Parc Guell

Alex Verch

Cultural Activity: Parc Guell

Date: March 14^th, 2011

             A few of my friends visited from home this past weekend and since the weather was absolutely beautiful I knew I had to take them to Parc Guell. It was my first visit to the park because I had been waiting for my friends to visit me, and for the weather to get nice.

            We arrived at the park and took lots of pictures immediately upon stepping out of the taxi. The entrance is so beautiful and Gaudi´s work is just surreal. They were mesmerized by the beautiful mosaics. We walked up the stairs and headed into the main area of the park. We quickly grabbed a seat in the sun and just sat for a while admiring the work. The park was crowded because of the wonderful weather Barcelona was having. After catching some of the rays I took a lap around the sandy circle and bought a few great pieces of jewelry, some for me and some for my mother.

            We then walked up to the café area and bought pitchers of sangria. My friends from home are not used to drinking sangria all the time so they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. After we finished the pitchers we walked all the way up to the very top of the park where the views were gorgeous. I felt like I was able to see the entire city from there.  We stayed up at the top for about a half hour and then walked back down to the main area. It was even more crowded when we got back down.

            While in the park I stumbled upon what is now my favorite area of the parc. I am a huge fan of the show called America´s Next Top Model. One of the final episodes was actually filmed in the area of Parc Guell where the underground cave is. I was so happy to have found that area as it reminded me of the episode. 

            My friends loved the Park and of course so did I.

Visit to the Catalan Market

Alex Verch

Cultural activity: Visit to the Catalan Market

Date: February 23^rd, 2011

            Part of living in a different city is exploring and discovering the culture and way of life of that particular place. The Catalan culture is different than what I am used to back in the United States. Although it is not necessarily what I am used to, I very much enjoy living here. One thing I love most about living here are the various markets that are dispersed around the city. From living here thus far I have noticed that every neighborhood and area has its own market. I have seen a few but the one that I enjoyed visiting and shopping in the most was actually the Catalan market located near the Borne area.

            I visited the market on Monday, February 21^st around 10:30 am. I had stumbled upon it a few days earlier and wanted to go back and shop for my apartment. At first I did not realize everything was in Catalan but I finally caught on. The market was somewhat empty, which I enjoyed. It was easy to get around and I did not feel over whelmed by other shoppers. The market was huge and had everything from a café to a pharmacy, and of course many fish stands, fruit vendors, meat vendors, and more.

            As I shopped around I noticed the freshest fruits I had ever seen. I even got a smoothie as I roamed around the market with my friends because I just couldn´t resist the vibrant colors of the tropical drink on display.

            The prices seemed reasonable for the most part. I bought apples, bananas, mozzarella cheese, and a fresh piece of salmon that my roommates and I later cooked for dinner that night. I really enjoyed shopping around the Catalan market and it truly helped me to learn about the Catalan culture.

Trip #3: Medieval Barcelona

Alex Verch

Trip #3: Medieval Barcelona (El Born)

Date: February 22^nd, 2011

            We visited the Born area on our third field trip. We also met outside of the Cathedral for this trip. We walked around the area and explored the different parts of the Born area. We learned a lot about the guilds and the stock market.            

            This trip helped me see exactly what our textbook was saying when referring to workshop houses and guilds. The structure of the workshop house says a lot about the successfulness of the owner and the shop. The owner lives on the first, or principal, floor. The bigger the balcony and the windows the more successful the owner is. On the second floor is the owner’s right hand man, or person who knows the trade. The people must pass a strict exam in order to become a member of the guild, which was very important during the medieval period. The guilds regulated prices, kept quality control, and protected the people within the guild. I compared this to a modern day union.

            The different workshops in the area were organized according to trade. The purpose of this was to make it easier for people to find what they were looking for. The streets were very narrow and many of them led to different squares, where the buildings all faced each other. Also, we learned about the stock market, but did not go too far into depth about it on this particular trip.  

            At the end of the field trip we went to Santa Maria Del Mar church. It was built between 1329 and 1383 and is very beautiful. It truly represents Gothic style architecture with columns on the inside. It also has beautiful stained glass windows on the inside. I really enjoyed walking around and learning about the guilds in the Born area. I also noticed many nice shops and various restaurants that I am interested in trying at some point in the near future.

Trip #2: Jewish Quarter

Alex Verch

Trip 2: Jewish Quarter

Date:  January 27^th. 2011

            During our second trip we visited the Jewish quarter of Barcelona. Again, we met everyone outside of the Cathedral in the Gothic Area. We walked around the area until we got to the tiny Jewish Quarter. The streets were extremely narrow and the buildings were very close together. In class we learned that the Arabs swarmed across the Mediterranean and invaded the Jews. Everyone was forced to leave, or convert to Christianity. This is why the area is so small. After seeing this in person it became a lot clearer as to why many people do not even know where this area in Barcelona is because it so tiny. People were forced to hide their religion during this period. I personally would be extremely upset and taken aback if someone were to ask me to hide who I was. This is essentially what the Jews were asked to do. After Franco died however, the Jewish people came back and bought the Synagogue.

            When we arrived at the Synagogue I did not realize what it was at first because it was hidden. There is a very tiny door with a staircase leading underground. There were two small rooms that we saw while inside. One had a glass floor with the original floors underneath. There were stain glass windows, a menorah, the Star of David, and other artifacts. Also, while inside I bought a bracelet with a hamsa (otherwise known as the hand of God). I also made a small donation while inside.

            While walking around the Gothic Area I also noticed beautiful artwork on some of the doorways. I also learned that cartographers were very important. Another fact I took away from this field trip is that the link between power and church in terms of the king are closely tied to one another. I really enjoyed this particular trip because we got to see a very historical part of Barcelona

Trip #1: Museo de Historia de la Ciutat de Barcelona

Alex Verch

Trip #1: Museo de Historia de la Ciutat de Barcelona

Date: January 20^th. 2011

            For our first field trip we met outside of the Cathedral, which is located in the Gothic Area. Once everyone arrived we then continued on to the Museo de Historia de la Ciutat de Barcelona. Prior to actually going inside the museum we were able to see the Roman ruins. This was very significant to our class because we had been learning about the Romans’ influence on Barcelona, the architecture, and the history of the Romans. These ruins can be viewed by the public prior to entering the museum.

I was very interested in seeing how the apartments were set up. There were many stairs leading up to the buildings. The richer families lived on the first few floors since there were no elevators. The bottoms floors had bigger windows and flowers on the windowsills. We also saw paintings and carvings dating back to ancient Roman times.

            Once we were inside the museum the first thing we did was watch a short film on Barcelona history. Then we walked around the museum admiring the different exhibits that offered a wealth of knowledge about the history of Barcelona. We saw a collection of the pots and pans that the Romans used in every day life. We also learned about how the Romans made wine, which was a major part of their culture. Also, since they didn’t have dryers back in Roman times the woman hung their clothes out on a line to dry, like many people do today as well. Another aspect of Roman culture we took away from the museum was the public baths. The museum displayed a lot of pottery, eating utensils, and other artwork all made out of molded clay.

            I really enjoyed the museum trip because it allowed me to take everything I read in our textbook about Roman Barcelona and actually see a replica of what it was like during this time period. Also, the trip allowed me to explore an area of Barcelona I had never visited before. I had never seen the Cathedral up close or walked around the Gothic area until our class trip. While in the area I noticed many restaurants, shops, and a flea market that I may not have stumbled upon if it were not for this class.