Hola, Barcelona! - Attack of the Sunburn

Two days have passed since our Barcelona adventure, but my peeling sunburn serves as a daily reminder as to how much we did there!

Day 1

I woke up early the next morning to squeeze in my last of many jogs before our fun in the sun vacation, and then woke Alex up as soon as I got back because we had quite a bit to do before we left. We had been checking the weather everyday before our trip, and it was constantly changing. Some days it would be raining, and some days it was sunny. Overall, the temperatures looked like they would be in the upper 60’s to mid 70’s, so I was optimistic for some shorts and sundress weather. As always, packing took entirely too long. Just when I mastered the skill of only packing what I needed for trips, I relapsed and packed more than I needed. Once an over-packer, always an over-packer. Besides, it was our last big trip, so I wanted to make sure I had plenty of dresses to choose from. The warmest thing I brought was my light blue hoodie and jeans, and I was only planning on wearing that on the airplane.

Time was quickly slipping away from us, and we, of course, had those last minute thoughts guaranteed to trigger travel anxiety like putting liquids into a bag.

It all worked out and we were completely packed and out the door on time. Our first train left Melle at 5pm, and we wouldn’t be at the Weeze Airport until 10pm, so we knew we had a long night head of us.

After four trains and one bus ride, we arrived at the airport. We made reservations to stay in the airport’s hotel, which was 700 cold-and-darkly-wooded meters to the creepiest hotel in all of Germany. There were signs along the way that helped guide us there, but we were shocked by the lack of shuttle service or even sidewalk to this destination. It was very campy and the area reminded me of Virginia in a way.

Our room and the men’s bathroom was on the first ominous floor, while the women’s bathroom was on the second floor. No way was I venturing up there by myself. It was poorly lit, creepy, and I’m pretty positive haunted. The place used to be British barracks. That being said, Alex and I took a trip to the men’s room… together. It could have been awkward since someone else came in (either a man, another woman in my position, or a ghost), but I managed to stay hidden in my stall.

The rest of the night, Alex and I played Go Fish, which I dominated in, and ate crappy chocolate. We used to love our Alpenmilch chocolate from Aldi, but now that we had a taste of Ritter chocolate, nothing else can even compare. It’s like it releases a whole new level of endorphins in your system. The night was short-lived because we had to wake up in a few short hours to go back to the airport.

Day 2

The alarm went off at 4:10am, and we happily left the haunted hotel 20 minutes later. It was a smooth check in, despite security throwing away our sunscreen since the bottle was too big for the airplane. Such is life.

We boarded the plane at 7am, and I was forced to cram my purse in my already overstuffed backpack since I wasn’t allowed two carry-ons. It was my first time walking on a tarmac, so I thought that was pretty epic. The flight was only two hours long, and once we landed they played the cheesiest trumpet music signifying that Ryanair landed on time.

We then deplaned and bought our round trip bus tickets to Barcelona, which was much easier than buying them online. The bus ride lasted about an hour, and then we walked another 40 minutes to our hostel. Both of us downloaded a map of Barcelona and Spanish dictionary while we were in Prague, so we were well-prepared for this getaway. So it seemed.

We left our bags in the luggage room of the hostel since we were early, and I was not impressed with the reception right off the bat. They seemed really disorganized and disinterested in customer service, but as long as it wouldn’t turn into another Munich incident, I wasn’t opening my mouth to complain.

Famished, Alex and I found a small restaurant to eat at for lunch. We took advantage of the burger deal on the menu, and to our surprise, the burgers we bunless! Weight Watchers would probably approve of that. They were delicious though, and we got a full bottle of ketchup, unlike the café in Prague. You win some, you lose some.

After lunch, we walked through Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, which was beautiful. The Barcelona Cathedral, a gothic church, was a grand sight to see. It reminded me of the cathedral in Köln. After we meandered through some of the streets, we made our way back to the hostel around 2pm to get our beds and make a game plan.

When we got into the room, a huge wave of fatigue hit us, so we took a nap. It was cloudy and cold, anyways, which was extremely disheartening for a girl who only packed clothes fit for a tropical vacation.

That night, Alex and I had pizza at a small and inexpensive restaurant. I even tested out my Spanish skills a little bit when I asked for “la cuenta” to pay. It brought me back to those really mind-numbing Spanish classes I took in high school. I suppose I learned a few things, after all. It definitely rolls off my tongue easier than German and Czech.

We then scoped out a few bars and went inside some stores to escape the unanticipated cold. We ended up ordering 4 euro mojitos from a great bar. Sadly, we were the only ones in there because it was really early.

On our way back to the hostel, we picked up some “campesino” chips and ate them in the hostel lounge on the 7^th floor. The both of us were able to fall asleep effortlessly that night.

Day 3

We woke up in time for our hostel breakfast, which was the usual by this point. Hostel breakfasts were nothing special. It was much sunnier and warmer out, so walking around the city seemed more pleasant than the day before. It made for better pictures, particularly in Plaça de Catalunya. That is, until the ferocious flock of pigeons swarmed us in the circle of doom... I have a phobia of flying animals!

Alex and I did some shopping, which was so much fun for me! On the way back to the hostel to drop off my new merchandise, we saw a woman talking to two police officers. I noticed that her bag was missing and she looked upset. When the police handed her their notepad, I figured they were asking for a description of the person who stole her purse. I may be filling in the blanks to this scenario a little too much, but it made me realize that I needed to put all the important things in my purse into our locker at the hostel, like my passport and debit card. Barcelona does have a high rate of pick-pocketing and purse-snatching.

We were both pretty hungry after our hostel detour, so we grabbed a quick lunch and then started walking towards Poble Espanyol, an open-air museum that showcases different cities of Spain. It was our goal of the day to make it there, but we were distracted a few times.

The walk was torturously long, but we did sit periodically and also have an ice cream break. I don’t think it helped that I packed the most unsupportive shoes I owned. I was failing miserably when it came to packing for this trip…

There was a huge car show going on that weekend that we had to walk around, and once we did, we stumbled upon Montjuïc, otherwise known as the Mountain of the Jews. The mountain was massive with several flights of stairs, a series of waterfalls, and sculptures leading up to Palau Nacional, or the National Palace. It houses MNAC, which stands for Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, and was built in 1934 for Poble Espanyol. It took a while to get to the top of the mountain, but the view of Barcelona was one that made the leg pain worth it. We were even able to go inside the museum for free, though our feet were killing us… alright, it was mostly my feet. With that said, we took the subway back.

Once we arrived back at the hostel, that’s when the night went downhill. My stomach really started to turn on me. I was so sick to my stomach that when our Muslim roommates started to pray in our room, I actually thought I was hallucinating. I had never seen Muslims pray before. It was unexpected, especially in a hostel room built for 14 people. I couldn’t stand to eat anything for a while and I was actually missing the familiarity of Germany at this point, but I felt a little bit better by the time we went to sleep.

Day 4

The next morning was business as usual. Hostel breakfast, and then we got ready for the day. I knew it would be chilly, but since we had planned on swinging by the beach, I really wanted to tough it out and wear one of my sundresses. Beauty really is pain. As I was getting ready, I overheard the two Muslims and the restless Argentinian sleeper who bunked above me trying to converse in English. The Muslims wanted to talk about the car show and the soccer game that weekend, which were all topics that the other guy knew nothing about. It was interesting to me that English was their linking language, though. I ended up talking to them, too, and really enjoyed their company.

With my Coach shades on and my hair up in a pony, I was beach bound with Alex. Along the way, we stopped in a few shops and attempted to go inside church, but weren’t allowed since my shoulders were bare. I sincerely disapprove of that rule. The man who wouldn’t let me in looked at me like he was above my “slutty naked shoulders,” but little does he know just how tasteful and classy any Lauren Conrad dress is, with or without covered shoulders.

We also witnessed a protest on the way to the beach. The majority of the people who were marching through the street looked really scary and rough, so we assumed they were fighting for something really juicy. Someone who spoke English finally explained to us that it was about luxury homes being built in Barcelona, and the prices for rent increasing. As riveting as that is, we were hoping for something a little more scandalous, so we trudged on in the Barcelona sun.

As we walked through a market on the street with delicious smelling foods and sangria everywhere, we saw a lot of palm trees. It was a sign that we were close!

Once we saw the white sand and the aqua blue Mediterranean Sea, I was in heaven. We took our shoes off and walked to the water. The sand was certainly hot, but the air was cool with a light breeze. As pleasant as the water appeared, the chill it sent through my body took my breath away. It was cold, but we each posed for pictures standing ankle deep in the water, which was hardly bearable.

When that obligation was fulfilled, Alex and I picked out a spot on the beach and laid out in the sun. The only annoying part was all the people trying to sell us things, like towels, mojitos, and massages. Let me just say, there was no way I would even let these people rub my back for free. Twenty minutes of their persistence was enough to send me to a bed in Bedlam, so we decided to pack up after a while. It was a good thing we did, too, because my shoulders were starting to look pink at this point.

On the way back, we each bought a glass of sangria from one of the stands at the market we walked through earlier. We sat in the shade to avoid any further sun damage and sipped our drinks. It was interesting being in the market area because there were a lot of people selling merchandise illegally. They lay their products out on white blankets attached to ropes, and when the police drive by, they can quickly pick up their stuff and scamper off. After a long day basking in the sun, we took the subway back to the hostel.

Even though the internet was terrible, we made an attempt to call our moms for Mother’s Day. I was able to talk to mine for about 3 seconds, and it made me miss home so much. I knew I would see American soil soon, though.

Showering was a painful endeavor because my sunburn was only getting worse. Minute by minute, I was looking more like a lobster. I was glowing, and I don’t think my teeth ever looked so white. Determined not to be a party pooper, I carefully got dressed and went with Alex to the buffet down the street. It was actually quite tasty and offered one drink, food, and dessert for a reasonable price. That’s hard to come by in this city since nearly everything is overpriced.

Afterwards, we stopped by an ATM and went to the Dow Jones bar, which was exceptional. It operated like the New York stock market. Whenever someone buys a drink, the price for that drink goes up. Every half hour, the stock market “crashes,” and all the drinks were at their lowest prices. The concept was really exciting and forces customers to try different drinks. It was very American friendly, and I liked listening to the music they played. The first European crowd of people didn’t appreciate the bar as much as we did, though. Most Americans would probably go nuts at this bar when the market “crashes.” The second wave of people that came into the bar was a rambunctious group. They were a stag party from Canada that really got into it, and when the market crashed, they would scream, “Buy, buy, buy!” We spent our night drinking here, and it definitely took the edge off my sunburn enough to put me to sleep.

Day 5

The next morning was… excruciating. I opted for jeans, a tank, and my blue hoodie to cover up as much territory as possible, unlike yesterday’s revealing sundress. Alex and I took the subway towards Poble Espanyol since we didn’t get to see it the other day we planned to. Before we reached the open air museum, we scouted out some very expensive sunscreen that we knew we wouldn’t be able to bring on the plane. However, the idea of burning on top of this burn sounded worse than death to me.

When we reached Poble Espanyol, Alex was able to use his student discount, while I had to pay full price. Our “I-forgot-my-ID-at-the-hostel” scheme only worked at the Museum of Communism in Prague but we figured it was worth a shot.

The museum was a great place to spend our last day. We spent hours walking around and admiring the architecture built to represent the different Spanish cities, shopping, and we even visited a Pablo Picasso Museum for free. We decided to have paella as an early dinner at one of the restaurants, too. We both got the Paella de Carne, and it just didn’t sit right in my stomach. It was very filling, and very savory. The atmosphere was nice, though. The last thing we did in Poble Espanyol was visit the sculpture garden. It had interesting pieces, and of course, more lovely views. We were lucky to see the beach, mountain, and street life all in one city.

Alex and I took the subway back only to find our Muslim roommates praying again. It certainly didn’t bother me, I just didn’t want to be noisy and disturb them like some of our other roommates would do. They seemed to appreciate our respect, and in turn, offered us fruit. I didn’t really want any, but they were keen on giving us some, so I couldn’t say no.

That night, Alex and I wandered around Barcelona for a cheap and happening place to drink for our last night. It was a little too early for a fun crowd to be out, so we got a mojito each at a café. Then, we decided to end our night at Chupitos, a shot bar with over 200 shots all priced at 2 euros each. Overwhelmed by the selection, we had the bartender select all of our shots for us. The first one was tasty. He lit it on fire, along with an orange topped with cinnamon. First you eat the orange, and then you take the shot. The other shots the bartender prepared were lit on fire and equally as delicious. The world needs more places like this. I was happy to spend our last night in Barcelona there.

Our things were packed and we were ready to leave in the morning. All I had left to do was to change into my pajamas, the most agonizingly painful task left. There were Spanish speaking señoritas showering and running around in the girl’s bathroom, so I decided to avoid any human contact and go into the men’s room, where I could see the lights were off and nobody was inside. As soon as I went into the stall, a group of men stumbled in… fantastic. I knew my only option was to wait them out, so I curled my toes under my feet in hopes that they wouldn’t notice the pink nail polish at the bottom of the stall and set up camp. The shaving and man bonding lasted longer than expected, but I figured I was safe. Most men aren’t ashamed of how long they take in the bathroom stall. In fact, I think the longer you’re in there, the more of a man it makes you. I threw in a cough and a grunt here and there, but I figured I was getting too into character, and I made myself focus on the mission. Right as they left, a new batch of boys foiled my great escape. I knew I should have just gone into the correct bathroom… I heard one of the showers turn on, though, and I figured it was my only chance to get out. So I sneakily peeked my head out from under the stall and saw a clear path to the exit. I grabbed all my feminine items that should never encroach in the men’s room and made a run for it. I’m not exactly sure if anyone saw me since I never looked back, but at that point, I didn’t care.

Day 6

Alex and I had to wake up at 5:10am to be out of the hostel by 5:30am. I realized that my sunburn actually felt worse, and it was too severe for me to carry my heavy backpack. Even my purse was causing me pain. Alex is a hero. He carried it the entire 40 minutes to the bus with his backpack, and the rest of the journey home, for that matter. That couldn’t have been an easy task the way I packed for this trip.

Despite our sunburn, travelling home wasn’t so bad. We bought after-sun at one of the pharmacies in Berlin since we had time in between train transfers. It even came with two free samples of 50spf sunscreen… oh, the irony. We were back home around 5pm, only to discover that we broke the bank... it was by far, our most expensive trip. It was money well spent though, I’d say. A very memorable getaway.