Well this is the last city an country of our marvelous 35-day journey. I honestly hate to write this one because it makes me feel empty all over again. I constantly talk about Europe and the adventures I shared with all of my fellow travelers. It was one helluva good vacation. Five-hour tours and all.
We are at another hostel, but it's nothing like Prague. The most memorable moment from this day was Brittney. When we arrived at the hostel we had to fill out emergency contact info sheets. I'll never forget for nationality Brittney wrote, "nig." If you don't find this humorous, then you don't know Brittney, or "Doodoo," as I prefer to affectionately call her. :) Seriously, I know it sounds harsh, but damn, that shit was a riot.
Moving on... We settled in and all walked around together as we often do when arriving at a new destination. We split off from each other and ventured to find the best Paella Barcelona had to offer. With sangria of course :) We found a decent pan of Paella only after a tumultuous, now memorable, decision-making process. If you were with my group, you know the reference. So after all this we headed back to the hostel to take it easy after the long bus ride and we of course had a tour in the morning.
So, on top of this blog being hard to write because it is the end, it is also hard to write because, since it was the end of the trip, I was beyond ready to return home to my family and friends back home, although I really did hate to part with my new posse. It was hard to enjoy Barcelona in it's entirety because all I could think about was my own bed and not living out of a suitcase. And honestly, at this point we were all physically, financially and mentally drained.
Day 34
Today is a jam-packed day. Also, the last actual day of doing. It started with our long tour. From what I gathered on the tour, Barcelona is Gaudi. Anton Gaudi is this uber famous Spanish architect. Like so many artists, he was not famous until after his death. The first stop I remember making was Park Güell.
This is the birthplace of Gaudi. The colors and designs make you think you are living in a mushroom-induced gnome land. The vibrant colors are displayed in ceramics and tiles on buildings, statues, walls, and so on. Ceramic art is apparently one of the characteristics of Gaudi's art.
We all assumed the term "gaudy" came from this architects style, but our tour guide informed us it was not. Well, when you see Gaudi's art for yourself you'll side with me in saying the tour guide was a bold-faced liar. Gaudy is Gaudi; no doubt.
I set my mind on Gaudi is gaudy when we stop at our next destination: La Sagarda Familia. This structure is just absurd. Construction on this church began in 1892 and has remained under construction ever since. Sagrada Familia is expected to be finished in 2030. Yes, more than a century after it was initiated. There is a long back story as to why it has taken so long, but like I said, I zoned out frequently in Spain. Plus, that's what Google is for. :)
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| It looks like Candyland |
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| From the top of Park Guell |
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| Last group tour :) |
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| La Sagarda Familia |
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| Engraved into Sagarda Familia walls. |
I really had no expectations for the flamenco show, but it was bizarre, in a good way, though. It was a musical soap opera with a lot of stomping. I expected more use of the castanets (wooden, hand clacking instruments used,) but they made up for it in dancing. Besides, going to these countries and cities is all about experiencing the culture so how could I go to Spain and not see a flamenco show.
After the show, we met the rest of the group to go clubbing; Barcelona style. The clubs line up along the beach and they all have entrance to the beach from their back porches. Once you are good and liquored up, you head outside and can lay in the sand or dip your toe into the Mediterranean while the moonlight flickers across the ripples of water. I don't know if this night was so wonderful because it was our last or if it really was just a perfect night, but boy, it was memorable. We made it home around 6 a.m.
So there is absolutely nothing on our agendas for today other than to enjoy the European sunshine for this one last day. I spent the day alone. I slept in, then I walked around in search of souvenirs, or possibly my lost soul. I'm a real advocate for personal time, whether it's to read, write, watch your favorite movie for the 100th time, or simply to be. I walked up and down countless blocks of Barcelona streets with my headphones in simply soaking in the last 864 hours of my life. I'd never felt more at peace with being alone than I did on August 17. It wasn't even six months ago that I stood on foreign soil discovering the things I wanted most in life. It was the end of trip, Day 30, under the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, when I realized how unbelievably happy and content I was to be there. And on this day, Day 35, I had never been more content with the unknown. It's crazy how quickly life changes.
In a nutshell, that was my last day in Barcelona, Spain. My last hours of the grandest adventure of my life. That night we all huddled in the lobby, exhausted and lost. It was hard to believe it was all ending and the uncertainty of whether or not any of us would ever see each other again. Thirty-five days ago in Athens, Greece, we were split into groups of roommates, and for the most part, we stuck together until tonight in Barcelona on Day 35. So, it is safe to say, we shed tears then made promises of reunions and keeping in touch. And today, five months after Spain, I've seen four people from the tour and remained in contact with the majority. Will it last? Who knows. Point is, I gained more than temporary, or even lasting friendships from 35 days with 16 strangers.
I'll finish up by saying thank you. Thank you to myself for not letting my dreams simply be dreams (we actually did it!) Thank you Europe for your beauty. Thank you to all of my group for being adventurous so our paths crossed. Thank you Eirini for your guidance through it all. Thank you Bri for being a friend and for teaching me the always positive outlook on life. Thank you Nicole for being you and sharing your clothes and beauty traits. Thank you Steph for being beautiful and carefree and encouraging the same in me. Thank you Ana for reminding me it is okay to be young, wild and free. Thank you Brittney (doodoo) for being innocent and inspired. Thank you Stephanie G. for making me want to open a dictionary more. Thank you Lil' Kim and Jenni for being absolutely adorable and memorable. Thank you Tim for being you and never fearing. Thank you Kim for being badass and letting me know I'm not the only foul-mouthed broad in the world, ha. You all taught me something and made me appreciate you, even if just in the smallest way. You all made the trip worthwhile.
That's the end, folks. We split off in three separate groups to the airport, tears trailing every group. I held in my tears until I hugged Eirini and Bri good-bye when we split for our flights. It still hadn't set in. And even without gellato shops, foreign accents, churches on every block and American currency, it took about one week to realize I was home.
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| Saying goodbye |
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