Inside the Casa Batlló

In case I didn't mention before my classes go from 1-5 PM which at first sounds great (yey sleep!) but if you're a creature of habit that will never sleep past 8 AM anyway, you're kind of stumped with what to do in the mornings. Yesterday I went shopping (Spain has awesome leather shoes btw), but that can't go on or rather my money can't go that long. This morning I thought that since the two famous Gaudi houses are on my way to school I'd do the inside tours in the morning. Today it was the Casa Batlló, and next week I'll go inside the Casa Milà. Viewing the inside of the Casa Batlló was worth forgoing a pair of shoes. :)

Living Room

The view looks out onto Passeig de Gracia (where the nice stores are). Those blue glass circles helped to filter the light.

Another shot of living room

Close up of ceiling.

The ceiling of the living room was crafted to mimic the movement of a water eddie. Gorgeous.

Terrace

On the roof

Close up of roof

 I like how the backbone of the house looks like it has shells on it.

The Attic

If St. George slaying the dragon was the inspiration for the Casa Batlló then the attic would be the dragon's ribcage. You can tell how big it was from the woman in the picture.
 

Inner courtyard

Probably one of my favorite things in the house was the inner couryard/stairwell. It went all the way to the top of the house and this picture does't capture it very well but the whole space reflected blue.

Beach at Sitges

Today I got real homework, so I'm at home reading an article about the Spanish Civil War, but I thought I'd take a break and tell you about my weekend.

Sitges

Yesterday was a national holiday in Spain, so since we didn't have class we went to the beach. :) Now, Barcelona has a beach but it's kind of rocky and you have to be very aware of pickpockets, so we took a 30 minute train ride to Sitges. After having a lunch of crepes with chocolate and Nutella, it was on to the playa. The sun was hot and the water was salty and cold. Couldn't get any better.

Haha, hola?

Parc Guell - More Gaudi!

After lunch Brittany and I hopped on the bus to Parc Guell which took us all the way to the top of the city. I'd always wanted to sit on the benches covered with multicolored tiles there. So pretty!!

Me at Parc Guell

I'd forgotten about the house and chapel that he'd built as well. It looked straight out of a Dr. Suess book. And since it was Sunday after 3 we got in for free!  I'm back at the apartment now and Brittany and I have our feet up for a second. I'm using the bus more but I still walk at least 3 miles a day. I understand why no one has a gym membership here.

House (left) and Chapel (right)

Mes De Un Club

Two night's ago Barcelona's team won the Copa del Rey with a score of 3-0. Team Barca has a tradition that after they win a major title everyone is invited to the stadium the next night and the players walk the four corners of the field with the trophy. I've never seen so many fireworks (not even on the 4th of July!) . This was a big deal not only because they played their last game of the season but also because their much beloved coach Guardiola is retiring. And some of the players walked the field with their kids. So cute!

Me at Camp Nou

I'm trying to load the videos of all this but it's not working!

Rose's Dresses from Titanic

On the tour today of the Gothic barrio in the old city our tour guide mentioned off-handedly that there was a store that sold the clothes that Rose wore in the movie Titanic. Those dresses weren't costumes but real clothes from that period, and they all came from this resale shop in Barcelona. After the tour I doubled back and after asking the locals for directions, and I found it.

Gaudi's Wild House and More!

My home stay is only a 30 minute walk from the IES center, which is right next to the Plaza de Catalunya almost literally the center of Barcelona. I walk for about 6 blocks on the Paseo de Gracia, which houses stores like Vogue, Armani, Zegna, and Chanel. That's me in front of the Guess store below, which is in the La Casa Lleó i Morera. It's nickname is the wedding cake house because of it's pink facade and flowers. It's one of the three houses that make up the "Apple of Discord," which owes it's name to the competition between Catalan's most famous modernisme architects:  Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Josep Puig i Cadafalch, and Antoni Gaudí.  

At the Guess store in Paseo de Gracia

Right next to La Casa Lleó i Morera is Cadafalch's Casa Amatller  and to the right of that is Gaudi's famous La Casa Batlló. The most popular theory for Gaudi's inspiration for La Casa Batlló is the triumph of St. George over the dragon. They columns resemble bones and the multicolored tiles on top look like the dragon's back. Most people agree the Gaudi won the bragging rights for the block.

Casa Batllo

Palau de la Música Catalana

I went on a walking tour to see other famous buildings from the modernisme period. One of my favorites was the Palau de la Música Catalana. Crazy enough, in the 1930's and through the 60's artists and critics called for it's demolition. During this time the architectural world was moving towards rationalism and thought the flowery Palau was an embarrassment. I could hardly take my eyes off of it. If you thought the pictures below were beautiful you should have seen the inside (Didn't allow pictures. Sorry!).

Roses and St. Rita

Feast Day of St. Rita

If you are thinking of studying aboard, please consider a home stay because there are some things that you will never know about otherwise. Yesterday Mercedes and I went to mass in the honor of Santa Rita, the patron saint of impossible causes. The street of Las Ramblas was lined with vendors selling flowers, mostly roses, and red votive candles. Mercedes bought a bunch of pink roses and we processed into the church to have them blessed.

After the benediction Mercedes showed me a small envelope that she had tucked in her purse and explained that it was her rose from last year. Every year she dries a flower for each of her children for protection and intercession from Santa Rita. Then she handed me a rose. I am Catholic as well, so going to mass and her gesture made me feel very much a part of Spain already. My flower is drying on my desk now. I pray that everyone else studying abroad has a safe and rewarding journey and that we all come home home safely.

Mercedes buying flowers

Arrival

After a layover in Newark, NJ and 7 more hours in a plane, I arrived sano y salvo in Barcelona at 9:30 Spain time. Flying over the city, I noticed there is no distinct skyline. Rather the city is spread out and and most of the buildings are natural shades of stone. After my passport was stamped I met up with the IES staff and my roommate Brittany.

After a short orientation, we caught a cab to our host mother's flat. The old buildings are well preserved but the elevators were not built for jumbo sized suitcases. After wriggling ourselves out of a space no bigger than Superman's phone booth, Brittany and I knocked on the door of our would be home for two more months.

We were greeted by our host mom Mercedes and her Yorkie, Fuego. Mercedes loves to cook, sew rugs, and spend time with her 13 grand kids. After being fed steak and broccoli casserole, I'm sitting here writing this and talking movies with Mercedes who has over 200 catalogued as well as any public library. She has all of Grace Kelly's, but confessed that she loves Inglorious Bastards too. I think we're going to get along fine.

Getting to Know Me

Hola chicos! My name is Brigetta Super.  I'm an Engineering College Honors Student studying Chemical Engineering. This is probably my last chance to view the sun, birds, and other non-engineering people before I have to row with the rest of the engineering student/slaves in what will be a grueling senior year (yey!). On to more fun stuff...

That's me on the left (pinkies out!)

I'm going to Barcelona!! I'm all set to fly out next Sunday May 20th. For six weeks, I will be taking 6 hours of Spanish courses after which time I will have my Spanish Minor complete (por fin!). I'm particularly looking forward to my Contemporary History of Spain, especially since Spain is going through a tumultuous period what with immigration, the Euro, and unemployment. Knowing that I'll have my ears open and my backpack tightly shut.

Little about my program. I'm choose to study with IES Abroad Language & Area Studies (Program site) namely because they offered Advanced Spanish courses, had concurrent enrollment credit with the University of Rochester, and they had a home stay. Yep, I have a new madre named Mercedes and a roomie from Penn State called Brittany. 

I'll try to post regularly. Now, I have to chase down my dog Romeo who keeps trying to pull my swimsuit out of my suitcase.