the WONDERFUL week with my parents in Spain!

After an hour plane ride, I was in Barcelona with my parents!! Our plan was to stay one night in a beach resort just outside of Barcelona for the first night, and the next three in the city, but when we found out it was an hour and a half away we decided to stay in Barcelona all 4 nights. In Barcelona the people speak Catalan, and NOT Castellano (regular Spanish). I was nervous for us to find a hotel, but when I found out our cab driver spoke Castellano, I spoke to him and he found us a nice hotel. He was really nice and we talked a lot about Granada and its history, and about Andalucia in general. (Andalucia is a region of Spain, and Granada is a province within this region. Then Granada City is a city within the province of Granada...just like New York, New York) Any ways, my parents fell RIGHT asleep when we got to our hotel. Being jetlagged sucks!

The next morning we went for breakfast and switched hotels. Our hotel was absolutley gorgeous. After this we walked the street "Las Ramblas", a famous street in Barcelona. Lucky for us our hotel was in the center of it. Las Ramblas is a street lined with beautiful trees on each side, shops, restaurants, interesting performers, a market, and ends with the Christopher Columbus statue. We went into the market which was REALLY cool. There was every kind of fresh meats, cheeses, nuts, fish, and fruits. There were bakeries, ice cream shops, people making fresh pizza, and more. We got a bunch of little things like olives, nuts, fruit, and bread and sat down and had some wine with it! Afterwards, we continued to walk down the street, and ended at the Columbus monument. I read that you could go to the top of it, so we did! It was an extremley tiny elevator that took you up there and only about 5 people could be up there at once. It was really worth it tho because it was an amazing view of the city, and the port which was right at the end of Las Ramblas. After this, we were told that there was a good bar close by to get cheap drinks and food. We aimlessly walked around forever and couldnt find it! Everyone we asked didnt even know. Once we finally found it, it was awesome. It was a tiny place with only locals. They had wine and sandwiches. The wine was really good, and with a sandwich it was only 2.50 euro total! The reason it was so hard to find was because it had no sign with the name of it. It was funny, but cool. We called it the "Johnny's" of Spain. It was SO crowded and super small...just like Johnny's! Later that evening we walked around Barcelona, and then went to a restaurant with the most AMAZING paella ive had since ive been here!!

The next morning we bought tickets for a hop-on hop-off bus tour. It takes you around all of Barcelona and you can get on and off at all the main tourist sights. Our first stop was "La Pedrera." This is a house designed by Antoni Gaudi. He is a very famous architect that designed many buildings in Barcelona. The outside of the building itself is incredile. The building is designed into waves in stone. The beginning of the tour was kinda lame, but we were able to go on the roof and it was awesome. My dad didnt love this tour, but the roof was very cool to see. Afterwards, we hopped-on the bus and went to see La Sagrada Familia! This is the church that was designed by Antoni Gaudi. They said he dedicated his life to this church, and after over 100 years, it is still only HALF done. Its hard to fatham, but the church itself really is unbelievably gorgeous. It was acutally pretty cool to see it under construction, and to see their workshop of where all the molds and designs of the building are being created. Next we went to the FC Bacelona staduim! (FC just stands for futbol club) This was something very different to see since we were seeing all old buildings with history. I was really excited to see this stadium especially because my "Abuelo" in my house watches Barcelona soccer almost EVERY DAY, so I would always see the huge stadium on the televison filled with 100,000 people! It was a very cool tour because we got to go into the players lockerooms, go onto the level of the field, go into the press room, see all of their trophys, and a museum of the teams history. I really enjoyed it!

After this we went back to the hotel, and then went to a nice dinner! Before dinner my mom and I got delicious sangria from our bar (she got one EVERY day in Spain), and sat next to Tim Robbins, the actor from Shawshank Redemption. He was wearing a jean jacket, and looked like a loser. For dinner we went to a restaurant called 'Barceloneta,' a seafood restaraunt in Barcelona. Our food was SOO good, im happy I took pictures of it=) To walk off our dinner and dessert, we walked along the beach by all the clubs and bars. Of course, my 25 yr. old mother wanted to go in to the dance clubs, but my parents are OLD, so we just went to a bar for drinks.

The next morning we went back on the hop-on and off bus tour. There were 2 different lines, so this day we saw completley different things. Our first stop was Casa Batllo, another building by Antoni Gaudi. This is honestly one of the coolest buildings ive ever seen. Ive never seen anything like it. There is colored stone on the entire thing, and the roof is made to look like fish scales. Next we just toured beautiful Barcelona for a while on the top of the bus. We eventually got off when we saw the car cable things that take you over the top of the city. The views of Barcelona were gorgeous!! I am so happy we did this. Of course, it was time to eat, and we went to a cute little outside restaurant and got tapas (appetizers) and drinks! While walking back to our hotel, there was a group of entertainers (gymnasts) on Las Ramblas, and my mom pushed me into the center when they asked for volunteers..not nice. Anyways, I was in their demostration, and had a guy do a flip over 2 other people and then me! It was crazy. That night we relaxed a bit in the hotel, and then went to the Magic Fountain for our last night in Barcelona. It was so pretty and fun to see with all the lights and music! They played all american songs to the water and sometimes made the water look like smoke, it was sweeeet. I loved being there with my parents!!! Im so lucky that they were able to come visit me and that we got to travel somewhere in Spain, and see new things together!


The next morning VERY early, we were off to Granada, my home=) I was so excited to show them Granada and everything that I have been falling in love with! When we got to Granada, we settled my parents into their hotel, and then we went for a walk as I showed them both of my schools! It was such a beautiful day (the WHOLE week they were here was perfect weather!), but because it was a sunday, both my schools were closed, just like everything else in Granada on sundays! That night, we were lucky enough to get tickets to a Gypsy style flamenco show in Sacromonte(an area in the mountains in Granada). I was really excited to go with them because I loved the flamenco show I saw in Sevilla, and I wanted them to experience what I had. We got dinner at their hotel, and then took a bus up to Sacromonte. On the way to the cave that the show was in, the bus stopped at the Albaizin, a district in Granada. Here that is a great view of the Alhambra, and it was at night so it was really pretty. When we got to the cave it was so cool! It was super small, with pictures everywhere and authentic spanish pot hanging from the ceiling. It was so small that we were literally in their space, but thats what made it fun. The dancing was a different style from what I saw in Sevilla, but it was really cool! There were flamenco singers as well. At the end of the show, we got to dance with them. It was really fun, and I am so happy that my parents go to see something so cultural. Before going home, I took my parents to try churros con chocolate. I like them, but my parents werent really feeling it. Oh well, at least they got to try them!

The next day we went to see the Cathedral here in Granada. I waited to go in until my parents came so that it could be my first time too. I was excited to see it because it is where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel are buried! They were the king and queen of Spain that funded Christopher Columbus's journey to America. The Cathedral itself was beautiful, and the monument for the king and queen was awesome. Then, you can go underground and see their tombs! I thought it was really cool. In front of their monument is a candle that has never and will never burn out. Afterwards, we went to the Alhambra. I hadnt been there yet either, so I didnt really know much about it which was my mistake. The Alhambra was gorgeous, but super croweded and no head sets to hear the tour left to buy. Me and my parents didnt really know what anything was, so we kind of just aimlessly wandered through the fortress. It was cool, but we had no clue what we were looking at, so it wasnt what I expected. After the Alhambra, I wanted to take my parents to a local bar that my friends and I go to alot for cheap drinks and tapas! We call it the "Chino" cuz its run by chinese people. We got sangria and tapas=) Then we went to a really good bakery near by, of course for my dad to check out the sweets, but I wasnt complaining. Then, my parents came up to my bedroom and we skyped micheal, joanna, and my grandparents. It was so cool having them in my room where I usually skype them! That night we went to a restaurant by my plaza for pizza.

The next morning my school was open, so we took another walk to see it! They got to go inside the building, and inside one of my classrooms! Afterwards was the big lunch at my senoras house, so we walked to buy my senora, and my abuela flowers, and then went to my house for lunch. At this point my parents had already met both my abuela and my senora, but my abuelo, tia (aunt), and her 3 children who spend a lot of time at our house were all there for lunch! It was SUCH a nice time. My abuela cooked a traditional spanish dish of paella. It was HUGE, with full baby lobsters in it! She also had food before, and after this! It was fun to translate for my parents, well mom, my dad did pretty well with his spanish. Curro, Marga and Jose (the grandkids) were all there. They sat by us, and were so cute by trying to show off and speak the little english that they learn in school to my parents! Curro can say the numbers 1-10 and Jose was taught how to say "Oh my god!" Then, jose asked me if I could teach him english with the CDs that he got from school because his mom doesnt understand them. It was soo cute! It was really nice that my parents and senora talked a lot after dinner. My mom and dad thanked them for taking care of me, and of course, Lor cried. It was SO fun having them in the house that im living in, and talking with my host family!

After this we did a bit of shopping. Then later that night, rachel came home from paris, and we went to dinner with her and my friend laura and her mom. Then I wanted to take my parents to this ice cream parlor that we go to sometimes. Its called Los Italianos, and its not as good as ice ceam in Italy, but its real good. Sadly, it was my parents last night in Spain, and I had to start school the next day. I got up early, and had breakfast with them, and then had to say goodbye after an AMAZING week!! It was hard to say goodbye knowing I wouldnt see them till christmas, but also I only will do this one time! Im so happy that they came to visit me. I wish Michael and Joanna could have been there to experience Spain with us, but one day we will just have to come back=) I miss my family lots, but seeing my parents recently has definitley made it easier. I love them all so much and am so lucky to have the family that I do=)