Week 1: Exploring Barcelona

My first week in Barcelona has been an amazing experience of gaining an introduction to the community and culture. From seeing people wearing different clothing styles and talking very quickly (for me) in Spanish, this week was full of new experiences. From learning how to use the metro, translating things in the supermarket, and eating tapas at 10pm (the dinner time in Spain), I have been gaining a global perspective. I took in each moment and reset my brain into its Spanish mindset. 

This week, we had the opportunity to visit the Cathedral, Gothic Quarter, and Museum of the History of Barcelona. I learned about the influence of religion on the Spanish community along with the extravagant architecture the city carries through the people who ruled prior including the Romans and Arabs. Finding bits of this different type of architecture throughout the city from various architectural arches, roses, and gargoyles has been an amazing experience! 

Furthermore, this was my first time being introduced to the bilingual community in Spain through the use of both Catalan and Spanish in the community. Due to the location of Barcelona in Catalonia, an autonomous state of Spain, two official languages are spoken and taught in schools. When using the metro or looking at advertisements on billboards, one can notice both languages and flags of Catalonia in addition to Spain. The bilingual community presents its challenges and benefits which is what I hope to further explore through my classes and time here in Barcelona. 

Besides spending time observing the bilingual community and visiting local museums, I have been spending time getting to know my suitemates as we explore the city on our own. We visited the Arc de Triomf, tried famous gelato at Anita’s Gelato and juices at Mercat de la Boqueria, and spent an afternoon at the beach followed by some scrumptious pasta!