hain

Today was my last day in Barcelona. My legs hurt.

When I woke up this morning I didn't want to get out of bed. I was still super sleepy, but I figured that I needed to get moving. Barcelona waits for no woman. I turned on my computer to see that it was only 8:30. I spent awhile on the internet too tired too move until I finally guilted myself into getting up. I got dressed and left the house by 9:40. The one thing that I really wanted to do today was to go to the Miró museum. I walked to Passeig de Gràcia and took the metro until I reached the stop on my directions. I still hadn't had breakfast, but I figured that I'd just pick something up on my way to the museum. I got off the metro and had to figure out where I was in relation to my directions. Google maps doesn't tell you which exit to take so I always have to guess and pray that I got off at the right stop. I started walking around to find the correct street, and my situtation wasn't helped by the fact that they were repaving the streets in the area. I had to take the long way around, but I finally found the correct street.

The directions were fairly simply, but they were all uphill. I started to walk up a hill and spotted a paneria out of the corner of my eye. I went in and asked for a baguette. It was only 90 cents and it was still warm. The baguette crust was a lot flakier than the baguettes in France, but it was a delicious breakfast. The inside was perfect. I walked up the hill eating my baguette until I saw a sign pointing towards the museum…good thing the sign pointed straight up a huge hill. I walked up the hill and then had to take so many stairs I can't even tell you; there were at least 10 flights. After one flight there was a small park area with a few chairs. I sat there eating the rest of my baguette and looking over the whole of Barcelona. I watched a woman hang a comforter out of her window and watched cars go by in the city below. It was so picturesque. All I could think was that it was the most perfect day and that I didn't know how long it would be until I had a perfect day like this again. After most of my baguette was finished I got up and made it to the top and started to look around for the museum sign. I found a cluster of directional signs but the museum wasn't on there. I turned in the other direction and figured that I'd hopefully stumble upon the museum. First I found a really cute park with sculptures in it. I looked around for a bit and then went back onto the main road. It was just my luck that the museum was right there.

There were two sculptures outside of the building. One was a big circle of hay with a baby doll on top. It was perfect. I went inside and bought my ticket. Barcelona is so expensive. The student ticket cost me seven euros, but it was totally worth it. The first section of the museum was about Barcelona during the world wars. There were propaganda photos, artwork, and newspaper clippings from Spain, France, and Germany. I stopped to read all of the articles in French, and I was really surprised that I could at least get the gist of all of them. I can read in French! One of the posters said that the French were fighting with someone and the phrase "until all of their hate" was used. I thought that I'd never read such powerful words before. I didn't realize it was possible to hate someone you didn't know and didn't know anything about.

In the war section there were also other subgenres included. There was a car, factory photographs, war photographs, videos, an area dedicated to a Jack Johnson fight (whom I had just learned about yesterday), circuses, a Charlie Chaplin video, pornographic movies, sculptures (one was called the hand of God and I really liked it), and daily life scenes. There were also about four Picassos. The selection was amazing and it made me glad that I had paid the seven euros. After I finished in the war section I moved onto the collection of Miró works. It started off with some sculptures from him and a huge weaving. Next the collection moved into his paintings. My favorite painting was one that had been burned so that the entire center was missing and there were burn spots on the rest of it. There was also a movie about Miro and some photographs of him. My favorite part was the outdoor area that had a few sculptures. The view was absolutely amazing.

By the time I left the museum it ws already past 12:30. I had seen the building that contained the furnicular and figured that I'd take that down to the metro stop Espayne (where I got off last night for the fountain show). It turns out that the furnicular was closd so I had to walk all the way back down to where I had come from. Going down huge hills and flights are stairs is so much easier than climbing up them. I wasn't even winded this time. The next item on my list of things to do was seeing the church Santa Maria del Mar. I took the metro to the stop on my list and got off. It turns out that it's the same stop that I got off at yesterday for barri gotic. Lucky for me none of the streets near I was were listed on my directions. I started wandering around trying to find the church. I went to the church I saw yesterday and then wove my way through the area. I went to the official soccer store and bought the soccer scarf that Matthew requested. I then found another church that had a tourist map in front of it. It turns out that the church that I was looking for was across the street.

I crossed the street and saw a mother helping her young son pee into a planter. I'm pretty sure that you would be arrested for that in the states. The street was filled with clothing and jewelry vendors and I stopped to look at some rings. There wasn't anything worth buying so I kept moving. I found the church but it appeared to be closed. I took some pictures and then went back to the metro. My plan was to go to a park that seemed to be really beautiful. It took forever to get all the way out there, and my reward was not finding the park anywhere. The park wasn't even on the map. I decided to minimize my losses and left.

The next item on my list was seeing the arc de triomf. I had seen it from a distance while on the bus, but I thought that I could snap a few photos and then leave all in five minutes. I took the metro to the stop called arc de triomf and got off. The arc is literally right there. It was surprisingly beautiful. It's not like the arches in Paris or Rome that see so…imposing. This arch is made of red bricks with sculptures of women and bas-reliefs at the top in white marble. I really liked it. The area was really nice and there was a long promenade stretching out behind it. I walked along and saw men making bubbles for children. I walked all the way to the end and figured out that Parque Ciutadella was located right behind the promenade. I walked through a part that I hadn't explored yesterday and exited into a small shopping neighborhood.

By this point I wasn't quite hungry but slightly frustrated and tired from my adventures. I had been yawning since two and I needed a treat. I walked around until I found a gelato store. I was standing there looking at flavors when a few adults and their kids just pushed in front of me. I couldn't believe that they would do that! I just stood there and waited. I ordered a single scoop of Kinder and went on my way. I somehow looped around to Santa Maria again and saw that this time the church was open. I wanted to go inside but I knew that I had to finish my ice cream first. I walked back to a plaza and ate my ice cream while watching a man make bubbles for a hoard of children (including the evil kids who had cut in front of me!). I finished my treat and then went into the church. You're not allowed inside without paying, but you can squeeze into a small area in the back behind glass to look into the church. It's so beautiful on the inside. It was light and airy and the stained glass windows really popped in front of the gray stone. I wanted to go inside, but I didn't think it was worth it.

It was getting close to dark and I wanted some time to relax at the beach instead of my crazy schedule of running around. I walked to a V15 stop near the metro in the barri gotic and rode it to the edge of the harbor. I hopped out to look at some booths that there set up on the sidewalk. There were vendors selling everything from candy to soap to churros. I was going to get soap for mom, but it was three euros. I think that I've already gotten her enough soap. I left the area and cut through the neighborhood to get to the beach. I walked out near the water and sat down on the sand. It was so relaxing despite constantly being bothered by vendors selling mojitos, beers, and coconut. I wished that I had brought my book, but I didn't want to drag it around with me all day. I just lay there in the sand for awhile looking out at the waves until the sun moved and it became cold on my patch of sand.

I got off the beach and walked along the plaza near the sand. I watched a father change his daughter's diaper on a park bench. I saw street performers and people walking their dogs. Speaking of dogs, everyone in Barcelona brings their dog on the metro. It's so strange. I walked back along the harbor in search of dinner. I remembered seeing a place that sold only fries yesterday while I was on the bus and I wanted to find it again. I had to walk passed tons of restaurants with maître d's outside who kept hitting on me. It was very uncomfortable. I finally found the fries stand and looked at the menu. The small fries were 2,50, but for 1,50 more I could add toppings. One of the options was two cheese (cheddar and emmental) which I just had to have. I managed to order my food entirely in Spanish! I'm so cool. After awhile my fries came out and I went in search of a metro or bus stop. The fries were….too salty? They had a slightly funny taste to them and the cheese sauce really didn't taste like anything. On the plus side there were a lot of fries, but not enough to really fill me up.

I was almost to a metro stop when this guy started talking to me. I quickly figured out that he just wasn't being friendly and broke away from him. I didn't want to get on the metro with my fries so I kept walking. I knew that I was near parque ciutadella and behind that was arc de triomf so I could just take the metro from there. I got to the park and sat down for a second just to fish the last few fries out of the bottom of the cone. I then walked to the metro.

I came back to the hotel and asked the front desk manager if I could send him my boarding pass to print. He said yes and gave me the address to send it to. I came upstairs and sent an email to the address and looked up information for tomorrow. I just couldn't get myself to go downstairs. My legs hurt so badly. I can't even walk. I did manage to go downstairs and pick up my sheet. I then came upstairs and messed around on the internet before taking a bath while watching Judge Judy. I needed to sit.

Now I have to book my hotel for tomorrow before going to bed. I'm going to take the six o'clock train to the airport so I have to be up at five. Maybe I'll go get food….I'm starving.