From October 12-17, Marissa and Dee, two of my best friends from Villanova, flew across the Atlantic to visit me and Bri during their fall break at Villanova. Talk about good friends.
To start at the beginning:
-Bri and I left CPH at 10:30pm on Friday the 12th. We flew from CPH to Norway, and spent a freezing cold uncomfortable night in the Oslo, Norway airport. Persistence and some sneakiness got us a bench to share for the night, but it wasn't fun. By 4:30am we were up and getting ready for our flight to Barcelona.
Saturday 10/13:
-Our flight to Barcelona was, of course, delayed. We had no way to contact Dee and Marissa, who'd be waiting for us in the airport. We finally made it there and found the girls (miraculously) quite quickly. I can't describe what it felt like to be reunited with them after 2 months of being abroad. To say it was a relief would be a massive understatement. One of the things I struggle with most abroad is the lack of comfort. Everything is new and unfamiliar. Being with Bri, Marissa, and Dee, even though we were in Barcelona, was just so familiar and comfortable. It couldn't have been more refreshing.
-Dealing with jet-lag was rough for Marissa and Dee, but they powered through. The first day, fresh off our flights, we checked into our hostel. The hostel was at a perfect location, situated just off La Rambla, an incredible main drag in Barcelona just south of the famous Placa Catalunya. First, we explored the world famoous outdoor market, La Boqueria. It's one of my favorite places in Barcelona. It's colorful, crowded, and crazy with fruits the size of your head and foods you've never seen.
-We then walked all the way to the famous church, Sagrada Familia. I've been to Barcelona several times before and have seen Sagrada Familia twice, but it never gets less amazing. It is one of my favorite places to visit in the world.
Sunday 10/14: Dee's birthday!!
The next morning, Bri and I snuck out of the hostel and got Dunkin' Donuts (Bri cried when she saw Dunkin' the first time. We miss America) iced coffee for the girls. We woke them with a chorus of Happy Birthday and started another day together.
First, we explored El Barri Gotic, the gothic neighborhood of the city. One of the oldest arts of the city, it has a ton of character and charm. I love the entire city of Barcelona, but El Barri Gotic is my favorite place to explore and get lost in for a day. We visited La Catedral, the famous cathedral in El Barri Gotic.
Selfiez on the Beach!
We went back to the hostel, where we showered in the tiny showers, took a mini siesta, and got ready for the night. We went out to dinner to celebrate Dee's birthday on Rambla Catalunya. We all shared tapas (Patatas Bravas, Toasted bread with tomato, a few liters of sangria, and a spanish omelette. We then shared two massive pans of paella. Bri mentioned that the sangria was so good that she "could swim in it." Dee opened birthday cards from us at dinner and we shared a perfect meal.
We then walked to an Irish bar called George Payne. We got the suggestions from a girl we'd met the previous night. At the bar, we ran into several Villanovans studying abroad in Barcelona!! It was hysterical.
An amazing suprise: The GIANTS game was on in the bar. And it was karaoke night. It was unreal. We stayed at the bar for hours. We split two pitchers of mojitos (SINCE WHEN DO MOJITOS COME IN PITCHERS), I filmed the rest of the girls singing One Direction karaoke as the last song of the night, and we enjoyed being together. It was one of the best nights I've had all semester. We went back to the hostel around 3:30am (EARLY for Barcelona) and spent a few more hours bonding.
Monday 10/15:
Bri frantically woke us at 10am. None of us set an alarm the night before and we forgot check-out from the hostel was 11am.
After a frantic clean up and check out, Dee was struggling a lot from the shenanigans of the night before, so we unfortunately left her to rest in the hostel for a few hours.
Marissa, Bri and I went back to La Boqueria, the market, and explored some more. We tried some adventurous spanish foods, got yelled at by a lot of vendors for taking pictures and not buying anything, and just enjoyed the sights. We moved on to El Barri Gotic once more and explored, letting ourselves get a little lost.
Before a tapas lunch in El Barri Gotic, we collected Dee and visited a beautiful Placa Reial. The green parrot-like birds in all the palm trees could hold my attention for hours. Being in the sun again for the day was incredible.
After that, we collected our things from the hostel and made our way to the airport. We flew (on separate flights unfortunately) to London. On that flight, I decided British Airways is the bomb. Everyone and their mother was commenting on the fact that I was traveling with a bright green pillow ("You know it's only an hour flight, right!?", "You must be going camping!", "Don't get too comfy!")
We had the privilege of staying in a Marriott in London. Dee's dad used his Marriott points to book us a VIP room. It was INCREDIBLE. We are so lucky and so thankful. We were greeted with free wine and ice cream, plush beds, clean rooms, and a huge shower. It was luxury I haven't seen in a long time.
Tuesday 10/16
After a free VIP breakfast in the executive lounge, we first visited Buckingham Palace via Oxford Road. We walked there from the hotel, exploring all of Oxford Road and the major shops near Marble Arch.
One of Marissa's best friends, Marissa Walton, is studying in London. We met up with her and spent the rest of our time with her.
After that, we shared an incredible lunch and afternoon tea and a quaint spot called Kitchen. Our waiter was flamboyant and hysterical and it was a great little cafe.
To start at the beginning:
-Bri and I left CPH at 10:30pm on Friday the 12th. We flew from CPH to Norway, and spent a freezing cold uncomfortable night in the Oslo, Norway airport. Persistence and some sneakiness got us a bench to share for the night, but it wasn't fun. By 4:30am we were up and getting ready for our flight to Barcelona.
Saturday 10/13:
-Our flight to Barcelona was, of course, delayed. We had no way to contact Dee and Marissa, who'd be waiting for us in the airport. We finally made it there and found the girls (miraculously) quite quickly. I can't describe what it felt like to be reunited with them after 2 months of being abroad. To say it was a relief would be a massive understatement. One of the things I struggle with most abroad is the lack of comfort. Everything is new and unfamiliar. Being with Bri, Marissa, and Dee, even though we were in Barcelona, was just so familiar and comfortable. It couldn't have been more refreshing.
-Dealing with jet-lag was rough for Marissa and Dee, but they powered through. The first day, fresh off our flights, we checked into our hostel. The hostel was at a perfect location, situated just off La Rambla, an incredible main drag in Barcelona just south of the famous Placa Catalunya. First, we explored the world famoous outdoor market, La Boqueria. It's one of my favorite places in Barcelona. It's colorful, crowded, and crazy with fruits the size of your head and foods you've never seen.
-We then walked all the way to the famous church, Sagrada Familia. I've been to Barcelona several times before and have seen Sagrada Familia twice, but it never gets less amazing. It is one of my favorite places to visit in the world.
-Pretty exhausted, we took a metro back toward La Rambla after Sagrada Familia. We all took a much needed siesta (when in Spain, eh?) before getting ready to go out for the night. We were lucky enough to be celebrating Dee's 20th birthday on this trip. That first night, we got dressed up, went out for tapas and sangria at a tapas bar called Rita Blue, then continued to explore Barcelona despite our exhaustion. Our next stop was a famous bar called Chupitos (spanish for shots). There, you can order off a crazy extensive list of creative and delicious shots. Some highlights:
Favorite: The Boy Scout. A shot is poured and you are handed a mini marshmallow on a stick. The BAR ITSELF is then LIT ON FIRE, where you are encouraged to roast your marshmallow. After roasting, dip your marshmallow in the shot, take the shot, then eat the marshmallow. Delicious.
-The Willy Wonka: Chocolate Liqueur & Kahlua, topped with whipped cream and a chocolate square
-Tutti Frutti: No idea what's in it. Sweet and fruity and refreshing.
Generally, it was the perfect way to ring in Dee's birthday! Exhausted after our long days, we called it a night.
The next morning, Bri and I snuck out of the hostel and got Dunkin' Donuts (Bri cried when she saw Dunkin' the first time. We miss America) iced coffee for the girls. We woke them with a chorus of Happy Birthday and started another day together.
First, we explored El Barri Gotic, the gothic neighborhood of the city. One of the oldest arts of the city, it has a ton of character and charm. I love the entire city of Barcelona, but El Barri Gotic is my favorite place to explore and get lost in for a day. We visited La Catedral, the famous cathedral in El Barri Gotic.
Us in El Barri Gotic
After exploring for a bit, we walked toward Port Vell and the water. Not a far walk, we continuted on the beach. We picked up some bread, meat, and cheese from a grocery store and spent the entire afternoon on the beach together. It was gorgeous weather. The sun was much needed and so wonderful.
Selfiez on the Beach!
We went back to the hostel, where we showered in the tiny showers, took a mini siesta, and got ready for the night. We went out to dinner to celebrate Dee's birthday on Rambla Catalunya. We all shared tapas (Patatas Bravas, Toasted bread with tomato, a few liters of sangria, and a spanish omelette. We then shared two massive pans of paella. Bri mentioned that the sangria was so good that she "could swim in it." Dee opened birthday cards from us at dinner and we shared a perfect meal.
We then walked to an Irish bar called George Payne. We got the suggestions from a girl we'd met the previous night. At the bar, we ran into several Villanovans studying abroad in Barcelona!! It was hysterical.
An amazing suprise: The GIANTS game was on in the bar. And it was karaoke night. It was unreal. We stayed at the bar for hours. We split two pitchers of mojitos (SINCE WHEN DO MOJITOS COME IN PITCHERS), I filmed the rest of the girls singing One Direction karaoke as the last song of the night, and we enjoyed being together. It was one of the best nights I've had all semester. We went back to the hostel around 3:30am (EARLY for Barcelona) and spent a few more hours bonding.
Monday 10/15:
Bri frantically woke us at 10am. None of us set an alarm the night before and we forgot check-out from the hostel was 11am.
After a frantic clean up and check out, Dee was struggling a lot from the shenanigans of the night before, so we unfortunately left her to rest in the hostel for a few hours.
Marissa, Bri and I went back to La Boqueria, the market, and explored some more. We tried some adventurous spanish foods, got yelled at by a lot of vendors for taking pictures and not buying anything, and just enjoyed the sights. We moved on to El Barri Gotic once more and explored, letting ourselves get a little lost.
Before a tapas lunch in El Barri Gotic, we collected Dee and visited a beautiful Placa Reial. The green parrot-like birds in all the palm trees could hold my attention for hours. Being in the sun again for the day was incredible.
After that, we collected our things from the hostel and made our way to the airport. We flew (on separate flights unfortunately) to London. On that flight, I decided British Airways is the bomb. Everyone and their mother was commenting on the fact that I was traveling with a bright green pillow ("You know it's only an hour flight, right!?", "You must be going camping!", "Don't get too comfy!")
We had the privilege of staying in a Marriott in London. Dee's dad used his Marriott points to book us a VIP room. It was INCREDIBLE. We are so lucky and so thankful. We were greeted with free wine and ice cream, plush beds, clean rooms, and a huge shower. It was luxury I haven't seen in a long time.
Tuesday 10/16
After a free VIP breakfast in the executive lounge, we first visited Buckingham Palace via Oxford Road. We walked there from the hotel, exploring all of Oxford Road and the major shops near Marble Arch.
One of Marissa's best friends, Marissa Walton, is studying in London. We met up with her and spent the rest of our time with her.
Next, we continuted to the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. There, we saw the Crown Jewels and explored the tower.
After that, we shared an incredible lunch and afternoon tea and a quaint spot called Kitchen. Our waiter was flamboyant and hysterical and it was a great little cafe.
Next, we continued to the famous London Eye to see a sunset view of the city. The London eye is basically a massive, slow moving ferris wheel. It holds enclosed pods that overlook some of the city's greatest sights. It was incredible at sunset.
Big Ben
The London Eye
After the London Eye, we visited Big Ben and Westminster Abbey at night. We then visited Marissa's dorm (gorgeous!) and Whole Foods for dinner. I missed hummus.
We all visited Sports Bar at Picadilly Circus, where we again ran into a ton of Villanova study abroaders. The bar was very american, but we had a great time before returning to the Marriott for the night.
Wednesday 10/17
The next sad morning, Bri and I left Marissa and Dee for the airport to return to Copenhagen. Seeing them, even for a short time, was so incredibly perfect. The halfway point of the semester fell in the middle of our trip together. Being with the girls reassured me in a way I didn't know it could. It affirmed that once we're reunited next semester, things will return to normal. We fell together flawlessly during our trip as if no time had passed. I can't wait to spend next semester with them.
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