Habia una vez...: Once upon a time...

There was a very early morning meeting time for the Barca kids at Placa Espanya...

Brian got sick and had to turn back, but the others forged onward, determined not to fall asleep on the hour-long train ride to Montserrat.

Finally the students arrived, though the hour of sleep could never have made up for the sleep lost this semester in studio, clubs, and apartment gatherings.

Suddenly, it was like the students were magically turned into paparazzi...what could have been the cause??

Montserrat, of course. A mountain in Catalunya which attracts tons of people each year on pilgrimages not only for religious purposes, but for the natural beauty that is this mountainous region.

While most students rejoiced, Gisela was not so sure about our next mode of transportation...hanging just isn't her thing.

Victoria on the other hand was able to flash a smile to take the students out of paparazzi-mode long enough to grab a snack and a gondola to the top.

Sean looked back over the 5-minute journey and wondered how he would ever make it back down.

It is easy to see why monks and hermits and the Virgin Mary would want to chill here.

Bob contemplates becoming a hermit

Until we get distracted from plans for the holy-life by some Catalan-pride, hanging regally on one of the rounded edges of the mountain.

This is a fairytale.

...At least that's the way we'll describe it so you aren't too jealous...

Drogas, Policia, y estudiantes en el estudio: Drugs, police, and students in studio

So...apparently drugs are a problem here in Barcelona...the bigger problem is that they get away with it!

Scene: fenced area outside of studio (between moto parking and bball/soccer court)
1-Monica: Oh my GOD--that guy is totally scratching himself uncontrollably...what a weirdo.
2-Gisela: EWWWWWWWWW.

Scene: same-10 minutes later, 2 men in corner of fenced area against a wall
1-Rob: Whoa--those guys are shooting up!
2-Us: WHAT?!

Scene:same-10 minutes later. Everyone in studio has positioned their chairs to watch the newest taping of "Cops, Espanol-style" outside our studio window as two Policia pull up on scooters behind said drug-addicts and peek over to tell the men they need-a-talkin'-to (in so many words). CUA students glued to studio chairs....this is the first TV we've seen in months, and there is no sound and it is subtitled like Asian movies.

Scene: 15 minutes later. Suspects have retreated from said fenced area, leaving some sort of bags behind in bushes. Concerned citizen Chiapa has placed a phonecall to Policia in charge to advise them of "the goods." Students still glued. Two po-po, two druggies-chatting on the playground. Little soccer-players climb up into fenced area to retrieve a ball kicked over the fence...
"OH NO"
"STAY AWAY LITTLE CHIQUITO!"
"other way, man!"
"His friend sees it. We're good."
"Smart kid."
Students wipe sweat from brow. Drug-encounter crisis averted.

Scene: 10 minutes later.
"Wait--they are letting them walk?!"
"CORRUPTION!"
"...no....way"
"Wait--they're probably doing something. Nope. Nevermind."
"Oh My God-they are just letting them walk away!"
"RIDICULOUS."
"Alright. Show's over, back to work."
"Do you think they'll check for the drugs? Someone keep us updated."
"Ok"

Scene: 1 hour later. Students ready to hit the beach. They may have missed it yesterday...but seeing the Barca game totally counts as a good reason.
"There's probably someone who saw us watching and thinks we called."
"Well someone else obviously called. We're good."
Meg: "That guy has been outside the door and AWFULLY long time..."
"We going?"
"PEACE!"

Exit studio.

"...Did you see that guy's earpiece?...secret police..."


LA PLAYA--our own TV show/soap opera...coming soon.
Starring:

Roberto

Benja

Mes que un club: Mas que un club: More than a Club

You get there and you aren't sure which way to go, who's going to tell you the truth, what's coming next. You're all decked out and ready to go nuts. A million sets of stairs couldn't stop your excitement...
It's FC Barcelona Futbol...more than a club.

Well...it isn't quite the Barca-Madrid game we watched at Nubaa...but Eugenia tells us that it's still a rival team from a tiny town outside of Madrid with lots of heart.

We are a bit early, unsure of the crowds that might await...so we have an hour or so to take in the 2nd largest stadium in the world, after one in Brazil. It's called Camp Nou ("New Camp" or maybe it's new "field" since campo is castellano for field...but the catala throws me off, so take your pick for now!). Billy Tom and I are psyched...we couldn'y have come here and NOT seen a Barca game! Wish all of my soccer kids since Mr. Maxwell's 4th grade recess could be here!

SNACK TIME...or rather dinner time...the game starts at 9. Sausage baguette instead of hot dogs on a roll...it's like royal treatment...or Europe.

By this time we realized that our tickets are probably fake since we got them from a random guy and girl outside trying to convince us there weren't any available at the box office...but we're like--"its cool, we're at a BARCA GAME!" And then the team came out.

Holy Vaca!

Visca Barca!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!! MESSSSSSIIIIIIII!!!!

MESSI! MESSI! MESSI!

*bow to the king*

:-D

playin'

3-1...oh boy

ROCKIN'

5-2...one of the greatest goals of all time if not EVER by MESSI (#19-woot!)

...typical...

barca...BARCA...BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR-CA

and this, my friends, is a nation of futbol fans...

Caminando hasta el metro: Walking to the metro

Barca, WHAT!? :-D

Gorgeous flowers hanging from a trellis

Sneak-peak at Poble Espanol

Eugenia leading the class through La Fira

Jardines Botanicos: Jardines Botanic: Botanic Gardens

Seating area, shaded during the summer by plants that grow like vines overhead

Rob walkin on one of many paths

From near the top

Hmmmm...aren't we artsy?

Reflection of a city

DJ Papa Chiapa...and his little bambino

Gorgeous JB! It's so sad this area can't be more utilized or accessible...but maybe that's what keeps it so special and perfect. The shapes, lines, color, planes--that little white thing back there? Yeah--that's architecture that melds.

Sean is ready to head back down to La Fira...we have studio work to do, you know!

Trabajar y jugar-asi es la vida: Work and play-this is the life

We may be nuts to mix work and play, but if bringing sketchbooks and watercolor sets means we can chill at the beach...consider it done.

Work hard...

Play harder!...or relax...which is cool, too.

Brian's lower half & the pier

Who knows what they are doing now!?

Dinner with Gis, Mon, Billy, and Anass...it was interesting to try to translate the convo into spanish so Anass didn't get left out--luckily I had Gisela to help. It was funny to me that he didn't really get the concept of taking home "leftovers." And he was surprised that everyone was so funny and constantly joking around. I guess the French/Europeans are different...or maybe he just had different expectations of Americans.

Dia dos a la playa: Beach Day 2

Not much to say today. We made it through Beach Day #2 in some serious style...there is currently a goal in place to hit up the beach each day until we leave...now that we've discovered life outside of Raval and the Cerda, it'll be hard to get back to it!

This is one of the coolest buildings in Barca-the gas bldg.---apparently used by a gas company? idk. The reflective part at the center is actually cantilevered out overhead, if you can't tell. I think there may be a picture of it from further away at the beginning of the semester... It doesn't really matter, though. I don't think pictures can explain it or do it justice, really. You'll have to go stand beneath it to really understand.