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.

Trabajamos a la playa?: We work at the beach?

So--we were all studioe'd out and decided a day in the sun at the beach is just what we needed...so Mon met up with team Aldana and we headed to the mar.

Meg and Mon in Barceloneta...we made it to the beach!

Mon is ready to find some hot Spanish guys...

...you're not SPANISH!

La Pesca!

Why is Nick wearing a coat?? Weird Polish kid!

Una tortuga!

Ben bundles up our belongings in case of rain, and we set up lines in the sand to be our goals for Ultimate Frisbee

On the way home we took a detour through Barceloneta to check out this sweet building I'd seen earlier. It turned out to be a relatively new market, according to a guy from the neighborhood who I asked. I love the curves and the shading devices. The free forms always amaze me--where did the designer come up with this? I like how the structure is visible, too.

ANYwho...enough with architecture out and about...it's time to get back to work

El parque final: The final park

FINALLY, as we passed through Placa Catalunya, Tom and I were able to break away for a few minutes to encounter our Polish friend who is taking refuge for the time-being in an Irish school in Belgium...figure that one out. Then--on to the final park tour of the day in a more recent sector of the city...

...which was deceptively shaped like a rollercoaster...or a GIANT plant-holder

Green and Built space...just awesome

HAHAHA--PRINCIPES! That's the way to get the ladies, Bob!

After the park, Nick, Tom and I hit up the boardwalk near the Olympic Village for some typical Spanish Paella...consisting of Mussels, Shrimp, rice, and veggies...mmmm

Just one of my fav buildings in Barca...

Nick and Tom were too busy touching the Mediterranean...oh boys!

Afterwards, we headed to Aldana then on to our typical night at la Fira for our guest...its only natural--although I'm beginning to wish we did something new each time so that we at least werent so repetitive...

Yay for Miko being here!