Et voilaaaaa

We are back from Spain, everyone, and what a grand old time we had. Barcelona and Madrid were fantastique, but Madrid a little more so. First of all, I love the people in my program. Second of all, I decided to make a list of the top 10 things I liked about each part of Spain, in no particular order. I'll try to post pictures dans le near avenir, but "I can't make any promises, I can't make any promises" (shout out to my family entourage time).

Barcelona:

1. Renting bikes and biking all over Barcelona from Park Guell to biking in the rain towards the Arc de Triomph

2. Park Guell/Sagrada Familia (spelling?)/ all of the gaudi architecture

3. Picasso Museum. Enough said.

4. The cocopuffs at our hostel for breakfast. And to pull a Miley Cyrus here by putting a related idea under one number (i.e. "7 things"), when the random 8th person who was placed in our room, whom we named "Caveman," gave us his bottle of scotch

5. The grand market with exquisite juices, fruits, veggies, SAUCISSON, you name it

6. The day we spent frolicking around the marina

7. Getting lost and getting found (nonetheless by a welcoming Starbucks sign)

8. Having our hostel next to hooker alley and seeing what prostitution really looks like

9. Our final incredible supper with tapas and mojitos (not like Real Housewives of New Jersey)

10. Las Ramblas/ the animals sold on Las Ramblas

Madrid:

1. The Way Hostel. Way Awesome. And particularly cooking dinner there. Especially the dinner in which we wore our fancay dresses and our slipper socks.

2. The commencement of the Spanish Olympics (laaaadies!)

3. Meeting people in our hostel from Mexico, Croatia, Argentina, and whatnot. Whether or not these people were some of the shadiest characters (Miguel) or some of the most incredible characters (an over 6 foot Croatian man who drunkenly referred to me as his "little mouse" without ANY pretext for about 36 hours)

4. Going to the Prado and the Thyssen museum in one day. And specifically, the coat check man at the Thyssen who asked in all seriousness, if little boys and little girls watch the Disney Channel. Because he loves it. This was creepy.

5. Bar crawling and Club Joy

6. The collectively hilariously miserable morning we all woke up at 5:30 am to catch the flight to Barcelona

7. Sol. A wonderful town.

8. EFing like it's nobody's business

9. The palace!

10. When Lisa lost her coat. I'm sorry, had to put this on there.

Other gems from the bus:

1. Celebration cookies!!!

2. Eating many many baguettes

3. Playing MASH

4. Listening to hours upon hours of pop music with the "mom of the week"

5. The moment everyone turned their phones back on when the bus rolled into France

The trip was so so amazing, and we got to celebrate our one month anniversary with Aix, and what an anniversary it was.