Una Mina Perdida

Lisbon, Portugal

Day 17: 28/04

On our last full day of spring break we were quite exhausted and sad to have to go back to work (although not to Paris). We slept in then went to get brunch at this amazing little restaurant that Annie found on a travel blog called Pois Cafe. The food was delicious and the environment so friendly, it reminded me of a sunday morning brunch at home.

After saying goodbye to the boys who were getting back to Paris in different ways, Annie and I headed over to the waterfront to see the Portuguese version of the Golden Gate Bridge (actually the same but bigger!) as well as some of the historical center of the city. We then headed over to the Bellem neighborhood to try their famous pastry. It is a little custard-filled pastry that is absolutely incredible. After trying a few others out in the city, the Bellem one is famous for a reason! On our walk back to the center of the city we passed a lot of the eroded and crippled Lisbon, and the toll of the euro crisis was very apparent. It is so sad, with such a beautiful city, to see things falling apart the way they did. Even in the voices of the portuguese you could hear the sadness of the depression and the anger with the government. Caught in rain, we escaped into a little cafe before finally heading back to the hostel and passing out. The next morning VERY early I headed to the airport and back to Paris!

Au revoir spring break! 

Lisbon, Portugal

Day 16: 27/04

Our first full day in Lisbon we decided to take advantage of by waking up early and going on a free walking tour with another hostel. On our funny little tour, we learned a lot about the city, including the famous 1755 earthquake and the arab influences in portuguese language and culture. The most amazing building we saw was this church that was still ruined inside from the earthquake. The paint on the walls and the columns were all cracked, and gave the church an other-worldly feel. 

For lunch we stopped at a little restaurant called facu (haha fuck you… kind of) and I had a delicious portuguese sausage. Tom’s looked a bit like a pink dick… but I think he managed to eat it anyways haha.

We caught the train in the early afternoon to Sintra, on the outskirts of Lisbon, where we climbed a mountain to see the castle. Unfortunately, after our long hike up the mountain, the entrance fee was a little too steep for us and so we decided just to play in the forest and go back down to the small city of Sintra. The city would be much more beautiful if it weren’t for the millions of tourists that are in every corner of the city, and there aren’t many corners. After meeting up with Ben and Sarah we attempted to find a bus to the beach, failed, and decided to take the train back to Lisbon. There, we met up with Ryan and went out for some dinner at this cute traditional place Ryan’s portuguese lover had shown him. That night we had our last spring break drinks at a few bars/clubs and I met a portuguese DJ who we hung out with for some of the night. Long long night.

Barcelona, España 

Dia 13: 24/04

After a very late night, we groggily got up and dragged ourselves over to the terrace to bathe in the morning sun. To get an idea, Emi’s terrace is MASSIVE and the morning sunlight hits it perfectly. As we laid there in our bathing suits and with a bowl of muesli, we decided there was no better day for a lazy beach day.

On the beach, I slept while the guys played with a rugby ball (and hit me in the head with it). On the way back, we stopped by an Argentine-owned ice cream shop for some helado de Maracuya (I am obsessed). On our way back we walked again through the Gothic Quarter and saw the Cathedral of Barcelona.

Back at Emi’s, Annie prepared vegetables and chicken for a DELICIOUS BBQ using Emi’s little parrilla on the terrace. For dessert, Annie dipped sliced apples in lemon and salt and honey before grilling them. We licked our fingers with that dinner.

Round 2 of Nicole and Annie watching Barcelona play was that night, as Barca was to play Chelsea. Unfortunately for us, Chelsea won, and our streak of Barcelona not winning continued (sucked). However, the bar we went to was huge and we had a keg of beer we could drink from, so in the end all was good :)

For some late night drinks, we went to both of Manu Chao’s bars in Barcelona, which were very much like his music, low key and bohemian. Great night out with everyone!

Barcelona, España 

Day 12: 23/04

In the morning we said goodbye to our hosts, Bernardo and Facundo, and headed to our second couch surfing hosts, Emiliano and Lucho, on the other side of Barcelona. The next two, also Argentine, turned out to have a sort of animal house of an apartment. We were not quite sure the entire time how many people actually lived there and how many people were guests/half lived there, but I think it was three permanents, 3 half, and 2 other couch surfers (not including us). It was quite mad but it meant that there were always a great group of people gathered and ready to go out or chill on the terrace. The chaos of the house functioned, and ended up creating a communist-style way of tranquil but productive living. Such a surreal place.

For lunch, we headed over to a neighborhood Argentine restaurant with a buffet of all Argentine food. I was in HEAVEN. All for 10 euros, I got as much bife de chorizo and panqueques de dulce de leche I could want. Annie got a good taste of Argentine food-life which, even as a vegetarian, I think she enjoyed.

With Annie, and the two Aussies (Jules and Tom) we headed over to the Sagrada Famila, Gaudi and Barcelona’s most famous landmark. The Sagrada Familia, started over 100 years ago now, is not even fully constructed! Following Gaudi’s plans, the Sagrada Familia should be finished by 2020, that is if the current economy doesn’t stop it. From the outside, it is incredible. It has snails and lizards running down poles, ornate biblical figures all over the doors and arches, and the center-most tower isn’t even built yet! The inside, as if on an alien world, looks like bugs-life met a church. Because Gaudi was so inspired by nature, the lighting and the shapes all make it look a bit savage and earthy. The columns even have a hole in the top where, like a tree, there might be a hole where a branch has been cut off. The place is so strange to the eye, and although I liked it, I found it to be more of a house of Gaudi, and less of a house of God….

To continue the Gaudi-tour we headed to Park Guell, Gaudi’s famous park. There we hiked up to the cross on the top where we had a magnificent view over the city and then to the sitting area where waves of tile stood above the city.

In the late afternoon we came home to eat then bought a few beers and had a botellon on the streets with the giant gang. After being yelled at a few times by the po, we went to a mojito bar then a disco to dance.

Barcelona, España

Day 11: 22/04

In the morning, we went walking again through the winding streets of the Gothic Quarter until we reached a church with some nice restaurants around the plaza. There, we ordered a few amazing tapas dishes, some of the best we had all trip! The ‘patatas bravas’ (wild potatoes) are a Catalan specialty and are served with a mild delicious spicy sauce. Annie orded some cheese with a raspberry sauce that were exquisite and chicken with sweet and sour sauce. Although both dishes aren’t necessarily very Catalan, they were absolutely amazing!

Afterwards, we walked around some more before stopping at a cafe for some churros con chocolate caliente. We then went over to the Picasso Museum and saw his Las Meninas and a very wide variety of all his different styles of painting, sculpting, and art.

The Picasso Museum ended up being a bit of a disappointment but perhaps it is because his most famous and great works are at every other museum around the world. Nevertheless, it was great to see the city that inspired Picasso and his art transform throughout his lifetime and influenced by his many locations and women.

Our walk through Picasso’s work led us back to the market for some cheese and veggies for dinner (we were quite hungry!). After walking around and getting some ‘cocaine’ chocolate pastries, we decided on a delicious herb cheese that we took home to Bernardo’s place. Little did we know that they had already prepared pizza!

We joined in and ate the home-made pizza made by Facu the chef and chatted about Annie’s film work, which she showed us a bit of. That led to a conversation about making films, which somehow (funnily) ended up in us MAKING films. They were great mostly because I was the only one in the room who understood what was happening. Annie would speak to the guys in english and they would answer in heavily-accented argentinean spanish. With bouncy balls, hats, and cardboard football figures, the films quickly turned into a comedy act. 

After we finished the videos, we tried to go out and look for bars, which on a sunday night was a bit of a fail. Instead, Annie and I took some pictures on the street with Barcelona street art.

Barcelona, España 

Day 10: 21/04

After sleeping all night in the airport both Annie and I were quite hungry when we got into the city very early in the morning. However, we were on a mission to get to Bernardo’s place! We were so focused, in fact, that we failed to notice Gaudi’s Casa Batllo right next to us when we came out of the subte. After making our way through his neighborhood, we finally came to his door and decided to wait for him to either answer his phone or get up to let us into his apartment. Bernardo though, like most argentines, was quite late for work and we ended up waiting outside the apartment for a good hour (Annie took the time to practice her tap dancing skills, we were quite sleep deprived you see).

After leaving our affaires chez Bernardo, we went out exploring Barcelona very ready to EAT. Everywhere we walked, we were surrounded by the Modernista Architecture, inspired by the Art Nouveau movement in Paris. The curved and natural-futuristic decor was on windows, building walls, lamp posts, and terraces. It is quite impressive and gave the city a completely different vibe from anything I have ever seen or walked through. We continued on to a large fair and were shocked by the amazing selection of food, cheese, jewelry, bags, and EVERYTHING that it offered. Even more astounding was the amount of people circulating because of Earth Day celebrations! We ate up the scene (literally) and were enchanted by the fair, unlike any other. 

Throughout the rest of the morning we wandered through the Gothic Quarter, Las Ramblas, Rubera, and the Port before we stopped at a little vegan tapas place in the Barrio Gotico. In the afternoon, we headed to the Casa Batllo, the dragon house by Gaudi. The house was BEAUTIFUL and absolutely the most amazing building I think we saw in all of Barcelona. It is stunning, with a backbone center area of blue tiles that get lighter as they get higher and near the natural sunlight. The house plays with colors, light, and shape in ways I have never seen before. On the roof, the chimneys are multi-colored tile that was recycled from around the city and used for his architectural art pieces.

Barcelona in general gives me a sense of if Punta del Este met Buenos Aires. It has the quiet, relaxed, coffee/bar atmosphere of Buenos Aires (and the tree lined streets) but then you walk down to Barceloneta and you hit the beaches and the port, all seafood available. It is such a cool city, one that you can do nothing and everything at the same time. Although there are plenty of tourist attractions, the main attraction is the city itself, and just being in the city is such a pleasure.

That night, we went to Facu and Bernardo’s friends house to watch the Real Madrid v. Barcelona game. Equipped with coca and cerveza, we watched as, sadly, Barcelona lost. Exhausted and a bit depressed, we went home and fell asleep.

Les Jardins du Musee Rodin

Musee Rodin