The destination of the George's football tour was secret till the day we left, but I had already guessed it was Spain. Strangely excited about going someplace I didn't know about, I was even more excited that it would be Barcelona.
We actually stayed in Salou, a 1+ hour train's ride from Barcelona, but a good compromise, with cheap accomodation and a great beach. The full day we had at the pool and beach was amazing, being beach-starved that I was.
We had, effectively, 24 hours in Barcelona. After a group tour of Camp Nou, I spent the remainder of the first 12 hours we had meandering around the Port Vell area and the alleyways around the Cathedral and the Picasso Museum. This was instead of rushing around trying to finish the tasks of the photo hunt set for us while seeing the sights. As much as I wanted to be touristy, my team's wanderings were insightful, giving life to the city. I will make a second visit there, to do the things I would have done in my first visit, and more meandering and shopping.
Our next 12 hours or so were on the next day, starting with a tapas dinner, and random walks around the city trying to find places to hold us in between the last train and first train to Salou. We ended up in a quaint tapas bar for drinks, then a modern club for dancing. The whole night was totally random, culminating in our failure to make the first train, and the break of an overcast day, meaning I was cheated out of seeing the sun rise on Barcelona. :P Nevertheless, that morning walk along one of Barcelona's throughfares was good.
Some people were amazed that I willingly went on this trip, and I honestly put that question to myself quite a few times before and during that trip. It was quite a challenge, making small talk and trying to be as effervescent as most of them. And it's not as if I can't be, it's just a matter of who I'm with. And with this group, I often morph fade into a shadow of myself, inevitably taking the path of least resistance, just tagging along.
So yes, I was frustrated with myself for being that way, but nevertheless I had a great time randomly exploring Barcelona and lazing on the beach, and also having little gems of conversation with a few of the girls. And learning a bit more about the English drinking/clubbing culture - it's quite fascinating. LoL
After this little jaunt, it's now time to hit the books in earnest, in preparation for major exams in July/August. It's been slow-going this past week, but hopefully it'll pick up! Already I'm looking to the next trip (there's talk of scuba-diving!) to spur me on. If not, there's always Barcelona to go back to. :)
a day at the beach, Salou
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