The "moto photo" files

Barceloneta . . . . you have to be careful with your photos because a lot of people are topless!
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My first week here in Barcelona is coming to an end. It's definitely only the beginning of adjustment - and of trying to master a different language (oh dear . . .). Right now I'm sitting in my room, after spending the day touring different parts of the city. I was going to turn on my Itunes while writing this blog, but I opened my window (which actually faces into the hallway, into the stairwell of my building) and someone is practicing the violin, making for some pretty nice background music. These past few days have been pretty exhausting. Saturday a group of us from the IES program took the metro down to the beach (the sea was a wonderful color) and spent the afternoon there, and yesterday some of the girls and I went on a bus around the city, which worked out really well because now I have a much better grasp on where things are and the different areas of the city. It's amazing how much there is to see not just in one area, but in all of the different neighborhoods. They all have different sites and museums and old monasteries and futbol stadiums and parks and plazas and monuments and architecture (Gaudi is EVERYWHERE).

Choose your own adventure . . everything from Catalan to Japanese
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Getting around has been fairly easy, walking and taking the metro and the occasional taxi (which are very clean and new, and many have GPS in case they don't know the exact location, although telling the drivers where you want to go and how you want them to get you there is best so they don't drive around in circles and run up the meter). I bought my main metro pass today, which will give me unlimited use of the the metro until December! Now I just have to try my hardest not to use it.

Dinner is soon, so a couple more observations:

motos motos motos and more motos
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Motos. There are motorcycles everywhere. They're so much easier because you can park them right on the curb, girls/boys/men in suits/women in heels are riding on them.

Menu del dia. What you eat during the long lunch break, usually lasting from 1-3. For 7-10 euros you get two courses, dessert, bread, and vino. ¡Muy delicioso!

1.5L Water bottles. We need this size in the U.S.