Well pretty much one of the most fun weeks in my life :)
One the train ride down
We got to Barcelona pretty late, and made it to our hostel- a 6 story hostel! It was a pretty place actually. We went out for dinner and realized that everyone in Barcelona is friendly and willing to talk to you and help you out with the language! We found an open place and I tried Sangria for the first time... Good news is Spanish red wine doesn't have sulfites, so I can drink it without getting a migraine!! YAY!!
We went to bed after our late dinner (bed at like 1 am), and were awoken when three drunk guys stumbled into the room in the wee hours of the morning. Don't worry.... Katie made them be quiet!
The next day we got up and did some shopping. It was pouring rain all day, so it was an inside day for the most part. We had some great tapas for lunch, and walked all over the touristy part of Barcelona. It is a very pleasant place with beautiful squares. We attempted the Picasso museum, but it was a few hour wait... we decided we can see his work in the museum in Paris for free instead :) We walked to the port and walked along a floating bridge! (Which I later explained to Emma is a bridge that floats... she appreciated the explanation.) We sat and had some coffee and a snack (aka the best chocolate fondue with fruit I've ever had). Then it started to really pour outside, so we walked around the adjourning mall... It was in this mall that I bought the best hippie pants that ever existed. Don't worry- you will see them soon enough!!
That evening Katie, Abbie and I went to dinner where the server decided it would be fun to make fun of me all night! It's okay though because we were treated to an appetizer and drinks!! We stayed there until we got a call from Juliet's mom saying that she was in Barcelona and waiting for us at the Hard Rock Cafe... it was then that we realized our phones didn't work in Spain. We ran to meet up with her, and took her back to the hostel.
Us and our waiter at dinner...
The rest of Barcelona included going to what people refer to as “the Dr. Seuss” park. It was amazing, and you really felt like you were walking in a Dr. Seuss book. We also saw some amazing architecture by Gaudi, a famous Spanish architect with a unique eye.
Dr. Seuss Park!
We decided to save some money and take the train down on Friday afternoon instead of Thursday night. Juliet's Eurail pass didn't come in in time, so she had to fly down and meet us the next day. So... Katie, Abbie and I caught the train to Barcelona through Montpellier. On our way down we consumed multiple cans of tuna, a good bit of bread, some boursin cheese, and wine... It was a great train ride!
One the train ride downWe got to Barcelona pretty late, and made it to our hostel- a 6 story hostel! It was a pretty place actually. We went out for dinner and realized that everyone in Barcelona is friendly and willing to talk to you and help you out with the language! We found an open place and I tried Sangria for the first time... Good news is Spanish red wine doesn't have sulfites, so I can drink it without getting a migraine!! YAY!!
We went to bed after our late dinner (bed at like 1 am), and were awoken when three drunk guys stumbled into the room in the wee hours of the morning. Don't worry.... Katie made them be quiet!The next day we got up and did some shopping. It was pouring rain all day, so it was an inside day for the most part. We had some great tapas for lunch, and walked all over the touristy part of Barcelona. It is a very pleasant place with beautiful squares. We attempted the Picasso museum, but it was a few hour wait... we decided we can see his work in the museum in Paris for free instead :) We walked to the port and walked along a floating bridge! (Which I later explained to Emma is a bridge that floats... she appreciated the explanation.) We sat and had some coffee and a snack (aka the best chocolate fondue with fruit I've ever had). Then it started to really pour outside, so we walked around the adjourning mall... It was in this mall that I bought the best hippie pants that ever existed. Don't worry- you will see them soon enough!!
That evening Katie, Abbie and I went to dinner where the server decided it would be fun to make fun of me all night! It's okay though because we were treated to an appetizer and drinks!! We stayed there until we got a call from Juliet's mom saying that she was in Barcelona and waiting for us at the Hard Rock Cafe... it was then that we realized our phones didn't work in Spain. We ran to meet up with her, and took her back to the hostel. Us and our waiter at dinner...
KG and Juliet having a drink in the hostel before heading out!
That night we searched for "Rita Blue," a bar Katie read about that serves blue margaritas (go figure!!) We met some American guys that ended up being friends with Emma, my friend studying in Barcelona.
The rest of Barcelona included going to what people refer to as “the Dr. Seuss” park. It was amazing, and you really felt like you were walking in a Dr. Seuss book. We also saw some amazing architecture by Gaudi, a famous Spanish architect with a unique eye.
Dr. Seuss Park!We met up with SMU people in Madrid, which was fun. Our friend Jett met us for lunch and showed us around the city. We took a day trip to Toledo, which was one of my favorite parts of the trip. It was really beautiful. 
Toledo is a small town with a beautiful cathedral. We talked along the river there, and Katie and I climbed on some old ruins in the water, which resulted in my trying to conquer my fear of heights, and Katie having an injured knee… but it was worth it!
Toledo is a small town with a beautiful cathedral. We talked along the river there, and Katie and I climbed on some old ruins in the water, which resulted in my trying to conquer my fear of heights, and Katie having an injured knee… but it was worth it!In Portugal we stayed in a “guest house” in Lisbon. There were three welcoming Portuguese women who worked there, and who took us in as their own daughters. Our favorite was Lydia, who actually cried when we left. Granted- she didn’t speak, English, French or Spanish (the three languages the four of us speak), but we somehow figured out how to communicate.
My favorite part of our Portugal trip was renting a car!! Since I’m the only one who can drive a stick I drove us up and down the coast. We hung out by the ocean… on the other side...
It was a blast! We found a little café by the water, where we hung out four hours, in a little village called Cascass. 
We also visted a mid-evil village called Sintra. All-in-all Portugal might be one of my favorite countries in Europe now. The night life was great too- it’s approximately 10 square blocks of bars where people can get drinks to stay or to go, and everyone hangs out in the streets together meeting up with friends! We met some really cool people before heading back to Lydia!
The ride back to Paris took 24 hours!! It was crazy… we took a night train to the south of France, then had to hang out in the station for our next train. Evidently during the second leg of our trip, there was an accident on the tracks. So we had to hang out in a random train station for an hour and a half before we finally got back on track (pun intended!).
The trip was amazing, and it actually took me about a week to recover after!! But it was well worth it, and I can’t wait to go back to Portugal again sometime!!
My favorite part of our Portugal trip was renting a car!! Since I’m the only one who can drive a stick I drove us up and down the coast. We hung out by the ocean… on the other side...
It was a blast! We found a little café by the water, where we hung out four hours, in a little village called Cascass. We also visted a mid-evil village called Sintra. All-in-all Portugal might be one of my favorite countries in Europe now. The night life was great too- it’s approximately 10 square blocks of bars where people can get drinks to stay or to go, and everyone hangs out in the streets together meeting up with friends! We met some really cool people before heading back to Lydia!The ride back to Paris took 24 hours!! It was crazy… we took a night train to the south of France, then had to hang out in the station for our next train. Evidently during the second leg of our trip, there was an accident on the tracks. So we had to hang out in a random train station for an hour and a half before we finally got back on track (pun intended!).
The trip was amazing, and it actually took me about a week to recover after!! But it was well worth it, and I can’t wait to go back to Portugal again sometime!!
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