Lazy Sundays

I love Sundays in Barcelona, because Sundays in this city bring a kind of calm and quiet that never happens in New York. A lot of smaller shops close, and everyone seems to be outside enjoying the sun and the palm trees, the old buildings and the unique architecture, the countless cafes and cobblestone streets.

I started this particular sunday at 14:30h, thanks to the deadly partnership of my ability to sleep through pretty much anything and the Melon District blackout curtains. That being said, I made a pretty full day of it.

Bravely venturing past our go-to spot -- it's called Classic, it's located about 2 minutes from Melon, and it's run by a surly-but-friendly little man named Sau -- we wandered down to the Born District. We were on a quest for bagels, something we've all been missing from home. We'd heard of a little place called Lolita Bakery, which turned out to have no bagels (try back Wednesday, though), but did have pretty amazing cupcakes. A few blocks down the street, we saw a sign for pho that would quickly fill the empty hole left by the nonexistent bagels. It led to a place called Mosquito whose slogan is "Tapas Exóticas" but whose slogan should be "The Asian food you've really been craving but can't find anywhere in Barcelona." Or something. To be fair, the first thing on their website is "life without DUMPLING is not worth living,"

and that's totally true, and I'm thrilled that I will be able to live with their delicious pork dumplings for the rest of my time here in Barca.

I went for a quick run when we got back from our long, lazy, mid-afternoon lunch. I've been running the same 2.5-3 mile loop the whole time I've been here, and I pass some pretty amazing things on the way. I finally brought my iPhone with me to snap a picture.

I'm not sure exactly what it is or where it came from, but I think it's a representation of the birth of Aphrodite. It's casually situated in the middle of a park I run through every day, and I've gotten so used to it that I sometimes don't even stop to look. Taking the time to photograph it today reminded me of how rich this city really is in history, in art and culture, in beauty.

Next we were off to Montjuïc for sunset. We grabbed a few bottles of cava (Spain's champagne equivalent) and some classy plastic cups, then hopped on the subway. We walked up the mountain this time -- it's a pretty quick hike, although the gondola is definitely worth doing once or twice. The guards tried to kick us off the very top right as the sun was setting, but we saw most of it -- and what we did see was worth the trek.

We stopped for post-hike kebabs. We found this church on the way. Not sure what the green lighting is about.

Our destination: a grungy little place with amazing 3.50-euro kebabs; we had discovered it earlier because it's located a mere block from Marsella, the seemingly-reputable absinthe bar that we've been to a few times. It's great to know that these kebabs are delicious even when I don't have a glass or two of green fairy in my system.

Also! Tomorrow I start volunteering as an assistant in an English class at a school here. I'll be working with kids anywhere from age 12-18. I'm excited to experience a completely different side of life in Barcelona, totally removed from the college experience -- from university classes, from partying, from Americans. A ver!