Barcelona!

Today was surprising fast paced.  It was taco day at the dining hall, which was a pleasant surprise from the usual meat, fish, and potatoes routine. We had a logistics pre-port and received emergency contact numbers, tips, and ideas of what to do in port. After the pre-port I had just enough time to get to the observation deck to watch the sunset. It was absolutely beautiful! The Mediterranean looked just like a lake…no movement what so ever! And the skies were perfectly clear. STUNNING.

Tomorrow we berth (dock) in Barcelona! Finally the day is here. After eight straight days of classes…it’s time! Tomorrow I’m waking up at 6am to watch the sunrise as we pull into port. Then, after the ship is cleared by customs and I attend the mandatory debriefing session regarding the current protests in Spain, I will be off the ship ☺  It should be somewhere in-between 8-9am. After grabbing some breakfast in town, I’ll have just enough time to make it back to the ship and meet up for my day trip to Monserrat. While there I will be evaluating the impact of pilgrimage and religious tourism on the life of a mountain village for my Italy in the Age of the Renaissance class.

Monserrat, as described by the SAS field office: Located 2,380 feet above sea level, Montserrat, which means “jagged mountain” in Catalan, is known for its religious significance and interesting rock formations.  Begin your visit with a trip to the Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery—a Benedictine Abbey and a 16th-century Basilica, where the
Virgin of Montserrat, a “black Madonna” statue and the patron saint of Catalonia, is venerated.  The monastery, which has hosted pilgrims and visitors since 1025, is home to more than 80 monks who have dedicated their lives to prayer. According to
legend, religious elders of the community found an image of the Virgin Mary in the cave, and from that moment on the site has been known as a holy sanctuary for religious pilgrims.

Rough itinerary for Spain:
Monday: Breakfast in port, Monserrat 1130-1730 (field trip), siesta, and dinner/tapas
Tuesday: Las Ramblas and the market, Sagrada da Familia, and Shopping in the “touristy” areas
Wednesday: Picasso museum and gothic quarter to check out the gothic architecture I’ve been learning about in Global Studies. I’m also going to a concert: Kascade, the #35 Dj in the world
Thursday: 730am Bike tour of the city, some last minute shopping for postcards and such….and more TAPAS! I need to be on the ship by 1800 to avoid dock time, but I plan on arriving a lot earlier. Apparently there is around a 2-3 hour line to get back on the ship at the last minute. Hopefully I can avoid the madness.

After Spain there's only one day before I arrive in Italy. This day is known as Italy global studies day. Which means every student on the ship attends two hours of global studies and then participates in SEA OLYMPICS. Each student on the boat is part of a “sea” and competes in a bunch of activities such as synchronized swimming, basketball, relay races, musical chairs and simon says. The team that wins is first off the ship in BOSTON! Hopefully my sea will kick some serious butt.

Then I’m on my way to Naples, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Verona, and Rome.