Update coming from Paris, after having spent a couple of days in Barcelona. I'll start with Friday's daytrip to Milan and night train to Barcelona.
I got up early Friday and said goodbye to Rome, easily one of my favorite cities of the trip so far. I had to get to Milan first, since that's where my train to Barcelona left from. So I got a chance to wander around Milan for a bit, and took the metro to see the amazing Duomo.
I liked Milan, from what I saw. It lacks the tourism of the other Italian cities I visited, but seems like a very livable place (and is the second most populated city in Italy).
Around 7 PM, my hotel train left for Barcelona. I was in a cabin of 4, with the other guys from Texas, California and Australia. We all hung out for a while and had a great time, chatting and getting beers and food at the on-board bar.
The next day, we woke up in Barcelona. I took the metro to my hostel after realizing how gigantic Barcelona is (turns out, it would have been over an hour walk). I checked in and headed right to the Barceloneta beach. Here I took a nice dip in the Mediterranean. The water was incredibly warm (though it seemed really salty), and the beach was packed. The area was pretty cool - there was a nice boardwalk along it, and an area of the city with tons of food nearby.
I walked around a bit more, and then headed into a bar to watch the Spain vs Paraguay World Cup game. It seemed to be all locals - I didn't hear a word of English the whole time. Everyone was going wild during the two PK's in the second half, and when Spain finally scored to give them the 1-0 win.
The next day was my last in Barcelona, so I had to get up early and hit the major remaining attractions:
Yes, they have Dunkin' Donuts (called Dunkin' Coffee). First one I've seen in Europe. To make my iced coffee they committed the biggest iced coffee crime: making it by just pouring hot coffee on ice. But on the upside, they sold beer there.
But seriously, the first major attraction I hit was Gaudi's famous cathedral-under-construction, the Sagrada Familia. It was a unique structure, and looked really neat. Construction started in 1882, and is still going today, with completion expected in 2026.
I walked around Las Ramblas for a bit, which is a long area with tons of street performers, shops and restaurants. I ate here, with the meal being 2 tapas (cheese, and bread with tomatoes & potato pie), plus a paella (rice with a mix of chicken, shrimp, and mussels), with a sangria to drink alongside. All the food was very good.
Before my train to Paris left, I walked around the waterfront for a bit
and stumbled upon an amazing park right in the middle of everything, where everyone was outside hanging out:
I just had a great day in Paris, and plan on taking a day trip to Versailles tomorrow, before my train back to Amsterdam at night. I'll provide all the details in one final update before I head home!
Au revoir,
Colin
