If I had to describe my first two weeks in Barcelona in one word it would be: challenging. Coming from a 3.5 million people Island, this was a radical change. Public transport that my disoriented self couldn’t quite understand, bureaucratic procedures, sharing a tiny apartment with a stranger, getting lost in Barcelona centre, different food, my family hundreds of miles away. If not for a familiar face, a friend that I have who lives here (it really is a blessing!), I could have lost my mind. But I didn’t.

After the initial “what have I done? Let me flight back”, I have slowly getting used to everything and I’m happy to say I am in a much more comfortable state. I have officially started my master’s degree, I’ve made new friends, I know which train to take, I’ve mastered the art of cooking yellow rice, my inner clock has finally adapted to the 6-hour difference and I finally connect daily with my family thanks to the beauty of telecommunications, Whatsapp and Skype. I’m yet to be done with the legal procedures but hey, life won’t always be a walk in the park.

Since this has been my first time in Barcelona ever, I took the time amidst the crazy days to do some sightseeing. Here’s a recap in case you didn’t see it on my Instagram:

The Gothic Quarter

I walked around the Gothic Quarter and my old soul naturally fell in love with it. I plan on going with more time to visit it carefully.

Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia

Casa Batlló de Antoni Gaudi

La Pedrera – Casa Milà de Antoni Gaudi

View from Plaça Espanya

Antigua Plaza de Toros las Arenas – now a mall that preserves the façade of the old bulls ring.

View from the top of Plaza de Toros

Montjuïc 

A really beautiful area with a palace and historical buildings designed for the Barcelona International Exposition of 1929. It was a bit cloudy but I still made the trip up and took some photos.

Palau Montjuïc & The Magic Fountain

The German Pavilion

The Four Columns

Originally, four columns were built to represent the flag of Catalunya. Although later they were torn down by the dictatorship, they were build back in 2010.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Palauet Albéniz

Jardines de Joan Maragall

Teatre Grec (Greek Theater)

Estadi Olímpic - Used for Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics

I definitely have so many places yet to see but the best part is that I’ll be living here for a year (and who knows if it’s more than that) so there’s plenty of time! I’m feeling like I have made the best decision of my life, coming here to live and study for a while. I’m living my dream, the one I had since I was a child. It is often not when we wanted it or when we planned to, but dreams do come true in the end if we work for them. One of my favorite lyrics -because of course I always need to quote songs- is:

That lyric is the real deal. Things will eventually be right. Sometimes we just have to wait a little longer.

–

On my next post…

On my next travel diary, I’ll be writing about my experience visiting beautiful Girona and its volcanic natural reserve. Stay tuned!