FC Barcelona 4 - 0 Racing

Finally, thanks to CEA I got to go to my first FCBarca game on the 20th of February. CEA provided tickets for my friends and I and we got to see the famous Catalonian squad demolish their opponent. It was an easy match, but getting to see Henry, Messi, Xavi, and company in action live was amazing.

The crowd at the match was very impressive. I can honestly say that on average the fans are better educated than average fans in America. They are ruthless when protesting a referees call and sing great chants to support the FC Barca team.

I will definitely attend more games this season.

El Born

On February 18th our class took a trip to El Born. The Born district has some of the best and cheapest dining options in all of Barcelona. It also has several pizza places that serve individual slices, which is rare outside of America. Gusto del Born has some of the best and most authentic thin crust pizza I have ever tried.

The Ribera Quarter is located very close to the Bari Gotic. It is a great area to sit outside and enjoy a nice day. There are tons of outdoor dining areas and the entire area is populated by restaurants and eateries.

There is also a new market under construction in the Born area. El Mercat del Born was designed by Josep Fontsere i Mestre. It was built over the ruins of the Ribera district and will have a glass floor to allow people to view the ruins while shopping in the market.

Roma

On February 11th I arrived in Rome, Italy. I was visiting with my good friends from my hometown in New York, USA. After spending the majority of my last trip in bars, coffee shops and doing many other unproductive things, I decided to take advantage of the magnificent history of Rome and soak up as much history and sightseeing as possible.

Over the course of the next four days I visited The Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, The Coloseum, and Estadio Olimpico. Each of the sites was unique and beautiful in its own way. The history and architecture of each structure is truly amazing.

Rome is also home to some of the best cuisine in all of the world. I was lucky to eat the best pizza and pasta that I have ever had in my life. Every single meal was remarkable. I hope that I end up enjoying every city I visit as much as I did Rome.

I Amsterdam

It is the first weekend in February and my roommates and I have finally gone on our first trip away from Barcelona. We arrived in Amsterdam on February 4th and found ourselves in a very nice and private hostel; much nicer than what I had imagined to find myself staying in. We did a lot of walking around and saw a few nice sites. We visited the Anne Frank Museum, the Heineken Factory, and the Van Goh Museum, among other things.

The city of Amsterdam is quite different than what I remember from my last visit. I was only a young teenager then and perhaps was not looking out for all of the debauchery that is clearly prevalent in the city. The Red Light District is the weirdest and freakiest place I have ever stepped foot in; at nighttime the people who visit this area are usually extremely drunk and frequently holler curse words and other obnoxious things.

All in all, the trip was fun because it was much different than what I had grown to expect while living in a residential area in Barcelona. I am now looking forward to traveling a lot throughout the semester and my next trip is to Rome, Italy.