Mi barrio

Lately i've been going on walks aroung my neighborhood. I didn't realize how much I actually live around! There's a beautiful church by my apartment, many many stores, and plazas full of people selling antiques, flowers, etc. Despite all the hills and the hot sun, it's fun to walk around and try and get more familiar with my surroundings. I've been going to the coffee shop right next to my apartment building and getting my cafe con leche :) its only 1,40€ here, practically the only thing that's cheaper here than in the US. At first I was really overwhelmed at how your had to go to a different store for pharmacy items, shower items, food items, etc., but I'm finally getting a hold of that and learning where the best stores are. 

Two days ago on Sept. 11 it was La Diada here in Catalonia. Catalonia is an "autonomia," or what we could compare to a province. This day in history is the day Catalonia lost siege to Spain. Catalonia very much wants to separate from Spain, so every year they have a city wide demonstration through the streets. My roommates and I went and it was crazy! We were amongst 1.5 million barcelonians in this demonstration!!! It was really awesome to be a part of it. They were singing and chanting in unison, almost making me feel like i didn't belong, which obviously we didn't. What else was cool was it was an all ages event. Entire families were together, grandfathers chanting outside their window with kids on their fathers backs, even young people my age all with Catalonian flags worn as capes across their backs. When we went to take the metro home it was packed! Shoulder to shoulder scuffling from one side of the metro to the other - it was so uncomfortably hot next to all those people. I was very glad to be home. It was kind of spooky thinking if something went wrong my roommates and I would be in the middle of chaos not knowing what to do. But everything was fine and it was a great event to be a part of.

Every day from 2-5 all the stores except for the cafés close for lunch and a nap  (almuerzo y siesta). It's taking some getting used to working my food and clothing shopping around this schedule. This habit of Spain is still very strange to me, but I think I like the idea. While most people on the streets are very hustle and bustle getting from one place to the next, they at least stop and eat with their friends and or family and get a nice nap! Something I think my father would enjoy :)