Cerdanyola del Valles

The second day in Barcelona, I planned everything out the night before. The buses, the trains, the metros. EVERYTHING, I had all the sites I wanted to see, where they were, which metro stop. TODO! But I was sooo tired from the day before. I had no sleep and I was running all through Barcelona dehydrated and tired. I just passed out and refused to wake up for any alarm. I felt so good when I woke up. But it was 6pm. Ay Dios mio!! I was soo upset but I think I needed the rest. I was very frustrated yesterday by how much money I spent on taxis and how far the hotel was from Barcelona. The cleaning ladies knocked on my room 5 times, Hola, Servicios. And every time I was laying in bed half asleep. "Esta bien, No necesito nada, Gracias" They didnt take that for an answer they kept coming back.

So eventually I decided I need to get out of bed and do something. It was too late to go into the city, It isnt worth the money to only go see one thing. I needed 5 hours for all I wanted and it was 8pm. So instead of getting upset about not being able to go back to Barcelona. I explored my city. Im in Cerdanyola del Valles, it says its part of Barcelona but its not, the Barcelona metro goes no where near it. Im north of Barcelona just by a little, literally the farthest point from the airport. Luckily my taxi driver I took here is coming to get me tomorrow and she gives me a discounted rate because I am a student.

So I got ready and just walked in Cerdanyola. It is a beautiful area. Its all brand new, they are building out here because Barcelona is packed as it is. It is known as the Technology park here, because all the tech and big companies moved out here. They have really cool new buildings. And everyone drives Audi's, BMW's or Mercedes.

So i just walked and I saw a hill with houses on it, kinda like Greece so I walked toward it to take pictures, and then I saw graffiti and it was so cool. I just kept walking straight, well semi-straight because there are circles everywhere. I got to a couple of parks, took money out at an ATM and saw more graffiti. Then it got dark, real fast. It doesnt get dark until 10pm here so it got cold, so I rushed home, exhausted. I had to have walked 4 miles.

Now Im just preparing for tomorrow, I have to be up at 6 to get to the airport by 8 and leaving at 10 for Palma de Mallorca. Which is my real destination. I cant get upset about not doing everything in Barcelona because I'm not studying here, I have a month to explore this beautiful island and at the end I get to return to Barcelona and take care of my unfinished site seeing business.

The only problem is I'm not tired because I slept all of today, but I think the walk I took will make me fall asleep. Im really excited for Palma because I will have people.

I love Barcelona. I am shocked how much. I think I imagined it differently. It is a very pretty city, all of it. Im used to US cities where they are kinda dirty and cold. But Barcelona has a mix of modern with old and it just looks soo NICE. Also this is the first 1st world country I have traveled to besides the US, so I guess I expected it had to be really dirty or poor. But I saw neither.

Im proud of myself. I DIDNT GET ROBBED. I was warned a thousand times but I kept my hands on my pockets, stopped for no one. The people here are friendly if they have to be. Some are rude but if you are polite to them, they give the same back. The hardest thing is that people dont smile as much. When I pass people in the US that make eye contact and have a dog or kids, I smile. Or when people talk to me and help me, I smile. They dont they always look serious and angry but I was aware of that before I came but I didnt realize how weird it is.

Also their accents here are very different. All the girls sound like Penelope Cruz, with the very lispy s sound and the th sound. But they sound very nice, the guys are very different. Older men have the lispy sound but the younger men dont really do the s lisp just the th sound. Its interesting. I cant to it, I speak in my gringo Spanish. Although I apparently look hispanic because people kept stopping me and asking if I spoke Catalan and I was like No no (hands on pockets). I can only not speak gringo when it is short phrases. Like when I was in the grocery store, I had a authentic conversation and it was fine. But asking for directions when everything is in Catalan, I break out the the gringo spanish.