Gaudí, as promised

Need a refresher? Here's my post about Barcelona.

Antoni Gaudí, the most recognizable figure of Catalán, and Barcelona's, history. He was an incredibly innovative architect that I certainly would never have thought possible. He left his mark on the city of Barcelona with several distinctive buildings and one still-unfinished basilica.

Gaudí was a master of modernismo, a new type of art and architecture in his time (early 1900s). His work has deep connections with nature, both in the literal sense--having a seashell hanging on the wall--and in a less obvious sense--putting mosaics at the top of columns to mimic a tree, using gravity to design his buildings, and much more.

Let's start with Parc Guell, one of my favorite works of Gaudí. The original plan was to design a housing complex for Barcelona's elite upper class, with a massive park in the middle. After building two test-homes (no two houses would be alike, keep in mind), the public was

Backpackers Lesson #2: You won't meet the Queen. Avoid Authors.

At the British Museum. Along with
the Rosetta Stone, but this is more
interesting to look at. For sure.

For part of my spring break I took a trip with my roommate, Jeff, to London for a few days. It was my first trip outside of Spain, and the first excursion that I planned mostly on my own. It started out with a bit of a fiasco at airport security. To fly cheaply, you can't check a bag, and the liquid requirement completely slipped my mind. I lost my shampoo, body wash, and shaving cream. But things can be replaced, I was there for an experience, not a shower. (Although, of course, I showered every day.)

After checking into an awesome hostel with a pub downstairs (even if it didn't have a whole lot of showers...), Jeff and I hit up the touristy spots. Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, some fish and chips, and DR. PEPPER!!!

The Family Tour Guide

After our weekend in Barcelona, it was time to bring the family to Madrid and show them the place that I've called home for the past 3 months. I had no school on Monday (for some religious holiday that isn't really celebrated in the States) so I got them moved into their apartment and then took them to the Plaza de Santa Ana to find some lunch. We then went on a quick tour of central Madrid--Puerta del Sol (the center of Madrid...and Spain for that matter), the opera house, then Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel. We grabbed some groceries and dropped them off before making a reservation for a Flamenco show that night. With Spanish guitars, a few singers, and some VERY talented dancers, flamenco is a type of dance that almost seems to mimic the motions of