Today, we woke up at about six AM. As in, in the MORNING.
For those of you who don't know me, I'm not a morning person. I'm not a morning person AT ALL.
So, in the morning, (and I'm on the top bunk,) I fell out of bed after grumbling and flopping around for a few minutes. Not fun. Fortunately, I landed (mostly) on my feet and just sort of crumpled to the floor after that.
Now, on to the rest of the day.
Today, at school, I had a difficult first rotation. The second graders only spoke Spanish, and I only speak a little Spanish. Mostly, I just had them copy down vocabulary words and their meanings in English in their little journals. That was effective, and they paid attention to me for the most part. After the first bell rang, Nina, Mom, and I had a mini rendezvous. Apparently, Nina had had a difficult time with the third graders she had been teaching. One broke a table.
"This isn't going to work." said mom. (Way to state the obvious.) "We have no materials and we need structure." Nina nodded in agreement. "I don't know what to do."
As we walked down the hall, Mom and Nina were in front of me. I trailed slightly behind, thinking about how we would survive two more weeks. I knew that my limited Spanish gave me a leg up.
One of the little kids I had just taught, the only girl, ran up behind me and gave me the biggest hug I have ever received from someone so tiny.
Mom and Nina were oblivious to the situation going on behind them, and I stood there, rather speechless.
"Gracias." Said the little girl, before giggling and running off to her friends.
I blinked once, twice, rooted in place. I then took a few steps, paused, and then ran to catch up to Nina and Mom.
"Do you have any idea what just happened?!" I practically squealed. The shook their heads no. "I JUST GOT A HUG FROM THE LITTLE GIRL." I said, still in shock. They both smiled.
"How sweet, Sara." said Mom, and we walked off to round two with the kids.
I was in high spirits, having just been hugged. I was fairly confident of my ability at this point, having been taught some new Spanish words and pronunciations by the little girl.She taught me as much or more as I taught her.
At this point, Nina and I were both assigned to the same (and only) first grade class. "This should be fun!" I said, almost excited from the prospect of actually doing something, very happy from the hug.
"Uh huh." Said Nina. She had been assigned to the first grade for the rest of the day.
We arrived at the classroom, which was in the basement, and the teacher promptly introduced us to the class and gave us two little children, a boy and a girl.
"uh.....bililoteca?" I asked. The teacher nodded. Yes, take them to the library.
And so we did, although we had no idea what to teach. I had to go back to the room for a pencil and some paper, also snagging a pen for Nina.
"Vamos a dibujar!" I said. Let's draw. Nina and I conversed for a moment over what to draw, then decided on foods.
We would give them each the paper and pencil for a turn, then tell them to draw something. Then, we would label and tell them the word in English. They would then repeat after us when we pronounced the word.
The bell rang. We went back down to return the kids, the teacher disregarded our flimsy paper schedules and sent up three more kids.
"Bibiloteca." She said. Take them to the library again. So we did. And this group? Two small girls, a boy. Each had a different personality. All three of them were adorable and sweet, the sweetest kids by far. We drew, we read, we laughed. They helped us with Spanish, we helped with English.
At the end of the day, we tiredly shouldered our bags and sadly left the children.
"Well?" asked Mom
"Rewarding. My goodness, it was worth it." I exclaimed.
We took a short break when we got back to Base, then went on a tour of the city. It was intense.
Nina will explain it, maybe tomorrow, because I have a typist's cramp right now.
Thank you for reading.
-DA PUFFIN
Monday, May 20, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
IXIMCHE (EE-CHEEM-CHAY)
Today was a free day, a weekend. This factoid's importance: we did not have to work at the school today (FACTOID #1). Instead, Mom, Nina and I (and most of our fellow volunteers) took a day trip. We visited Mayan Ruins, taking two and a half hours to drive there. However, it was more than worth it.
The Mayan Ruins, called Iximche, were located a good distance away from civilization. We (our family and the volunteers, and our driver, Victor) took a big pink bus with Japanese lettering on the side. The drive provided us with a larger perspective of Guatemala. Outside the city is very different.
The ruins themselves were not as big as I expected. However, they were still very large, built out of grey stone bricks plastered together with mortar. There were several grassy clearings, called Plazas, many tall, pyramid-shaped temples, and a playing field. Interesting factoid number two: The 'Mayan Governor,' or the one who governed (explained by our tour guide), would sacrifice some of the game's players. Sometimes the winner, if he thought the winner cheated. Or more often, the losers were sent to a larger Mayan city and sacrificed.
Interesting factoid number three: The Mayans thought of the woodpecker much differently than we do. They looked up to the woodpecker for its intelligence. Our tour guide showed us a tree-a singular tree, none of the others-that was riddled with holes from the woodpecker.
After the ruins, we took the two and a half hour pink Japanese bus ride back to our home away from home. (Interesting sentence.) And now, here I am, eating a frozen banana and writing in Mom's blog.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.....the first pictures from Central America!
PS: Nina took all the pics with her camera.
The Mayan Ruins, called Iximche, were located a good distance away from civilization. We (our family and the volunteers, and our driver, Victor) took a big pink bus with Japanese lettering on the side. The drive provided us with a larger perspective of Guatemala. Outside the city is very different.
The ruins themselves were not as big as I expected. However, they were still very large, built out of grey stone bricks plastered together with mortar. There were several grassy clearings, called Plazas, many tall, pyramid-shaped temples, and a playing field. Interesting factoid number two: The 'Mayan Governor,' or the one who governed (explained by our tour guide), would sacrifice some of the game's players. Sometimes the winner, if he thought the winner cheated. Or more often, the losers were sent to a larger Mayan city and sacrificed.
Interesting factoid number three: The Mayans thought of the woodpecker much differently than we do. They looked up to the woodpecker for its intelligence. Our tour guide showed us a tree-a singular tree, none of the others-that was riddled with holes from the woodpecker.
After the ruins, we took the two and a half hour pink Japanese bus ride back to our home away from home. (Interesting sentence.) And now, here I am, eating a frozen banana and writing in Mom's blog.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.....the first pictures from Central America!
PS: Nina took all the pics with her camera.
The temple of the Sun (with the tree growing out of it) and a sacrificial altar (round stone platform.)
Woodpecker tree holes. This was the only tree with holes in it.
The bricks and the mortar of the ruins.
The farmland on the drive to the ruins. This is outside of Guatemala city.
This is part of the outside patio of the Base. And a bus (not the pink one.)
The houses of Guatemala, seen from a bridge.
Some of the people of Guatemala (seen on the drive to the ruins.) As you can see, the traffic laws are not strongly enforced.
Well, now it's time for some charming words and pictures from NINA!
But for now, goodbye.
-The Puffin
Hi, Everyone!
You probably know who is writing this by Puffin's charming introduction so I don't need to waste time introducing myself. Guatemala is very different than the USA. With roofs made of flimsy tin sheets, hundreds of stray dogs running about, and people selling potatoes on the walkway to make a living, the conditions really show us how much we take for granted. Have you ever wondered what your world would be like without air conditioning, running water, or technology? Living in a makeshift house? Living college-aged with a fourth grade education? Well, most people in Guatemala don't have to wonder.
They know.
In all fairness to the Guatemalans, though, not all of them suffer this level of poverty. Although it is few and far between to see a house considered a "middle class home." Had I not left my personal bubble in Park City, I probably would have taken all of these things for granted, too. Anyway, onto the market.
The market was in the town of Iximche. Natives sat on rugs selling everything from pineapple to used leather shoes. The assortment of items was bright and colorful, matching the vendors' clothes. Unfortunately, we couldn't sample any of the delicious-looking food due to safety concerns. Everybody was salivating as the delicious aroma wafted up our noses. Everything looked so good! Now for some pics...
Ladies in Guatemala with their beautiful clothes.
(Sorry it's sideways) Vegetables lined up at the market
Looks appetizing, hmm?
The crowded markets of Iximche
The 3 types of beans: Red, White, and Black.
Sara at the restaurant
My tortilla soup- SO GOOD!!!
Mom's tacos- Steak, Pork, and Chicken.
Some of the goods sold at the market.
Thanks for tuning in! Check tomorrow for more!
-Nina
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Guatemala (WATT-eh-MALL-uh)
So, guess who?
MR. PUFFIN!
So, guess what?
We made it! We're here! In SOUTH- uh, I mean-CENTRAL AMERICA!
I keep making that mistake.
Sorry.
BRACKETED TEXT=MOM
So, anyway, we took an overnight flight from LAX to GUA. [Most people on the plane were Central Americans. We tried to sleep on the plane but were too excited.]
We figured out where we are staying, which is like a green oasis in the middle of a crowded city.
[We are in Zona 2, which apparently is relatively safe, although there are armed guards around. "This is commonplace for Guatemala," is what I am told. We are sharing a house with other volunteers, most of whom are nurses or nursing students. Sara, Nina and I have our own room, with twin beds. We have community bathrooms.]
And. So. Yeah. [We are working at a residential school called, Esperanza Juvenil. The other volunteers are working in health care.]
We have been fed lots of "Central American" food, which includes rice, tasty green chili sausage, squash, tortillas, and a BUNCH of BLACK BEANS [that are served in the form of a paste.]
Sorry, but I didn't get the chance to take any pictures today. Maybe tomorrow, okay?
I take that as a yes. Coolio.
Until tomorrow!
Oh, wait! Here's a link to a youtube video of our school, so that you can see where we are working: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PWdCHsMc4I
-DA PUFF
MR. PUFFIN!
So, guess what?
We made it! We're here! In SOUTH- uh, I mean-CENTRAL AMERICA!
I keep making that mistake.
Sorry.
BRACKETED TEXT=MOM
So, anyway, we took an overnight flight from LAX to GUA. [Most people on the plane were Central Americans. We tried to sleep on the plane but were too excited.]
We figured out where we are staying, which is like a green oasis in the middle of a crowded city.
[We are in Zona 2, which apparently is relatively safe, although there are armed guards around. "This is commonplace for Guatemala," is what I am told. We are sharing a house with other volunteers, most of whom are nurses or nursing students. Sara, Nina and I have our own room, with twin beds. We have community bathrooms.]
And. So. Yeah. [We are working at a residential school called, Esperanza Juvenil. The other volunteers are working in health care.]
We have been fed lots of "Central American" food, which includes rice, tasty green chili sausage, squash, tortillas, and a BUNCH of BLACK BEANS [that are served in the form of a paste.]
Sorry, but I didn't get the chance to take any pictures today. Maybe tomorrow, okay?
I take that as a yes. Coolio.
Until tomorrow!
Oh, wait! Here's a link to a youtube video of our school, so that you can see where we are working: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PWdCHsMc4I
-DA PUFF
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Venice and Germany
Hi!
Nina again. We've been having a great time in Germany, and Sara agreed it was the perfect place to spend her birthday (Sara turned 14 today!!!). Sorry we haven't blogged in a while (more internet problems) so I still need to tell you about our astounding time in Venice! OK, enough chitchat. Let's start with Venice.
Instead of training to Venice, we decided to drive in order to save time. When the 2 hour drive was FINALLY over, we were certainly glad to be out of the car! It was just kinda sad that our first view of the glistening canals was in a parking garage, but who am I to complain? Speaking of glistening canals, though, the waterways were drop dead gorgeous!!! Gondolas docked in where a normal city would have parking lots, and motorboats zoomed tourists across the river. We got a gelatto (Italian ice cream) and stared at the breathtaking picture in front of us. Next, we headed over to St. Mark's Square and shopped our way through. "Venice displays the beautiful Murano glass," Mom explained to us as we peered through a window at some unique glass designs. We ate lunch at an authentic pizza restaurant and boy was it delicious! Mom and I ordered anchovies and Dad and Sara ordered pepperoni.
THERE IS NO PIZZA THAT COMPARES. END OF STORY. Anyway, I've spent so long on Venice that I think I'll move on to Germany.
Germany: In Munich the city consists of mainly fat men drinking beer( Ha ha, just kidding.) We relaxed for the first day, after a long car ride and had a nice dinner of meat and cheese at Stefan and Kati's house. They are wonderful people with the cutest children. They are friends of my Uncle Robbie, who lives in Munich. Seeing Uncle Robbie was great. The next day, we began our day with a tour of a concentration camp called Dachau. This was the very first concentration camp in Germany. Hitler imprisoned Jews, Poles, gypsies, homosexuals, Jehova's Witnesses and Catholics here. It was so hard to see the bunks where people once had slept. We were actually IN the concentration camp. We even went to the Crematorium. The thought of Hitler makes me want to cry. Who would do such a thing? As we made our way through the camp, I couldn't help feel that I was walking in the footsteps of the prisoners. Prisoners who were human beings, were tortured, abused and ridden of their human dignity - Prisoners who had died because of their beliefs or political differences. I don't even want to go into the details of what we saw at the camp, some things were too horrible: like the gas chamber. Mom, Sara, and I actually stood in the gassing chamber where hundreds of people died every day. We saw the ovens where humans were cremated. It was awful. We cried. We will NEVER forget. NEVER.
For the rest of the day we were pretty depressed, but we went downtown and toured some of Munich. Munich is a pretty city with many vendors and churches. Germany was very educational.
Now for the pics.
Alrighty then, this is the puffin, here to blog about my birthday~!
Well, turning fourteen in Germany was certainly a treat. In fact, it was more than a treat, it was excellence.
For dinner, we had schnitzel. I tried to joke around a bit, you know how I am....
"Holy Schnitzel!" I cried as the plate arrived. The flat hunk-o'-meat was way big. After I finished, it was another "Holy Schnitzel. That was big."
That was pretty much my bday!
-Puffin
Nina again. We've been having a great time in Germany, and Sara agreed it was the perfect place to spend her birthday (Sara turned 14 today!!!). Sorry we haven't blogged in a while (more internet problems) so I still need to tell you about our astounding time in Venice! OK, enough chitchat. Let's start with Venice.
Instead of training to Venice, we decided to drive in order to save time. When the 2 hour drive was FINALLY over, we were certainly glad to be out of the car! It was just kinda sad that our first view of the glistening canals was in a parking garage, but who am I to complain? Speaking of glistening canals, though, the waterways were drop dead gorgeous!!! Gondolas docked in where a normal city would have parking lots, and motorboats zoomed tourists across the river. We got a gelatto (Italian ice cream) and stared at the breathtaking picture in front of us. Next, we headed over to St. Mark's Square and shopped our way through. "Venice displays the beautiful Murano glass," Mom explained to us as we peered through a window at some unique glass designs. We ate lunch at an authentic pizza restaurant and boy was it delicious! Mom and I ordered anchovies and Dad and Sara ordered pepperoni.
THERE IS NO PIZZA THAT COMPARES. END OF STORY. Anyway, I've spent so long on Venice that I think I'll move on to Germany.
Germany: In Munich the city consists of mainly fat men drinking beer( Ha ha, just kidding.) We relaxed for the first day, after a long car ride and had a nice dinner of meat and cheese at Stefan and Kati's house. They are wonderful people with the cutest children. They are friends of my Uncle Robbie, who lives in Munich. Seeing Uncle Robbie was great. The next day, we began our day with a tour of a concentration camp called Dachau. This was the very first concentration camp in Germany. Hitler imprisoned Jews, Poles, gypsies, homosexuals, Jehova's Witnesses and Catholics here. It was so hard to see the bunks where people once had slept. We were actually IN the concentration camp. We even went to the Crematorium. The thought of Hitler makes me want to cry. Who would do such a thing? As we made our way through the camp, I couldn't help feel that I was walking in the footsteps of the prisoners. Prisoners who were human beings, were tortured, abused and ridden of their human dignity - Prisoners who had died because of their beliefs or political differences. I don't even want to go into the details of what we saw at the camp, some things were too horrible: like the gas chamber. Mom, Sara, and I actually stood in the gassing chamber where hundreds of people died every day. We saw the ovens where humans were cremated. It was awful. We cried. We will NEVER forget. NEVER.
For the rest of the day we were pretty depressed, but we went downtown and toured some of Munich. Munich is a pretty city with many vendors and churches. Germany was very educational.
Now for the pics.
Ovens in the crematorium
Bunks made to sleep 50. The Nazis crammed 400 in.
No sleep actually took place here
The gate to the camp.
The Dachau memorial
Dachau's main grounds used for roll call.
VENICE!!!
The main canal in Venice
Beautiful, huh?
Gondolas lined up like cars
Lunch- a gigantic pizza! Look at Mr. Puffin in scale!
Italy's famous gelatto
Alrighty then, this is the puffin, here to blog about my birthday~!
Well, turning fourteen in Germany was certainly a treat. In fact, it was more than a treat, it was excellence.
For dinner, we had schnitzel. I tried to joke around a bit, you know how I am....
"Holy Schnitzel!" I cried as the plate arrived. The flat hunk-o'-meat was way big. After I finished, it was another "Holy Schnitzel. That was big."
That was pretty much my bday!
-Puffin
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Florence
Bonjourno!
This is Nina here to tell you about our fantastical time in Florence. The day started very early because Dad wanted us to be at the train station "right on time!" And if you speak Dad language, you know that "right on time" means early. Anyway, we were outside before the sun had risen. Talk about SLEEP WASTED!!!When the train arrived, we boarded and found 4 seats together. The ride into Florence was pretty, in mountainous terrain, with lots of tunnels. After an hour, we got off and headed out to see David. The early wake up paid off, as we almost had David to ourselves. David is one of Michelangelo's most famous works of art. Michelangelo has somehow captured David (from the Bible story, "David and Goliath") just as he is about to slay the giant, Goliath. Once we had seen him, we were all astounded. From the front, David has a look of confidence etched upon his marble face, but as you move to the right, he looks more boyish and slightly unsure of the task to come. David's hands are not to scale with his body, but that is exactly how Michelangelo meant for it to be. He was planning on how David would look perched high above the ground, not eye to eye. After we were done staring at David, we saw a bunch of Michelangelo's unfinished statues. They are called the prisoners, as they look as if they are trying to escape from the marble. When we were done, we left the museum and started walking around the Duomo, a massive Catholic cathedral with a large dome. Next we walked to the streets of Florence to look at the local leather vendors' goods. I bought a purse and Mom bought a shawl. We had lunch at a local joint and I ordered a local soup. It was a beautiful, sunny day and Florence was AWESOME!!!
Enjoy the pics!
This is Nina here to tell you about our fantastical time in Florence. The day started very early because Dad wanted us to be at the train station "right on time!" And if you speak Dad language, you know that "right on time" means early. Anyway, we were outside before the sun had risen. Talk about SLEEP WASTED!!!When the train arrived, we boarded and found 4 seats together. The ride into Florence was pretty, in mountainous terrain, with lots of tunnels. After an hour, we got off and headed out to see David. The early wake up paid off, as we almost had David to ourselves. David is one of Michelangelo's most famous works of art. Michelangelo has somehow captured David (from the Bible story, "David and Goliath") just as he is about to slay the giant, Goliath. Once we had seen him, we were all astounded. From the front, David has a look of confidence etched upon his marble face, but as you move to the right, he looks more boyish and slightly unsure of the task to come. David's hands are not to scale with his body, but that is exactly how Michelangelo meant for it to be. He was planning on how David would look perched high above the ground, not eye to eye. After we were done staring at David, we saw a bunch of Michelangelo's unfinished statues. They are called the prisoners, as they look as if they are trying to escape from the marble. When we were done, we left the museum and started walking around the Duomo, a massive Catholic cathedral with a large dome. Next we walked to the streets of Florence to look at the local leather vendors' goods. I bought a purse and Mom bought a shawl. We had lunch at a local joint and I ordered a local soup. It was a beautiful, sunny day and Florence was AWESOME!!!
Enjoy the pics!
Monday, April 15, 2013
When in Rome
Do as the Romans do.
Alright, so I have to write this outside to get internet, and it's night-time, and there are giant mosquitoes, AND THE WHOLE SITUATION IS FREAKING ME OUT. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I HAVE SACRIFICED TO WRITE. IN. THE. BLOG.
Well, here I am, sorry I didn't post yesterday. Or...the day before. We had...internet...."issues," which is why I am writing this outside in the dark right now.
Well, anyways.
We were in Sanremo, Italy two days ago. It was just a little "pit stop" so we didn't have to drive all the way from Barcelona to Rome.
Well, guess what we had for dinner in Sanremo? PASTA AND BREAD. SO ITALIAN.
Well, Sanremo was fun and all, but what I realllly wanna write about tonight is Rome.
Anyways, yes, I am in Rome today. We toured all around the place, seeing things such as the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain, and the famous "Basilica of Saint Peter."
I took lotsa pics, but I forgot Mr. Puffin back at the house, so he unfortunately couldn't be with us today.
Ooh! Guess what we had for dinner in Rome??
PIZZA AND PASTA!
SO
ITALIAN
I'M
GONNA
DIE!!!
.
.
.
It was tasty.
We walked a ton on a guided tour today, which was really amusing, considering how many people have British accents here.
NOW FOR THE PICTURES.
Alright, so I have to write this outside to get internet, and it's night-time, and there are giant mosquitoes, AND THE WHOLE SITUATION IS FREAKING ME OUT. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I HAVE SACRIFICED TO WRITE. IN. THE. BLOG.
Well, here I am, sorry I didn't post yesterday. Or...the day before. We had...internet...."issues," which is why I am writing this outside in the dark right now.
Well, anyways.
We were in Sanremo, Italy two days ago. It was just a little "pit stop" so we didn't have to drive all the way from Barcelona to Rome.
Well, guess what we had for dinner in Sanremo? PASTA AND BREAD. SO ITALIAN.
Well, Sanremo was fun and all, but what I realllly wanna write about tonight is Rome.
Anyways, yes, I am in Rome today. We toured all around the place, seeing things such as the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, the Trevi fountain, and the famous "Basilica of Saint Peter."
I took lotsa pics, but I forgot Mr. Puffin back at the house, so he unfortunately couldn't be with us today.
Ooh! Guess what we had for dinner in Rome??
PIZZA AND PASTA!
SO
ITALIAN
I'M
GONNA
DIE!!!
.
.
.
It was tasty.
We walked a ton on a guided tour today, which was really amusing, considering how many people have British accents here.
NOW FOR THE PICTURES.
Pizza PIZZAZ
Nina and I in Vatican City.
A famous sculpture of some sort.
A museum.
Well, that's all folks!
-The PUNffin
Friday, April 12, 2013
Hi!
Nina here, posting about our awesome time in Barcelona! As you already know from yesterday's post, we had a fantastic time at the beach, collecting shells and tanning in the warm and sunny weather. Anyway, enough about yesterday, let's talk about today!
We started off the day with a very unhealthy (but delicious!) breakfast of croissants and coffee. After an uneventful morning, we clunked down the stairs (Sara and I still half asleep) and started on our way to the Sagrada Familia. The Sagrada Familia is a colossal Catholic basilica that has been in the progress of being built since 1882. Even after all these years of construction, it's still not finished! One of the most unique things about the Sagrada Familia is that it isn't finished, but there are tentative plans for it to be completed by Gaudi's 100th anniversary- 2026. Gaudi is the mastermind behind the astoundingly beautiful Sagrada Familia, so the huge basilica is actually fun! The front of the church looks like a melting candle or a dripping cake. It was so cool to see Gaudi's imaginative work on something as serious as a church!
After our fair share of staring, we snacked on skittles in the shade, hangin' and and gazing up at the wedding-cake exterior of the church. Next, we headed to the nearest metro stop and rode to the giant market called the La Boqueria, which was right off of Las Ramblas. We walked along the narrow spaces in between the hundreds of vendors, eager to buy some of Spain's local food. We finally settled on fried seafood on a stick and a mango guava smoothie. The food was unlike anything I could have ever imagined, and there were shops containing everything from raw squid to various olives. To say the least, the throngs of people coming from every direction were a tad intimidating. Here was the place to be pickpocketed. Here are some pics!
Sara chillaxing in the Spanish sun Hmmm... Funny sculpture and funny Mom
Nina here, posting about our awesome time in Barcelona! As you already know from yesterday's post, we had a fantastic time at the beach, collecting shells and tanning in the warm and sunny weather. Anyway, enough about yesterday, let's talk about today!
We started off the day with a very unhealthy (but delicious!) breakfast of croissants and coffee. After an uneventful morning, we clunked down the stairs (Sara and I still half asleep) and started on our way to the Sagrada Familia. The Sagrada Familia is a colossal Catholic basilica that has been in the progress of being built since 1882. Even after all these years of construction, it's still not finished! One of the most unique things about the Sagrada Familia is that it isn't finished, but there are tentative plans for it to be completed by Gaudi's 100th anniversary- 2026. Gaudi is the mastermind behind the astoundingly beautiful Sagrada Familia, so the huge basilica is actually fun! The front of the church looks like a melting candle or a dripping cake. It was so cool to see Gaudi's imaginative work on something as serious as a church!
After our fair share of staring, we snacked on skittles in the shade, hangin' and and gazing up at the wedding-cake exterior of the church. Next, we headed to the nearest metro stop and rode to the giant market called the La Boqueria, which was right off of Las Ramblas. We walked along the narrow spaces in between the hundreds of vendors, eager to buy some of Spain's local food. We finally settled on fried seafood on a stick and a mango guava smoothie. The food was unlike anything I could have ever imagined, and there were shops containing everything from raw squid to various olives. To say the least, the throngs of people coming from every direction were a tad intimidating. Here was the place to be pickpocketed. Here are some pics!
This basilica is still under construction!
Chocolate at the market. Yum!!!
Oink, oink. Mom wanted us to sample this local delicacy but we refused.
Fresh fruit at La Boqueria market
I bought this cool fan and drank a Fanta!
Mom and I enjoying the siesta
Dad enjoying dinner on the terrace of our apartment
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