Sometimes I wonder why I have not plotted a move to Europe sooner.  There are hot springs there!  Lots of them!  Unlike in the US, where the majority of hot springs are in places that I'm not too keen on living (southwest, Rockies, Arkansas), there are hot springs within a two hour drive of Barcelona.  Aaaah, I can dream, right?

M, P, and I took a day trip up to Font Romeu and the Bains de Llo in Southern France. The day started with a stop at a local bakery and buying two big bags of mini chocolate and regular croissants.  Score!  Little did we know this would be our only nourishment til dinner (what were we thinking?).

I don't really have any photos... I'll say it's because I was in awe with the Pyrenees and trying not to puke on the drive up and over the mountains. The baths were super family friendly and "lucky" for us it was school vacation week, which meant the fee was 1 euro more (12) and the place was loaded with children.  Thankfully little children speaking French are way less annoying than kids who I understand and honestly, everything is amazing when you're sitting in hot water.  If I lived in the area, I would head back to the area and explore the other developed hot springs and some of the natural ones as well.

On to the photos!  I decided not to be uber-cheap skate this visit and sprung for an admission to Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batlló.  I still scored a 4 euro discount by passing off my BU student ID, which brilliantly does not have an expiration date or any sort of indication of the year it was issued. Thank you Boston University!  

If you know me, you know I'm a bit obsessed with natural building and in general, architecture that's inspired by nature, with softer edges and curves.  Gaudi's famous for this style and his Casa Batlló is a family home on the Passeig de Grácia that is inspired by St. George and the Dragon. Here are some of my favorite photos of the building.

So I did a shoddy job of posting while I was in Spain, but I plan on adding a few posts with highlights from my six weeks in country.

For the first two weeks after I arrived, I spent most of my time working.  I sat on the couch/futon/bed, legs crossed, laptop on my lap, and iPod with Talkatone app nearby.  Some crazy part of me thought that it would be no problem to spend the prior three weeks in Seattle, add two more days of flying, and have no trouble catching up on work.  I knew I was wrong when I arrived -- I was terribly behind from traveling and had a few weeks to complete seven reports. 

Lucky for me, Sant Andreu was the perfect place to explore when I did take some time off.  The Tostadero around the corner filled me with chocolate croissants and café con leche for only 2.30 euros.  They event had a series of Boston Tea Party prints on the walls.

Just on the other side of the square from the apartment was the back entrance of the Xurrería.  M, P, and I indulged in this deep-fried delight, with chocolate dipping sauce. 

Sant Andreu was so lively all day, except siesta from 2-5pm.  I took walks around the neighborhood, peering into all the shops at their rebaixas, taking note of all the places to get fresh-baked bread, local produce, stinky cheeses, and all matter of meat, both recently butchered and long-cured.  Many nights, at dusk, I walked around the tight streets back from the main thoroughfare, still in awe at all the orange trees, political graffiti, and families also strolling around. 

On weekend three, we took our first road trip -- 3 hours southwest, still in Catalunya, to Horta de Sant Joan to visit M and P's camino friend Christophe.  C has a sweet travel van, with a kitchen, bathroom and enough space to fit all four of us. 

Most of the weekend we spent talking and exploring the monastery grounds and hiking a trail to a shrine up the mountain.  I regret not bringing my camera on the hike though I don't think it would have captured the eerie stillness amidst the high winds that day. I didn't have a winter coat so I wrapped myself in a wool shawl to stay warm.  

As always, it was nice to escape from the city -- even a city I love like Barcelona.  The air smells better and the pace is slower... in a good way.