Weekend before finals offers one last hurrah
By Jason Loeffler
For The Mirror Normally, the weekend before finals week is a great time to study for those closing exams, but, I simply couldn’t resist the chance to spend a weekend on the beach in Barcelona, Spain. With one short week left to me before returning home for the summer, this was my last chance to enjoy it, and leaving the Iberian coast unvisited was simply not an option. Barcelona’s main street, Las Ramblas, is one of the busiest thoroughfares in the world, with activities going on around the clock, so there is always something fun to do. In the morning, the shops open, and it’s possible to buy nearly anything from the local market or from one of the hundreds of stalls set up on the road itself: including flowers, fruits, souvenirs, jewelry, paintings, caricatures, pet rabbits and parakeets, and even live chickens for dinner. The afternoons showcase a variety of street performers, dressed up as clowns, trees, Michael Jackson, and other odd things. Even more impressive are the street acrobats that leap into the air, performing mind-blowing flips and turns. And, as the sun sets around eight o’clock, the nicer restaurants open their doors and set up chairs and tables on the street that are perfect for people-watching over a glass of sangria and a plate of tapas, while a Spanish street band cranks out some traditional tunes. However, there are a bevy of fun things to do in the rest of Barcelona as well. The impressive Sagrada Família lies a bit to the north, which any architecture enthusiast should make a point to see. Incomplete after one hundred years, the cathedral is an awesome blend of ancient and modern styles, inside and out, with the columns and roof of the interior sculpted to look like a forest. Another destination of note is the Picasso Museum to the east. It contains a number of the artist’s later works in a variety of styles and mediums. Barcelona is also home to a number of parks and palaces, but it is especially important while walking around to keep an eye out for the fascinating buildings designed by the architect Gaudi. They seem almost to take on a life of their own. As for nightlife, the city does not get going until after midnight, with the partying mostly contained in the infamous El Born district in the |  Jason Loeffler, junior, spent his last weekend before finals traveling to Barcelona where he admired the Sagrada Familia, an incomplete Spanish cathedral. heart of the Gothic Quarter. If one is interested in
doing a proper shot of absinthe, complete with candle and sugar, this is the
place to do it.
The principal beach in Barcelona, San Sebastian, proved equally entertaining. The boardwalk along the sands was a haven for seafood restaurants and surf shops, while the windswept Mediterranean bore a number of cruise ships, sailboats, and especially windsurfers. Those of us on the beach itself enjoyed hours of football (soccer), splashing in the turquoise waters, or simply catching some rays while reading a book. For those wondering how to dress for a European beach, about half the men wear speedos, and about half of the women go topless. Regardless, there are plenty of people offering massages, drinks, or on-the-spot tattoos while you relax in the sand. My trip to Barcelona was a great way to spend my last weekend in Europe before returning to the States. The Spanish people are great, and it was really easy to make friends with the locals. Since leaving, I’ve arrived back in London in time to prepare myself for those final exams, but no amount of time would be enough to say goodbye to a continent that has given me such wonderful memories. I am definitely coming back. |
NOTE: The above selection is an original work by the author, Jason Loeffler; he retains all rights to its content.
