I GAVE MY HEART TO YOU BARCELONA

WOW. that sums up my trip so far. But let me being from the beginning. Right, so we left for Barcelona a week ago, arrived at the airport and got a bus to plaza catalunya. Took out the map and walked down to our hostel, in the Barri Gothic. Arrived at the Equity point Gothic to be greeted by Paulo, the very friendly reception guy. Who informed us that we are all going to the hottest club in Barcelona that evening round 12 or 1, and that the following night would be San Juan.

This is how we met Brian, Julien and Tania. Brian, who is American, is the current party planner and go to guy for the parties in Barce, and Julien who Brian's job before for 6months. Anyhow, we met an awesome Australian girl, Tania, in our room.

After settling into our room, we went inside, Julien offered that I can use his laptop - french keyboard. DEATH. we also found out that he is leaving Barcelona after living there for 6months and will be on the same flight to Paris that we are on, he has a flat there and he is returning to pack up the last of his things in Paris.

After some beer with Julien and the Persian while watching the footie at the hostel, we got all dressed up and met the rest of the people in the hostel drank beer for the market across the street, and headed towards OPIUM. The club is amazing. Started off relatively mellow, but then the dancers came out, the drinks flowed, and the second dance floor opened up, the music tripled in volume and we danced like mad with who ever was close to you at that stage till about 4 or 5 I can't remember. We got a cab home and passed out. Woke up the next day, went inside for breakfast, saw Julien, who then told us about San Juan and that we are all going.

Let me summarize San Juan for you - Myself, The Persian, Tania, Champagne, rum, fire on the beach, fireworks, thousands of people, The Italians, The Americans, The pommies, The Spanish, The Lebanese, The MexiCANS - hell yeah, guitars, dancing, swimming, the Persian passing, getting my ass kissed - literally, the rising sun of the longest day to come, pizza by the harbour, and a merry walk back to the hostel at 7am while chanting San Juan in mumbles and seeing passed out couples on benches everywhere. BEST PARTY OF MY LIFE.

Of course in between these two mad parties, The Persian and I managed to go to The Picasso museum, the MNAC (Musea Nacional dArt de Catalunya) - This is where I fell asleep on the stairs while lying on the warm tiles outside listing to a guy playing spanish music on a guitar after sketching him, Palau Nacional de Montjuic, all of Gaudi's buildings, including the Sagrada Familia and park Guell, Sarria, Plaza d"Espanya, various different parks, and plaza's and restaurants, and Irish pubs for the footie, private galleries, and tones of walking around. Not even to mention the great photo's I took, can't wait to get them developed and to get the digitals on my laptop.

All in all I have fallen in love with Barcelona, and I will def be returning there, hopefully for 4 or 6months, just to paint and design. I have made some friends, who has offered me a place to stay and who has good friends that are in the art circles in Barcelona. So I will def be taking the offer and returning, hopefully in a year or so.

We met up with Julien at the airport. Our flight got delayed by about a hour or more. sat around, we were all really sad to leave, Julien more so. And I can imagine how Barcelona can creep into your heart in 6 months.

After arriving in Paris the three of us got some underground tickets and made our way into Paris, we got off at our stop, and Julien continued to his flat. The Persian and I got off at volontaires stop and walked to the hostel from there. It was even hotter in Paris than in Barcelona! Anyhow, we got up to our room, and saw glitter, crazy huge heels and feathers, sceptical of who our new roomies where, we headed out to find some food, having been delayed we only arrived in Paris around 8 and got to the hostel around 10 or 11. Being Paris, all the restaurants where closing. - unlike Barcelona where everything is open almost all the time. We ending up buying some toast things and cheese and headed back to the hostel. Our roomies. - two male transvestites from Singapore, in Paris for the gay parade. This was quite an experience.

The following night I got a migraine while walking to meet up with Julien and his friends, The Persian and I went looking for a pharmacy- and as we asked a family for direction the wife pulled out some pills that are specifically for migraines, she was very friendly and gave me an entire strip, explaining that I must only take one, since two will trip me out and make me fall asleep. So I took one, ate a pizza and within 20min I felt like I was on cloud 9, no migraine, no pains whatsoever. Just happiness. We met up with Julien and some of his friends (Among them, Marion a really nice french girl, and Adam, the guy who offered to organize me a place to stay in Barcelona with his friends, as he is also going back there end of this year) in the park by the Eiffel tower- people everywhere, wine and beer as far as the eye can see, played guitar the Persian got a little hammered. Amazing night in front of a shining Eiffel tower.

The following night the two transvestites left and we got two nice girls from California as roomies, we ended up taking a "nap"which lasted until 10 the next morning... this was the result of about 3 hours sleep every night before. (on average)

In between our evening activities we saw the Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triomphe, walked down the Champs - Elysees, saw the grand Palais, (Palais de la Découverte), Place de la Concorde, Jardin des Tuileries, Musée du Louvre, Centre Pompidou (by far my fav - fucking amazing art), the Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur (amazing) - This is where the persian had a crepe with enough nutella to feed a small population for a year- on the night before we left Julien and his friends met up with us near our hostel, well just down the street, where we ended up chilling on the sidewalk drinking bottles of wine, then said our goodbyes. The next day we went to Jardin du Luxembourg and ate fresh cherries on the grounds, watched kids playing with their little sail boats in the fountain. beautiful.

The Persian and I headed back to the Hostel got our bags and made our way back to Holland. I will miss Barcelona the most, Paris was good, but nothing can beat Barce.

I will forever remember this trip, and the friends I made great people great parties and places. Amazing.

Forever in my heart. And in photo's.


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