This was a very transient week! It began in Gent, where I finished exploring the city with my wonderful Couchsurfing host Riet. Next, I flew to Paris, where I toured major landmarks while being hosted by my cousin Evan. (And a surprise visit with my great friend Claire!)
The week ended with a flight to Barcelona, where I met up with Pere, a friend I made my first day in Berlin. What a great week!
Wednesday, March 6
Today I woke up early, and left to explore the city when my host, Ciska, left for work.
After getting some work done in a cafe downtown, I went to meet Riet, my Couchsurfing host from the day before. She gave me a tour of Ghent, a city she was very familiar with. We explored the cobblestone streets, ancient cathedrals, and the downtown castle.
That evening I cooked dinner for my couch surfing host and we got to know each other over a bottle of wine.
Thursday, March 7
I took a morning bus to Paris, and my cousin Evan was at the station to greet me when I arrived. I was so grateful to have someone navigate the Paris metro system for me!
We bought groceries, and I cooked Evan the same vegetarian curry dish that my Couchsurfing host had made me. It was delicious, and so good to catch up with a great friend.
Friday, March 8
Today Evan had class, so I went to explore the city on my own. I chose to tour the Musey d’Orsay instead of the Louvre, and spent time with works of art by Monet & Van Gogh.
I spent the afternoon wandering the streets of Paris, and stopping at landmarks like the Notre Dame and the Palace of Justice.
In the evening, Evan and I caught up over a bottle of cheap French wine - the perfect day.
Saturday, March 9
Today Evan took me to major attractions in the city. The Eiffel Tower was extremely exciting - and Evan told me about all the rats that call the grassy areas nearby home.
We went to the Arc de triumph and I learned about the yellow vest protest, which was pushing back on a government that is passing legislation to favor the rich. Finally we grabbed coffee and hiked up to the Sacre Cœur, which was a beautiful cathedral overlooking the city.
I raised my camera to take a panorama, then hesitated as my lens took sight on a lot of run down apartments that filled the entire view. “Evan this looks like a bad neighborhood.”
“Yeah... it kind of is. Welcome to Paris!”
After walking all day, we came home completely exhausted.
Sunday, March 10
My dear friend Claire posted on her Snapchat story that she had arrived in Paris, and my heart soared! I had no idea she was coming to Paris, and she didn’t know I was already there. We met up at the Shakespeare cafe and bookshop, where I met her lovely roommate HP. We spent the afternoon catching up, and I joined them at the Roudin museum. We got to see the Thinker statue, which was awesome.
I’ll be honest, I hated everything else about this museum. Sculpture is not my cup of tea, apparently.
We cooked dinner in their hostel and talked until it was dark, then I navigated the Paris metro back to Evan’s apartment.
Monday, March 11
After some grilled cheese sandwiches, Evan took navigated me through the metro so I could catch my bus to the Beauvais airport.
I took RyanAir, which was horrible, but eventually landed in Barcelona. I had no idea what I was going to do in Barcelona.
Using the airport WiFi, I figured out how to take a bus to the city center.
Using the airport bus WiFi, I found a cheap hostel with a good location.
An hour later, I showed up at the desk of said Hostel and asked if they had an available bed, and then proceeded to sleep all day.
Tuesday, March 12
In Berlin I had made a friend named Pere who called Barcelona home. He told me he was free to meet up and show me the city, and I was overjoyed to take him up on this offer!
We met at Plaza Catalonia, then left to explore Barri Gòtic, Barri del Raval, at platja de la Barceloneta. We walked down La Rambla, visited the beach, and he told me about the history of his favorite Cathedral.
He helped me order tapas, which is a type of Spanish appetizer: Patates braves, mandonguilles, pa amb tomàquet, and seitons. He also helped me pick out a traditional Catalonian biscuit from a bakery. We talked more about Catalonian independence, which he strongly supported.
I couldn’t believe that in the two nights I had spent in hostels since arriving in Europe, one of those nights I had met someone from Barcelona.
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