the early cessation of classes left me with a rare and very unexpected opportunity - to go anywhere i wanted! but it had to be the cheapest place to get to. and it had to be warm. and starbucks to study in and subway restaurants to eat at were a priority. for reasons less self-centered than these i really wanted to get into gaza, but alas the only possible way to do that was to feign a career as a journalist, which was a little risky. not too concerned about personal safety, just more, you know, getting deported or something silly. someone i know may or may not have found a way, proving that anything is possible. but this time i made the easier decision and decided to fly to barcelona, spain for a week, before heading to america. got there via kyiv, ukraine, where i spent a night. it was a really nice week in barcelona. i stayed in a rather luxurious art-deco hostel where i slept in a lot and hung out with some random new friends from germany and holland and even america! it was just really great to finally be able to speak english to some new people who weren't medical students, as much as i love my fellow medical students. studied a bit, though not as much as i should have. multiple 3 hour runs along the beach which were glorious. some museums and free walking tours and gaudi's art all over the place. it was an interesting time to be there as the region, catalonia, had a big election in which a majority demonstrated their desire to secede from spain.
one day i went to an ancient monastery on an other-worldly serrated mountain called montserrat. amazing view; highly recommend.
another day i took a bus to a tiny country high in the snowy pyrenee mountains called andorra. admittedly mostly because it was a country that i had yet to set foot in. while there i went to the most amazing spa/swimming pool facility called caldea, where there were all kinds of hot tubs, water jets of varying intensity, saunas with infrared lighting, hamam-themed steam rooms, outdoor swirl pools and jacuzzis, icelandic-style cold pools with ice being constantly shaved into them, aztecian serenity pools with mood lighting and unbelievably relaxing music - you get the idea! it was amazing and the most expensive 3 hours of my life but i justified it because i just left a war zone - right?! beyond the spa andorra can easily consume half a day of your time - it is famous for lacking the taxes and regulations found elsewhere in europe. it is the place to go if you want to buy cheap alcohol or gourmet food or get your teeth whitened without paying taxes or smoke in department stores.
it was an excellent unexpected week!
one day i went to an ancient monastery on an other-worldly serrated mountain called montserrat. amazing view; highly recommend.
another day i took a bus to a tiny country high in the snowy pyrenee mountains called andorra. admittedly mostly because it was a country that i had yet to set foot in. while there i went to the most amazing spa/swimming pool facility called caldea, where there were all kinds of hot tubs, water jets of varying intensity, saunas with infrared lighting, hamam-themed steam rooms, outdoor swirl pools and jacuzzis, icelandic-style cold pools with ice being constantly shaved into them, aztecian serenity pools with mood lighting and unbelievably relaxing music - you get the idea! it was amazing and the most expensive 3 hours of my life but i justified it because i just left a war zone - right?! beyond the spa andorra can easily consume half a day of your time - it is famous for lacking the taxes and regulations found elsewhere in europe. it is the place to go if you want to buy cheap alcohol or gourmet food or get your teeth whitened without paying taxes or smoke in department stores.
it was an excellent unexpected week!
