Monday Ramblings!

I know I said I was going to write a post about my parents visit but I want to write that one properly and I don't really have time right now to do that, but I wanted to post something! So I have written a little ramble for you to read.

Firstly, I have to get it over and done with early - HOW IS IT NOVEMBER ALREADY & IT'S SO AMAZING I CAN STILL GO OUT IN A T-SHIRT! Seriously I can't believe its November for 2 reasons. One being how can time be going fast that quickly and that I only have 6 weekends left in Barcelona or something crazy like that? And Secondly, I never thought it would still be this warm, its crazy nice still. I don't know if I have just been lucky this year but I would definitely recommend coming this time of year to visit this area of Spain. The tourists are less, the weather is lovely and its much more pleasurable walking around when its not 'too' hot ad full of people. (But I do kind of want it too get a bit more autumn-y now strange as that may sound!). (I wrote a lot of this yesterday, ans surprise surprise it CHUCKED IT DOWN today - maybe it is November now..)

I also recently read a book called the 'Shadow of the Wind' by Carlos Ruiz Zafón which came with very high recommendations from some friends. I really enjoyed it, and as I read quite a lot here (especially on public transport) I read it super fast! I kind of which I hadn't because now I don't have anything good to follow it. And the main reason I was told to read it whilst I am here is as it is set in Barcelona, and I have decided reading a book set in a place you have spent any significant amount of time inn makes the story feel a bit more real whatever the genre. And to be honest I haven't come across many (any) books set in Southampton or Leighton Buzzard, so it was a highly enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone who has spent any amount of time here in BCN purely for that reason! And also if you can recommend me a new book to read I would be highly grateful - my kindle is currently looking a bit sparse....

Finally a quick catch up with what I have been doing. Yesterday I went to Palau Guell, which is a house designed by Gaudi as one of his first commissions. It wasn't quite as I was expecting, but that was probably as the only other Gaudi architecture I have seen on the inside is the Sagrada Famillia which really is in a league of its own. This house was darker and less colourful than I was expecting on the inside with a lot of wood paneling ect:

Inside the Palau Guell! 

But the terrace was amazing, unfortunately the views aren't that amazing from there now as I think new building have probably been built since it was designed but all the chimneys were so colourfull! I am not sure I would pay to go inside though, we got in for free as it was the 1st Sunday of the month.

On the Roof. Shame the view isn't better but it was so much fun (and blue skies as you can see)

I have also drunk a significant amount of coffee, tried to read a lot of stuff about carboranes and written some words for my dissertation (its already verging on being too long... and I have barley started on the results but I wouldn't be able to write any other way!)

So really this post wasn't as exciting as I would have hoped, I thought I had done more but I will write a post very soon when I have a little more time about my parents visit. Be prepared for lots of photos of food!

How has it been over a month?!?!

I will never get used to everything being shut on a Sunday - what are you meant to do for one whole day of your precious weekend! Well I guess I will have to use it to finally write another blog post! (I didn't realise how long it had been since the last one)

First a weather update as I can't seem to escape the news of it being a bit of a heatwave in the UK. It is getting very very hot here now, I think I was treated with a mild welcome when I arrived but it's bearable! Things here are made for when it is hot so the lab is air conditioned and my flat has shutters to block the sun out but it's still not easy to escape the heat especially at night. But a cheeky glass of wine before bed generally helps with sleep! 

Last weekend didn't consist of much touristy stuff but I met a few of my housemates friends near the beach, had a drink and was reintroduced to a chicken sandwich. Yes I caved and I do pretty much eat meat when I am offered it here which is quiet often. But I think we all knew (at least I did) that I wouldn't last so long as being a veggie and wannabe foodie in Spain. I can't live of eggs you know!

Yesterday I went for the second walking tour offered by the same company as the last one I went on and it was also very interesting. It was all about Gaudí, who if you don't know is the architect you can't avoid here in Barca, his buildings and designs are all over the city with every other postcard having his works on and a number of museums dedicated to him. I was a bit skeptical because I'm not that big on my art ect but having a knowledgeable person explain it all to you, especially pointing out what you are looking at, is 100x more interesting. I also was able to chat to some people travelling in the area this time, which was nice as the last tour was mainly older couples. 

My favorite Gaudí building I saw on the tour - Casa Batlló

Now referring back to the title of this post I can not believe I have been here over a month now. Crazy. Don't know if this has been the longest or fastest month of my life. It feels like a lifetime ago I got of that plane entering a foreign country where I knew basically nobody with a poor grasp of the native language and a return flight booked for December. That first week was tough. I think I was a little/very naive about quite how challenging this would be. I have to admit now I probably rang home more in my first couple of weeks than a whole year at Uni. But at the same time the weeks are flying by, especially in the world of research a month isn't very long, and my Saturdays are quickly used up with such a cool city on my doorstep to explore. 

6 months still sounds like a daunting amount of time to me - but I am breaking it down in my head into smaller manageable segments. And once summer is over I will have to throw myself head first into working, as both me and my PhD supervisor will leave in December so there will be a lot to get done. 

Quick snap of most of the people in my lab. (Sandals and shorts are fine here but I can't quite bring myself to leave jeans and leggings) 

I am home in a week and half now (still doesn't actually seem like I'll actually be on a flight to the UK anytime soon). I am looking forward to some belated birthday celebrations (hint hint if you thought you could get away with not buying me an extravagant 21st gift) and then a weeks holiday by the beach with my family for lots of food and relaxation. I will try and write another post before then, potentially about the joke of me trying to bake a cake to take to work on Friday. Firstly it's too hot to really put the oven on so hello late night baking and I don't have any scales or correct equipment (apart from a mixing bowl and a whisk) so it's going to contain ALOT of guess work and improvisation! But that's a skill you learn to acquire in a lab with double the amount of students than usual! 

Plus I have also got the bug to do some travelling next summer recently! It would be amazing to visit more of Spain and Europe (I really fancy Italy and central Europe).