Jun 1 (Tues) - Parliament of Catalonia

After class today, I went home to eat lunch but I realized I needed groceries so I ran across the street to the store. They had just put out fresh seafood, so I decided to buy some to prepare lunch! I bought langostinos (prawns) and musculos (mussels). My total grocery bill was around 5.60 euros or so. (not a whole lot for the quality and quantity!)

I steamed the prawns and mussels together and added a little salt because I could not find any "Old Bay" seasoning :). After 5 mins, they were completely done! They were so delicious--its amazing how such as simple meal can be so good!


My roommates and I signed up for a free tour of the Parliament of Catalonia through our study abroad program (Catalonia is an autonomous community within Spain-Barcelona is located within this "community"). We dressed up and took the metro across town. The Parliament is located somewhat inside a zoo area, strangely enough--but it is beautifully surrounded by lush greenery and statues. As you first walk through the gates, there is a monument consisting of a waterfall and vertical fountains. When you get inside Parliament, the design creates a feeling of extreme opulence. Details of the enormous doors, the wood work of the ceiling, and the marble walls and columns are all signs that the people who built that place were very powerful and wealthy. We sat in a meeting room as a group and had a short lesson on the power struggle between Catalonia and "Spain". While Catalonia is within the borders of Spain and is under its laws, for the most part, Catalonia fights to retain its culture and certain separation from the rest of Spain.

Our group then moved to the room which used to be the monarch's throne room. The room had several gigantic crystal chandeliers and was clad in marble and engraved wood. I sat in the chair where the agricultural counselor for Catalonia sits during Parliament procedure. The seat has a phone that can be used to call several people, including the president of catalonia, and it has buttons used for voting as well.

After we finished our tour of Parliament, we took another metro to Las Ramblas district in search of food. We first stumbled upon a candy store called "Happy Pills" where you can buy a pill bottle or first aid kit and fill it with as much candy as you can fit into it. Then, we found a place that served tapas (small snack-sized food items). I ordered a skewer of monkfish and prawns, a dish of avocado and cheese in a sauce, and tomato toast. For dessert, we all had chorros with chocolate. Chorros are similar to elephant ears in taste, and you dip them in a thick, creamy, chocolate drink. Delicious!