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Canada thwarts a terrorist attack in the country linked to Al-Qaeda.  Canadian police arrested two suspects in Toronto and Montreal.  

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Housing deficit within spain will reach 1.96 million homes by 2015

 

My Neighborhood: l'Eixample Dreta

I live in the l'Eixample Dreta district in Barcelona, Spain on Passeig de Sant Joan.  In Catalan, Eixample means the extension.  This is the district between Ciutat Vella (old city) and Gracia.  It is the area to the right of Passeig de Gracia.  It is in walking distance of central Place Catalunya and La Sagrada Familia.  This is the area to which modernism was born.  It was considered to be a new form of architecture, and new way from the medieval style.  This area was built in the mid-19th century when the old town area started to reach maximum capacity.  The first homes were build at the intersection of Consell de Cent and Roger de Lluria.  This area was designed by Cerdá who was an engineer and urban planner.  The streets broaden at every intersection to provide enhanced visibility and more space for short term parking.  Passeig de Sant Joan is one of the main avenues in the Eixample district.  It from from the lower end of Barrio Gracia to the Arc del Triumph.  There are a variety of way of transportation everywhere from buses, trains, taxi's, to even my own two feet.  This neighborhood has so much to offer from a public library, a hospital, a public market, a flower store, and so much more.
This neighborhood has made my abroad experience the most amazing it could have possibly been. Living in a residential area, at night the streets are incredibly quite and safe.  I would not be afraid to walk through the streets at any given hour of the day or night.  My favorite thing to do is explore.  Walking through the streets and finding cute cafes and restaurants to try gets more and more exciting.  My favorite places in the neighborhood are Creyon Cafe, which I go to at least once a day, and Dow Jones Bar.
There are so many things that I am going to miss about this city, and so many things that I am never going to forget.  I have made life time friendships and memories that will stay with me forever.  Barcelona has become my home away from home.

La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia is a large roman catholic church located in Barcelona, Spain, designed by a Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi.  Although it is still incomplete, the church is a UNESCO world heritage site, considered a  minor Basilla by Pope Benedict XVI.  The construction of Sagrada Familia began in 1882, where Gaudi became involved in 1883, where he took over the project, transforming it with his architectural and engineering style by combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms.  

Gaudi devoted his last years to this project, and at the time of his death at the age of 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.  Its construction has progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s.  Construction only passed the midpoint in 2010, with some of the projects greatest challenged still remaining, with an anticipated completion date of 2026.  

Upon arrival to Barcelona, this was the first place that I wanted to visit.  When I would see pictures online on social media websites of students from previous years, I knew that this was gonna be an experience that I would never forget. The first time that I went to Sagrada familia the line was down the block and around the corner, at least a 30-45 minute wait to get into church.  The second time I went, I had the same problem.  The third time I visited, I was told that you can buy and print the tickets for a specific time to go inside, without waiting on a line. I couldn't even imagine what the inside of the church was going to look like.  Upon entering, my mouth dropped. It was nothing like I imagined.  By looking up at the ceiling, you are able to picture exactly what Gaudi had put in his plans. He designed the roof to look like trees and branches.  The details at the top of the nave are impecable. Every detail was incredibly well thought out, and you tell just by looking at this church from the outside.  The stain glass windows also reflect the sun light into the church allowing it the brighten on the inside. This church was something remarkable.  Its size, modernism, its beauty, all are incredibly breathtaking. The most interesting aspect of this church, is that Gaudi is buried on the bottom floor. This is not an area that the public is allowed to enter, but are able to see from a distance.  This is by far one of the most amazing sites in Barcelona, and something that shouldn't be missed out on.  Its history and relevance to the world is amazing.  I would definitely recommend a visit to this masterpiece.  

FC Barcelona vs. Mallorca

Before coming to live in Barcelona, I was alway told that I could not live here for four months without attending one of the amazing FC Barcelona soccer games.  Not only was this an incredible cultural experience, but Barcelona is known to be one of the best teams in the world.   My jaw dropped as I first walked into the stadium.  I had never experienced something like this before.  The stands were filled with an overflow of screaming and cheering fans.  These fans, are not fans that you would ever find in the United States.  The passion that these fans have for their team makes the game incredibly exciting to watch.  Many of the fans were decked out in FC Barcelona apparel, from scarves to jerseys.  I was lucky that the first game that I was able to attend, I was fortunate enough to sit in the 10th row.  I was able to enjoy this experience up close and personal.
The game that I went to see was on April 6th, 2013 FC Barcelona vs. Mallorca, when my mom came to visit me here in Barcelona. When the game started, I felt like a huge adrenaline rush.  When they scored their first goal, the roar of the crowd amazed me.  The stands went crazy everyone jumping out of their seats with excitement.  For this game, Messi was actually injured, and they still beat the other team.  The goals were scored one after another after another.  While the game was happening, the entire stadium was doing the wave, going around at least 4-5 times completely. Many of the fans were holding onto Catalan flags to show their proudness for their favorite team and culture.
After going to this game, it has given me an appreciation for the sport of soccer.  Prior to this experience, it had been my least favorite sport.  Now I continuously follow the scores and statistics of each game and players.  I know that when I go home to the United States, my love for FC Barcelona will remain. My expectations for this game were incredibly high, but this is an experience that I will never forget.

El Raval

The fourth and final field trip that we went on was to the narrow streets of El Raval.  This area is located on the other side of the historical neighborhood bordering Las Ramblas. This is an area that I did not know existed until I was brought there by Xavi.

As you walked down the streets, you saw many skateboarders, being that Barcelona is the skateboard capital of the world, this fit.

Prior to this field trip I was really unaware of the large history behind Barcelona city.  I was truly amazed with the amount of work that was put into the renovations to the city prior to the 1992 Olympics.  Before the Olympics, the area next to the Barcelona port was mainly occupied by drug dealers and people trying to encounter prostitutes.
The southern part of El Raval, near the port  also used to be famous and the cities red-light district.  However in 1988,  the government started a huge regeneration project and invested a lot of money in cleaning up the area, making it also become a lot safer. Approximately 15 years ago, this area that we visited was not the way it is today.  Years ago, this area acted as a boarder that ended the city.  Any streets existing beyond these streets, were not considered to be a part of the city.
While walking through this neighborhood, you could see that it was flooded with young people.  It has so much to offer, and so many activities to do.  This neighborhood is vibrant, historic, and full of personality.  This has also become fashionable, becoming the home of a lot of galleries, art studios, and trendy book shops, not to mention the imposing, MACBA (museum of modern art) and CCCB which is in the neighboring exhibition centre.
During this field trip, we were also brought to the University of Barcelona.  The University of Barcelona is a public university, located inside the city of Barcelona.  Students are able to walk into classes without prior knowledge of the profesor. They combine the values of tradition with its position as a university dedicated to innovation and teaching excellence.
While walking through the campus, you could see graffiti on some of the buildings. There were many buildings all of which are located in the same area.
 After each field trip that I have been on this semester, I feel as though I have explored Barcelona to a new level.  I enjoy learning about the streets and significance of each building.  It has really made my experience here a rememberable one. It is interesting to be immersed into a new culture and be educated on the place that us abroad students have been living in for the past four months.

La Ribera Quarter

Here are some questions and answers in response to the 3rd field trip that our class took to La Ribera Quarter:

1.  Make a list of five streets dedicated to craftsmanship or trades and describe them.  What were the “Els Gremis” (guilds)?

Corders street - make ropes for stuff like horses, la placa de la llana

Shepards come once a month here, guilds working with fabrics and they would establish price for wool that they would convert into rope. Workers would establish price, shepherds would leave town and workers started work

Carrer de Semolers – Made wheat

Carrer de los Candales – Candles were crafted here

Carrer dels Cotoners – Cotton was made here

Carrer dels Mirallers - Were rich if u had mirror very few people had - mirrors were made for church or rich people

A guild is essentially a group of workers who are all apart of the same profession.  It was very important to be apart of a guild while growing up and the family profession is passed down through the generations.  This was incredibly important during the medieval time period in Barcelona, because it helped give political power and was seen as a way of life.  Once their children were old enough, they would take on the same jobs as their parents.  They would train for three years as an “intern” and then pass an exam to prove that they qualify to become a member of that guild. 

2.     “La Casa-Taller” (The House-workshop) was the typical craftsmanship family house.  The same place to live and work.  Describe how spaces were organized in a “Casa-taller.”

Each guild lived in a building with two to three floors.  The workshop was located on the ground level.  There were big display windows that lead into the workshops.  On the side of the building there was usually a tile that represented the type of work that guild did.  The principal floor was the noble floor where the owner of the building or the richest person in the building lived; also known as the most comfortable floor to live on.  The windows on this floor were usually big, in order to help represent the wealth of that family.  The remaining floors in the building had small windows and incredibly tight and uncomfortable living quarters.  This was usually where the servants, and poorer people lived.  They usually served the people on the principle floor or worked in the workshop. 

3.     Observing the building of this area of Barcelona, mention some of the main architectural aspects that distinguish the craftsman work building to the industrial productions ones For example, materials, spaces or structures of the building and streets.

The obvious aspect of the architectural changes in the craftsmanship buildings to the industrial ones is the material that the architects decided to use to build them.  The older buildings are built with stone, which is thick, heavy, and incredibly difficult to build with.   During, and after, the Industrial Revolution the use of iron to build buildings became more prevalent.   This made these building look more modern, making it apparent of which building still remain intact before the Industrial Revolution.

4.     Find the cultural relation of these five places cited below to Catalan culture.  Take into account the different historical periods in each case.

Santa María del Mar: Santa Maria del Mar is located in the Ribera district of Barcelona built between 1329-1383.  It provides a great example of Catalan Gothic style. It also helps represent Catalan culture because it was built by working Catalan men.  Santa Maria del Mar is a symbol of Bourgeoisie in Barcelona and the middle class of the Middle Ages.  It also displays octagonal towers and simple walls.

El Mercat del Born: El Mercat del Born was made of iron and was Barcelona's principal wholesale market until the mid-1970s when the wholesalers were moved to Mercabarna on the city's outskirts.  Symbol of the 1800s mentality because it was made of iron.

El Fossá de les Moreres: El Fossa de les Moreres is a memorial plaza near Santa Maria del Mar built over a cemetery where defenders of the city were buried following the Siege of Barcelona at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714.  The eternal flame is always burning in remembrance of the fallen Catalans.  Several people associated with guilds died here defending Catalonia.  

La Ciutadella Park (The Fortress of Philip V by 1714): La Ciutadell Park was a fortress created by Philip V in 1714 after the War of the Spanish Succession.  The Citadel was created in order to maintain control over the city, and to hold the Catalan citizens from rebelling like they did in the previous century. 

5.     After September 11^th 1714 Philip V proclaimed the decrees of Nova Planta in Catalonia.  Mention the main changes in Catalan society doing a little research after the field study.

September 11, 1714, Philip V's enacted the Nueva Planta decrees banning all the main traditional Catalan political institutions and rights and merged its administration into that of the Crown of Castile as a province. However, the Bourbon monarchy allowed for Catalonia's civil law code to be maintained. With the exception of the loyal Basque Country, the new Bourbon king, Philip V of Spain, abolished the ancient privileges of all of Spain's medieval kingdoms, including the Crown of Aragon and with it, those of the Principality of Catalonia. Following the model of France, he imposed a unifying legislation and administration across Spain, as well as introducing the French Sallic Law and founding Spain's own Royal Academy in 1714.

6.     What is el Consolat de Mar or Llotja?

El Consolat de Mar was a quasi-judicial body set up in the Crown of Aragon, that later spread throughout the Mediterranean basin to administer maritime and commercial law.  Also refers to a celebrated maritime customs and ordinances in Catalan known in English as the Customs of the Sea.  In the 21st century el Conosolat de Mar is used for commercial arbitration service operated by the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and for a series of trade-promotion offices operated by the city of Barcelona.

Parc Güell

Parc Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on a hill of El Carmel in the Gracía district of Barcelona.  It was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and built from the years 1900- 1913.  The park was originally part of an unsuccessful housing site the idea of Count Eusebi Güel.  It has since been converted into a municipal garden.
I did not make it to Parc Güell until the 6th weekend of me being abroad.  The first two weekends that I was here, I was suffering from extreme jet lag and was not able to leave my apartment each day until 4pm.  When I finally arrived at this amazing architectural element, I could not believe the intricate details and time that was put into creating each and every inch of this park.  From the colored pieces of glass found on each statue such as the dragon is comparable to nothing that I have ever seen before.  The craftsmanship of the ceiling of the building was gorgeous. The curving benches, in the shape of a sea serpent, in the park area was something that caught my attention right when I saw it.  This is where groups of people gather to take pictures, engage in conversations, and appreciate the gorgeous view overlooking the entire city of Barcelona.  The placement of everything within this park was incredibly technical, detailed, and well thought out.

When it is nice and the sun is out, many people gather here to play games in the park.  There are many different levels and areas that were incredibly fun and interesting to explore. After being there for a second time, I was able to explore the park at a new level and fell in love with it once again.  Its beauty continues to intrigue me.
When my family comes to visit me, I plan on definitely bringing them here to this amazing place.  Anyone who has visited Parc Güell for their first time is just as smitten by its intricate detail as I was.  After visiting here, it has given me a greater interest and appreciation in seeing the rest of Gaudís buildings all over Barcelona.  His architecture and style, continuously surprises me each and every time.