This week has been a week to explore. I have found out in order to get to know a city, you have to get yourself lost and try to find you way back. I cannot seem to get lost anymore - which suggests that I may be starting to see Barcelona as my home. It is such a wonderful city, and certainly the architecture capital. In each direction you look, you can see something inspiring, impressive, yet completely different forms of architecture from the last direction you just looked in.

I have been to see the Bull Ring, which has been converted into a viewing point, in which you can see the whole of the city, with restaurants to have your spanish tapas. The Bull Ring has been converted into a shopping centre, similar to that in Birmingham, however with the viewing dome of a shopping centre in Belfast. Down at the beach on Sunday, we stood and watched an airshow, the spanish equivalent of the 'Red Arrows', that was absolutely amazing. On our walk up the Diagnol, we walked past three Starbucks. I have realised that I may be 706 miles from home, but I am so close to so many things that we share between our cities. I think its these things that reassure you of who you are and where you are from, and therefore allow you to explore further that you perhaps would if you felt completely out of your comfort zone.

I spent the afternoon yesterday with two friends from home, that have been here for a month already. They took me for tapas, and then we walked along the beach. Along our route, they gave me a list of things that I must not miss. For example, the Magic Fountains, the Olympic Village and the Gothic part of the city Juame 1. They expressed how beautiful the city was. At this point, I felt like I wanted to stay to explore for longer than four months, whereas five days before I had been panicking about moving away for this time.

We don't start uni until next Monday, so I am lucky having this whole week to explore and get to know my new home. I went to visit the University in Gracia earlier this week. However I couldn't get past reception, so I didn't manage to see much of it. It took me 20 mins to get there by metro and walking, which is considerably less than my usual hour walk, bus and tube ride away from Chelsea. Everything is so close here. Wherever you are in the city, you are only 10 mins from everything, which is going to make it so much easier to explore.

The "Red Arrows"

Me and Mum with the planes heading upwards

Until next time - Hasta Luego x