Spanish Cosmetics Haul.

I have been dying to purchase Spanish cosmetics since I booked the flight back in March. Well today, I finally got the opportunity to get some products that I know I wont be able to find in the U.S.

I was invited to go shopping with Kristine and her co-workers, Pau and Maria. They are so sweet and in their twenties. They know all the great shopping places. Maria is a model and used her connections to get us 10 percent off at this hidden treasure called Gotic Productes de Maquillatge. This is where a lot of her makeup artists purchase their makeup. It was like a warehouse for cosmetics! I. WAS. IN. HEAVEN.

At first, I was a little intimidated because there was just so many things to look at. I ended up buying an under eye correcter that Pau recommended, a mascara that leaves my lashes long, voluminous AND soft, a stippling brush and a coral lipstick. (Prices shown are after the discount Maria scored for us).

This trip only solidified my dream of doing public relations in the beauty industry. :)

Usually, I am drawn to concealers and not correctors because they just come in one color - a salmon color. But, this does wonders for all skintones. A little of this goes such a long way. I will think of Pau, and how she raved about it, every time I put it on. (€ 8.59)

This mascara (€ 7.15) is waterproof and a dry formula. Two characteristics that, again, I'm not usually drawn to. But I tried this at the store and it made my lashes full and soft. After I tried it, the rest of the girls joined the bandwagon and purchased it too!!

This stippling brush (€ 9.05) will be perfect for my foundation!! It is so incredibly soft.

Coral lipstick (€ 8.19) - So smooth and looks like I am wearing a lip gloss on top. I think a coral lip is perfect for the summer. Just remember to keep the eye makeup light and let the lips be the star of the show :)

Los Campeones!! Touring the Barca Stadium.

I'm a fan. That's it. I don't think America has anything that is equivalent to futbol here in Spain. Sure, there is American football. Sure, there is the SuperBowl, high school pep rallies and college tailgates. But still, Barcelona has this passion for futbol that is indescribable. They look and treat players as if they were gods. An inspiration. A hope that pushes through the worries of a poor economy, racial differences and the basic hardships of life.

I am so happy I had the opportunity to tour this stadium. It is sooooo incredibly beautiful. Unlike traditional stadiums that simply have locker rooms, offices and concessions, this stadium has a museum dedicated to the players. It holds trophies, photos and memorable playbacks. The tour also included a visit of the presidential suite, the tunnel where the players run out of, and of course a chance to see the field up close.

This reminded me so much of football season back at USF and how much I MISS it. It's a whole different culture in the fall and it brings a sort of unity that, like Barcelona, pushes through the worries of a poor economy, racial differences and the basic hardships of life. I cannot wait until I get back to school, start working with my G3's at home games, and getting to know our prospective football players!

Now I just need to find a Barca Jersey ;)

Campeones 2011!!!!!!

Dios mio Pique, te amo. ;)

Tarragona, Casa Batllo and my amazing burger.

I had a really packed three-day weekend. All of Barcelona celebrated Sant Joan – a midsummer solstice celebration which marks the first day of summer. Besides New Years Eve, this is the biggest party of the year. People huddle around bonfires, spend time with family, party on the beach and go to night clubs. On Thursday, I went with a group of interns to a club called Opium and later to the beach. There were lots of fireworks and there are even some going on today – and its Monday!

On Friday, I visited Casa Batllo, one of Gaudi’s houses. There isn’t one straight line in this house. Ballasters are carved to perfectly fit hands, chimneys are covered in mosaic tile and stained glass windows surround the house to allow natural light to creep in. The house was spectacular and photos didn’t do it any justice.

On Saturday I visited Tarragona. This is the southernmost city in all of Catalonia. It is filled with ruins, medieval neighborhoods and beaches that remind me of Florida. I never realized how lucky I am to be a Floridian and live so close to beautiful beaches. Here is a picture at one of the ruins. This particular site was once a circus.

On Sunday, there was a lot of getting lost and visiting a boring museum. But all that really mattered was this delicious burger!!! My lord was it goooood!!!

Peace and Closure.

This weekend I re-visited Montserrat and finally got to go inside the infamous monastery that we missed the first time around. It was part of the weekend excursion to Costa Brava, Spain. I will be blogging about the entire weekend tomorrow, but tonight a much-needed part of the trip will be highlighted.

Outside of this sacred monastery, I lit two candles in memory of two very important people who have impacted my life. It was the most emotional part of my trip, but it ended it with a sense of peace and closure - much needed closure.

Costa Brava.

On April 18th, two months ago, the Stephanie and Kristine Spain Luncheon was initiated to help raise money for an additional excursion to Costa Brava Spain. We were able to raise $600, and that covered the excursion perfectly.

That excursion was this past weekend and it was absolutely amazing (I have to start using another word besides amazing - like, phenomenal? idk.) This trip was well worth the additional $300.

We also went to the Dali Museum. It was really... cool. That is the only thing I can say about it. It was a cool museum that always kept you interested. It wasn't the typical art gallery. The museum itself was his art. After the museum we headed Besalu - a very cute medieval looking town. We shopped a little then went to the hotel.

The hotel was beautiful and I was shocked to hear that the company I intern for represents it!!!! It had great beds, air conditioner, DELICIOUS breakfast and dinner and decor that was jaw-dropping. It was right on the beach and located in Palamos - a province of Costa Brava. The town was so relaxing and beautiful.

On Saturday, we went to Museo del Pescau (Fish Museum), attended a cooking demonstration and went on a guided tour of Palamos with a very animated "Mountain Man" named Jordy. On Sunday, Father's Day, we went to Girona and Monteserrat (again).

At Girona, we had some WONDERFUL lunch and again, did some shopping. I bought Turron - best described as a spanish nougat typically made with honey, sugar, egg whites and some type of nut. My mom loves it and I bought her two kinds. I tried some at the store and it was delicious.

My trip here just keeps getting better and better. I have made such good friends and have seen such beautiful places. I really don't want to leave. I have four weeks left and I will be taking advantage of every minute I have left here in Barca. ;) Enjoy some of my favorite pics from this weekend. There will be more on my facebook by tomorrow :)

Montserrat & Flamenco.

Yesterday I hiked Montserrat and I am feeling it today. Actually my legs aren't too sore. I expected Def Con 5 this morning. In total we hiked 6.3 miles. That is probably the most I have ever done. I feel like the hikes in Costa Rica were shorter - but then again, those hikes were steeper which made me extremely sore.

So as most of you know I am athletically challenged. This makes it no surprise that I slipped and fell on my tail bone on the way down. But hey, no worries. I had brought Tylenol because I had a feeling that I would fall. It didn't stop me though. I kept going and even went on a seperate trail to see a holy cave that honors god's ressurection.

It was sooooo cold!!! I went thinking that it would be 87 degrees. NOT. It was in the 60s and even colder at the top. Apparently Google isn't smart enough to give me the right temperature for the right Montserrat. So I went in a tank and shorts and had to buy a fleece jacket. I actually like the jacket. At first I thought I had bought it for nothing because I instantly got hot as I started to hike, but once we got to the top I was so grateful.

Tonight we went to a town called Raval. After a short tour, we went to go see live flamenco. Those dancers are so talented!! This is a photo of us with a giant cat found in Raval. Wish I could tell you what it signifies, but I was too focused on getting a picture with it and didn't listen to our adviser :)

My favorite ladies in Spain!

Typical Tourist.

Yesterday I met up with some of the new interns and went on the Barcelona Bus Tour. This just made me fall in love with the city even more. It took us to the beach, Sagrada Familia, inside the city center and various other landmarks within Barcelona. The bus was a typical two level bus and we sat on the top. It was so relaxing and at one point, I fell asleep! HA!

Later on that night, I met up with some more new interns, has some drinks and headed to a club called Catwalk. Great music, great people, and great fun!! Definitely one of my best nights here in Barca. I like saying that... Barca (sounds so chic and just rolls off the tongue :)).

Today, we finally made it to the beach. I got a henna tattoo. The Indian guys who were pacing the beach looking for customers didn't know how to spell Barcelona! That's like me not knowing how to spell America, Florida or the United States. What the heck people? Anywho, I was able to talk the price down from €25 to €10 :) So at least it was a bargain.

Tomorrow I will being going to Montserrat with a group of friends. Should be fun. It's known for being an amazing hiking location. Take a look at some of the pictures of last night and of the bus tour and keep checking my facebook for more photos. I wish I could add ALL of the pics from the bus tour on here. At the end, I added a couple that caught my eye.

Other interns, Maria and Danielle <3

Roomies. We are so lucky to have Johnny. He's our body gaurd :)

Kristine and I before we head out.

This is one of the hotels the company I intern for represents. It's the closest one too :) I saw it on the bus tour and screamed a little :)

Besos that way? OK!