Lamb heads, anyone?

The last couple days have brought about more adventures here in the city. We discovered the Boqueria, which is a gigantic, high-quality outdoor food market off Las Ramblas, we toured an older part of the city called el Raval neighborhood, and we caught sight of the famous "pooping man" at the mall by the beach. Rather than tell you about it through words, I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Above is the Arc de Triomf. We walk by it every morning on the way to class...there's another, more famous Arc de Triomf in Paris. Ours, however, is cooler. 

You can only be in Spain when you see a 30-foot statue of a pooping man inside a high-end mall. Spaniards are very proud of him...he is always seen in the back of the nativity scene doing his thing while the 3 wise men are chatting it up with Jesus. Spaniards see this as a symbol of the cycle of life...giving back to the earth. How about one for the front yard next year Mom?

This building made me feel as though I was back in Berkeley. It's in the Raval neighborhood, and it's been occupied for a number of years. From what I know about "okupación," it's a form of resistance in a public building where you take it over and the cops can't get you out. You also paint the building and forego showering. 

These are a couple of pictures from the Boqueria...this market was HUGE and filled with fresh produce. Everything you can think of. Many restaurants must do their shopping here in the beginning of the day. It was a bit pricey, but fun to walk around in.

Chocolate! Even the shiny looking pearls in the front right. The lighting in the market made everything look 10 times as good. 

Except this. 

This is the view from the top of our residencia in the Poble Sec district. Behind us, you can see that it's not the wealthiest part of town. Don't be fooled though, because it's not too run down. There are plenty of nice shops in this area, and it's pretty safe.

This is the view off the south side of our roof...pretty cool, huh? It's the Palace of Catalonia, and it's been turned into the national museum of art. 

So, things are going well here in Barcelona. Two of Five classes have gotten started, and every day has been relaxing, adventurous and sunny. Tonight I'm going out for tapas with the other groups led by our Spanish GAs. I'll probably try some interesting stuff!