I'm on the Pursuit of Fall

A quick play on words from Kid Cudi's song "Pursuit of Happyness" (link)...but lately, I have been on the pursuit of fall. Fall is easily my favorite season. The crisp air, the crunch of leaves beneath your feet, gameday/tailgating at UNC with friends, Indian/Pakistani Thanksgiving with my family, the first frost, cool morning runs...I could go on and on...

Unfortunately, Barcelona does not celebrate fall. The temparate climate, lack of trees, humidity, and late mornings are all new experiences which are enjoyable, but form a routine that gets tiring. The past two weekends, the rest of Team USA and I ventured outward....here are our stories:

Montserrat

Over the Dia de los Santos Puente, we took off for a daytrip to Montserrat, the Catholic Monestary outside of BCN. The train ride was long and pretty industrial, but as we turned the final corner, you could see the base of the mountains, and at the very top, Montserrat. It's a common saying that you don't pass into Catalan adulthood until you climb Montserrat to see the sunrise or the sunset. To confirm our transformation, we made our way up the 1200 stairs and twisting trails. The weather changed 20 degrees from base to peak, but for the first time in a long time, I saw greenery, trees, and the colors of the leaves. It reminded me a little of the mountains in NC...

We enjoyed a nice little picnic at the top, and proceeded to climb a few easy rock faces. After completing our circle, we spent a little time sightseeing and began our trip back home. All in all, a great break from the usual.

Girona-Cadaques-Figueres

Team USA needed out of BCN, and after some great recommendations from friends and colleagues, we rented a little VW and hit the road. Getting out of the city was a bit tricky, especially with the Pope making his way to town for the opening of La Sagrada Familia. First stop: Figueres

Figueres was Salvador Dali's hometown and the site of his museum. We arrived in Figueres, had an amazing (buffet) lunch, and walked to the museum. Unfortunately, they closed for a few hours for "unknown maintenance" so we hit the road for Cadaques.

Dali's house is right outside Cadaques, and it's where he lived til his death. He invited many famous artists to stay with him, including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Antoni Pitxot...it was a brotherhood of sorts. Cadaques is a small town on Costa Brava, known for it's rocky coast. We explored that for a solid couple hours, making our way over the caves and down to the sea. The amazing rocks are formed by the tramontane, the strong winds from the north which come for days at a time, making walking outdoors impossible.

After a coffee break, we made our way to the hotel. Our town was deserted as it's offseason in the Brava, but we were accompanied with two buses filled with retired Spaniards. After a quick bite, we passed out...exhausted from the day. Sunday morning we were on a mission to see the Dali Museum in Figueres. We got there early and spent at least 2 hours walking around. It was the definition of sensory overload, but I enjoyed learning about the strange artist from Catalonia...

Our last stop was Girona, a town 120km outside of BCN. They were wrapping up their city festival so we stopped by the tents and mercados to check out the scene. Fall in Catalonia means new tastes and smells...chestnuts, breads, and new sweets to try. Our friend Azareen showed us a little of the town, including a great Catalonian/Moraccan lunch spot, and a trendy Jack Johnsony coffee shop. Izzy spent most of her time picking up leaves to take back to BCN...I told you we missed fall...

Another week down...I've registered for my GMAT...d-day is on the horizon friends! Well wishes and positive thinking are always welcome.