Birthday Extravaganza

Alli has finally turned the ripe age of 21! And being that it is tradition to go out and make poor decisions on your 21st birthday, a grand party was planned. However, due to Alli's annoyingly large class load and a looming presentation the day after her birthday, Cole and Judith, two of their friends Maura and Susie, and Alli and I went to a wonderful restaurant in Gracia called Famen. Following a few appetizers at Cole's place, we marched over. I have been there a couple of times but it was definitely an appropriate location for such a great dinner. We enjoyed wine, tapas, and fantastic entrees cooked by one of the best chefs in Barcelona! We even managed to get Alli a birthday cake desert so we could sing Happy Birthday to her. After dinner she had to go home to work but the rest of us continued on to El Otro (naturally) and played a few rounds of darts

Birthday girl

The following day I went to Andres' sports club with Cole for a few hours. I managed to get in a pretty solid swim and a good run while the other two ate lunch and played tennis. I even enjoyed the spa room with its therapeutic baths. This place was pretty nice. That night, Andres volunteered to make dinner for the entire gang. With the help of Cole, they made a wonderful dinner that filled everyone up. The next stop in the night was Part 2 of Alli's Birthday Extravaganze. We went to Opium Mar which is one of the nicest clubs in all of the city, positioned right on the beach. I was able to get us on the guest list which entitled us to free entry (20 euros per person) and we danced the night away. They played some great tunes and everyone had a good time, even though I may have drank a little too much (sorry Mom).

Strike a pose!

Cole found the Green Fairy!

The next day was pretty much a waste with the ensuing hangover and lack of motivation to do anything and the next day (Saturday) was more or less the same except Alli and I headed Back to Montjuic for the fountain show that is put on four nights a week. I was glad to get out and walk around because some rather serious storms had moved through earlier in the day and really tore a lot of trees and outdoor property apart.

Yesterday was the final piece of Alli's present, a day at Tibidabo. Tibidabo is an amusement park located on a mountain that overlooks the city. It is at the base of a monastery and is quite fun to go to. We spent the morning getting up the mountain and then enjoyed the scenic views and fun attractions the rest of the afternoon. There was a roller coaster that was pretty unique with the way it was built to give that sensation that you were going to fall off the mountain. We also ate some fair-esque food and quite a bit of candy. After two trolley rides back down the mountain and a metro ride, we had made it back safely.

Blue Tram

What a view!

Overall, I would say the extravaganza was a success. Hopefully Alli enjoyed all of the festivities!

I am now under 10 days left in Spain. Looking back, the summer has gone remarkably fast and has been a lot of fun!

As for training, it is starting to falter a little bit. I got a ride in yesterday and a run today. I am putting the bike up for sale by the end of the night to try and get that money back before I return home. If you know anyone in Spain who wants a bike, let me know!

Buy me!

Hope all is well!

Adios!