Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Eurotrip

1/28/09

            I booked another flight – to London, the weekend after Rome. World traveler over here. Now I just need to plan spring break (hopefully Greece) and my pipe dreams of travel will be realized.

            I have to keep a journal in 2 of my classes, one for Travel Writing in Spain, where I just have to journal continuously throughout my time abroad, and one for my Barcelona class, where I have to journal about our field trips.

            Needless to say, my blog=my travel writing journal. However, in the spirit of killing 2 birds with one stone, I will also be recording my field trip journal reactions in here, the first one being today. The following will be me imparting my knowledge on you, so read on if you would like to become a little bit smarter today:

El Museu d’Historia de la Ciutat

            I went with my friend Cindy today to go visit a museum for my Barcelona class. We watched a short video about the progression of Barcelona and then walked through some ruins of the original Roman city of Barcino. I actually didn’t know that Barcelona started out as Barcino, I don’t think a lot of people in my class did so I don’t feel so dumb – I DID plan on learning about Barcelona whilst being IN Barcelona so things are going according to plan. 

            When we were at the clothes washing site we were told by our british automated tour guide that there would be places for the citizens to pee outside, and the urine would be used to help bleach and wash the clothes. The laundry place actually paid a tax in order to keep these things out in their street… so that people could pee in them… and their urine could be used… to clean. I guess I know how I can hold myself over on clothes until the senora gets around to putting them in the washing machine.

            Something that I find pretty bizarre is how much the citizens were concerned with personal hygiene and appearance. The women wore makeup and even used tweezers, people brushed their teeth to make them white and chewed mint to make their breath fresh. Women had extensive collections of jewelry and men wore jewelry as well.  Even though it is such a huge part of our society today, it is hard for me to imagine it being so important for them. There were cases that showed some of the tools they used and we read that the women would blend pastes and powders to make the make up that they would wear. In our time, we can go out and buy some blush or lipstick so easily, but it’s a different thing to think about spending the time to make it yourself, not to mention, making the tools that you use to make it yourself.

            It is really amazing how much Barcelona has grown out of  its original walls. What was one merely a stopover city, built for convenience and retired people, is now an enormous busy area that attracts tourists from all over the world. Barcelona grew while the rest of the Roman Empire was going down. While Christianity spread, Romans began to question authority and undermined the empire, becoming one of the major factors in its decline. In Barcino, Santa Eulalia, a 13 year old girl, became one of the first Christian martyrs. Eulalia was tortured and killed for her faith and was supposedly buried in Barcino, making it a place of pilgrimage for crusaders, and bringing in revenue for expansion.

            It was definitely an experience walking through the ruins There were remains from houses, the original Roman city, remains from where they washed clothes, had public baths, made wine, dyed fabrics, dried fish. You could really picture the citizens living a life there and walking through the same passageways we were led. It is surreal being in a place with such a huge history, it makes me realize how young the US actually is. 

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