Planning : Travelling --> 100:1

I keep putting off writing a posting, mainly because it feels like I don't have very much to write about these days. I've been busy planning future travels (see the end of this posting),... but not really going anywhere outside of BCN. November's looking to be much of the same, but this is actually a change I don't really mind. It's good to slow down a bit, and get into more of a routine.

I'm trying to get back into my running now that the weather's cooling down, relatively speaking (it's typically around 20 during the day, and dropping to about 10 or 15 at night,... quite nice). I have a pretty good regular route that I now take: down to the water, across the boardwalk along the city beaches, (with my favourite part being along the warf at Port Olympic), up through the city park, and back along Gran Via (a major street). It's great to run in the evening after work because you can sometimes catch an amazing view of the city as the sun sets behind it, or of storms blowing in off the water. Here are some pictures of the port.

As I go though the my recent pictures there are a couple of reaccuring sequences of events. And here we go,...

~a 'typical' Saturday afternoon~

5pm: Rugby pitch at Vall d'Hebron to watch Peter's team play (Peter is their Aussie ringer).

10pm: View from Peter's flat.

11pm: Flatmates, Peter (Aussie) and Felipe (Columbia) playing guitar, and making drinks.

2am: On the train, and then into the disco to meet up with the remaining IAESTE students still intown (unfortunately our numbers are dwindling away,... but of course there's always enough for a party). :)

5am: Trying to find our way home....

Sunday,... sleeping/eating/going to the cinema/more free jazz concerts :)

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Alright, finally, for the important part of this posting,... I would like to extend an open invitation to anyone who might be interested in seeing some of Eastern Europe during the second half of January, to please get in touch with yours truly. For quite awhile I've been trying to decide what I was going to do with myself between the end of my work placement, and my flight home. And this trip has been an idea in the back of my mind, but it is slowly all coming together. Right now I have one travelling partner, Ms. Dara Geffen, who will be hosting or joining me on all 3 of the weekends, as she's currently at school in Stuttgart, Germany. Here's is my *tentative* plan (items with a * are flexible at this point, otherwise I've booked something and therefore it's forsure):

• Friday, January 12th: My last day of work in BCN.
• Saturday, the 13th: I fly to Stuttgart and spend the weekend with Dara.
• Monday, the 15th: I take the train to either Zurich, Switzerland, or Innsbruck, Austria.*
• Thursday, the 18th: Take the train to St. Anton am Arlberg (Tirol, Austria) for a long weekend of boarding with Dara.*
• Sunday, the 21st: Train to Graz (and visit with/mooch off of Niel Bird).* :)
• Friday, the 26th: Train to Vienna, and again meet up with Dara.
• Monday, the 29th: Train to Saltzburg.*
• Wednesday, the 31st: Train to Munich.*
• Friday, February 2nd: Fly back to Barcelona, because,...
• Saturday, February 3rd: I fly back to Canada! omg...

It will be a very busy 3 week trip, but one in which I will embrace the german language and culture, and I will escape the big cities for the ultimate in winter hiking, skiing, and snowboarding in the Alps. I know most people will have other commitments that they cannot get out of, like school (but hey, class doesn't get important until February), or you may have run out of vacation days from work by this point,... but if you don't have any excuses (most of you have been working so I know you can afford it! $$$), I hope that I have given you enough lead time to get online and book a flight over here to join me!

Also, to all of you more experienced travellers, feedback/advice on things to see and do in this region of the world (keep in mind it's January) is always appreciated. Don't hold back. Please pass on the best and the worst highlights; what I must not miss, and what I can leave for next time.

Looking forward to hearing from any and all of you!!! Love, Sarah.