"Study" abroad? The truth about my classes

So everyone keeps asking me, "how are your classes?" "Do you like your classes?" "Are they easy?" "Do you have a lot of work?"

Well.......... Good. Yes. So far no. and No. are all the answers, respectively.

Right now we have a two week Spanish language immersion where we have 5 days of Spanish for an hour and a half each day. Spanish class is too easy for me, but I'm already in the highest level possible so... Oh, well! :)  However, the whole point of it is not to learn any new grammar but to review it and understand the rules from a more formal point of view.

In addition there is another two week class that focuses on the city of Barcelona and it's visual culture. This class is amazing! It consists of a short lecture with a site visit to important Barcelonian landmarks, buildings, musuems, public art sculptures, you name it! Doesn't feel like a class at all. After these two weeks, we will have 2 more Friday meetings and then at the end of the semester present our final papers to the class. sweet!

Did you know that Barcelona was founded by the Romans? Here's my profesora showing us the outlines of the Roman colony walls that made up the beginings of Barcelona.

As for homework, barely any. A short composition in Spanish, a quick reading for Visual Culture and I'm done! 1, maybe 2 hours max. awesome!  But I will start more "serious" classes January 25 and my UIC class in February. Let you know how those go then.

Pics from one of our site visits to the Gothic Quarter/El Barrio Gotic:

The big "columns" or blocks of stone are the remants of the Roman walls. I love how the city incorporates them into new architecture. The light red panels inbetween them are contemporary construction. Behind it you'll be the Cathedral under renovation. It's the only Cathedral in Spain. That being said, yes, there are other churches (just not cathedrals).

Barcelona is famous for its Gothic architecture. Here is a view of the Cathedral/monastry from the back.
However, today I actually felt as if I am studying abroad for real. I visited the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya with the other CIEE architecture students taking classes there as well. There are four of us out of the 15 in our program because not everyone's Spanish is at an advanced level. While I'm only taking one class there, it already feels like my home! The university is small, but the buildings are fairly new (only 12 years old) and in a great location! The campus is up on the lower slopes of the mountion range above Barcelona, so the view of the city is beautiful.

I wish I had taken pictures inside the studios and model shop, but I didn't want to be all touristy on our guided tour. There are only two buildings on this campus and they pretty much mirror each other. While they seem small from the outside, think again. There are at least 3 stories below ground.