Metro

I realized that I have not talked about how we get around this city at all...

And it is SO different from back home.  We use the metro to go everywhere and do just about everything we can.  Taxis are $$$ and we only take them when we must and the metro is closed.

Public Transportation here, and in all of Europe, of course, is just a different world.

I have already used up two metro passes of 50.. so I have used the metro over 100 times since we have been here!! crazzyyyy!

The Barcelona metro is just like any other metro is, but less complicated than the one in Paris.  And I do not remember it when I went to New York.  But, basically, the metro equivalent to a car here, except you always have to make sure you don't get pick pocketed! 

We have two stations that are about 7 minutes from my apartment.  (Sounds close, but most of our friends have it like 2 minutes away!).

So, we walk to metro station.

Swipe our metro cards.  (This is what I have apparently done over 100 times in five weeks..)

And then, wait for the metro to arrive.  Usually it is only a couple of minutes. 

And then hurry in and we stand or, preferably, sit in the metro and have a great time people watching until we get to our designated station.  (Ex: School is about 8 stops away, 15 minutes.  But from school to the beach, it's only 3 stops)

And then, we get off the station and exit, or as they call it in Catalán, "sortida." It is usually a bunch of stairs and hall ways to reach the outdoors.

So that's the metro, and that's how we get around this big city!  At first it was overwhelming but now its so easy and a part of our every day lives.