teaching – Simon’s Incoherent Blog

Barcelona – a week in the life

So ok – I’m back at Bar Berlin, in the lengthy break between faraway classes I have every Thursday. These two, Abertis and Bayer Pharmaceuticals, are so far out (but in the same direction), that it’s not worth me going home for the two and a half hours between them. It is, however, an excellent chance to enjoy a cervesa in the sunshine, and write a blog post!

Barcelona life – five months in

Summer in Barcelona. I’m sitting in the sunshine outside a slightly shabby Cerveseria grandly named ‘Bar Berlin’, having a cheeky beer between teaching classes, and it occurs to me I haven’t written anything about the place for months. In fact, not since that first day of the CELTA course.

Barcelona – the CELTA course, day 1

It’s a civilised start for the first day of my CELTA course – it begins at 11am. Plenty of time for a bit of a lie in and a leisurely stroll to Oxford House TEFL language school. It’s easy to find; a couple of minutes walk to the next left turn off Carrer de la Marina, then just a long schlep down Carrer de la Disputacio. All told, it takes about twenty minutes. I don’t think I’ll be bothering with the Metro for this journey at all.

Barcelona – weekend before the work begins

My story continues… now.

Arriving at the unfortunately named Barcelona El Prat airport, I encounter my first bit of Spanish efficiency as I board the train to town. The train pulls out, slows down, then stops. For ages. Eventually it starts to move, slowly. Then stops. For ages.

Barcelona – the road back

And so, I’m back in Barcelona.

It’s been a mad few months since the end of the Big Trip, during which my outlook on life totally changed, along with my plans for the future. After the emotionally draining but vital week I spent here in October, I got a lot of things straight in my head, and made a lot of Big Decisions. Yes, I was going to get a tattoo.