This summer is getting better and better!

I messed up taking the train this morning. I accidentally got on one that skipped my stop, so I had to get off beyond where I was trying to go, wait for the next train back in the other direction, which of course didn't stop at my stop either but went all the way back to the station I started at, and then wait for the right train a while later. All in all, I got to work 2 hours late (only partly because of the train fiasco), but luckily it was not a problem. I ate lunch at my desk and kept working to make up for it, and I stayed a bit late as well. I see this as a good learning experience: make sure the train you get on stops at your stop. It sounds dumb, but when I explained it at work, a lot of people said that they'd done the same thing once or twice, so either the trains are confusing here or maybe this is just something that happens. Anyway, I'll be more careful from now on.

As for work, it turns out people leave early on Fridays, which is nice to know. Instead of staying until 6 pm (normal working hours, at least for June, are 9 am to 6 pm, with an hour to an hour and a half break for lunch in the middle), on Fridays people leave around 4 pm. I guess that is similar to the U.S., where people generally leave a little early on Fridays as well. Sometime in July, we start the "intensive" schedule, which to me sounds like exactly the opposite. Work hours change from 8 am to 3 pm, with no break for lunch, but then you are done for the day! Sounds like a good deal to me.

There is a chocolate factory near work, and so if the wind is right, it smells like brownies everywhere in our office. Some people don't like it, but I think it's nice. Except it makes me want brownies.

After work, my boss offered to take me to the beach outside the city, so I can see what the good beaches here look like. There are also beaches in the city, apparently constructed with fake sand for the Olympics in 1992, but those get too crowded according to the people I've talked to, and it's almost as easy to get to the ones outside the city, which are gorgeous. We took the train just a few stops beyond work, then walked back in the direction of the office along the beach. As we were walking to the bus, we came across an exceptional parking job:

At the very right side of the picture, you can see the bicycle cop writing a ticket for this car. I wonder, what was so urgent that they parked that way?

The bus that took us back to the city dropped us off in Placa de Espanya, which is a place I'll have to investigate in more detail. Here's a picture:

In the back you can see the palace where some count or other lived at one point. According to my boss, it's an art museum now, so I'll probably be back. I'm not sure what those towers are in the foreground.

I ended up being too tired to go out tonight, so that's all for today. This weekend is the science festival, so I'll go to that one or both days, and probably the beach if there's any other time. I'd also like to go to the Sagrada Familia, so maybe I can squeeze that in as well. It's easy to get to on the metro.

Buenas noches!