The Dons will be on an international trip to Barcelona from Mar. 15 to Mar. 22. Check here for daily blogs and pictures from Barcelona!

DAY 7
Written by Ali Schaffer
Today, we woke up to the typical spring weather of Barcelona: rain. We ate breakfast for the last time at our hotel and left to go check out the countryside of Barcelona. It was a 30-minute bus ride to Sant Sadurni d' Anoia. We got off the bus and got to walk around with a tour guide who told us about the history that dated back to the 1500s. The architecture of the buildings were very different and each one was unique in its own way. We then came back to the hotel and had free time for the rest of the day. We walked around for a little bit going in and out of little boutiques and then decided to have lunch at a restaurant called mas o menos. After lunch, a lot of people were tired from the week so some people continued to shop and others went back to take a nap before we had our last team dinner in Barcelona. At 8 o'clock, we walked across the street to a really nice and delicious restaurant and experienced the different foods for the last time. Of course, we had to get dessert so we went and enjoyed some crepes next to the hotel. It has been a really amazing and memorable experience but now it's time to pack and prepare for a long early journey back to the states.

DAY 6
Written by Amanda Whittle
Today, we were able to sleep in and rejuvenate after an exhausting three games in three days. We were grateful for the opportunity to play teams of such high caliber and learn from them in order to improve as players and a team. It sure was amazing being given such a great soccer experience in Barcelona, but we are all looking forward to spending our last two remaining days exploring and sight-seeing this beautiful city.

After breakfast this morning we headed to a small village off the coast of the Mediterranean named Sitges. It was stunning and every narrow street was filled with shops. Anything you could imagine: pastries, gelato, clothes, shoes, you name it! We all split up to shop and eat lunch on our own. I purchased a few souvenirs for my family and found an item or two for myself! After shopping I ended up at a seafood restaurant right on the coast where I enjoyed an authentic Spanish dish known as paella. After lunch, in the late afternoon, we headed back to the hotel and were given free time. Some people went back to the hotel while others stayed out and continued to shop at stores around the hotel.

At night, we had dinner on our own. I went out with most of the other sophomores and had sushi. It was an interesting experience tasting a cuisine we have at home in a different country! After that we had crepes at a place across from our hotel and headed back for the night. Tomorrow is sadly our last full day in Spain but we can't wait to make the most of it! Go Dons!!!

DAY 5
Written by Celia Pellegrini
Last night was a hard one to follow up, as the Barca v. Man City game was still playing in most of our heads but we started the day a bit later and headed off to explore more of the beautiful streets of Barcelona.
 
The team hopped on public transit and we took the bus to the Ramblas to visit La Boqueria, an open air market with stalls of food and wine everywhere. This market was an incredible sight and some of us were like kids in a candy store as we walked from stall to stall picking up Catalonian street food and some fresh fruit and juices. We passed stalls brimming with fresh cuts of meat and fish straight of the boats ready to be picked up for dinner. After buying a couple gifts for friends and family, we headed towards the ocean and the marina to a little neighborhood called La Barceloneta. We sat down for some authentic Spanish fare, paella. After a delicious lunch we continued our day trip into the streets of Born, a neighborhood filled with a labyrinth of shops and tapas bars which kept us busy until we decided to head back for a siesta. After a brief encounter with a very confusing metro map we decided to leave the public transportation adventure for another day and hailed a cab back to our rooms.
 
Later that evening we headed to our game against Espanyol. Although we lost, it was a good game and you could see that we were picking up some of the Spanish game. The Spanish style of soccer was one we hadn't experienced much of before and it taught us a lot. This was the last game as Dons for Mack and I and we are so lucky to have had the opportunity to finish our careers here with this amazing trip.

DAY 4
Written by Alex Alugas
In short, today was hectic but eventful. We woke up the earliest we had to all week with all our stuff packed for the day and ready to go by 8 a.m. When everyone got in the bus, we all fell asleep for the two-hour ride. The jet lag and game the night before were all catching up to us. The first stop was at the border of Spain and France at a little town called Figueres and to the Salvador Dali Museum. We had about an hour to walk around 4 stories of amazing works from this Spanish artist.
 
Next, we drove about 30 minutes to the city of Girona. It was a small, medieval-looking, quiet city that we unfortunately only had an hour to eat lunch in. It was a very typical European town that was perfect for pictures and authentic food and shopping. 
 
We then had to quickly drive the two and half hours back to the Barcelona training grounds to play our second game against the FC Barcelona women's team. From the locker room to the 10 grass and turf fields, everything was amazing to just look at from this incredible club that develops the most talented players in the world. The game was a great learning experience for us to see how a top European team competes. This team was incredibly talented and one of the best teams I have ever played against. I will take what I learned and saw and hopefully apply it to my game. 
 
Finally, the highlight of the night—the FC Barcelona vs Manchester City Champions League game! We quickly took showers in the Barcelona facility locker rooms and bussed to the stadium—Camp Nou. All of us were so excited and didn't want to miss kickoff that we ran from where we got dropped off to our seats. We got there just in time for the songs and the chanting as the game started.  I have never been more in awe in my life due to the energy, the stadium, and of course the talented players (Neymar, Messi, Iniesta, Kun aguero to name a few). Oh, and our seats were right behind the goal too. 
 
After the game ended at around 11 p.m., we finally returned to our hotel at midnight after a long day and everyone quickly went to their rooms ready to go to bed. Tomorrow, we have some free time to explore and play our final game. Go Dons!

DAY 3
Written by Jessica Nakae
Today was filled with winding roads, beautiful views, and our favorite thing: soccer! We started the day around 10 when we departed our hotel for the Monastery at Monserrat Mountain. As we were driving there, we had the chance to take in some of the scenery on the sides of the road. When we came in a closer view of the mountain our tour guide, Hans, pointed way up to the top and said, "That's where we're going!" Everyone on the bus was pretty shocked at just how high up we would be going. Although driving up the winding road in our large motor coach made quite a few people nervous, the views on the way up were well worth the nerves. Finally we had made it to the top and hopped off the bus to go explore. The monastery held a beautiful church that was filled with decorated walls and ceilings covered in paintings, sculptures, and stained glass windows. 
 
Most of us, including myself, took a tram up to an even higher portion of the mountain that had several hiking trails, offering even more amazing views. 
 
After the monastery we headed back down the mountain to visit the museum at Camp Nou Stadium, the home of FC Barcelona. The museum had pictures, jerseys and old player gear, and of course their impressive collection of trophies on display. We also got a chance to take a look at the 100,000 seat stadium, that will be packed for tomorrow night's game. Next came the really fun part of the day, shopping at the FC Barcelona super store! At three stories, this store had everything FC Barcelona you could imagine. Understandably most of us girls wanted everything we laid their eyes on. After much deliberation the favorites were picked and purchased. I walked out a happy camper with a new jacket and souvenirs for friends and family in hand. 

At this point of the day it was time to start preparing for our first game against Levante. We all had a pregame meal together then headed back to the hotel for a short rest. Soon we were on the bus headed to the field. Kick off was at 9:15 which was much later than all of us are used to, but there was no shortage of energy out on the field tonight. Levante was a very skilled team, and in the end we tied 1-1. Our goal was scored by Rochelle in the first half. Despite not coming out ahead we all had fun out there tonight! Exhausted from the day we headed back to the hotel to get some sleep for another busy day tomorrow!
 

Today wasn't sick. #donstakebarca #CampNou pic.twitter.com/sSrJS2WR1O

— Mackenzie Krieser (@TheMackAttack15) March 17, 2015

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DAY 2
Written by Halle Bissin
Today, we woke up around 8:25 a.m. fairly rested. After we pulled apart the blinds, Celia, Mack, and I woke up and got ourselves ready for breakfast.  We headed down for breakfast around 8:30 a.m. and came upon a spread of food that we aren't typically used to. Last night, I remember hearing girls wishing there was a waffle iron and scrambled eggs, but being in Spain we came upon something very different. Most of the food was sliced meats, sliced cheeses, pastries, yogurts, cereals, fruits, and hard piled eggs.

After breakfast, we promptly headed out for a tour of Barcelona. We headed through the heart of the town, learning a ton about the architecture of the town, which was headed by a famous architect: Guadí. From there, we went to Park Güell and learned in depth about the significance behind Guadí's work in Barcelona.

After visiting Park Güell, we headed straight for Sagrada Familia. I don't think anyone realized the significance of this monument until we came to see it. This is a church that has been worked on for over 100 years and still is not done. The architecture on this building is unlike anything I have ever seen before. So much detail and so much thought have gone into this historical monument. After leaving this building, we were all stuck wishing for more until we came across a random FC Barcelona store that all of my teammates practically sprinted into.
 
Once everyone was done browsing the store, we headed to the bus and were fed some delicious homemade sandwiches before we had to head to training. Good thing we got a chance to train and get some of the jitters out, because 12 hours on a plane did no one any good. After training, we went back to the hotel and everyone showered and was basically was on their own. Mack, Jess and I headed to Ramblas and browsed some shops and grabbed a bite to eat. After a couple hours of eating and soaking in the atmosphere of the city, we went back to the hotel and cleaned up and hung out in our hotel rooms. After much debate, we realized how exhausted we were from our day, and decided to stay in and rest instead of going out and catching a late meal. A lot to look forward to tomorrow! Go Dons!

 

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DAY 1
Written by Madalyn Schiffel
We met in front of War Memorial Gym with bags packed and hearts set on Barcelona. Little did we know the bus had another thing in store for us.
 
We spent 15 minutes stalled in the middle of Golden Gate Ave. and our dreams of Barcelona were vanishing right in front of our eyes, but alas, with some quick thinking by our bus driver, we were back in business and in route to SFO. Without any delays or forgotten passports, we sailed through security and boarded our 10-hour flight to Paris. Upon arrival in Paris, we went through security and customs and boarded our hour and a half flight to Barcelona! 
 
This is the beginning of a beautiful journey for the Dons, for which we are all so excited. Memories will be made, friendships will be strengthened, and soccer games will be played.
 
 
Written by Leticia Torres
Today, we finally arrived to Barcelona!!! Upon arriving, we checked into the hotel and immediately went out to shake our legs out. We jogged to a park nearby and it was really nice to stride out and get moving. After that, we went back to the hotel, showered and headed to the Camp Nou side stadium to watch the Barcelona B team play a match against Racing Santander. We are so thankful that we got the opportunity to go to this match and experience some Spanish soccer culture. After the game, we stopped at a Tapas restaurant and enjoyed a nice traditional Spanish meal. We are now ready to pass out after a very long day!