Tag Archives: barcelona

Make your Cake and Eat it, Too

And by cake, I mean Russian salad, lamb and a pear dessert. I had the amazing opportunity to attend a cooking class on Monday night. It has been one of my favorite nights since we’ve been here, and I doubt I will ever have an experience as unique as this one.

We had instructions from IES to meet outside a Metro stop at 7:30 pm and wait for a man called Yves to come and pick us up in his van and take us back to his house, where we would do the cooking. … sketchy, no? Well after waiting in the dark on a park bench for 20 minutes (we were early, which never happens), Lauren and I finally saw Yves walking toward us. He came over and gave us the standard kiss on each cheek. This still takes me by surprise and I’m trying really hard to get used to it.

Eventually the first half of the group arrived and we walked with Yves to his van parked about two minutes away. As we were walking Lauren asked me, “Wait when he kissed us on both cheeks… did his face smell like sauce?”

Signs of a great chef. It was gonna be a good night.

Yves could not have been a nicer man and I am still in awe that he takes strangers into his home and allows them to cook in his personal kitchen. However, I still wasn’t 100 percent sure that I wasn’t starring in the opening scene of a horror movie, or Taken 4, until we walked into the front door. The house was absolutely beautiful. It was decorated in a way that seemed so effortless and classic with the perfect touch of quirkiness everyone wants when they try to make their home look “euro chic.”

The kitchen, in all its glory

The play area in the kitchen for the children of the house, two boys ages 4 and 2.

One of the cooking stations used to prepare the lamb and eggplant

After the rest of the group arrived, we had 12 cooks in the kitchen. We were each given a beer to kick off the night. I started off by peeling and cubing the potatoes and carrots and separating an entire bag of snap peas. The other section worked on the lamb, the pears and the eggplant.

The vegetables were put into a pot and then cooled down, as they would be making up the Russian salad. The lamb was made into a sort of stew with so many delicious spices and flavors that filled the whole house. And the pears simmered with sweet wine for dessert.

We went up to the roof of the house while everything was cooking and were treated to an amazing view of the city. The roof had an entire set up for outdoor cooking and I cannot even imagine what a night up there would be like during the summer.

When we were ready to plate everything, Yves showed us how to make homemade mayonnaise for the Russian salad’s dressing. This salad was basically a potato salad. It had potatoes, carrots, peas, egg whites, olives and tuna. Egg yolk and oil were sprinkled and drizzled on top. We each used a cutout to plate the salad, and naturally I stacked mine way too high.

We all sat down at a long table with 13 place settings and poured ourselves wine, ate our delicious bread with tomato spread and eagerly waited to dig in. We toasted to a great night and devoured our first course. Then, finally, it was time for the main course, and we were so excited.

Yves took a piece of eggplant, drizzled with a yogurt sauce made of delicious sweet spices including cinnamon on top and then put the lamb on top of that. I was the last one to be served and by the time I made it back to the table, people were already finishing up. It was that good.

At the table we got the chance to talk amongst ourselves about all of the trips we have planned and what we have seen so far. We got great tips for our trip to Madrid this weekend! It was such a nice environment and a great chance to experience an authentic Catalonian dinner, which can last for at least an hour and a half. It’s a social gathering and a meal.

Dessert

We left dinner extremely full and ready to sleep, the smells from the night already seeped into our clothes. Yves drove us back to the metro stop and we thanked him many times for such an amazing night. He taught himself to cook from the age of 9, and found a way to share his passion with people. It was an experience I will never forget.

Mañana, Mañana

The past 10 days have been a whirlwind. It’s been a struggle to find time to post, but now that I’ve gotten into a pretty good schedule, I’ll be much more on top of things. For the first few days, I would immediately fall asleep whenever I touched my bed. The busy schedule is enough to leave you exhausted. Not to mention all of the walking around the city. And of course, the jet lag is real.

Here are some things I wish I had known before I left and have had to learn very quickly.

Luggage can and will be lost. Pack your carryon bag with at least one outfit and hygiene essentials. (No liquids more than 100mL allowed in your carryon bags, so be careful. Getting stopped at security is a hassle best to be avoided.)

Exhausted. Luggage stuck in London

What a way to start our trip. Our layover in Heathrow, London was short and I guess it took a while to transfer all of the bags from our first plane to the connecting flight to Barcelona. Half of our flight’s luggage didn’t make it. This included my suitcase and two of Lauren’s. It was surreal when the baggage carriage stopped turning, signaling that all of the luggage had been unloaded, and our carts were still empty. We were in a brand new country with none of our clothes. Great.

If this happens to you, do what we did. Go to the lost baggage claim and give them your boarding pass. Then, describe the suitcase that you had lost and provide an email where they can contact you when the luggage is located. If you provide your address, the airport will have the suitcase delivered as soon as it is located.

Lauren excitedly awaiting her luggage… that never came.

My suitcase came the next day, and luckily I had enough clothes inmy carryon to somewhat clothe me and Lauren until my bag came. Lauren didn’t have any clothes in her carryon, and her luggage didn’t come for three days. Someone told me that about 85 percent of luggage is delayed while traveling abroad. Be prepared.

2. People don’t work on the weekends, and most businesses are closed on Sundays.

Mañana, mañana is a saying in Spain that describes the work ethic of the people here. Everything is very relaxed, which is great. But it also means a lack of efficiency.

Our shower has been broken twice since we got here and it has been extremely difficult to get it fixed because it always breaks right before the weekend, where no one is around or willing to fix it. There is a lesser sense of urgency than in the United States, which is something that needs to be accepted.

We also found that all of the major shops, except for the cafes and restaurants, were closed on Sundays. Our day for being productive and crossing errands off our list turned into a huge waste of time when we took the train to Plaça Catalunya to find everything closed.

3. It is winter in Barcelona, despite the 60 degree weather.

If you walk around in a short-sleeve T-shirt in January, you will be stared at.

If you go out at night in a crop top and a skirt, no tights and no jacket, people will stare out of the windows and laugh at you. Because no matter how warm that weather is compared to Penn State, it is still winter. The temperature fluctuates enough that I would also recommend bringing your winter coat.

Bring a jacket to the bars and clubs that you don’t mind holding, or bite the bullet and pay for the coat check. Or, be the American that doesn’t mind the cold and ignore the stares. But you will stand out, and that isn’t always a good thing.

4. Cat calls are everywhere, and so are money scams.

You will be whistled at and called to on the streets if you are a girl. Just keep walking, it’s pretty harmless. One guy screamed in my friend’s ear when we were out in Tarragona, but that was just weird. You should never walk alone at night, even if you are a guy. There are particular areas you should avoid when it’s dark and it’s really important to know them before you go out, no matter what city you are studying in. In Barcelona, Las Ramblas becomes particularly sketchy at night if you are not in a group.

People asking for money are everywhere in Barcelona. While it may tug at your heartstrings, this is where judgement and a bit of cynicism comes in. The first day on the train a young boy got on and put a pack of tissue on the empty seats next to us and one on our windowsill. Attached was a short paragraph and a picture of him and what he said was his daughter. The paragraph was asking for money to help feed his daughter and support their life together. I was so sad when I saw it, but the next day I saw at least three other men doing the same exact thing. Your money is limited while abroad and you don’t want to be the sucker that falls for the scam. Be aware.

5. Sometimes you just have to pay.

Sometimes you just have to pay a little bit more for a better experience. It’s hard not to be obsessed with spending money and the current exchange rate. (Although right now it’s the best it’s been in a while!) But it’s important not to let it stop you from experiencing all the great things that the city has to offer. This is the time to enjoy life to the fullest. Be smart with your money, but understand that this may be the exact opportunity that you have been saving for for all these years. It’ll never happen again.

Budgeting is important and saving money where you can is definitely a must. We try to find the cheapest bars and lunch spots. We’ve started going back to our dorm during our lunch break so that we don’t have to pay at a cafe or restaurant, even though it’s about a 20 minute trip. But, indulging every once in a while is part of the experience and nothing to feel guilty about.

Once we start traveling I’m sure that I’ll figure out some more tips for booking the cheapest flights and hostels. I hope this post was helpful!

The best lunch I have had in Barcelona from Mussols right off of Plaça Catalunya

Mushroom croquets and vino rosado with Lauren to celebrate the start of classes at the PETIT POT Bistro

Crab croquets, veal and potatoes from our dorm’s dining hall

And away we go.

Hi, guys! My name is Elizabeth Coddington (everyone calls me Liddy) and I am beyond excited to be studying abroad in Barcelona for Spring 2015! I’m a junior public relations major working towards a Spanish minor. I’m hoping that spending four months in Spain will improve my language skills. I am a food enthusiast and I plan on posting pictures of all the delicious things that I eat, so brace yourselves. Cheese and wine galore, people!

This blog is going to be updated weekly, maybe more depending on what exactly happens along the way. I’m in the IES Barcelona Liberal Arts and Business program, which I will be happy to provide as much information on as needed. If anyone has any questions for me, feel free to reach out to me over social media, email, or leave a comment below!

I leave for Barcelona in 4 days and as excited as I am to go, my mind will not stop racing. I visited the city during spring break of my senior year and I can remember standing at the port and thinking that I definitely had to go back at some point in my life.

Studying abroad is the biggest thing I’ve done in my 20 years and I cannot believe that it’s happening so soon, which is apparent by the emptiness of my suitcase. At this point I have not started packing, thought about packing or done anything to even prepare for the pre-packing. But I’m starting tomorrow… I swear. And with every item that I check off my list I know that more and more excitement will begin to replace the anxiety that I feel.

Just a little rundown of what’s going through my mind:

How many shoes can I bring?
What do the dorms look like?
I hope the other students don’t make fun of my Spanish too much.
Everyone says not to overpack but how can I not…
What if I run out of breath when trying to blow up my inflatable headrest on the plane? (I’m serious.)
What if I get stopped at customs and they just don’t let me go at all?
- Side note: My student visa somehow says my name is Elizabeth Laureen. With two E’s. It is not. It is Elizabeth Lauren. The Spanish Consulate said all should be fine so, ya know, nothing I can really do about that.
How am I going to visit all of the places that I want to go?
So many photo opps.
So many crêpes.

That’s just a little sample. I think you get the idea. If you’re reading my post at this point I assume that you are interested in studying abroad in Barcelona (great choice) and you want to know about the “true student experience.” I can promise you that I will be as candid as possible and write everything that I think you need to know. It’s going to be an amazing time and I can’t wait until I have updates for you all.

Despite all the stress and anxiety that comes with pre departure… it’s Europe. It’s Spain. It’s BARCELONA. It’s going to be amazing. Oh, and I’m traveling with my best friend Lauren and I can assure you that reading this blog will be extremely entertaining. There will be pictures, embarrassing stories, videos… I’ll have it all. So, cheers to an amazing semester abroad.

Barcelona > Praha > Budapest > Roma

Bonjour tout le monde!

Sorry for such a huge gap in between posts (there was no room for my laptop on this trip)! It is safe to say that our Winter Break was a huge success! Barcelona, Prague, Budapest, and Rome! I might have aged about 10 years during the span of three weeks but it was well worth it. I got to see SO many things in such a short span of time. I am so lucky and blessed (and happy to make it back in one piece). Three weeks worth of fun is a lot for one blog post so I will give you the condensed version (without leaving out the good parts) and put in LOTS of pictures.

Chapter One: Barcelona, Spain

I would compare the city of Barcelona to that of a black hole. It sucks you in and once you’re there it is impossible to get out. We started the first leg of our journey traveling by car to Barcelona. We found a carpooling website where people post what days they will be driving to and from certain cities. My roommate Greta and I signed up to ride with a young couple from Montpellier directly to Barcelona. It was only a three-hour ride and only cost us 20 euros! We were a little worried about this concept, but we got there safe and sound and would definitely recommend this type of transportation if you are looking to safe a little bit of money. The weather in Barcelona was so beautiful when we arrived and I could not wait to get out and see the city. Our friends took us to Bo De B’s, a super famous sandwich shop in the Gothic area of town. The restaurant was super tiny, only seating about 15 people but there was still a line wrapped around the block. I was instructed to get the chicken sandwich with everything on it (except for the spicy sauce). It was delicious but the greatest part about it (and the reason this place is so famous) is that it only costs 3 euros! During the weekend we were in Barcelona, and the main reason for our trip there, was for Abroadfest. Abroadfest is three nights of concerts at different clubs in Barcelona. It is a chance for all American students who are studying abroad to get together in one place and have one hell of a time. During the course of our stay in Barcelona I got to see all my friends from school who I haven’t seen in months. Some highlights of the weekend were watching the sun rise on the beach, getting the best pancakes from Milk, seeing Cedric Gervais play his remix of Adore You by Miley Cyrus(my fave), and getting kicked out of our hostel (not fun). Since no one in Barcelona goes to bed before 6 am or wakes up before 3 pm, it was hard to do the touristy sight seeing things. My roommate and I did get to see the famous Sagrada Familia Basilica though. It was absolutely beautiful! Sunday morning we got a cab home from the club, packed our things and were headed straight to the airport for our 8 am flight to Prague. Don’t worry, Greta and I got to nap in the terminal during our 5-hour layover in Brussels. After an exhausting day of traveling and barely any sleep, we arrived at our hostel in Prague at 8 pm and went directly to bed. But not before buying Chinese food for $3! I knew Prague was going to be a wonderful place.

Barcelona Beach

Chapter 2: Prague, Czech Republic

Greta and I were relieved to have chosen a nice hostel compared to our experience in Barcelona…

This one provided us with a HUGE free breakfast every morning (music to our ears). When we left the hostel on Monday morning, and saw Prague for the first time during the day light I was a little shocked. It was definitely different from any other European city I had been to. Being a post-communist city, everything from the buildings, to the clothing and the people were just slightly off. The currency was the hardest thing for me to get used to. 1 Czech Koruna = $0.05 USD. So the first time I ordered a beer and saw the price was 300 Koruna, I was a little baffled. I was even more surprised when I calculated that to be only $1.50 USD! Just like in Barcelona, so many of our friends from school were in Prague visiting because it was Penn State’s spring break. It was nice to travel in a big group and actually do some sight seeing (opposed to Barcelona). We went on some very informative historic tours of the city, got to visit the beautiful old castle, and of course enjoy the authentic Czech cuisine.

Fun Fact: The Rolling Stone’s paid for the lights to be installed around the castle because they wanted it to be seen from the city at night. Sick.

There was surprisingly a huge nightlife in Prague, which I was not expecting. By Wednesday night, we had pretty much seen and experienced everything we wanted to and were ready for our next stop: Budapest.

Chapter Three: Budapest, Hungary

We decided the best way to travel from Prague to Budapest was to take an 8-hour overnight train. This ride ended up being 10 hours long (because of unforeseen train problems) and we arrived in Budapest at 10 am on Thursday morning. Being woken up at every boarder to have your ticket checked on the train isn’t really considered a “good night’s rest” but we were so excited to be in Budapest so we weren’t phased by the little sleep we got on the train. We checked into our hostel and immediately went out to explore. We traveled from the Pest side (where our hostel was) to the Buda side to check out the castle and the amazing view from the top. After stopping for some authentic Hungarian cuisine (sausages and saut�ed vegetables) we went on a tour of the Jewish Quarter. We learned about the Jewish history of Budapest and saw every synagogue in the city. The tour ended at one of the most famous “ruins” bars in the world. Despite looking like a hole in the wall from the outside, this bar was ENORMOUS on the inside. It was kind of like a yard sale meets a tailgate and it was very cool. Budapest was filled with very cool modern bars, which was very surprising to me considering they were just a communist country only 25 years ago. Because Budapest is known for its traditional Turkish baths, this was on the top of my list for things to do during our stay. We went to the Szechenyi Baths, one of the biggest baths in Budapest. There were 21 different pools that are open all year long. It was a little nippy the day we went but even the outside pools were nice and warm. Although the majority of the crowds at the bathhouse were old men in speedos, it was an experience of a lifetime and definitely something you should try if you ever make it to Hungary! Budapest was definitely my favorite city on the trip. That was until I tried the spaghetti in Rome…

Chapter Four: Rome, Italy

By the time we arrived in Rome, we were completely exhausted (mentally, physical, emotionally) from traveling around Europe for the past week and a half. It was becoming routine to being dropped in a new country I had never been in and figuring it out. Figuring out public transit, which restaurants to go to, landmarks to see (all while trying to be conscious of spending) is something I was getting quite accustomed to. So by the time we got to Rome we were pros at figuring out the lay of land, which was perfect because Rome has SO MUCH to see and do. I immediately fell in love with the language. It seemed like everyone in Rome was so happy, outgoing and excited. Everyone was very helpful and willing to speak English, which is always a plus. We got to see all of the main attractions: The Vatican, The Spanish Steps, The Trevi Fountain, The Colloseum, and of course indulge in the AMAZING cuisine.

Note: Gelato every day is a must!

Sadly, I don’t think I will ever be able to eat spaghetti again unless it is in Italy (I don’t know if this is good or bad…). The only down side of Rome was the annoying men at every tourist attraction trying to sell you crap. They run right up into your face and try to put things in your hand. After four days of being harassed by them I was ready to leave. Except for that one little downside, Rome is the most beautiful and interesting city I had ever been to. I would recommend anyone to go there and would really like to make it back some time in my life. Although I saw so many things in my short stay, there is still so much of that huge city to discover.

Montpellier felt like a completely different place when we returned. The weather was warmer and there were many more people on the streets. I was so excited to take a nice hot shower and be back in my own bed. I slept for about 14 hours the night I got home (much needed) and woke up feeling so refreshed. The last three weeks were some of the most amazing weeks of my life. I got to see and do more things than many people do in a lifetime! It really reminded me how lucky I am to be here and experience so much culture.

� bient�t!

Location: Montpellier, France

Barcelona > Praha > Budapest > Roma

Bonjour tout le monde!

Chapter One: Barcelona, Spain

Chapter 2: Prague, Czech Republic

Greta and I were relieved to have chosen a nice hostel compared to our experience in Barcelona…

Fun Fact: The Rolling Stone’s paid for the lights to be installed around the castle because they wanted it to be seen from the city at night. Sick.

Chapter Three: Budapest, Hungary

Chapter Four: Rome, Italy

Note: Gelato every day is a must!

� bient�t!

Location: Montpellier, France

¡Hola, Barca!

So after my first week in Barcelona, there is really only one thing I can say: WOW!

Everything here is so breathtaking! I like to think of it as New York with less people, less cars, and more beautiful buildings.

Look at this:

So far I’ve learned that the city has a very long and rich history, and belongs to the region of Catalonia. This region speaks both Spanish and Catalan, so many street signs and restaurant menus are in Catalan, and are a bit difficult to understand.

The center where my classes will be is located in the main plaza of the city, Placa Catalunya, which is always packed with locals and tourists alike. Around the Placa, there are many places to eat and shop, so I will definitely be doing some exploring over the next few months!

Placa Catalunya is also the beginning of La Rambla, which is a street in Barcelona popular for the many small stores that sell a large variety of things. I love Las Ramblas the most because of the architectural style. They are winding and narrow side streets that cars don’t drive down, but are always packed with people.

Here’s a picture of my first visit down las ramblas (as you can see, I’m having a horrible time):

Basically, the area is quaint and beautiful. All of the cafes have outside seating, and are perfect for sitting down and enjoying a nice caf� con leche. A lot of the stores sell clothing but there are many specialty stores as well. Further down la rambla is La Boqueria, which is a HUGE market where you can buy fresh flowers, produce, meat, seafood, and spices, whatever your heart desires! This market is not for the weak stomached though, many of the stands have slabs of meat and whole animal parts just hanging from the ceiling or chilling in the coolers. Needless to say, as a forensic science major I thought it was kinda cool, but I can’t say the same for the other students that were with me.

My favorite place so far that I’ve visited has been Park Guell, which is a public park that was designed by Gaudi, a famous architect from Barcelona. The park itself is absolutely stunning, and covered in mosaics, which beautifully sculpted walkways. We hiked up the mountain and were able to see a breathtaking view of the city. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the park:

Here are some things that I found strange about Spain so far:

Their “hot chocolate” is very thick and rich, and is definitely not drinkable (but it’s definitely edible!). I would compare it closely to a rich, hot chocolate pudding. Anyway it is delicious!
The ham here is much different, and looks more like prosciutto. It’s very salty, and I wasn’t a big fan of it. Also they are very fond of this ham and have giant severed pig legs hanging in the windows of almost every grocery store. They also use this giant pig leg to illustrate the ham flavor on the bags of ham flavored Lays potato chips (which by the way, taste eerily of ham.
The food here is different but also very similar. You can’t find very many crackers or snack foods like in the US and microwaves meals are next to impossible to find. Most people buy fresh produce and actually cook meals. Wow.
Dinner isn’t served until usually 9 or 10PM, so I’m usually starving by the time it gets here. Well, until I get used to the different meal times anyway.
People here have no specific walking pattern and do what they want. They walk in whichever direction they prefer, which is usually a zig-zagging pattern so they can get to where they need to be. It’s not hard to walk this way when you’re by yourself but trying to keep a group together, like at orientation, is nearly impossible.
The euro sucks. You buy something and you’re like oh, only 30 euros for these shoes! That’s like $30! Nope. It’s actually $42.
EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE!!!!!! Apart from the euro having a higher value, lunch usually costs me about 11 euro a DAY! Ugh. I need to start packing lunches.

I’ve probably written way too much so I’m going to stop, but I will continue my euro hatred rant next week!

Hasta la proxima! J <3

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Adfrenchures: Chapitre 4

HoAdfrenchures: Chapitre 4
Gra(c/th)ias // Bar(c/th)elona

This past weekend, the entire program took a (partially subsidized) trip to Barcelona, Spain. I’d change the title to Adspainchures, but it doesn’t have quite the same charm. We left Friday afternoon and returned Sunday evening. All said and done, I only got 6 hours of sleep for the whole weekend. (Worth it.)

On the bus ride, we were all chipping in our meager bits of Spanish. I realized I could say “Where is…?” but couldn’t remember the word for “bathroom.” The only Spanish nouns I had in my arsenal were “queso” and “azul.” Verbs were impossible and limited to Dora the Explorer episodes: “Vamenos!” I knew please, thank you, and you’re welcome (staple vocabulary in any language). Someone taught me how to say “sorry,” since I’m not graceful and constantly bump into people, but I never wound up using it because before “lo siento” could pass my lips, I had already said “D�sol�e!”

I was a little nervous about not knowing any Spanish; as it turns out, Barcelona is so flooded with tourists that the English was plentiful. All I really needed to know was the address of our hostel for the cab driver at 4 in the morning. (Of course, I was the only one who had bothered to learn it. I am always the mom of the group. You’re welcome.) 33 Passeig del Gracia, for anyone wondering. There was a constant refrain among our group of people saying “Grathias,” mimicking the way “c”s are pronounced. It sounds very different from any of the other Spanish I’ve heard. Many of the signs were also translated into Catalan, which has enough French in it that I could understand without having to read the English signs.

In fact, being in Spain made me realize how much I have begun to think in French. It took exposure to a third, different language for me to notice that, 90% of the time, my brain is functioning in French. While realizing this made me happy at the vast improvement of my language skills, it was also incredibly frustrating because, yeah, hi, not in France anymore, Marie– no one’s going to understand you.

The hostel was large and welcoming– the second floor was a huge hangout space with TVs, computers, drinks, and foosball. There was also a terrace (and accompanying top floor bar) which had an absolutely beautiful view.

We went to Parc G�ell, the Sagrada Familia, and, on the way home, we saw the Salvador Dali museum. The weekend was packed full of beautiful sights, high views of the city, and a survey of Antoni Gaud�’s unique architecture.

Both Parc G�ell and the Sagrada Familia were designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaud�, who also designed many houses in the city. More than simply buildings, Gaud�’s creations are standing works of art. They are incredibly intricate, featuring hand-done stonework and mosaics, incorporating a variety of mediums. His style is incredibly distinctive– you could identify a Gaud� house from a mile away.

I think my favorite thing about Parc G�ell was the way the architecture and planning flowed with the landscape of the hill. It didn’t fight against the slop; it used it to build a terrace. At the peak, showing Gaud�’s religious side, was a worn dual spiral staircase up to a cross, where you could see almost all of Barcelona and as far as the ocean.

We all saw Gaud�’s most famous work, la Sagrada Familia. Corinne, a Frenchwoman and one of the program directors, told me it was like Barcelona’s Eiffel Tower. It has been under construction since 1882 and isn’t expected to be completed until 2026; there are cranes and scaffolding in almost every picture I’ve seen of it. Gaud� died when the project was only one quarter completed, so you can see the distinct styles of all the different architects on each facet of the building. Walking around la Sagrada Familia is like walking around at least four different cathedrals at once.

While the attention to detail was almost absurd in its intricacy and the craftsmanship of the building is impeccable, I didn’t find la Sagrada Familia particularly pretty or aesthetically pleasing in any way. Each of the pieces would be beautiful independently, but thrown all together as if by hazard makes the building look confused, overcrowded, and at points a little tacky.

However, my favorite part about the trip was Barcelona’s nightlife. We coerced Corinne, the director, into going to the clubs with us both nights. As they say in France, “on fait la f�te,” (et on l’a fait, en fait!). All of the clubs were right on the beach, so that you entered into the building, went onto the patio, and exited no more than 100 feet from the Mediterranean sea.

Spain has pretty strict dress rules for their clubs, and two of our friends got turned away the first night because of their sandals. At 4 A.M. we watched the waves and soaked our feet in the ocean and wound up tracking back an ungodly amount of sand into our hostel room.

Thanks for an amazing weekend, Barcelona! (And sorry about the sand.)

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Home, yet Homesick.

It’s mind-boggling to think that nearly five months ago from today I was thrown in the streets of Barcelona by some ignorant taxi driver, with five bags of luggage and no sense of direction. With a heavy hear and hesitation, I boarded the plane back to the U.S., thinking about the city that I once considered foreign, and a city that I now call home. I reminisce about all of the memories that I’ve made, and how I will forever cherish the lifelong friends and family that have entered my life, the incredible and unexplainable experience that has shaped and molded me for the better, and the four most precious months of my life. I have come to terms with, but not accepted the saying, Goodbye, Barcelona… And on a brighter note, HELLO to (friends and fam)— 24/7 wifi, hot water, English and……….’MURRCCAAA!!!

Now that I am back in the States, it is a little depressing, but as my Homestay mother once said, “You must never forget where you have come from, and you must always be proud of this,” Which is true, and I do value everything that America has to offer. Being abroad has taught me more about myself in the past five months than I have throughout the 20 years that I have been alive.

(Homestay Madres–Ros� y Rosa)

“Don’t make big mistakes, just small ones, and live your life with happiness and luck.” -Rosa

It’s weird, because now that I am home, I have culture shock. I feel homesick, especially when I realize that Barcelona has become my home. I already do, and always will, miss it. However, I know that I will be back one day, and I know that within time I will readjust to America, the America that I’ve always known.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. I also hope that those of you who have been following my journeys take studying abroad somewhere as wonderful as Barcelona into serious consideration. I promise you will forever be grateful for the opportunity.

-Becky

Location: USA

Intro to Alyson

HOLA! My name is Alyson Gabel, and I will be spending my fall semester of my junior year in BARCELONA, Spain! I’m so unbelievably excited, I don’t even know where to begin.

I have wanted to go abroad ever since I was in high school, when we had exchange students come and stay with students in my school. During my fall semester of my sophomore year at Penn State, my roommate was a student studying abroad from Melbourne, Australia, and she really helped to solidify my desire to study abroad. The fact that someone from another country was able to learn so many new things everyday and just enjoy herself to the fullest in a new country was something that I envied, and there was no way I was going to pass that up. Now, even 7 whole months after we have parted ways, she is still one of my absolute best friends, and I can only hope that I form a friendship as strong as the one I formed with her during my experience abroad.

Packing is a huge concern of mine. I have way too many clothes for my own good, and I get separation anxiety at the thought of leaving so many of my favorite things behind. The bag I will be checking is the maximum size allowed by the airline, and I will have another large carry-on bag full of stuff, but I don’t know where to start as far as choosing what I will need/want and what I won’t. At least I have a few more weeks to worry about that!

I am not worried about most things, such as food, media, and other things that I will have to become accustomed to in Spain, because most humans have the same needs/desires as far as hygiene and other consumer goods, but communication still remains a large concern for me. I am addicted to this social media age that our generation has become engulfed in. I check my Facebook obsessively, update my Twitter compulsively, and I have newly become addicted to Tumblr. On top of that, I am never without my cell phone, on which I can access all of my social media outlets just at the tip of my fingers, anytime, anywhere. I know that I will not be able to do the same when I am in Barcelona. I will be getting a prepaid type of cell phone as soon as I get there, but I do not expect it to have the same capabilities as my current smartphone, so I will feel slightly cut off from the social-media world. I know I will have my computer with internet, but my computer will most certainly not be going everywhere with me (I plan on traveling everywhere I possibly can throughout Europe). I guess I will just have to see what kind of cards I’m dealt with when I get there on August 1st, and at that time I’ll just have to roll with the punches.

That’s about it for right now! I’m still waiting for my visa to get back to me, but other than that, I’m all set with paperwork and other things that had to be taken care of prior to departure. All I can do now is wait anxiously and hope for the best. I hope Barcelona (as well as the rest of Europe) is ready for me!!

Location: Verona, NJ

Mount Monserrat, Spain

Tuesday Collin, Chris, Sam, Allison, and I were all suppose to go climb Mount Montserrat. The 2 guys and myself ended up going. We stopped at the super market and bought bocadillos (6 to 8-inch long portion of baguette, sliced in half and filled with sausage or another kind of cold cut of sausage) for later. Then we took a taxi about 45 minutes outside of Barcelona to get the mountain. We thoroughly enjoyed the 2.5 hour hike up along with the many site, the sites where the best part of the day! I was super excited when we saw the Pyrenees Mountain range covered in snow, they border France and Spain. At the top of Mount Montserrat is a beautiful Monastery and a young boys boarding school. We toured the Monastery and then had to catch the train down the mountain. I would have rather climbed down than mountain but then we would have had to call and wait for a taxi which would take too long.

Me, Chris, and Collin part way up the mountain.

TA-DAH, finally got to climb a mountain!

Colin and I in the court yard of the Monastery.

At the end of the day I got a “Man Badge” from Chris and Colin for not wimping out and climbing a mountain! I’m suppose to keep it up to date as well……

Location: Barcelona, Spain

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Intro to Alyson

Mount Monserrat, Spain