Before classes started, my program organized a trip to the nearby town of Tarragona, one of the first cities in Spain established by the Romans. Though most of the original Roman city
has been built over by present-day Tarragona, the ruins of the amphitheater and part of the Roman circus were still intact. The amphitheater was built right on the beach, and was definitely a fantastic view! It was so interesting to see such an ancient structure incorporated into the modern day city, especially since the United States has a very short-lived history so far. On this journey, we also stopped by the nearby town of Valls, which is famous for human towers, or castells. As a Catalan tradition, teams climb on each others shoulders to create human towers, some as tall as ten stories high. It seems to me like a very terrifying experience, but it is a very rewarding and revered event in Catalonia.
Our last stop on our trip was one of the only monasteries left in existence in Spain. The weather that day was absolutely perfect, and just made the beautiful edifice seem even more enchanting. The monastery no long hosts monks, but is completely open for tours, and was a wonderful experience. After the tour, we were given some time to explore the courtyard and relax in the sunshine.
Other than the amazing adventures so far, classes started, which are a little less fun and interesting. The classes here are much longer, and most have required readings before class. The class time is spent discussing the readings, and providing additional information on the subject matter. It is definitely something I’ll have to get adjusted to!
Last weekend, my host family brought us to a local “cava,” or vineyard, to explore and learn about how they make wine and champagne. We got to sample some of the wines and cavas and they were delicious! It was really cool walking through the process, and seeing how precise and time consuming it is. All of the grapes are picked by hand to ensure the best quality, and some of the wines are aged for over 50 years! One of the champagnes we sampled was aged 40 years, and tasted fantastic!
My last adventure of the week was my first class trip! My Mediterranean Oceanography class took a field trip to the Barcelona Aquarium. The aquarium is kinda small, but there were some pretty interesting fish and other sea creatures. My favorite critter was the octopus, because he just looks really cool! I’m glad I was able to go with my professor because he was able to tell us what the animals were and a few interesting facts about them.
Overall, I would say my time here in Barcelona so far has been pretty good. I can’t wait to see what the next few weeks will bring!
Location: Barcelona, Spain
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