In March of 2019, I embarked on a nine day trip to Spain. This trip was organized by West Virginia University and EF Tours. We spent time in Barcelona, Figueres, Madrid, and Toledo. Out of the four cities that we visited, Barcelona stole my heart! It is a beautiful city located in a valley that is surrounded by mountains and miles of beaches. Read below about how I spent my spring break in Spain.
Day 1:
We arrived in Barcelona around 9AM on Sunday morning. There were fifteen students and two faculty members in our group, plus our tour guide Joel from EF Tours. We were able to quickly drop our things off at our hotel and freshen up before a long day in the city. As usual with international travel, it was important that we stay awake the whole first day to avoid jet lag.
We stayed at Hotel Catalonia Park Güell. Breakfast at this hotel was AMAZING! There were so many options from fresh fruit, to meats and cheeses, to pastries! I also really liked the location of this hotel. It was outside of the city, in more of a residential neighborhood. I felt very safe in this part of town, and it was relatively quiet at night. There were scarce options for nightlife or restaurants near this hotel, but it was very close to a bus stop and the Metro. It took us about seven minutes to walk to the Vallcarca Metro station and then ten minutes to ride the L3 line to Las Ramblas.
The first day included a walking tour of the city. We started on Las Ramblas, which is the main street through Barcelona. There are many shops and restaurants located along this road, which are very popular with the tourists. However, the food is overpriced and cheaply made. We found the best restaurants and bakeries away from this road. I would highly encourage this. Stay tuned for my Barcelona Food Blog to learn about some of my favorite wine bars and brunch stops! We ended the day by walking through the Gothic Quarter and having dinner at the port while the sun set.
Day 2:
Today began with an early morning at Park Güell. Antoni Gaudí’s work there is absolutely amazing. It is incredible to think that Gaduí had so many projects and ideas in one lifetime. He was a vibrant artist and architect. My favorite feature of the park was the line of stone rosary beads that followed the paths.
In the afternoon we made our way to La Sagrada Familia. This church of Gaudí’s creation began construction in 1882 and is still unfinished! Gaudí had an intense love for nature and God, which is evidently shown through his work. He decorated with colors, animals, and fruits of the sea and sky. The altar was outfitted with grapes and shafts of wheat. They say the church will be complete in 2026, and I intend to revisit the finished building someday. It is a must see destination in Barcelona!
Finally, we took a bike tour of the city through Green Bikes. Our guide was Patri, and she was excellent. She showed us places in the city we would have never discovered on our own. We rode through Parc de la Ciutadella and Port Olímpic. I would highly recommend a bike tour of the city!
Day 3:
Casa Milà and Casa Batlló are two other famous structures by Gaudí. The rooftop of Casa Milà gave some of the best views of the city and made for some of the best Instagram photos. One of the archways looks towards La Sagrada Familia. See the photo of me on the right to know what view I am talking about. Casa Batlló was the home by Gaudí that I was most excited to see. Unfortunately it was under maintenance on our visit. We were supplied with audio guides and virtual reality tablets to conceptualize the home. Personally, it was hard for me to appreciate the true masterpiece of Casa Batlló. I would recommend this tour when the restoration is finished.
Day 4:
We road a cable car today at the top of Montjuïc for beautiful views of the sea, city, and castle. The cable ride cost about 12€ roundtrip. The ride itself was not long, but I thought it was worth the money for the scenery. We did not go inside of the Castell de Montjuïc , but the views outside of the walls were spectacular. We saw people running and even practicing archery.
In the evening, three of us had tickets to FC Barcelona vs. Olympique Lyonnais at Camp Nou. This was the highlight of my trip! I was extremely nervous about going because this was a huge game for Barca, I was a tourist, and I heard that fans there are crazy about soccer. I had nothing to worry about! The stadium was huge but easy to navigate. With over 92,000 people in attendance, the energy inside of the stadium was electric. Stay tuned for my blog post about my Camp Nou experience!
Day 5:
The morning started with a private food tour of Barcelona with our guide Hannah. We sampled chocolate with churros, patatas bravas, vermut, croquettas, and pinchos (a style of snack from the Basque region of Spain). We stopped at La Boqueria for some manchego cheese, Iberian ham, and turrón with peanuts. The market is absolutely amazing! The food is all so fresh. I so badly wish we had access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and fish like this in the United States. I am in love with the Mediterranean diet.
In the afternoon we took a trip to Figueres to visit the Salvador Dalí Theatre-Museum. It was about a two-hour drive from Barcelona to the museum. Dalí had a uniquely creative mind. Some of his artwork was confusing to me while others were so innovative that I was in awe. This is an easy day trip away from Barcelona.
Day 6:
We road a high speed train today to Madrid. It was such an easy way to travel. I slept the whole way. Our hotel in Madrid was Hotel Mediodia. The location of this hotel was nice, but the staff was a little difficult to work with. My first impression of Madrid was that it was a huge city. I honestly felt like I was in NYC with the amount of traffic and people on the streets. We had a tour of the Royal Palace of Madrid and a visit to the famous Prado Museum. Our evening ended with a flamenco show. The dancers had amazing talent. It was a cultural experience that I was glad to have attended.
Day 7:
We spent the morning in Toledo, which is an old and beautiful town. We visited Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toledo and walked the old cobblestone streets with our guide. I felt like I was walking through another world with bridges and structures from medieval times. Almond trees are abundant in Toledo, so marzipan is a specialty of many bakeries in town.
Our final afternoon was spent in Madrid. We witnessed over 12,000 people march through the streets of Madrid to peacefully express their support for Catalan independence. My friends and I walked the entire length of Buen Retiro Park and then to Puerta del Sol center for last minute souvenir shopping.
Spain has treated me so well! Here are some final notes about my trip.
The weather in Barcelona in March was about 55-60 degrees and sunny in the day with temperatures dropping to the low 40s after the sun went down. Madrid reached 80 degrees on our last afternoon.
People in Barcelona speak Catalan, not Spanish. Catalan is similar to Spanish but adds a French twist. People in Barcelona are bilingual and speak both Spanish and Catalan. I spoke English only and did not find myself with any difficulty.
I must say that I loved Barcelona the most. It was such an easy city to navigate by walking or public transportation. We also found some of the best restaurants and views in Barcelona. Compared to Madrid, Barcelona was cleaner and less crowded.
I am so grateful to have traveled abroad with such wonderful college friends and my little sister Gianna. I will truly never forget this trip, and I am excited for more adventures in the future. Stay tuned!
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