Weekend Adventures

After traveling with IES to numerous places around Barcelona, I thought it would be a cool idea to visit other parts of Europe. I wanted to see what it was like in other countries myself. This past weekend, my friends and I went on our first trip out of Spain to Amsterdam, Netherlands and Brussels, Belgium.

Amsterdam was definitely not what I expected it to be. Everyone biked everywhere and the canals lined the neighborhoods stretching all the way into the center of the city. We explored the canals by taking a boat tour and went back in time when we visited the Anne Frank museum. Amsterdam is filled with so many things to do and stunning parks scattered throughout the city. We also got to see the more bizarre side of the city such as their Red Light District, which can only be found in Amsterdam. This city was filled with surprises and I truly loved navigating everywhere by bike.

Brussels, Belgium is known for being the capital of the European Union and it was interesting to hear so many languages being spoken in this country. Not only was it very diverse, but also I thought Brussels was comprised of very beautiful architecture such as the Grand Place and the Town Hall. Home to Godiva, we enjoyed their chocolate as well as their famous fries and waffles.

Saturday was the big soccer game between FC Barcelona and Juventus and we got to watch it in Brussels. It was amazing to see how many fans Barcelona had not only in Spain, but as well as in various other European countries as well. Chanting and singing were heard throughout the entire night in Belgium and my friends back in Barcelona said they even had a celebratory riot in the main square, Placa de Catalunya. Spain truly knows how to passionately celebrate!

On Sunday when we got back, we joined Barcelona as they celebrated the championship victory of FC Barcelona. I think it is truly unbelievable how much pride and love they have in their soccer team because I have never seen people so emotional after a game. It truly was a monumental moment for everyone in Spain and I am so fortunate to have been here when it happened. Until next time!