My Time In Barcelona

Today I am going to recap my three day trip to Barcelona! It was definitely an amazing experience and I am so happy to give y'all some tips and trips for when you book a trip here. So this weekend was absolutely a weekend of firsts so I am going to give you guys the highlights.

Barcelona Firsts:

Going to Barcelona (duh)

Hearing the name Gaudi

Getting Kebabs

Staying in a hostel

Going to Barcelona

I have been dreaming about going to Barcelona since I was a child. I always heard that it was the “IT” place to be in Spain. With that being said, I am going to be a tad controversial here. While I loved the Gaudi architecture like Sagrada Familia and Casa Batlló and the food at Bo de B (incredible sandwiches) and Sensi tapas (best patatas bravas so far), the rest of the city fell short for me. Almost everything was under construction and let's just say I could tell when I was walking past a sewage grate. Also, I am from New Jersey and I have enormous Jersey pride, however the Barcelona students will not hesitate to yell at you when you say Madrid is great as well.  

Hearing The Name Gaudi

Shame on me for not knowing any Spanish because this guy was so incredible. Rarely in my life am I at a loss for words but the picture I have posted is the inside of the Sagrada Familia. The incredible stained glass work of Gaudi perfectly reflects the light into a rainbow of colors, draped across the ceilings and walls of the cathedral. I sat for at least a half hour just admiring the Church and this experience was my favorite moment in Barcelona. Furthermore, walking through Casa Batlló was a beautiful display of architecture and nature combined into a massive, perfectly crafted house. The light show at night was an incredible experience as well as was truly ten minutes of beauty.

Getting Kebabs

I have always heard about European Kebabs but have never experienced one. Ever since Barcelona I have gone every single day to the kebab place near me as pitas are truly life changing. Homemade pita, shawarma, and delicious sauces have never hurt a soul, or my wallet, and I absolutely suggest trying them when you study abroad. It is the epitome of a cheap, easy meal, and if you are studying in the IES engineering Madrid program like I am, Metro Kebab in Leganes has become my safe haven between classes.

Staying In A Hostel

After hearing horror stories from my father, I never thought I was going to have this experience myself. Eight beds in a room about the size of my college dorm room sounded like my worst nightmare, but thankfully I survived! We traveled in a group of eight so we lucked out and were placed together all in one room but that did not make it any less cramped. I learned very quickly I would not be spending any time in the hostel besides sleeping if possible. However, this also promoted much more exploration and tours because I left that terror of a dorm room from noon to midnight.

All In All

Barcelona definitely has things to offer however if offered a chance to return over another city in Spain, I am going to take a rain check. I will always be the biggest Madrid fan and I cannot deal with the Barcelona groupies claiming that they are better!