Beaches, Boccadasse, and Barcelona

It is crazy to say that another month of this European adventure has almost come and gone. Despite classes starting in full swing and February being a short month as it is, I took advantage of travelling every weekend (beginning with Amsterdam) and continuing onwards to Genoa and Barcelona- all the while my love for travel continuing to grow monumentally.

I did not believe it was possible to love a city more than Amsterdam, but yet again Europe proves to me that my expectations can be exceeded time and time again—I now cannot sing enough praise about Barcelona. The city itself reminded me largely of California, and the people were very relaxed and unpretentious. I spent 48 hours wandering the coastline in 75 degree weather, visiting the notable Park Guell and Sagrada Familia, and taking in the sunset from Montjuic. Prior to coming to Barcelona, I took a day trip to Genoa, a coastal city approximately two hours from Milan. Similar to Barcelona, I went into the trip with no plans and allowed the day to unfold before me naturally. A friend and I ended up wandering an hour and a half to the pastel-colored neighborhood on the cove, Boccadasse. We spent the day basking in the sun on the docks and people watching while perched on the rocks.

Though I wish I could perpetually travel without the responsibility of school, the “reality” I return to after these wonderful voyages is Milan, and that is nothing to complain about.