Inside Student BlogsNo Olvidas BarcelonaBarcelona, Fall 2008
As I mentioned in a previous entry, the great thing about studying in Europe is that there are a ton of countries to travel to, right at your fingertips. Many students take advantage of this, and I am no different. I have traveled to a new place every weekend in October and I am currently in Germany for the second time. However, last weekend my friends and I decided to take a travel break and we spent the whole weekend in Barcelona for the first time in five weeks. We decided to be tourists and visit some of the sights we still haven’t seen. It turned out to be a very productive Saturday. We were able to visit Montjuic during the day and check out the Montjuic Castle, and we finally got to see the Montjuic Fountains. During the weekends there is a fountain show at night that is just beautiful. They use music and colored lights, some say it is even better than the one at Disneyland. But you should judge for yourself! I must say that they do some pretty cool things that I’ve never seen a fountain do before, and I’ve seen my fair share of fountain shows… That night we went to our first FC Barcelona soccer game! I’m not much of a soccer fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed the game and the dedicated fans who never stop cheering for their team. It is definitely a must see if you decide to study in Barcelona. It’s really cool to go to a sporting event outside of the US because it’s the same type of atmosphere but everything is different. For example at halftime the fans rush to the food stands, which is what you would see in the US. But at the food stands they serve sausages instead of hot dogs, and mini cups of cafe con leche instead of hot chocolate. And one major difference in the FCB stadium from the stadiums in the US is that they don’t serve any beer! (Once you come to understand the intense fan base for futbol, you can understand this rule.) My advice to those traveling abroad, especially in Europe, is don’t forget to take the time to get to know the city you are living in!! I still feel that I have not seen enough here, and I only have a month left!!
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August 19th, 2009 at 10:38 am
What is the best travel methods to use? Is it best to fly places or take the train..?
August 19th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
From my experience it was most cost and time effective to fly. Websites like clickair.com had GREAT deals if you book about a month in advance. I’m talking as low as 29 euros each way. So check that website periodically to find good deals.
There are some train ticket bundles you can buy that allow you a certain number of tickets per month or 3 month or whatever you decide to buy. Taking the train is a nice way to see the country as well as meet interesting people.
It really depends on your own personal tastes, but I hope that helps you figure out which you would like better!