I haven’t gone on any amazing trips yet, but I did do something pretty cool. Everyone knows that Spain is known for its tapas: little bites of food like appetizers. My friend and I went on a tapeo: going from restaurant to restaurant eating tapas. The city I live in, Tarragona, hosts “Tarraco Tapes” every spring and fall, perfect for bingeing on tapas.
Over these past nine months, I have been to many different cities and countries, which has been an unbelievable experience. However, I have also seen some really breath-taking places right here in Catalonia. These are the places that are just day trips, but have really awesome scenery and fantastic backstories.
When people see me, they often ask me where I was born or where my parents are from. They are always surprised to hear that I’m American. People think I’m more Latina that I am. The truth is, I’m actually quite a bit Scandinavian. My great-great-grandmother immigrated to the US when she was just 15 years old. My mom and grandma had contacts with our Swedish family, so I decided to take a trip to meet my family and learn about the past.
Our final stop on our Benelux tour was to the infamous city of Amsterdam. If I’m being upfront and honest, I have no desire to return to Amsterdam ever. Saying that, it is something that is interesting to visit at least once. Their culture is definitely different, but that is not necessarily a bad thing! So let’s see what makes up Amsterdam beyond what it is known for.
Antwerp was the last leg on our tour of Belgium before heading to Amsterdam. It’s a short train ride from Ghent, and it’s possible to see almost everything in a day. Antwerp is home to one of the biggest ports in the world, renown for its shipping; it’s the second largest in Europe. It’s also got quite an interesting backstory to its name.
Train travel is really cheap in Belgium; only €8 per trip. We decided to take a day trip to Bruge, or Brugge (Flemish name), which is a 30 minute train ride from Ghent. Bruges is like a city stuck in medieval times, with a lot of the same architectural vibes as Ghent, but with more of a small town feel.
Of the four Belgian cities we visited, Ghent was my favorite. It’s not too big that you don’t feel like you get a feel of the city. It’s not too small where you find yourself bored after a few hours. There is beautiful architecture everywhere and such rich history. Belgium is a hidden gem in Europe, and Ghent is a must-see.
One of my favorite things about Europe is the ease and cost of high-speed train travel. After our rainy experience in Luxembourg, we boarded a train to Brussels, Belgium. The train tickets only cost €21 because we are under 26. Yay youth discounts! Two hours later, we were walking the streets of sunny Brussels.
I was nervous to fly and didn’t sleep much. There was a plane crash the week before, so I was freaked out. Luckily, our flight took off and landed safely. The only problems I had were the turbulence and the guys jabbing his elbows into me throughout the flight. We arrived to a rainy, cold Luxembourg. Being typical Erika, I left my umbrella in Spain.
Tip: If you are going to visit Luxembourg, do it when it’s sunny. And don’t go on a Sunday.
I made my way to the train station to catch a train to the airport. Drunken young adults were coming back from their Thursday night out. Meanwhile, I was searching for McDonald’s for a quick breakfast and some caffeine. I met up with my travel partners at the airport and in less than an hour and a half, we landed in Lyon, France.