Catalan Traditions: Any Nou i Dia de Reis

January 6, 2015 No Comments

Some people take their time off for Christmas to go home or travel around Europe. After my parents caught their plane back home to the US, I caught a train back to Cambrils. At first I was super upset. It was even harder when I walked into my host family’s house and they were having a huge family get together. It was also Spain’s version of April Fool’s Day, when I didn’t feel like smiling. Although I was upset to leave my parents, I ended up experiencing some unique traditions only seen in Spain.

Madrid, Spain

Madrid at Christmas

December 29, 2014 No Comments

We’re kind of spoiled in the US. Theaters and grocery stores are still often open on major holidays. Even public transportation still operates. That is not the case for much of Europe. Stores and museums begin closing early on Christmas Eve and hardly anything is open on Christmas Day. We still managed to make the most of our time, preferring to get out and explore instead of staying in the apartment doing nothing.

Madrid, Spain

Hala Madrid: Real Madrid’s Stadium Tour

December 25, 2014 No Comments

If you know me, I’m a pretty big Real Madrid fan. I get a lot of flack from my Barça friends, but I don’t care. Hala Madrid! After settling into our apartment and grabbing some food, we jumped into a cab and headed toward the Santiago Bernabéu. A smile came to my face just by saying those words.

We stepped out of the cab and WOW. There it was. It was massive and grand and wonderful. I can’t even begin to imagine what the atmosphere is like on game days. I was finally getting to live out a dream.

Catalunya, Spain, Tarragona

Tarragona in December

December 24, 2014 No Comments

For me, Tarragona is definitely one of the most underrated cities in Spain. Of course Barcelona steals the Catalan thunder because of its size, but even Tarragona’s northern counterpart, Girona, gets more fanfare. (Especially since Game of Thrones films there, too). But Tarragona is so filled with history and culture. It was the Roman capital of Spain at the height of the empire. Tarragona was one of the most important city along Spain’s Mediterranean coast, and much more important than Barcelona.

I could write so many posts about Tarragona. I did live there for two years and it’s basically my second home. For Christmas 2014, my parents came to Spain. We visited Madrid, Barcelona, and Tarragona. Because I was a resident, I didn’t take many pictures while we were there. And then my mom left her camera in the backseat of a cab in Madrid, so unfortunately, I don’t have much to show from that trip.

Catalunya, Spain

Meet Caga Tió

December 8, 2014 No Comments

Catalans are a very proud people. They have many traditions you can’t find anywhere else. They claim they created the first pa amb tomàquet, they build castells, and they speak their own language. But there is one tradition that is different than anything I have ever seen: Caga Tió.

Catalunya, Spain

Five Hours in Barcelona

November 10, 2014 No Comments

Only have a short time to visit Barcelona? Let me start off saying it’s impossible to get a full grasp of the wonder of Barcelona in just a few short hours, but it’s also possible to see many important sites in just a five hours. The transit system is fantastic and cheap. It’s easy to see a lot in a small amount of time.

I live just an hour from Barcelona. Trains leave every hour from my city to Barcelona. It’s really easy to make a day trip to Barcelona. One day, a friend and I decided to take a short trip to the city to pass the time. After dealing with a screaming toddler for the duration of the train trip, we arrived in a cold and rainy Barcelona.

Catalunya, Spain

One Month Down: A Reflection

October 24, 2014 No Comments

As of today, I have finished my fourth week of school. After a very emotionally overwhelming first week where I just wanted to quit, things have settled down and the students have become more used to me. The second ESOs even beg to go with me! (And I love them, too!) I’ve almost been here for as much time as last time I was here. Although times definitely get trying and school can be overwhelming, I would say I’m overall enjoying myself. (Thanks, mom, for making me stay). So to celebrate one month, I’ve developed a list of unusual and surprising things from my time here.

Catalunya, Spain

The Rain in Spain Happens When You’re Running for the Train

October 14, 2014 No Comments

On Friday, my friends and I decided to meet up in Barcelona for a fun weekend after a long week of classes. Chelsey came from Andorra with a ride from a teacher from her school, Erin lives just outside of Barcelona and was able to take a bus and a metro, and I decided to take the train up there.

Catalunya, Spain, Tarragona

Castells: The Catalan Tradition of Human Towers

October 5, 2014 No Comments

Human Towers

By far one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life are castells, or human towers. It’s a tradition in the Catalonia region of Spain. Groups, or collas, come together and build these gigantic human towers with a base, or pinya (literally pineapple), the climbers to form the middle layers, and small children that climb to the top. Yes, SMALL CHILDREN. Like under five years old. In Tarragona, there are two collas: Xiquets and Jove.

Pre-Departure

Top Ten Places I Want to Visit

September 18, 2014 2 Comments

I am now just a week away from my departure to Barcelona! It honestly doesn’t feel like I’m about to leave the States for the next nine months! So to build up the excitement, I thought I would come up with a list of ten places I would like to visit while I’m in Europe!