Trips and Travels

March 27, 2017

Many of us come to Barcelona and use it as a base to travel to other countries around Europe. In this way, we tend to forget to enjoy the city we live in – Barcelona, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This wonderful city has so much to offer – culture, nature, architecture, history, food, everything you can think of to create a memorable holiday. Through ASA and on my own, I have had the opportunity to visit multiple sights – Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, Montjuic, the Picasso Museum and experiencing a traditional Catalan meal – the Calçotada. We also have a trip planned, through ASA, to Sevilla and Córdoba at the end of March to experience the south of Spain and the differences in culture between the north and the south of the country.

My favourite experience was Parc Güell and the Calçotada meal. I had read a lot about Antoni Gaudí’s work and it was fascinating to see it in full form. The structures, colours and techniques he used are all so unique and it made me appreciate how nature can be incorporated and used as inspiration for architecture and design. The Calçotada is by far one of my favourite experiences during this entire semester. The food was so different and nothing like what I’ve ever tasted before. When one thinks of Spanish food, tapas, paella and sangria are the first things that come to mind but there is more to Spanish and Catalan food – the Calçotada was a wonderful eye-opener and quite honestly, very delicious!

Written By

Mitali Mirle

I am originally from India, born and raised in Dubai UAE. I am studying Environmental Science with a minor in psychology and Spanish. I chose to study abroad because I wanted to experience a new culture, travel to new places and in the process, improve my Spanish. While some people speak English here in Barcelona, the preferred language is definitely Spanish, therefore if I want to communicate with others, I am forced to speak the language, which will help me improve my conversational Spanish. While abroad, I hope to use Barcelona as a gateway to rest of Europe, say yes to almost all opportunities, try new things, eat new types of food and witness and be a part of new traditions and customs of Spain. I would like to come back and share my experiences with others like me who also want to travel the world and see the world from different perspectives.