Studying in Spain: Barcelona

First, a little background about Barcelona:

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, where they speak Catalan--yes, they don't speak normal Spanish in Barcelona
2nd largest city in Spain--behind Madrid--with 4.5 million inhabitants
Largest metropolis on the Mediterranean sea
World Heritage Center by UNESCO with attractions such as Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia along with his other architecture dispersed throughout the city, the famous street of La Rambla, La Boqueria, and of course, the beaches of Barcelona.

Gaudi Park

We arrived in Barcelona by bus from Madrid and it took around 8 hours and our tickets only costed ~35 EUR. This was far cheaper than any flight we could find at the time. So, if you plan on making the trip from Madrid to Barcelona, compare ryanair.com and alsa.com (buses) for the cheapest option. The buses in Europe are very comfortable and I actually prefer riding the bus as opposed to ryanair! Since our bus trip was on the lengthy side, there were 2 rest stops--one quick one for a snack/facilities and another one for lunch. Overall, my experience was pleasant and would recommend taking a bus trip to anyone! There are several bus stations throughout Madrid that are easily assessable by the Metro so you don't have to take a taxi to get there. We chose to depart from Avenida de America station/metro area--which is one of the major bus departure stations of Madrid.

About to board the 8 hour bus to Barcelona from Avenida de America in Madrid

For most of our stays we booked rooms with airbnb -- which we found to be much cheaper than hostels, especially since it was just the two of us and we did not have a large group. So, if you have a bigger group, I would probably recommend a hostel, but airbnb is great for 2-3 people! Airbnb is basically The company is an online service that provides a platform for individuals referred to as “hosts”, to rent unoccupied living space and other short-term lodging to guests. So, each time you stay somewhere, the experience is totally different from the last--which could be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences. However, we got lucky with Barcelona!

We ended up staying in Barri Gotic--the old town of Barcelona, which is also called the Gothic Quarter. There are plenty of beautiful, historical buildings and streets to wonder and it is very close to the beach! I would recommend anyone to stay in Barri Gotic. It is also very close to La Rambla and any other historical, touristy sights you would want to see. We stayed in a newly married couple's apartment, which was so cute and perfect for our needs! The street we stayed on is actually a tourist attraction in itself--Named Carrer de Perot Lo Lladre, which means "Peter the Thief", a historical Catalan outlaw. One of my favorite things about the apartment was the expresso machine that was free for our use :) Such a nice perk!

Our second day in Barcelona was spend at an electronic concert, Piknic Elecronik. I stubled across it online simply by looking up "what to do in Barcelona today"--honestly not a bad idea if you don't know what to do! You can also find tons of free stuff to do that way as well. The concert reminded me of something you might find in Austin, TX--it was an outside venue with around 5 electronic/house DJs, tons of people, a token system, beer sales, food trucks, bean bags for lounging and even a family area for people to bring their kids! Supposedly these concerts happen every weekend in the Summer in Barcelona, and entry is around 15 EUR (or less--I forgot).

Chilling on one of the bean bags

Here are a few photos of the apartment we stayed in:

Note the expresso machine :)

It's always nice (to me at least) when the place you are staying at has a kitchen! Cooking on vacation has several benefits: 1) You save money--LOTS of money in touristy areas 2) You know what you're eating and how it was prepared--nobody wants to be sick on vacation, especially while abroad 3) You have new, authentic ingredients to work with! I was especially excited about cooking Barcelona because I kept hearing about the infamous "Boqueria". La Boqueria is a huge public market filled with everything from fresh fish, chocolate, fruit and vegetables to hand-picked wild mushrooms--a culinary haven. The market supposedly dates back to 1217! It is a must-see in Barcelona. I would recommend going early in the morning or late in the afternoon because it gets awfully crowded.

Selection of Wild Mushrooms

Our dinner made from Boqueria ingredients--fresh Salmon and a tomato, garlic, and onion salsa

The entrance facing La Rambla

Let's not forget about the beaches of Barcelona. There are 4.2 km of sandy beaches in Barcelona, and there are 4 main beaches, along with minor ones inbetween. The first and most populated beach is Barceloneta, which makes sense because it is nearest to La Rambla and many hotels. After Barceloneta comes Icaria beach, which is easy to tell where it starts because of the large wale-like structure--Frank Gehry's Peix. Next, you have the nudist beach, Mar Bella. Lastly, there are the Sitges beaches. It is really up to you which one you choose, whether you want to have the populus, touristy feel of Barceloneta, the care-free feel of Mar Bella or the less populated beaches of Sitges.

Note Frank Gehry's Peix (wale-structure) that marks the end of Barceloneta

We made sure to spend several days at the beach, of course. The other days were spent exploring the city, shopping, seeing La Sagrada Familia, going on a Bar Crawl and checking out restaurants.

If you've ever heard of Barcelona, you've heard of la Sagrada Familia. It is a large Roman Catholic church designed by Antoni Gaudi, and since 1882, it has still been under construction! In 2010 is was claimed as a minor basicica by Pope Benedict XVI. However, in 1926, Gaudi died leaving less than a quarter of the project complete. The construction has progressed very slowly, based on private contributions and being disrupted by the Spanish Civil War. The anticipated completion date is set to be in 2026!

The original design calls for 18 "spires", basically pinnacles--what most people would recognize of the Sagrada Familia. Currently there are only 8 built...so they have a ways to go! Supposedly the tallest spire will be 560 feet and will have a giant cross with Jesus Christ surmounted on it.

It is a little strange seeing a historical site still under construction but it is quite impressive! What is also impressive is the line to get inside...we waited a little over an hour and paid 11 EUR (that's with the student discount) to get inside. A bit tedious, but it is a must-do when in Barcelona. My favorite part was inside the basilica. Here are some photos: