It has been a long ten days of vacation. Yesterday, many of us living in the house returned from our second big break. We all went to Spain and Italy and visited six cities in ten days. It was a very busy week of traveling and sightseeing, but it was worth all of the planning and money we spent, because I had a fantastic time. Because of the amount of things that we did, I can’t possibly fit it all into one post, so I’m going to focus on the first part of our trip in this post.
After classes ended, we all flew from London to Barcelona. At our hostel, we met up with our Valpo friends Caitlin and Bethany, who are studying in Grenada, Spain, this semester. It was nice to meet up with them, and be able to reunite with some people from Valpo!
The next day, everyone except me went on a bike tour of Barcelona, and I heard nothing but good things about it. I don’t really enjoy riding bikes, so I spent five hours wandering around Barcelona on my own. I walked down to the pier and saw a statue of Christopher Columbus. I also stopped in at a very beautiful cathedral and sat in the courtyard and read a book. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon because I got to see the things that I wanted at the pace I wanted.
Pier in Barcelona
View of Barcelona
On Saturday, a few of us went to Sagrada Familia. This cathedral has a really interesting history. The architect who designed it was born in the early 18oos. The cathedral has been under construction since the 1800s and is set to be completed in 2026. It was my favorite place that we visited. The cathedral is unlike any other cathedral I have ever seen. The designs on the ceiling look like suns, and the pillars inside create an optical illusion that makes you think that they’re standing up straight, when they really stand at an angle. And the stained glass was absolutely stunning. I would love to be able to go back and see the cathedral in 2026 when it is finally finished, because I know it will be that much more incredible inside.
Stained glass windows in Sagrada Familia
One of the angled pillars inside Sagrada Familia
The weather in Barcelona last weekend was absolutely beautiful. Temperatures were between the upper 70s and lower 80s, and there was not a cloud in the sky. Because the weather was so nice, and we were all on vacation, we went to the beach our last afternoon. I laid on the beach for literally six hours and just enjoyed lying on a blanket, soaking up the sun and sleeping. It was a perfect way to end our time in Barcelona.
Next to come: Italy!
Barcelona Beach
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