Submitted by Susanne Steele on the 2020 winter session program in Barcelona, Spain sponsored by the College of Education and Human Development…
So far, I have been having a blast studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain. This first week, I have gone on several great excursions to get a sense of the city of Barcelona. I have enjoyed taking public transportation, via the bus, the train and the metro, or as we call it the subway, to get around the city. One of my favorite places that I have been in Barcelona is La Boqueria a bustling, colorful marketplace or mercat (in Catalan, the official language of Barcelona) where there are hundreds of vendors selling all the fresh food you could ever want. I enjoyed some fresh fruit juice, chicken empanadas and sizzling grilled shrimp with garlic, my favorite tapa so far.
In Spain, I have loved eating tapas! My Mom and I traveled throughout Spain before my program began so I have been making several comparisons between the varying aspects of the different cities, and one thing they do differently by region is tapas. In Barcelona, when I have eaten tapas, (a smaller portion appetizer compared to those in the United States), they are typically served restaurant style at the table. This differs from how tapas are served in other cities in Spain, for instance, in Valencia, it is typical that tapas are served on displays with toothpicks and people just choose the tapas they want to eat and pay by how many toothpicks are left on their plate (the same rate for each).
There are lots of things I have noticed that differ between Spain and the United States just in the everyday life of the people. In Spain, shops and stores are not open as early as they are in the United States and their eating times are very different. Also, when someone has eaten dictates the greeting one says. For example, one does not say good morning or “Buenos dias” until after he/she has eaten breakfast and the same applies for good afternoon or “Buenas tarde” for lunch. The reason that this idea fascinates me is because it does not matter what time of day it is, even if its eight o’clock at night, at this time if you have not eaten lunch you would still greet someone by saying good morning. In Spain, after one has eaten lunch they have a “siesta,” but this does not mean to take a nap, I have learned that a siesta is just a time of the day, usually any period of time between four o’clock and seven o’clock when people take a break after eating a meal. During this time, many cafes, restaurants, bars and shops close until around seven o’clock or later, when it is dinner time. I have had such a great time so far studying abroad in Spain, I cannot wait to have more great experiences and learn and immerse myself in the culture.
