Submitted by Gabrielle Distefano on the 2019 winter session study abroad program in Paris, France sponsored by the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies…
As my third week abroad sadly is coming to an end, I had the amazing opportunity go away for our “free weekend” and travel to other counties. My friends and I decided to go to Spain!
I never really thought about traveling to Barcelona, but when they suggested it, I was open to go anywhere, and I’m so glad that’s where we ended up. Barcelona exceeded all of my expectations! It is such a beautiful city! We stayed at a nice hotel in the Gothic quarters where we were surrounded by lots of shopping, quaint restaurants, and beautiful architecture.
Our first day there, we visited Park Güell. The detail of everything in the park was so amazing and the view was so pretty! Afterwards, we went back to our hotel to wash up and went back out for paella for dinner. Paella is a famous dish in Barcelona made up of rice, spices, and seafood. It was so good!
The next, and sadly the last day, we went to the Sagrada Familia Church which is a famous church in Barcelona. I had never heard of this church, but it was one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. The detail of architecture on the outside was something I’ve never seen before. The inside was full of the same amount of detail with balconies, stained glass windows, and skyscraper ceilings. It was amazing! Afterwards, we walked around the area enjoying the nice weather before we had to head back to Paris!
Overall, Barcelona was so amazing. I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did and it’s in a close tie for first with Paris! Barcelona might be in the running just because of the sunshine and warm weather!
