The last week of classes kept me busier than I expected, but I was still able to experience some astonishing Spanish culture while learning about the politics of Europe today. We started off the week with a tour of Park Guell, a mind-blowing park system designed by Antoni Gaudi himself. It was originally supposed to be a housing development, but after two houses were built by other architects and no one wanted to buy a house in the area, Gaudi changed the purpose and made it a private park dedicated to beauty and scenic views. Gaudi’s house within the park is now the Gaudi house museum and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
I also had the privilege of researching and presenting the effects that the Coronavirus has had on the European Union and how the continent has reacted to the pandemic. The EU’s economy retracted by 20% at the start of the pandemic, devastating many countries. In response, the Eu created what is being called the NGEU and is giving out almost one trillion euros in financial aid, a shocking move as the EU has never had the power to give out financial aid to countries before this time. This money is being used to make the European Union more environmentally friendly through the Just Transition Fund, improve Europe’s technology through Horizon Europe, and make the European country’s economies more resilient by improving productivity, sustainability, and fairness.
We were also fortunate enough to visit the Prot Authority of Barcelona this week and learn about the practical side of running a port as well as the importance that ports have on a nation’s economies. This port is One of Spains largest ports and sees millions of shipping containers carrying anything from textiles to grain across the Mediterranean to Italy as well as being one of the main staging areas for ships bound from Spain to the Americas. The port is divided into three main areas: the Old Port, the Commerical/Industrial Port, and the Logistics Port. In addition to receiving and shipping out goods, it is also a very popular point for cruise ships to begin and end their journeys because of the Barcelona Airport, which gives tourists easy access to the Cruise Liner they will be traveling with. The port is a spectacular sight to see even if you are not interested in the business side, and taking a boat tour of the port is well worth the trip.
This weekend my friends and I are visiting Madrid. on Saturday we visited the incredible Alumadena Catherdral, completed in 1993 and home of the Archdiocese of Madrid, or the Seat of the Archbishop. We also toured the Royal Palace and saw the incredible architecture and artwork inside. You are not allowed to take pictures inside of the Royal Palace, which I think is very cool, as it preserves the beauty for people willing to visit the incredible historical site. We also toured the Museum Del Prado, a famous art museum that houses some of Spain’s more famous artwork, and visited the Crystal Palace inside of Parc Del Retiro.
I enjoyed taking classes in Spain and learning about the economics behind the EU and international business over the past several weeks, but I am looking forward to being able to explore Barcelona and the surrounding area more thoroughly in the coming days. I don’t have anything planned out just yet and I like it that way; I am ready to experience whatever else Barcelona has to offer.