This past week has been full of adventure and new places! Since school has finished, we have been filling our time with weekend getaways, day trips, and travel to other Spanish cities!
Last weekend we visited Madrid and loved it. Madrid might be my favorite city in Spain thus far. I love how well up kept, pretty, historical, and food centered it is. I particularly loved the grand architecture and buildings in Madrid. The Royal Palace, Cathedrals, and Plaza del Mayor were amazing and different than what we normally see in Barcelona. Madrid is known for its food, and for a good reason! The food I had in Madrid has been some of my favorite. We had amazing sushi, tapas, drinks, and gelato while in Madrid. My favorite spot in Madrid is the Retiro Park. We walked around the park all afternoon and got to see the amazing landscaping and beauty of the park?s layout. In the park was the Crystal Palace, I especially loved this spot. We really lucked out with the weather in Madrid. It is usually in the high nineties during late July, but we got to experience 70s and 80s during our visit. We were so thankful. In Madrid, we also had the opportunity to visit the Prado Art museum. This was amazing. I saw so many amazing works of art from a wide range of history. I liked the religious pieces and the social realism section if the museum. That night, we got dinner, where I had a delicious pasta that received Michelin stars! After dinner we met up with other classmates and saw an authentic Flamenco show! This was one of my favorite memories of our trip! I was so impressed and amazed by the talent and skill it took to? perform in the flamenco style. I am so glad that we had this scheduled because I have always wanted to see a Flamenco show.
After Madrid, we had a day trip to Girona and Tossa del Mar. Girona was the area that game if thrones was filmed, it had very interesting and ancient architecture. I had never seen a city like Girona with such an interesting history and quaint atmosphere. Later that day, we bussed and saw Tossa del Mar. I especially liked this location and wished we had spent more time there. Tossa del Mar was a beach city and it was absolutely beautiful. Christina, our tour guide, led us up to the top where a fortress used to sit, and the view was incredible! It was a very long day, but overall a fun one.
Next, our group took a cooking class! This was one of my highlights of the trip. In the class, our chef, David, showed us how to prepare and make Tapas, Paella, and dessert. For tapas, we made ham and cheese croquettes, patatas bravas, and a chorizo onion dish. I loved the croquettes and patatas bravas and hope to use the recipe to make at home! I will miss this amazing Spanish food!! The vegetable and beef paella was better than the seafood paella, but I think I am slowly realizing I may not be a huge fan if seafood dishes. I would want to make this too, but I don?t want to have to buy a paella dish at home. I was in charge of preparing the shrimp and was nearby the squid. I got to observe how you are supposed to prepare the fish and it was much more intensive than I was expecting. It was disgusting, interesting, and made me appreciate how much work goes into good seafood. This class tickled my interest in cooking, I can?t wait to get back to College Station to have my own kitchen and put this new knowledge into practice!
This week we travelled to Granada, and now Sevilla. Granada was not what I expected. It was much more quaint than Barcelona and Madrid, with a lot of Arab influence. We visited the Alhambra, ate great mediterranean food, and went on a hike in the largest national park in Spain. I like Granada, but am excited to see what Sevilla has to offer! I have heard many people recommend Sevilla, so I am excited to see why it is so popular. This is our last trip and I am trying to soak it all in. When I stop and reflect, I realize how tired I am, I am impressed with how fast paced we have been moving for 5 weeks, and I am thankful for this incredible opportunity to travel abroad like this. I am sad to leave in a week, but know that I have memories and experiences that will stay with me forever.