Since we have arrived, our group has already shared some amazing experiences and learned a lot about the culture here in Barcelona! While we have been here less than a week so far, I have tried many new dishes, met many l0cals, and visited many popular sites with this group. We arrived on Monday morning and had lunch at Fabrica Moritz, a local spot, and then did a scavenger hunt around the city led by our guide, Christina. We learned a lot about the history of many buildings and visited a local market. The next day we met together in the morning for class and discussed how design thinking applies in the Spanish environment and how the business culture here differs from the United States.
After this brief introduction of the city and culture of Barcelona, our group traveled to Sitges, where we met with a local business that produces Vermut. We were given a tour of the Celler Diaz garage-style factory and learned about the different stages and steps taken to finalize their products. After learning about the background of this company we spoke with the owner about the future goals of this business and how they strategize their growth. I am looking forward to meeting back with this company next week to pinpoint different solutions that may improve their business. In Sitges, which is a historic fishing port town, we had a very traditional group lunch and enjoyed the views.
Throughout our time we have also learned to use the underground metro in Barcelona and have used this metro system to visit many spots! On Thursday we visited Park G?el, where Spanish artist and architect, Antonio Gaudi, designed the park’s many sights. We have learned a lot about Gaudi, as he also designed the infamous Sagrada Familia church, which was an amazing place to visit. Today we all took a bus to Girona, visiting the cathedral and learning about many important Spanish origins. This city has amazing views and European walkways filled with local shops. Overall, we have had the opportunity to try amazing dishes both inside and outside Barcelona, and have learned so much in such a short span of time. I am excited for the rest of this trip and look forward to more adventures to come.