The Life of Pablo (Picasso)

So it's been about a month since I've posted. I’m sorry you all have had to wait this long. It’s like Kanye’s new album, but luckily for you it’s not on Tidal. While you were sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for this post , I was studying at the Universidad de Salamanca, spending some time with fellow IB students in Madrid, and flying solo to Barcelona. I’ll use this post to give the ‘low down’ and my thoughts on the three locations.

Madrid

Maybe it’s because Madrid isn’t a great city for tourists, maybe it’s because the weather was bad, or maybe I just got unlucky with my experience, but Madrid was not my copa de té. The city felt entirely void of any personality. The culinary creations of menu del días, paella, and tortilla left a lot to be desired and by the end of 9 days or so the unending rows of white buildings were about as appealing as shag carpets and wood paneling. Unlike the other cities I’ve visited, I’ve never looked down a street and stopped to just go ‘wow’.

Palacio Real de Madrid

It seems, however, that I’m very much in the minority with this opinion. I basically got yelled at by a foreign exchange student from Fort Worth for saying “I just didn’t like the vibes” of Madrid. Apparently there’s some sort of passionate love for the city I’m missing. That’s not to say I don’t think it has a lot of desirable qualities. The city is very social, and incredibly accessible (seriously, I couldn’t find a single block that was more than a 5 minutes walk from a metro stop), and there’s never a time of day where people aren’t out drinking a café con leche or just sitting around doing nothing (which they do a lot). It is also only a quick bus trip away from Toledo, an incredible old city famous for being a refuge of religious freedom for many years. 

The Cathedral of Toledo

Salamanca

I studied here for almost a month, so I feel a bit more in touch with Salamanca. It’s a quaint old Catholic on the way west to Portugal from Madrid. It has a lot of culture, history, and is always buzzing with local people on their way to whichever coffee or tapas shop that is down the street. La Universidad de Salamanca is one of the oldest universities in the world and they’ve preserved the over 800 year old buildings very well.

La Plaza Mayor, Salamanca

While I was there, I stayed for three weeks with a family who were all incredibly hospitable and wonderful to stay with. 

(Protip: For any IB students studying Spanish who don’t end up going to a Spanish speaking country, you can do a 2 or 3 week program here in January if your program starts later like mine did. It was perfect. Seriously, talk to the study abroad office. Now. Go. Don’t let your dreams be dreams.)

You get a truly genuine Spanish cultural experience in Salamanca. The smaller towns are much less globalized and more set in their ways than Madrid and Barcelona so you get a 'real' view of the local culture. This can be a good and bad thing, because on one hand you get a siesta in the middle of the day and on the other you have to eat at 2:30 and 9:30 p.m. It makes no sense, I don’t know I just didn’t ask questions.

Barcelona

It’s hard to blame Barcelona for thinking they’re the best part of Spain. The works of Gaudi are impressive and unique, the beaches are as close as you could want, and the views are jawdropping. After only a quick bus trip to the Carmel stop, you can find this perfect view of the city seamlessly fusing the Mediterranean Sea into the rolling hills of Montserrat. Seriously, just look at it.

View from the Bunkers of the Spanish Civil War

The city had a very unique personality and genuine buzz about it. The streets were teeming with locals and tourists alike, and each and every street corner possessed hidden gems of architecture, shops, and restaurants. The buses go everywhere and getting around was incredibly easy. The hostel I stayed at (Saint Jordi Rock Hostel) was a great experience and I had the chance to meet people traveling from all over the world. I can not say more good things about this city.  

Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona

My only legitimate criticism was the fact that Catalan was their official language (be French or be Spanish, you can’t be both), but it was only a minor problem because almost everyone spoke Spanish anyway. Also, because it is a large tourist city, you have to watch out for pickpocketers. The French and British guys I were with almost got robbed by an old lady trying to hand them a flower. Yeah, even the nice old people can’t be trusted. 

Rome

Stay tuned for next week's post...