This past week we had our fall break (which was much needed after mid terms :]) and a bunch of us went to Barcelona, Spain and Nick and I travelled to Lisbon, Portugal after that!
We had a great time basking in the warm Iberian sun and seeing the sights of Barcelona and Lisbon!
We left La Croisee at 6:40 AM Wednesday to get to the Geneva airport for our flight to Barcelona at 9:35. We arrived in Barcelona at 10:30 ish and left the airport for our hostel called Ideal Youth Hostel (ironic considering it was not so ideal :/) We checked into our hostel and went looking for a some Spanish food, but settled on KFC because we all had a hankerin' for some good ole' American eats! After we devoured a bucket of fried chicken, we headed for the beach! It was about a 20 minute walk from the hostel, but it was very enjoyable. We got some ice cream and walked along the harbor. The beach was beautiful! The Spanish Mediterranean was so blue! We sat and talked for a while and walked back toward La Rambla (the area we were staying in) with some kids from the Florence Program who were also in Barcelona. After a quick power nap, Lauren, Alex, Alison, Nick, and I went out to eat. We ordered some sangria (yum!), tapas (yummier!), and paella (yummiest!). It was great. We then went on a search for churros con chocolate! Also delicious! It was a great first day of relaxation! The next day, our same group headed out early for some sight seeing! We headed toward the market where we all got fresh fruit. We spotted a Dunkin Donuts along the way and also got a few sweet treats! We started our day off going to the La Sagrada Famillia or the sand drop cathedral in Barcelona. It was gorgeous! It was under a lot of construction, but thats because it always is. They haven't stopped working on it since the 1800's! After the cathedral, we went to Gaudi's gardens on the other side of town. Gaudi is the architect who is famous for his Dr. Seuss-like buildings and use of mosaics. His gardens were beautiful! So unique and intricate! This is also where they hosted America's Next Top Model season finale 3 so of course, we did some runway walking! Unfortunately, Nick and I had to leave for our flight at 5, but Barcelona is a place I would love to go back to someday!
Nick and I went to Lisbon, Portugal on Thursday. We had such a great time! On Friday morning, we left our awesome hostel to explore! If you like views, Lisbon is definitely the place to go. It's situated on seven hills so there are views everywhere you go. First, we walked around the main square part of Lisbon. It was so beautiful. There are a million monuments in Lisbon so there is always something to look at. Also the architecture is gorgeous! So many of the buildings were covered with beautifully painted tiles! We walked to the ocean/harbor and made our way toward Alfama (the moorish quarter) of Lisbon. Alfama was really interesting. The area seemed to be preserved from any modern changes. It probably looks pretty similar to it hay-day back hundreds of years ago. After Alfama, Nick and I hiked up to the castle. It had such pretty views of the city. We took a bus down to the main square again, did some shopping, and headed back to the hostel.
The flight back on Saturday was probably the worst. I got very sick :( but that did not put a damper on the trip! It was a great time and I'm glad I got to go!
