praha: czech it out

my roommates and I at the astronomical clock in Old Town Square

 

I spent this past weekend exploring the amazing and historical city of Praha.  Prague was incredible and unlike any of the other places I have visited in Europe.  It’s old architecture was distinct and many of the buildings seemed mystical to me, reminding me of something I might see in DisneyLand.  Despite Prague’s freezing cold temperatures, my friends and I made sure to cross the famous Charles Bridge to go the Prague Castle.  The Castle is perched high upon a hill in Prague’s old town and from the top of the hill, you have a magnificent view of the city below.  The Astronomical Clock Tower in Prague was another awesome sight to visit.  It is placed in the heart of Old Town Square and there are always tons of tourists crowded around the clock, especially at the hour.  We also visited Prague’s Jewish Quarter (known as the Josefov) where we saw the Old-New Synagogue and the Spanish Synagogue, two historic sights that are definitely worth visiting.  Unfortunately, my friends and I were limited for time and could not take tours inside the synagogue.  However, in retrospect, I would definitely recommend leaving enough time to tour the synagogues because they are both filled with so much history and they offer walking tours to visitors.  

As for the Prague nightlife, I was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was and how much Prague had to offer in terms of going out.  For some reason, I had a preconceived notion that Prague was nothing more than a freezing climate with old buildings and devoid of any nightlife. However, Prague is exciting and filled with awesome bars and clubs.  My first night out, we first went  to a bar called Beer Factory.  Although I am not a huge beer drinker, this place was a guy’s dream come true.  Each person gets a huge, frosted mug and each table has multiple taps that distribute unlimited beer at very inexpensive prices.  My guy friends who I visited were especially happy by how cheap beer is in Prague.  After the Beer Factory we went to a cool dance club that was blasting techno music the entire night (not exactly my favorite music but it was still fun to go and dance).  The next night we went to a 5 story club called Karlovy Lazne.  Although the 5 story aspect was slightly overwhelming, this club was awesome because each floor was blasting a different genre of music.  I spent most of my times on floors 3 and 4 which where playing current and old school American music.  I had had enough Techno music the night before and it was nice to hear some familiar American music.  Overall, the club was awesome and so much fun.  The only problem–keeping track of your friends in such a big venue.  

 

the lennon wall

Our last morning in Prague we visited the Lennon Wall, a wall that began in the 1980s to represent a struggle against the Czech communist regime.  It continues to be constantly updated with uplifting, John Lennon-inspired graffiti.  After our visit to the wall, we ate at Bohemia Bagel before heading to the airport to return to BCN.  Overall, I had a wonderful weekend and Prague was definitely one of my favorite trips yet.  That being said, I am excited to finally have a few weekends in Barcelona so I can finally explore all the sights of Barcelona that I have yet to visit…

the city of lights, the city of crepes…

 This past  weekend I traveled to Paris and it was an experience I will never forget.  I have always dreamed of traveling to Paris and how wonderful of an experience it would be. However, after visiting for the weekend, I can safely say that Paris has exceeded all of my expectations. My roommates and I began our Parisian experience on Thursday night by eating delicious sugar and nutella-filled crepes. A Parisian delicacy, crepes are the perfect sweet dessert or afternoon snack. They can also be filled with cheese, vegetables and meat for a delicious meal.

Friday, my first full day in Paris, I awoke early to ensure that I would be able to conquer all the events I had planned for that day´s itinerary. Our day began with a quick stop at a small french bakery near our hotel. The savory aroma wafting out of the bakery was so strong that the smell practically led us from our hotel to the door of the bakery. After a croissant and a coffe, we headed to the Musee d´Orsay to see works from the impressionist and post-impressionist eras.  Some of the feautrured artiststs included Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edouard Manet. The impressionism was incredible to look at both up close and from far away. For example, at close surveillance, Monet´s Water Lily Pool appears to be nothing more than haphazardly placed blobs of colors when looked at too closely. However, from afar it depicts a beautiful landscape view of water lilies under a bridge. This shocking contrast is one of the characteristics exhibited by many artists, that makes impressionism so unique. I also loved all works by Renoir, especially his La Moulin de la Galette. 

After our morning in the museum, we took the metro to the Jewish quarter of Paris, where we dined at the famous L´As du Fallafel. Not only was the fallafel, hummus and schwarma delicious, but the staff was extremely friendly and engaging. Additionally, eating at this restaurant was quite a lively experience because the restaurant was packed with a lively and boisterous crowd of people.

Since the weather was still nice outside, we proceeded from lunch to the Notre Dame Cathedral, where I was mesmorized by the ornate and beautiful stained glass windows that adorn the walls. We then proceeded to the Champs-Elysee, an area lined with shops and restaurants and a superb place for people watching all the eclectic tourists and glamorous french men and women that stroll by.  The Champs-Elysee ends at the Arc de Triomphe, which looked magnificent against the skyline.  

Over the course of the weekend, I estimate that I ate at least 5 crepes (my favorite being nutella and banana) and drank the most delicious cup of hot chocolate that I have had to date.  The hot chocolate was from Angelina’s located at 226 Rue de Rivoli, right near the Louvre.  I highly recommend visiting there, as well as visiting the Bastille area at night to see all the trendy bistros and bars that line the streets.  

Upon my arrival back in Barcelona on Sunday, I was happy to be greeted by sunshine and higher temperatures than in Paris.  However, I already miss the beauty of Paris and of course, all the delicious french food…

fue a madrid

my friends and I outside the Prado museum

This past weekend I took my first trip from Barcelona to Madrid. Although only an hour plane ride away, Madrid struck me as extremely different in its architectural style and appearance. The hustle and bustle of Madrid on the streets, in the metro stations and even at tourist attractions, made Madrid seem much more like a large city than does Barcelona. The architecture is more formal and rigid; a shocking contrast to the whimsical feel of Barcelona´s Gaudi influenced work. Additionally, a McDonalds, Starbucks, or both could be found on nearly every street corner, further equating Madrid to an American city full of franchises.

My first day in Madrid was spent touring the Prado Museum in the morning and the Reina Sofia in the afternoon with a lunch break full of tapas y mas. The Prado museum was overflowing with so many exquisite masterpieces by some of the most esteemed artists including Goya, Rembrandt, Velazquez, Picasso and countless others. My favorite piece I saw was called “The Garden of Earthly Delights” and it was painted by Bosch. it was a three-part painting that represented the transition from the Earth´s creation to its destruction as people began overindulging and overutilizing all natural resources. I enjoyed everything I saw in the Prado. However, as someone who knows very little about art and art history, I feel that I would have appreciated the artwork much more had I taken a guided tour or purchased an audio tour.

Exhausted after several hours spent wandering through the vast halls of the Prado Museum, a delicious lunch consisting of tapas including stuffed red pepper and cafe con leche, was the perfect energy boost. We spent our afternoon in the Reina Sofia, where I was wowed by Picasso’s infamous Guernica.

Other highlights of my trip included my visit to the Royal Palace (Palacio Real) and my night out at Kapital, a seven floor discotec where I danced the night away to the different range of music that was blasting on each floor. After the club, my friends and I went to a late-night churros and chocolate restaurant for a much needed morning snack.

Overall, I had a fabulous weekend in Madrid and would definitely recommend any students studying abroad to pay a visit there. It was really interesting to see Spain’s capital city and I am happy I made the trip. However, it was nice to  return to Barcelona where the weather is slightly more mild. Additionally, returning to Barcelona after my first weekend excursion made me finally feel that Barcelona is my current home and I was happy to be back…