Before I start raving about the experience I have just submerged myself into, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Becca Hallac from Buffalo, New York and I am a junior at Penn State University. More importantly, I have decided to spend my spring semester studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain with my two best friends Katelyn and Karrie. Our decision to live in independent housing is responsible for many of the stories yet to come.

    My home for the next four months will be an apartment located in Placa Reial which I must admit was a hassle getting before arriving here but it is perfect! Claimed the most lively square of Barcelona, Placa Reial hosts some of the most popular restaurants like Les Quinze Nitz with outdoor seating for those who want to people watch as passer-by-ers take pictures at the central fountain and among the palm trees that adorn the square.

Nightclubs such as Jamboree and Karma are just a few in Placa Reial. I am first becoming familiar with Placa Reial as I know that this will be my base here in Barcelona. It is also the name I will be using when returning from this crazy nightlife I have heard so much about!

    The program that I am enrolled in, IES (International Education for Students) has allotted us an adjustment period prior to the beginning of classes. It has included walking tours around the city with students in corresponding language levels. After taking the online proficiency exam I have tested out at an advanced level and will take a Spanish language class which will be seven credits and hopefully will lead to a large improvement by the time I leave here. From the walking tours I learned the basic structure of Barcelona. Barcelona contains many different “barrios” which are simply neighborhoods dividing the city. The first I learned about is Barrio Gotic which is often called Old Town because it holds the center of early Barcelona. Barrio Gotic also contains the Catedral, the Christopher Columbus statue, Placa de Sant Juame, which was the old city center and houses the current government. Clearly favoring this barrio because it also holds my home, Placa Reial, I know I will spend countless hours walking these streets. Quickly a sucker for the pastry shops at every corner, I am already in love with this city!

    The second walking tour gave me a taste of another barrio called El Born. This area is home to the Picasso museum, the Palau de la Musica Catalana, Els Quatre Gats, the café in which Picasso sipped espresso at, as well as Parc Cituadella. The architecture is breathtaking. The Palau de la Musica Catalana is the most ornate structure I have ever seen with sculptures and colors adorning all outside. As postcards frequently show the inside’s bell shaped stained glass, my curiosity drew me to take the inside tour. As assumed, a postcard does not do this colorful dome justice. The acoustics of this theatre were amazing after we were given a taste of a gigantic mechanical organ piece. This is not a typical day at home in Buffalo however something tells me I will have many days this out-of-the-ordinary.

    On to Las Ramblas…how do I explain Las Ramblas. The busiest street in Barcelona starting at Plaza Catalunya, (the city center) and ending at the Christopher Columbus statue located at the harbor. It is what one finds in between that makes Las Ramblas so unique. Lined with tourist-attracting restaurants and trendy clothing stores, it is between the storefronts that caught my eye. Hundreds of people walking no matter what the time of day, this street contains magazine stands, floral stands, human statues of fairies and cowboys, along with a Michael Jackson impersonator who is quite awful I must admit.

    Some of the strangest characters are dressed up on this street, ladies in fat suits or literally enveloped in colorful fruits from head to toe. Last but not least Las Ramblas houses multiple imposters of Spain’s soccer god Ronaldinho, who although looks a bit like an early man, seems to have this city obsessed. If he is responsible for the soccer games I have heard so much about then appearance aside I am a fan as well.

    I have resorted to learning the rest of this city simply by exploring and seeing where my day takes me. Embarrassingly, my journey to Barcelona started with a trip to Barnes and Noble to purchase a travel guide as every student here is reluctant to admit but I will be my own guide this semester and see where this city takes me.

please read on for more entries. - Entry #2

Filed under: Studying Abroad Journal