I traveled to Barcelona last weekend and Madrid the weekend before. I can confidently say, with 100% certainty that I made the right decision to study in Valencia and I chose the right program. While those two cities are incredible in their own rights, Valencia is absolutely the best fit for me. I love the size of Valencia, that I'm constantly exploring new parts of the city but that it still feels small enough to not be overwhelming. I'm glad I don't have to switch trains on the metro or be worried about my safety/my stuff.
Barcelona was an incredible city. I can see how Gaudi and Picasso were inspired by it. The buildings (just regular apartment buildings and hotels) were more ornate than Valencia. It would be incredible to live in the apartments that overlook the Sagrada Familia but you would have to deal with the tourists as well.
I hardly ever spoke Spanish in Barcelona. It is a very tourist friendly city, but as play pretend Spaniard, I want it (the city) to force me to speak Spanish, as Valencia does. I would speak Spanish to the locals and they would speak English back. As I would continue to speak Spanish, they would continue to speak English. It was very frustrating. So if you are thinking about studying abroad and are serious about learning Spanish, Valencia is the way to go.
Some of my favorite things about Barca:
-I found dried apricots!! My favorite snack!
-They had tons of fresh fruit and vegetable stores.
-Gaudi Architecture- You could visit the Sagrada Familia every day and see something new about it every day.
-Ornate buildings with awesome wooden doorways.
-I think my appreciation for ornate wooden doorways comes from our house and church in Charlotte.
I hope everyone has a fantastic week! I know I will (no midterms!!)!
Love,
Lizzy
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