Good day, travel lovers!
Due to the weather – and the fact that I can count on my hands and feet how many days of classes I have left – I’ve decided to reminisce on some of the travels I’ve taken. Hopefully I’ll impart some tips to you for the adventures you’ll soon find yourself on!
In March 2012, I found myself travelling in not one, not two, but four different countries over the span of four weeks. I was studying in Herstmonceux, England, but traveled to Oslo, Norway, Barcelona, Spain, Brussels, Belgium, and Paris!
Through these four trips, I learned four new and important things about traveling. I hope you can learn from my mistakes and experiences!
What I Learned in Norway and Spain
I was in Oslo, Norway from March 14-18. Oslo is beautiful city on the coast of Norway – you can see the Fjords from the water’s edge, and there are some really great boat tours around them!
The one thing I learned form Oslo is that you need to take the initiative to explore. If I hadn’t stuck to my guns and insisted that I see every landmark in this amazing city, I would have missed out on so much!
This is the market street, where stores and vendors put out tons of different things, from souvenirs to brand name clothes and food for people to buy. Norway is really expensive, but if you budget (which I’m now a pro at doing) you can definitely make it work!
Oslo, is full of beautiful art galleries, museums, outdoor sculpture parks and the Nobel Peace Centre, which had a Afghanistan War Exhibit on when I visited.
Oslo is also host to the Norwegian Ballet Company, which I was blessed enough to see the opening night of their spring performances. Lastly, there’s the world’s largest freestanding ski jump, where you can take a tour up to the very top and visit the museum they have there!
I was off to Barcelona and Malaga, Spain by March 22. I traveled to Spain over a weekend with two of my closest friends. We spent the weekend exploring the sights and eating all the amazing foods that Spain has to offer
One tip I have for traveling in general is get up early! Seriously, don’t sleep in! You can do that at home.
My one tip for Barcelona is to get yourself to Las Ramblas, the market sector of the city! You can find everything from fruits and veggies to the most delicious chocolate and the best meat, seafood and cheeses! Needless to say, I ate my way through Barcelona!
There’s so much beautiful architecture in Europe, and Spain has no shortage of it! As an art history lover, I found Spain breathtaking!
We visited Gaudi’s Gothic Cathedral and spent a few hours just admiring the beauty in the structure. The Cathedral is still unfinished, but breathtaking all the same! From the incredible carvings outside to the gorgeous stained glass windows inside, this place is a true sanctuary.
All in all, my advice to my fellow travellers is to expand your horizons. If you don’t normally explore art museums, give them a try! If you are usually a picky eater, try the city’s specialty dish! You may like, or even love it!
Travel on, my friends – next time we’ll be exploring Belgium and France!