Spain

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5 Europe Trip Highlights

It’s been a few weeks since returning from my trip throughout Europe, and I’ve finally had a chance to reflect on that amazing adventure in those 25 days. It was a surreal experience and to see so many things in Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, France and Iceland was mindblowing. There are a lot of things I want to talk about, but it would take too long to list everything right away.

So here are 5 highlights that I took away from my trip:

1. Iceland’s natural beauty & culinary delights

Gullfoss Falls
Gullfoss Falls

I’ve always imagined what Iceland would look like but being there in person is an experience like no other. My group was only there for three days, and it’s only made us want to be there for three weeks. From its rugged, volcanic terrain, various towering waterfalls, the Blue Lagoon natural spa, and the Northern Lights, we were mesmerized by its beauty in every way. Maybe just as amazing as its picturesque landscapes are its traditional culinary offerings. Iceland never struck me as a foodie destination, but it unexpectedly provided some of the best food I’ve ever had. We got to taste lamb of leg and lamb soup, fresh seafood, traditional Icelandic specialties and everything was delicious. We will be back in Iceland for a longer trip very soon.

2. Antoni Gaudi, the Sagrada Familia

Throughout Barcelona, we visited the works of Antoni Gaudi, a brilliant architect whose designs were ahead of his time. Some of his works we were able to visit included Parc Guell, La Pedrera, Finca Guell and the amazing Sagrada Familia. The Sagrada Familia blew me away, as I wondered how one person planned out every detail of this structure. The exterior and interior are stunning, and I could only marvel at the detail that went into this project. The Sagrada Familia has been under construction since 1892 and is projected to finish by 2026, 100 years after Gaudi’s death. It’s an awe-inspiring structure, a must see for any visitor.

Sagrada Familia Interior
Sagrada Familia Interior

3. The Art Collection in Musée d’Orsay

Musee D'Orsay Museum
Musee D’Orsay Museum

The Louvre was great to visit and houses a great collection, but Musée d’Orsay also provides an amazing museum experience. Formerly a railway station, the museum houses a beautiful collection of various artworks, including the largest collection impressionist paintings in the world. You can see paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Degas and many more. I especially loved Van Gogh’s self-portrait, a very intense and emotional piece to see up close. The museum is also deceptively huge; when we first walked in, we thought the museum was only two stories tall, and we were making quick progress of the museum. Later, however, we did not see the additional elevators that led to the other sections of the museum, which includes five more stories of artworks! We stayed several hours and only went through a fraction of the museum.

Van Gogh Self-Portrait
Van Gogh Self-Portrait

4. The Vatican, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s Basilica

While the Vatican is recognized as the smallest country in the world, it contains some of the greatest architectural structures and art pieces during the Renaissance. The most prominent things we marveled at was Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel and the overwhelming St. Peter’s Basilica. We first walked into the chapel, and it was stunning to see how one man could accomplish something as grand as the ceiling art and “Last Judgment.” It took him a total of 10 years to complete his frescos in the Sistine Chapel. We eventually walked through the basilica, and I was stunned by the sheer size of the lavishly decorated interior. It’s especially beautiful when the sunlight is beaming through the windows.

St. Peter's Basilica Interior
St. Peter’s Basilica Interior

5. Getting engaged in Iceland and winning a free cruise!

I’m not a big fan of cruises, but with two senior members in our group, it was the perfect travel method to visit multiple destinations and allowing everyone to rest after a very busy day. And as an incredible bonus, we WON A FREE CRUISE they were raffling off during Bingo (yes, that is how it happened)! It either goes to the Caribbeans for seven days or we use it as credit to any cruise we want. So looks like we’ll be cruisin’ again! But the icing on the cake was proposing to my girlfriend, who said yes! Iceland was the perfect place to do it where crowds are thin to celebrate a private moment and the embrace natural beauty around us. I can’t wait to share many more exciting adventures together in the future!

Happily Engaged in Iceland!
Happily Engaged in Iceland!
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Things I learned (and FAILED) in Barcelona

Landing in Spain was the first time I ever set foot in any European country (not counting the layover in Sweden), and I knew many customs and cultures would be new to me. While I moderately understand some of these, the only way I was going to learn them was to find them out first hand, while failing a few times in the process. Here are a few things I’ve learned, mostly by failure, in the few days I’ve been in Barcelona:

1. If you’re planning to plug in multiple electronic devices, check that you have the right adapters, your electronics are rated with the right voltage and have a converter if those devices don’t rate correctly. Otherwise, you could short circuit the power in your hotel…which is exactly what happened to us 10 minutes after checking into our hotel room. Oops! Luckily, we only had to flip back on the breakers in our room and our power was back on. But our 16 sockets, 3 USB port adapter was completely fried and rendered useless. FAIL.

2. In the U.S., bikers share the road. In Barcelona, bikers share the sidewalk. So don’t go wandering in clearly marked dividers for bikers on the sidewalk, a sure fire way to get yelled at by passing bicyclists. And yes, you guessed it, that’s what I did. FAIL.

Share the road and sidewalk with Bicyclists!
Share the road and sidewalk with Bicyclists!

3. In most eateries across the U.S., it’s very common to be offered free tap water and, in more mid-level to upscale restaurants, free bread or other baked goods. In Spain, there is no such requirement and possibly applies in many parts of Europe. If you go blindly asking for water and bread, you can bet that they will quickly bring those items and slap on 6 Euros to your meal. For us, we were brought two opened bottles of water and almost got four before we realized they would charge us. The bread did not come out fast enough when we came to this realization. Semi-FAIL.

4. If you’re craving churros in Spain, crave it in the morning, not late at night. We were craving for some churros in the late evening, so we began searching from restaurant to restaurant to see who had them. After walking several blocks in the sweltering summer heat, we could not find one establishment that provided churros. Finally, we asked a manager of a restaurant if they knew anyone that made them. We learned that churros are mostly made and eaten during breakfast, so almost no restaurants make churros in the late evening. Dejected and sweaty, we walked back to our hotel room with our churro cravings completely unsatisfied. FAIL.

We Finally Got Churros!
We Finally Got Churros!

5. Change in the USD is most commonly quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Many times when I receive change like this, I just toss it in a tip container. Change in Euro is commonly available in one or two Euros. So when you toss in three coins in a tip, that is potentially up to 6 Euros you’re giving away, or almost $7 USD. I fatefully performed this act (sadly, at a self-serving restaurant and in a country where tipping is not common practice), and absently-mindedly dropped three coins into a tip bowl. Two seconds later, I realized that each of those coins were two Euros each, and I wanted to take them back, but that would’ve been very poor taste. I just had to leave the overly generous tip in the bowl. FAIL.

6. Sorbets are delicious. Just don’t lick sorbets on your cone too hard. They will fall off. Like mine did…FAAAIIIILLL!

I love Strawberry Sorbet!
I love Strawberry Sorbet!

My FAILs are very timid compared to what others have gone through. What are your cultural misunderstandings that you’ve experienced?

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