Maren's Abroadventures

Welcome Back to Maren's Abroadventures!          This week, I wanted to tell you about what the people of Barcelona will be celebrating this weekend, and just as a hint, it is not Halloween like in the United States. November 1st is when All Saints' Day will be celebrated in Barcelona, but sometimes they even celebrate on October 31st as well to combine two holidays as "Castaween."         What does this mean? This means that this weekend, as we enter the month of November, there will be celebrations marking the beginning of the fall season and the chestnut harvest. Chestnuts were a main source of  food in the winter months long ago, as they were easy to store and provided the nutrients people were looking for. T he tradition of eating chestnuts is even connected to the practice of keeping vigil for the dead during All Saints’ Night.            Sometimes on this holiday, boys and girls wi...

 Welcome Back to Maren's Abroadventures!          This week, I would like to introduce you to one of my friends from my university in Barcelona, Judith. I met her through the Buddy Program offered when enrolling in CETT Tourism, Hospitality & Gastronomy University. This program offers locals and study abroad students to get to know each other while attending free excursions throughout the semester together . Even when we aren't on the planned group trips together, Judith and I always make time to talk. Whether it is through text or her helping me during class, we continuously try to make the most of our time in the four months I am studying at CETT. We even took the opportunity to try one of the student-run restaurants on campus together, and if it wasn't for her, I would have had no idea where it was in the building. Our lunch included four courses, which included bread, pasta, chicken with salad, and a pastry for des...

  Welcome Back to Maren's Abroadventures! This week is all about how to save money on your study abroad trip, since you may be surprised by how much you spend so quickly. Time really does fly by when you're having fun! Metro Card           To make your Metro experience as easy as possible, it is handy to get the unlimited one-month MetroCard when you first arrive. This gives you more time to relax and plan when you will go to an in-person appointment to get your unlimited three-month card. The smartest way to do this is to plan on getting your three-month card right after you have less than three months left. For example, after arriving on September 1st, I obtained my one-month unlimited card. Then, I made sure to get my three-month card at the end of September, before my one-month card expired. This way, you will avoid having your card declined and won't have to worry about it again. Free Sites         As Jameson has previously men...

  Welcome Back to this Weeks Blog! CETT Tourism, Hospitality & Gastronomy University         This week, I will be discussing what it is like being an international student studying at the CETT Tourism, Hospitality & Gastronomy University in Barcelona. I find that studying abroad here is such a unique experience since it is catered to my specific major, and I am surrounded by like-minded people in each of my classes. While everyone in my classes is from all around the world, it really puts into perspective how Hospitality and Tourism are affected, no matter where you are in the world, and it is an important topic to so many others as well. CETT Entrance While the university is around a 30-minute commute from my apartment, it has actually helped me navigate the metros more efficiently, especially since I have to transfer metros from L5 to L3 every morning on my way there. Thankfully, the university is located right outside of the L3 "Mundet" stop, which ma...

Welcome back to Maren's Abroadventures! This week, I would love to share with you my favorite coffee shops, bakeries, and even a place that specializes in matcha in various forms. A Casa Portuguesa        Bakeries have always been one of my favorite places to go, no matter where I am, and finding this one above made me feel way less homesick. Not only does this place serve delicious pastries and have a wonderful staff, but it also holds special significance for me because part of my heritage is Portuguese, so I have grown up with this kind of baking my whole life. I have enjoyed coming here         This is a hidden gem found only 5 minutes from the Fontana exit when riding the L3 metro. It is located in the beautiful neighborhood of Gràcia, and it is so nice to walk around near this bakery since there are so many coffee shops and other hidden gems surrounding the area. SUN Coffee & Bakery         The staff at SUN ...

 Welcome Back, Everyone! As I discussed in my previous blog post, the historic La Mercè Festival is happening this week from the 24th to the 28th.  Over four days, 16 stages will be set up across seven different neighborhoods, offering 242 shows, including concerts, dance performances, circus acts, and many displays of traditional Catalonian culture. All shows are free!  We now have the program, including what will be taking place during this time, and where to find it. I will offer some tips on understanding the program, as well as including the SAI team's recommendations. Here is the link to the website, which I will be referencing: https://www.barcelona.cat/lamerce/ca/programa      When you first open the La Mercé Website, it gives you the option to view the events by each individual day. There are different amounts of events each day with a variety of options. Checking the program day by day is a good way to create a schedule for what you would like to ...

           Welcome back to Maren's Abroadventures!        This week, I will cover information regarding the upcoming La Mercè festival. There will be around 600 free events spread throughout the city beginning September 24th, so don't miss this very big annual festival in Barcelona. Since there are no classes on that Wednesday, make sure to explore the city and check out the different events offered. Even after the 24th, this festival continues daily until the 28th, so take this opportunity to see something you've never seen before, especially because the metro runs all night long during the festival.       The name "La Mercè" is actually named after the Virgin of La Mercè. It is said that on the night of the 24th of September, in 1218,  the Virgin appeared simultaneously to King Jaume I, Saint Pere Nolasc, and Saint Ramón de Penyafort. Later i n  1687, Barcelona suffered a plague of locusts and placed ...