My trip to Spain with Columbus

by David de Paz

The tour group posing in front of La Sagrada Familia. (Photo Credit: Mrs. Alonso)

I woke up on April 9th and went to the airport for what would be my first time leaving the Western Hemisphere. My fellow classmates and I met up with Mrs. Alonso and Coach Dukes and we embarked on our flight.

After about 9 hours of failing to fall asleep, we landed in Madrid. As soon as I exited the plane, I could sense we were on an entirely different continent. Everything from the sights of the sandy hills surrounding the airport to the weird musky smell that persists in Madrid made the experience feel ethereal.  

Because the flight took place during the night and we landed early in the morning, we wasted no time in beginning our activities. The first thing we did was get breakfast at a place called VIPS, a chain restaurant. We got to try some Spanish food like cachopo and drink the version of Fanta that they have there. However, the best drink on the drip was undoubtedly Aquarius, which is an electrolyte drink similar to Gatorade. Most of us had Aquarius with almost every meal, and we all wish that they were produced in the United States. After eating, we went to the Prado museum, and it was amazing. Walking through the museum was like walking through the annals of history, from seeing medieval art to Renaissance paintings to portraits of rich nobles in the 18th century. After walking around there for a couple of hours and exploring the museum, we were tired, and so fittingly we went to El Parque de Retiro. The park was beautiful and we walked around for some time and then lay down in the grass. After that, we had dinner and went back to the hotel to get ready for the next day.

On the second day, we visited the royal palace and walked through the rooms displaying paintings, statues, and possessions of the royalty. It was somewhat of a culture shock to see the leaders portray themselves like Roman emperors with absolute authority, especially when compared to the more democratic culture of the United States. After leaving the palace, we played a scavenger hunt at the Mercado de San Miguel and walked to Plaza Mayor, where we could see the bustling city life in the center of the entire country. 

The next day of the trip was the best one. We woke up early to take the bus to Toledo, a city that allowed us to walk in history. The medieval aesthetic of the city was mind-blowing, and our tour of the cathedral further exemplified that. Inside the cathedral, there was complex architecture, paintings, and statues that showed how much the Spanish were devoted to their religion. This was a sentiment that had not faded away, however, as there was a procession in the city as a celebration of Easter the coming week. Nevertheless, Toledo is also known for being a city where the three major Abrahamic religions coexisted, and we were able to see a Jewish Synagogue, although it had been taken over by the Christians after the Reconquista. After that, we left the main part of Toledo and went to a store with the third oldest sword forge in the city. We were able to browse the store for swords, and some of us ended up buying them, including me. It is probably the coolest purchase I have ever made. 

After leaving Toledo, we went back to Madrid, but the day still wasn’t over. As an improvisation to the trip, we bought tickets to the Barcelona vs. Leganes game, and we had first row seats right next to the Barcelona section. It’s safe to say that that was the greatest sports event of my life, and if I ever watch soccer again, I’m a Barcelona fan. After a night of learning the chants and screaming at the players to score, we went back to the hotel and rested.

The fourth day was not as eventful as the rest, but we had free time in the city and met up with another traveler group and prepared traditional Spanish dishes in groups. This would be our last night in Madrid, because the next day we would go to Barcelona.

I would like to say that the train ride there was a cool experience, but all I can really say is that it was pretty comfortable because I was asleep the entire time. Upon arriving in Barcelona, there was a clear difference compared to Madrid. Madrid was the royal city that was clean, organized, and had Neoclassical architecture on almost every building. However, Barcelona was a coastal city with a different language, accompanied by a different architectural style, a different smell, and different people. The people of Barcelona spoke Catalan, and being Barcelonian was a central part of their identity. The Catalonian flag was everywhere, and our tour guide informed us that the ones with a blue triangle and a star were put up by those who wanted independence from Spain, and there was no shortage of those flags. The architectural style was Modern and Post-Modern, seen in the deviant and asymmetrical lines in the buildings' features as well as the famous Sagrada Familia. Also, the white and clean aesthetic of Madrid was replaced by sand colored buildings and roads, and the weird musky smell of Madrid was replaced by a salty smell influenced by the Mediterranean breeze. The people in Catalonia were less uptight but also not afraid to show their thoughts about things, good or bad. 

Our time in Barcelona seemed to go by faster than our time in Madrid. We mostly spent it walking around the city and exploring places like Las Ramblas, a street with a market and many other stores. However, we also had some quality moments outside the main city. One night, we went to a local’s house for dinner and ate some traditional Spanish food like Paella, and it was a very wholesome experience. We also went to a home for the elderly to take them on a walk, play games with them, and dance for them. However, after what felt like years and minutes at the same time, it was time to return to Miami. 

If I learned one thing from the trip, it would be that I need to travel even more. Leaving the Western Hemisphere showed me a completely different side of the world, not just geographically but also culturally. From the way the buildings were designed to the kind of food we ate, I realized that Spain was a unique and amazing place that differed greatly from the United States without being worse.

Hopefully, the rest of the countries that I travel to will give me a similar shock, but I have a feeling that Spain is special.