Without Fanfare or Frippery

The knot I managed to tangle in my stomach while sitting on the crowded bus to Beauvais Aeroport literally throbbed with each passing street sign. My nerves were inconsolable. The travel folder I had prepared weeks in advance sat open on my lap. It overflowed with confirmation numbers, receipts and photocopies of all of the documents one might need in any crisis; catastrophic or small. Over and over I read the papers. Double checking. Triple checking...sounds like a fantastic time, right?

Indeed it was! The worst is now over. All of the nail biting anticipation leading up to my first weekend excursion (sans assistance from any greater authority) was well worth it. On behalf of myself and two other NYU adventurers, I'd like to announce that Barcelona 2008 was an enormous success.

When it comes to organized travel, I must admit NYU Paris leaves a bit to be desired. There are only two trips planned outside of the Île-de-France in the coming weeks. A group of us will be escorted to Nimes for a "French Cowboy" and Roman ruins escapade on March 14th. In early April, another group will be traveling to Marseille. While it's appreciated that we only have to pay 30 euro for our voyages, as compared to the AUP students who shell out a bit more, I'd gladly empty my wallet for greater options. My dear friend Carrie, an NYU student currently studying at AUP, explains that they have the opportunity to go to all different location both in France and abroad during the semester. True, the prices are "steeper" for a student budget. Come on though. No matter what, we're all traveling at a discounted price.

To remedy our frustration, we have taken matters into our own hands and have planned trips accordingly. This past weekend began our exploration of the rest of Europe. First stop. Spain.

After an hour and a half bus ride from Port Malliot to Beauvais, an hour and a half flight from Beauvais to Girona, and finally an hour and a half bus ride from Girona to Barcelona...we found ourselves outside of #24 Qua Roger de Lluria.

I had found this apartment through Nicestay Barcelona. If you ever find yourself in Barcelona I highly recommend you use this site. Basically, you rent out a room in an apartment for a few nights at a ridiculously affordable price. To give you an idea, for three girls and three nights we ended up paying just under 60 euro each. Total.

We had a double bed, a pull out and a well loved mini-fridge in our bedroom. There was a bathroom down the hall that was all our own. We had access to their computer, kitchen, living room, balcony and extensive Spanish DVD collection (which unfortunately we never tapped).

I suppose the real question is, how do you milk the most out of a city like Barcelona in just three days? You hit the ground running, that's for sure. We set off right away to see some of Antonio Gaudi architecture.

The first Gaudi we came upon was the Casa Batlló. Some people call it the house of bones. Wedged between traditional spanish homes and your typical skyscrapers, Gaudi's work may seem more Disney than designer. Yet upon taking a second look, you realize just how impressive these buildings are. I wish I knew more about architecture so that I could appreciate the magnitude of creativity that must have went into making these homes. I was more taken by the odd shape of the windows and by trying to figure out how one would go about framing a structure like this. You can rent out rooms in the casa for different events. How awful would it be to have a wedding there? "House of Bones"...romantic. It just seems like a bad omen.

Casa Milà is only a short walk up the street. I was mislead by a guidebook that suggested the windows represented yawning mouths. Apparently, the lines of the building reflect the curves of the ocean waves. Let's just say it's shapely. We opted not to go into their building. Student Travel Tip: If you're working on a tight budget, prioritize. Which attractions you're willing to spend money on and where can you cut corners? While the insides of Guadi's buildings are certainly noteworthy, the general structure and facade are what one really must see. Instead of spending 16 euro to enter...we appreciated the free view from across the street and kept our wallets tucked away.

Clearly my largest priority in any situation is food. A great meal is one thing I am not willing to sacrifice. Of course, wherever you are, there are great eats at even better prices. Barcelona was no exception. We thought it only appropriate to kick off our spanish adventure with some regional faire. One paella pan and a pitcher of sangria later, ay Dios mio, our bellies were singing Barcelona's praises!

Our meal was followed by a siesta, which after a long travel day, ended up turning into a full night's rest. No harm done though. We were fresh and ready to go early the next morning. Carrie, Kristine and Myself strolled down the main street La Ramblas searching for a place to grab a strong cup of spanish coffee amidts the cafes and stores bustling with weekend visitors just like ourselves. Directly across from the opera house is the Cafe Opera (surprise, surprise) famous for both its dishes and its fantastic view. Student Tip: prioritize! Where as it would be nice to munch on warm pastries from such a well loved spot, we knew our needs would be just as well met by the popular "Cappuccino" next door. . After all, coffee was our immediate goal. "Cappuccino" even shared a terrace with Cafe Opera. Why splurge on your morning beverage when you don't have to? We sipped and chatted quite contently as we reminded one another, "Hey, we're in Barcelona right now." Caffeinated and ready for action, we then made our way to Placa de Catalunya.

Last year, my stunning godmother Aunt Eileen vacationed in Barcelona. Repeatedly she told me I simply had to use the "hop-on, hop-off" bus when I visited. Never underestimate the fantastic judgment of a well traveled family member! In one afternoon we were able to see more of Barcelona than we did during the rest of our time combined. It was just as vital to our experience as Aunt Eileen had explained.

Barcelona Bus Tours features three different lines: Red, Blue and Green. While some of the colors overlap at certain stops (scandalous, I know) for the most part the different paths take you to all different locations around the city. There is a ticket booth at Placa de Catalunya where you can buy a day pass for only 20 euro. There are over 40 stops that you can visit. You can get on and off the bus as many times as you'd like, for as long as you'd like, all day long. Even better, you get free headphones and a coupon booklet with discounts for all of the museums, sites and various restaurants around the city. Did I mention it's an open air bus?

The weather was intoxicating. Much warmer than Paris. The three of us plugged in our headphones and listened to the guided tour while we sat on the sun-drenched bus. Not a bad way to experience Spain, huh? There was even elevator music in between the dialog. Thanks for the tip Aunt Eileen!

MNAC

Since we had seen the Gaudi's the day before, we stayed on the bus until we reached Poble Espanyol, an open-air art museum near the MNAC. The "museum" itself is set up as a village with buildings inside representing the different periods of spanish architecture. The areas house museum exhibits, galleries, art classes, shops and cafes. We were dying to visit the Art Therapy workshop but it was closed. Instead we invaded the sculpture garden. Unintentionally we stumbled upon a glass blowing studio tuck away in one of the plazas. I had never seen molten glass before. It's blinding! I go to school in Manhattan, I know bright lights, but the glass was something else. Of course, with each new location comes a new opportunity to eat. I wish I had a better picture to share with you. We ate on the terrace of a cafe that was shaded by orange trees. You know how there are those handful of moments where you just close you eyes and wonder "how did I get here? Is this actually my life?" This was one of them. The buildings, the smell of oranges, the sun sinking in the sky and a piece of fresh melon draped with aged prosciutto...a more skillful writer would do the scene much more justice. I'll just let you enjoy the photos.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with other sites and bites. We went on a gondola ride that over looked the city.

On our way to the old port we passed all sorts of interesting sculptures. I think the sculptures were my favorite part of Barcelona. The Barcelona Aquarium was quite a treat as well. Not only did we get to see penguins, which made us so nostalgic of home, but there was an underwater shark tunnel as well. We might also have found Nemo...incase you're interested, he lives in Barcelona.

This is known as the "Happy Lobster Sculpture"

We wrapped up the touring part of our day with cotton candy and tango. What could be more perfect? Sweet and spicy.

One of the things we had planned was a visit to Milk, a lounge in the Gothic Quater that I read about on a food blog. It was voted one of the "Top 3 New Bars/Bistros" in Barcelona by Elle Magazine. Elle certainly knows best in this case. What a gem. Not only was Milk's menu completely creative, the decor was plush and their one Irish staff member quite attentive to our every need. The next morning we returned for their famous brunch. Fluffy pancakes with bananas and peaches drenched in Canadian maple syrup...they won me over, heart and soul. I think Carrie was afraid she might have to drag me out. Then again, her salmon eggs benedict was worthy of some plate licking as well.

Sunday, our final day in Barcelona. Carrie and I explored Barcelona on our own while Kristine made her way to the Soccer Stadium. We did have a stroke of bad luck for a while. Everything we wanted to see was closed. I keep forgetting the Sundays in Europe are not the same as Sundays in Manhattan. The most heartbreaking loss was missing out on the market near Ramblas. It's all I had been reading about prior to the trip! We shook off the defeat with two huge cups of coffee and a walk up to the "diagonal" street where we passed a Zara and a Mango while on the bus the day before. Since they are two Spanish based companies, it's said that their stores in Barcelona as very reasonably priced. Discounted Zara? Of course we were going to take the walk. Unfortunately, clothing store are also closed on Sunday in Barcelona along with everything else. By that time, the MNAC (another location on our list for the day) was closed. On our walk back we did see a sign for "free entrance" to the Spanish Art Museum. Yet the only part of the Spanish Art Museum that is opened to the public on Sundays is the lobby. What a deal. We salvaged the rest of our day with aimless meandering that proved to be very successful. We found some artisan stands that peeked our interest and went into the cathedral in the Gothic Quarter. The cathedral was beautiful. It was lush and tropical in a way that seemed too luxurious for a place of worship. Carrie, in an attempt to comprehend Christian extravagance, questioned why you'd had to pay to get into a gathering place for your own religion and why a building that should be associated with piousness was so obviously opulent. "Cathedrals are all a part of the 'My church is more bad-ass than yours' battle of the past", I explained. As for the price tag attached to 'the house of God', it's a question I often ask as well. Regardless, we enjoyed our time there. We were smitten with the swans.

When hunger struck, we shared some street sweets. Here's Carrie with our delicious juice. Honestly, fruit has never tasted better. It was just a blend of fresh mangos, pineapple and bananas. Eating in transit is an act we've pretty much mastered since we started sharing food with one another in Paris. We synchronize our pace with our sipping/eating. One sip, pass. One sip, pass. One bite, pass. One bite, pass. The juice was just the overture to the real treat though.

You didn't think I'd leave Spain without visiting a bakery did you? Of course not. For lunch we choose a selection of cookies from the plentiful display. The decision was difficult, I'm not going to lie. We ended up with an espresso shortbread, a hazelnut biscuit, a dipped cookie, a cream puff of sorts and a mystery cookie that I still can't identify. We sat in a plaza near the cathedral and munched. We attempted to console one another about the exams we had the following morning as soon as we arrived in Paris. The decision was made that we'd return to the apartment so that Carrie could snooze and recharge a bit and I could grab my books to go study.

I promise I was on my way to go study before I was distracted by my own desire to meander through the Gothic Quarter. For a few hours I got lost within the narrow streets and different parks. There were gardens, sculptures, dark corners and uneven cobble stones. Perhaps there was some gelato and falafel thrown in there as well. Eventually I did find a quiet plaza to study in. It just seemed unfair to Spain to focus all of my attention on memorizing French vocabulary while in the belly of one of it's finest cities.

The whole process of traveling as a student is amazing. The business of discount travel for young people, especially university students, is enormous and appears to be growing still. I'll definitely have more to share on this subject as the weekends pass and my suitcase is weathered. In the meantime, check out Ryanair, Easyjet, Skyscanner, Kayak, SNCF and Hostel World. Those are the sites I've used so far.

Things to watch out for:
-Traveler's insurance: it's an extra charge on the airline's websites. Say you don't need it and your tickets will be cheaper.

-If you're abroad and don't have access to a printer in your apartment, think twice about choosing the "online check in" option. If you can't print a boarding pass, and you opted for online check-in, you'll have to pay the 4 euros at the airport and they only take it by credit card.

-Don't pay more to check a bag. Select the carry on only option. Save money and the stress of heavy luggage. It's a weekend trip, how much could you possible need? Watch your liquids though. As long as they fit within one of those large plastic bags, you're good to go.

-Take note of what city you're flying into when using discount travel sites. For example: Ryanair says "Paris" but it's really "Paris-Beauvais". Beauvais is definitely not Paris. You'll have to plan transportation and transfers accordingly. Make sure you have an afforable way to get from the airport to your real destination. Otherwise, you might as well explore the option of paying a bit more for your ticket but actually getting to were you need to go.

-If you're paying on European based websites with a US credit card, there's an additional charge. Just be mindful of it.