CIEE Liberal Arts Program Barcelona, España

Written by Emily Nikkel

Emily.g.nikkel@vanderbilt.edu Program Details

• Basic Information o This semester-long program is ideal for a student who wants to experience life in an international

city and is majoring in Spanish at Vanderbilt • Housing Options

o 1) Live in a residencia (aka dormitory) with international students Pros: you have your own room and a shared kitchen, and personally I believe you have

more freedom; there’s also a pool on top of the Melon/Marina residencia which is nice. Cons: food is not included and you will not speak as much Spanish if you live in the

residencia. Laundry also is costly ($2.50 to wash one load, $3 to dry one load) o 2) Do a homestay with a Spanish family

Pros: you have your own room, food is included, your housemom does your laundry, and you will practice your Spanish a lot

Cons: you typically do not have a say in what food is cooked for you, and there aren’t dryers in Spanish homes (don’t worry – I’ve lived with a Spanish family before, and it’s not the end of the world – I promise)

o Note: I lived in the residencia but I am more than happy to speak on behalf of both living options • Courses

o Most, if not all, courses in Spanish. o Courses fulfill Spanish major requirements; some courses fulfill other requirements. o The first 3 weeks, you are enrolled in a CIEE Spanish Intensive class. You attend this class every

day for 3 hours, and it is taught at the CIEE “La Casa.” o At the end of September, courses begin at the UPF (Universidad Pompeo Fabra.) Your UPF

campus is located 3 minutes walking distance from the beach – que divertido! You are required to take 3 courses at the UPF, and 1 course at the CIEE “La Casa.”

o All courses—both at the UPF and the CIEE “La Casa” are taught in Spanish by Spanish professors.

o I do not recommend missing class, as there is a relatively strict attendance policy for CIEE classes. UPF is a little more lax, but still, missing class is not recommended at UPF either.

• Courses Taken o Advanced Grammar, Composiion, and Conversation (CIEE Spanish Intensive Class) o Spanish Linguistics (CIEE) o Spain in Contemporary Cinema (UPF) o Art and Artists (UPF) o Barcelona and Madrid: Literature (UPF)

• Additional Information o This is a very popular program and many Vanderbilt students participate in it. However, there

also are students from a wide variety of American universities (UC Boulder, Oregon, Fordham, Villanova, Tufts, BC, UConn, to name a few)

“VISCA EL BARCA” At the Barcelona futbol game

Antoni Gaudi’s Parc Guell

o Barcelona is a fabulous city, and you will never be bored! Our program took us on several fun, free excursions: trips to Sevilla and Cordoba, a trip to the beach at Sitges, a trip to the Joan Miro museum, bus tours of Barcelona, a wine tasting tour, and we all were part of a Spanish cooking class! Take advantage of these

Favorite Parts of the Program and General Tips

• Barcelona is a fabulous city – from its authentic Spanish cuisine, unique sites to visit, fun bars and discotecas, and out-of-this world shopping! You’ll never get bored here and there always are so many fun things to do and experience.

• Go on the free tours and trips that the CIEE program offers, even if it means getting up early after a late night of dancing at the discoteca. CIEE shows you places that you might not have the opportunity to visit – it’s worth it, trust me!

• Travel some while you’re abroad, particularly in Spain. Madrid and Granada are two of my all-time favorite cities in Europe.

• Don’t travel every weekend though – Barcelona has a lot to offer, and you will regret it if you spend all of your time away.

• The professors and program directors at CIEE are very helpful when it comes to class or just general travel questions. Get to know them.

• Also, there are free tutoring sessions available at CIEE if you get lost or would just like a little additional help.

• It is so easy to walk around the city and explore for an afternoon. Even though Barcelona’s a pretty big city, it was only a 20 minute walk to class from my residencia.

Least Favorite Parts of the Program

• You’re required to have class on Fridays, which limits the time you can spend traveling on weekends. • Barcelona is more of an international city than a traditional Spanish city, so if you’re looking for a more

traditional, Spanish experience, I recommend studying in Madrid or at least visiting there for the weekend.

• Since Barcelona is located in the region of Catalunya, it can be hard to practice your Spanish here. Also, since Barcelona is such an international city, most people speak English before they speak Spanish to you, whereas in Madrid, people speak Spanish first.

o Note: If you have questions about Madrid, then do not worry – I have lived there too! I am happy to answer any questions that you have about either city.

• Pickpocketing is pretty bad in Barcelona. Half of the students in my program were pickpocketed at one time, myself included. I know that everyone is going to tell you this, but always keep your hand on your purse or backpack. Try to avoid texting/talking on your cell phone when walking, and always be aware of what is going on around you.

Restaurants

• Dinner is served later in Spain, and normal dinner times are 8-12 pm • Cerveceria Catalan – This is my favorite restaurant in Barcelona. They have delicious tapas, and it’s fun

to go in, get seated, order a few things off the menu, and then order new things if you see something that someone else has ordered that looks good. It’s absolutely necessary to go before 7 pm (Early, I know) or after 11 pm if you can’t go early because they don’t take reservations. The wait will be about 1-1.5 hrs if you go past 7, but if there is a wait, just order a pitcher of their delicious Sangria while you wait. Also – Get to know the hostess Beidi (Bay-dee is how you pronounce it)… she normally can get you in early if you get to know her

• Bo de B – Great sandwich place that is close to Port Vell (close-ish to Barceloneta.) My friends and I always used to eat here for lunch – they have chicken and beef and its fun and easy!

• Milk – If you’re craving American breakfast food, go here in the morning! It’s delicious.

• Els Quatre Gats – Famous artists like Picasso used to congregate here and eat – The food is delicious and I recommend going for lunch and ordering the “menu del día” only 15 euro and you get 2 courses and 1 dessert… you cannot go wrong here. Everyone loves this place!

• Senyor Parellada – This place is located in El Born, and they have all different types of food … tapas, seafood, fish, steak I think, etc. and the food is great! Plus the prices are reasonable – great food for the money

• Cheese Me – I just really like this place (and no, not everything has cheese.) They had the best pear and cheese ravioli, plus their cheese platters with a variety of cheese, spreads, crackers, & nuts are delicious.

• Casa Calvet – House designed by famous architect Antoni Gaudi – has been converted into a restaurant with yummmmy food (seafood, steak, pasta, tapas, etc.) Kinda a nicer place as well (meals typically have several courses), but the atmosphere’s nice and intimate.

• Can Majo – Delicious seafood off of Barceloneta. The paella is great and so is the rest of the fish. • Other restaurants worth checking out: CDLC, En Ville, La Taxidermista, Cal Pep, Tapac 24, El Irati, Pla,

Botafumiero, Hotel Arts Bars

• Spaniards usually go to bars after dinner or before they go out to the discotecas. • L’Ovella Negra/La Oveja Negra – Best bar in Barcelona, hands down. Order a pitcher of sangria or of

beer, and just relax here. • Le Cyrano –You pay a few euros for a drink and you get to fill up your drink with however much of

whatever you want. • Chupitos - Over 100 chupitos and they are pretty cheap (like 3 euro.) Fun place to go before you go out! • Dow Jones – This is like a stock exchange bar; aka, the drinks have prices and the prices go up or down

depending on whether someone is buying them or not. So much fun! • Bar at the W – This is the bar on top of the W hotel, and it has delicious cocktails. Really nice and worth

checking out. Don’t go too late because it gets busy. • Le Chapmagneria – Champagne bar in Barcelona. Awesome! • Bosc de les fades (Fairy bar) – Looks like fairy land… this bar has a good drink selection and is just

pretty different and cool • Bar Marsella – Another one of those where Picasso and his contemporaries (including Dali) used to hang

out. Order some absinthe here! Discotecas

• Discotecas are a large part of the Spanish culture, and all of these discotecas are worth visiting at least once when you’re studying abroad in Barcelona. Discotecas typically open around 12 am and stay open all evening. Go before 2 am though if you want to be on the promoter’s list and get in for free. I’ve also listed what nights are popular at which bars in parentheses. ¡Bailamos!

• Beach clubs: Opium, CDLC, Shoko, Sotavento (Any night) – Check to see who promoter is and say you’re on the list and you’ll get in for free, except for Catwalk which always has a cover charge

• Razzmatazz (Any night) – They have different performers each night on stage and the stage changes based on what’s going on

• Apolo (Mondays) • Otto Zutz (Mondays – Loco Lunes) • Broad Bar (Wednesdays) • Sutton (Thursdays) • Elephant (Saturdays) • UP&DOWN (Saturdays) • The W (Sundays)

Other Things I Think You Should Know About Studying Abroad in Barcelona

• Buy a Barcelona guidebook with a good map. Lonely Planet has a great one. It will help you navigate the city once you arrive.

• If you have a Blackberry, then bring it abroad with you. Otherwise, CIEE provides great information on where to go/what to do in order to buy a Spanish cell phone. I had a Spanish cell phone, and it was an inexpensive, easy way to get in touch with my abroad friends.

• The metro system is great in Barcelona, but again, be safe and be aware that pickpocketing does happen. • I recommend buying a metro pass. Don’t bother buying the single passes because they’re expensive –

buy the T-10 when you get there, which is a pass of 10 metro rides. After that, depending on how much you ride the metro, you may want to buy a monthly unlimited pass (a “mes” pass) if it's less expensive. Otherwise, just buy the T-10's once you arrive.

• Try to speak Spanish as much as you can! It will pay off. • There’s a great gym in Barcelona called Holmes Place that’s close to the CIEE “La Casa.” Most of the

Vanderbilt students and I joined this gym for the semester and we enjoyed it. You can take your dry cleaning here too, if you do this.

• If you’re traveling for the weekend, remember to book your flights in advance! You can get a great deal on tickets if you do this.

• This is a word of advice that I believe applies to all cities in Europe – Barcelona included: While cheap airlines (like Ryanair) seem to have great deals, most of their airports are not in major cities, so you’ll have to pay to take a bus or train into the city, which can turn out to be even more expensive than a regular flight.

• Last but not least, even though traveling Europe is great, try to spend as much time in Barcelona as you can. It’s a fabulous city, and there’s a reason why it’s ranked as one of the world’s hottest travel destinations!