Barcelona, Spain
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Barcelona, Spain

ByMayra Updated:

And at last we reach the end of this life changing trip! Today we talk about my final stop of the Iberian peninsula: Barcelona!
I loved the whole trip, but I would say that Barcelona was my favorite. I don’t know if it’s because by then I was already more comfortable with the European way of things but it just felt like home. The vibes that I got there reminded me of Austin, TX (which is my favorite city in the US) and I just felt that if I were to ever move to Spain, Barcelona is where I’d go. So why did I love it so much? Let me tell you!
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Sitges, Spain

ByMayra Updated:

As we continue to work our way to shorter days and cool fall weather, let’s go back to some more sunny days in Spain. But before we travel to the last city of my trip (and my favorite), let’s take a quick stop in the little beach town of Sitges!
Sitges sits about an hour train ride from Barcelona and is a little beach gem. Yes Barcelona has beaches, but they get way too crowded and frankly I’m now a big fan of crowds. We ended up at Sitges because our wonderful tour guide offered us an extra excursion: paddle boarding! I had only done paddle boarding a time or two in Austin and I was definitely not gonna miss a chance to do it in Spain! Plus it meant a day at the beach and a new town to explore! A total win!
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Toledo, Spain

ByMayra Updated:

Medieval Toledo! I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I was actually surprised by this little town!
Toledo is about 30 miles outside of Madrid. You’ll see a lot of advertisements for it in Madrid. If you get a chance to visit, I definitely suggest doing it! We headed off to Toledo right after visiting the Palacio Real de Madrid. To say we did a lot of walking that day is an understatement!
This little town sits on a hill surrounded by a river with bridges creating access to it. It really has a medieval feel to it, but with a twist! It is known as the the city “of three cultures” because of its influence from medieval Arab, Jewish and Christianity. This walled old city still has its ancient synagogues, mosque, and churches.

Madrid, Spain
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Madrid, Spain

ByMayra Updated:

Ah, Spain!
Anytime anyone asked where I was going for my trip, I said Spain. I didn’t mean to leave Portugal out, and I was excited about going there, but everyone is more familiar with Spain and it just seemed easier. Also, everyone I had talked to that said they had been to Europe, said that Spain was their favorite. I found out immediately why that is and I couldn’t agree more!
Let’s begin with Spain’s capital and the heart of the Iberian peninsula: Madrid!