Firenze: Spring Break - Corfu, Greece/Barcelona, Spain/Ibiza, Spain

Ibiza, Spain

Plaza Real - Barcelona

ANEK Ferry

Corfu, Greece

5 planes, 5 taxis, 4 trains, 2 ferries, 1 bus and 3 hostels later, spring break is officially over! What an eventful week, where do I even begin…Friday marked our first day of travel towards Corfu, Greece. We hopped on two different trains, took an overnight ferry to Igoumentista, Greece, and then finished up with one final ferry towards our final destination. Although the overnight ferry offered private cabin rooms for sleeping, lounge areas, and a dining facility – I wouldn’t say it was the most pleasant trip of my life. My roommates and I decided to budget our money and purchase a seat instead of a cabin. Needless to say, I spent the entire 14 hours in and out of sleep sitting upright in a chair. When we finally arrived in Corfu, the weather consisted of heavy rain and low temperatures – not what I was expecting for a Spring Break vacation. However, after a quick bus ride to our hostel, the skies cleared up and paved the way for beautiful weather. After checking in we headed to explore the grounds and the nearby streets. The island of Corfu is located just off the West coast of Greece and experiences mild Mediterranean climate along with excellent beaches. While staying at the Pink Palace Hostel, we dined on Greek cuisine such as gyros, tazeki sauce, Greek salad and home cooked meats. On the second day my roommates and I enjoyed a full day of 4-Wheeler Quad Safari. We spent the afternoon driving on the roads, off-roading through olive groves, visiting quaint villages, scaling mountain tops for beautiful views, and discovering remote beaches. Later on that night, after another great Greek dinner, the entire complex enjoyed a pink toga party that included ouzo circles, Greek dancing, and plate smashing! For the last full day my roommates and I enjoyed a relaxing day on the beach. It was nice to soak up a few rays of sunshine.

Pink Palace Hostel

Sagrada Familia

Casa Batllo

La Boqueria

Park Guell

Early Tuesday morning we headed to the airport and proceeded to take 3 different planes – 1 from Corfu – Athens, 1 from Athens – Milan, and 1 from Milan – Barcelona. Despite the long travel journey we were happy to finally arrive at our hostel in Barcelona. After a night out we woke up early the next morning in order to see all of beautiful sights Barcelona has to offer. First stop: Casa Batllo. Casa Batllo is a building restored by Antoni Gaudi and the local name for the building is Casa dels ossos (House of Bones). Indeed it does have a visceral, skeletal organic quality. Overall the building looks very remarkable – like everything Gaudi designed. Next we walked to Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic Church, designed by a Catalan architect named Antoni Gaudi. Over the years it has become one of the most universal signs of identity of the city and the country. The building is still under construction and could be finished some time in the first third of the 21^st century. Then we ventured over towards La Rambla, which is a street in central Barcelona, popular with both tourists and locals alike. It can be considered a series of shorter streets, each differently named, hence the plural form Las Ramblas. From the Placa de Catalunya toward the harbor there are numerous vendors and restaurants lining the street. Off of the street is a Market called La Boqueria. Here we enjoyed an incredible contrast between colors and activity, we discovered Mediterranean cuisine and ingredients from fruit, vegetables, as well as fish and seafood. It was an amazing outdoor market and I enjoyed the fresh fruit and juices the most! At the end of La Rambla we found ourselves at Port Vell. The gorgeous weather made standing by the water refreshing. Prior to dinner we walked by the Catedral de Barcelona – another stunning cathedral in the heart of Barcelona. For dinner we headed towards a well-known tapas restaurant to enjoy some of Spain’s famous specialty tapas. Tapas are the name of a variety of appetizers, or snacks; some may be served cold such as olives and cheeses, or warm such as patatas bravas (cubes of potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce). The next day we ventured over to Park Guell. The famous Park Guell in Barcelona is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on a hill. It was designed by Antoni Guadi and contains amazing stone structures, stunning tiling and fascinating buildings. You can travel along the walkway, which is supported by twisting rock pillars that seem to be growing out of the ground like tree trunks. At the top of the park is a terraced area where you get a wonderful view of the park and of Barcelona City. The multicolored tiled mosaic seats contain tiles with vibrant colors that are truly breathtaking. At the end of the day we decided to look around the Barcelona Zoo! This zoo is home to a wonderful selection of animals and reptiles and it even has marine exhibits where we were able to see the dolphins perform in the indoor aquarium! By the end of the day we were starving and grabbed a bite to eat at a local Spanish restaurant that served paella and sangria!

Ibiza, Spain

Early the next morning my roommates and I headed to the airport to catch a flight to Ibiza, Spain. In order to save money we booked this flight through RyanAir, which is a low cost airline with STRICT baggage rules. Each person is permitted to have one carry on, and if you decide to check a bag it can only be 15 kg. Prior to the trip two of my roommates and I decided to share a checked bag and then each have our own carryon. Unfortunately when we arrived at the airport and weighed our bag we were 10kg overweight! So we sucked it up and began layering clothing on our bodies…in the end I wore 2 sweaters, 5 jackets, jeans, a pair of shorts, and skirt on the plane. We looked ridiculous but it was humorous to say the least. While in Ibiza we relaxed and enjoyed some down time during the days. One day we took a taxi over toward the Can Marca Caves, which are located on the north end o the island by Puerto de San Miguel Beach. We walked down steep steps scaling the side of a cliff and took in magnificent views of the crystal clear water. After snapping many photos we headed down to the San Miguel Beach and sat in the sand for a few hours.

Ibiza, Spain

Spring break was packed with activities, travel, and amazing experiences. I had an amazing time and looking at the pictures makes me want to go back! Although I am a little run down and have developed a cold, it was all worth it!