By Erik Squire 

Yes, it’s everything they say it is. Europe is incredibly beautiful with all of its historical architecture, superior coffee, and colorful people. I had the good fortune of spending three weeks there this summer and visited four countries in that time. Due to it being an impossibility to write about all my journeys in one short article, I will write four separate articles journaling my experiences in each country. This article is dedicated to my travels in Spain.

I decided to make my first destination Spain to visit my Catalonian friend Anna. When I arrived in Barcelona I was picked up by Anna’s friend who hardly spoke a lick of English, but he was very friendly and dropped me off at the train station. After an hour long train ride I was picked by Anna, and discovered some of the amazing country side as we rolled into her village. I couldn’t help but notice all of the sun flower fields and olive tree orchards. After we arrived to her home, we caught up on each other’s lives and walked down to an old ruin along a river.

A few days into my trip, Anna had to work during the day, so I got the chance to do some solo exploring. Her father let me use his 250cc scooter and so after getting some directions in broken English from a stranger, I was off. One of Anna’s friends had told me about a little village she enjoyed named Pals, it peaked my interest and I decided to make it my destination. It ended up being one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The city was on a hill, vine covered house after stone built house I made my way to the top. The cobblestone road was only big enough for one small car at a time, and it felt such an authentic experience to be driving a scooter up it. I visited the bell tower at the top of the village and saw unforgettable views of the surrounding mountains and Mediterranean Sea. In the village square I bought a coffee and listened as a ragtag group of men played sweet music.

Two of Anna’s best friends took me out for a day trip to Figueres; birthplace of world famous artist Salvador Dalí. It is also home to Catalonia’s largest monument, Sant Ferran Castle. Later I also got to visit Girona and meander along its canal. The canal was lined on both sides with beautiful historic buildings. It is much what I imagine Venice would look like.

The following day Anna, her sister, best friend, and I went hiking near Cap De Creus, a small village along the Mediterranean. After perusing along the mountain side, we found the perfect place to camp, in a little valley on the beach. We decided to go for a swim just as the sun was setting. I thought it would be nice to swim out a bit further on my own, and after going a few hundred yards I just laid there on my back. The sun started to disappear behind the mountain and the houses dotted all over on the other side of the sea almost looked like fireflies. It was the one of the most calm and serene feelings of ever had. Later I swam back and eat dinner with the girls on a little sheet we laid out, and we enjoyed each other’s company by candlelight. That night we rested in our sleeping bags underneath the stars as they shot by, and Anna and I held hands as we drifted to sleep. It was truly mesmerizing.

My last day in Spain Anna took the day off of work and showed my around Barcelona. It is undoubtedly an incredible city. We saw the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (National Museum of Art, Catalonia). We walked along the famous shopping street La Rambla. We navigated the metro system and saw first-hand the genius of Antoni Gaudí’s architectural work; Sagrada Família. Later we stopped by Gaudí’s house to appreciate more of his beautiful handiwork. Finally we walked to the beakers at the top of the city to get a 360 view of the incredible city by the sea. As we walked home we sang songs and viewed a bit of Barcelona by night. That night we fell asleep on the couches in the living room of a friend’s apartment. We just laid there listening to Mazy Star’s Fade into you. As we slowly drifted to sleep, the night breeze from the open door lightly touched us. It was a peaceful ending to such a memorable experience.