My Extraordinary Experience in Barcelona (Catalonia), Spain

Why did you decide to go to Barcelona?

I had always dreamed to take (at least) a year to go abroad and see what's it like to live a different lifestyle, to get to know various cultures and to perfect my knowledge of foreign languages. Since I was a kid I saw Barcelona as the perfect destination: beach, sun, parties, a big city rich with possibilities for with all types of people and all types of interests. Furthermore, the Spanish people are very open, rich in tradition there for all to get to know, and I love how Spanish... and Catalan sound!

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The French-Spanish film "L'Auberge Espagnole" made me dream of a type of experience like this in Barcelona, it has always seemed the perfect destination for me... (and it is! ).

How long does your bursary last? How much money are you receiving?

My bursary lasts 12 months and offers me around 300 euros per month, plus a small reimbursement at the end of my experience. It's not a lot of money, what I was given does not go very far, however they do help me pay my rent... Barcelona is a relatively expensive city.

What's the student life like in Barcelona?

Electrifying! Barcelona is a very young city that continuously finds new things to offer and there are always thousands of things to do to occupy your time. It's rich in attractions to see, in things to discover and experiment with... the young people (especially the students and the many Erasmus students) constitute the majority of the population... I would repeat my experience in Barcelona over and over again.

Would you recommend the city and the University of Barcelona to other students?

The city without any doubt... and I think one day I'll come back and stay a while... My university was not the University of Barcelona, the principal university in Barcelona. I studied at the UIC (Universitat Internacional de Catalunya), noy by choice, but because that's where my university in Italy, the Politecnico of Torino, sent me. The classes are relatively more practical. Get ready to go back to "homework, " you'll need to be ready to tackle it in a new way =).

How is the local food?

Good! Spanish food is generally very simple and delicious.

I don't always appreciate the way the onions are cooked, but it's fine, you get used to that.

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The most famous dishes are definitely the tortilla de patata, the ham or chicken croquettes, the patatas bravas (these are the typical tapas)...

How did you find housing?

I went around Barcelona at the end of July in search of housing and at the end when time was running out I had to reach out to a housing agency. In Barcelona there are many offers available, however you need to pay very close attention to the neighbourhood you want to live in. Living in a shared flat can be an incredible experience, however it can also go very badly... I recommend you carefully select the people you're going to live with.

What are rent prices like? What are prices like in general?

The prices are pretty high (if you want to pay less you'll end up in less reassuring zones... zones which I wouldn't recommend... at the end of the day it's a big city and even in Barcelona there are areas to avoid).

On average, rents go for circa 250-300 euros per month, per person.

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How's it going with the language? Did you take any courses in university?

It's going extremely well with the language. I had already previously studied Spanish and with this experience I've had the opportunity to perfect it, and I've also begun to study, understand and speak Catalan.

At university we took a simple Spanish course which focused more on conversation in order to correct our most common errors. It's always useful... especially the conversation aspect. I would strongly recommend you participate in a language exchange, to improve your language skills and also to meet a ton of people!

What is the cheapest to get to Barcelona from your city?

Plane, without a doubt. Ryanair from Torino Caselle to Girona (BCN) is the cheapest option. From the Girona airport there are comfortable buses that, for a reasonable price, take you straight to the centre of the city.

Where would you recommend going out in Barcelona?

To go for a nice walk I would recommend the Ciutat Vella (old town), it's full of locales and I would even recommend the Raval (but don't go there alone). Some cuter places you'll near the Olympic village, where you'll find all the most popular night clubs, but in every part of Barcelona there's always something to discover!

I would strongly recommend going to a Polynesian cocktail bar called Kahiki (in the Plaça Universitat), and the cocktail bar Cooler (Carrer de Mallorca) and the Elephant Club.

And what are your favourite places to eat in Barcelona?

To eat, without a doubt I would recommend "Sanabres", on Carrer de Taquigraf Serra, with Entença, delicious meat and delicious typical dishes at incredibly cheap prices (homemade food, always at a high quality), la Paradeta for fish, and for us Italians, to find an authentic pizza every now and then I would recommend going to Rosso Pommodoro att the Arena e Fratelli la Buffala on Carrer de Pau Claris, it reminds us of where we come from...

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And for cultural things to see?

Gaudi's architectural masterpieces are the first things to see (Casa Batlló, Casa Milá, Sagrada Familia, Parque Güell... ), the Picasso Museum is very well equipped, the Poble Espanyol is also very characteristic, the Duomo in the Old Town (the old Barcino), the labyrinth in the Horta Gardens... and the ideal thing to do is getting lost among the little streets of the city to admire the incredible places that aren't all in the tourist guides.

Do you have any advice for future students going to Barcelona?

Take advantage of the city that you're in. Live it to the max and make some local friends, the Spaniards are really fun people. Discover every last centimetre of Barcelona and appreciate its beauty.