While studying in Valencia, Spain this past semester, I was lucky enough to travel most weekends to different cities across Europe to experience what other countries have to offer. As my time in Spain comes to an end, I wanted to reflect on my travels throughout the semester and give my thoughts about the cities I was able to explore. Besides my general thoughts, the cities are reviewed out of 10 in the order that I visited them based on: overall impressions, food, friendliness, things to do, and whether or not I would travel there again.
Marseille, France (3/10)
Marseille is located in the South of France and it took less than an hour by plane to get there. I traveled there in January during one of my first weekends in Valencia. Marseille was expensive considering we traveled during the offseason, but it helped show my friends and I to budget better on future trips. Although expensive, the food was delicious and there was no shortage of restaurants to choose from. Restaurant and shop owners were all friendly, at night however, it seemed like we were the only women out in the city. There were lots of strange men alone watching us, and my friend was catcalled several times in broad daylight. Marseille was very pretty and we were able to check out some gorgeous look-out points for fairly cheap by using public transportation. Overall, I think Marseille is much better suited as a travel destination during the later spring and summer months, since based on my experience in the late winter, I have no desire to return here.
London, England (8/10)
I traveled to London in early February with a smaller group, and we were able to get direct 2hr flights from Valencia, our home base. We stayed near Camden Market, which was one of the best attractions we visited! The market had all types of international food, and the vendors offered tons of food samples! I am glad we stayed near the market because it was surrounded by lots of different bars and it gave us an easy place to grab food if we had trouble finding somewhere. I will mention that fish and chips are completely overrated, and the food in London is great as long as you stick to international cuisine. There’s no shortage of things to do in London, and since we were only there for a weekend, we weren’t able to do everything. We visited the British Museum of History, Camden Market, Westminister Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Parliament, and checked out lots of restaurants and shops. We chose to do the Princess Diana Memorial Walk, which was a lot of fun and allowed us to pay our respects to the best member of British royalty! People were not the friendliness, but London is also a huge city, so it’s to be expected. Overall, we found it easy to get around using the bus system, although contrary to popular opinion, I was not a fan of the Tube. I found sticking to the bus system got us around quickly and efficiently for a cheap price! I would 100% go back to London because I don’t think it’s possible to do it all in a weekend. If you’re thinking about traveling to London I would give yourself at least 3-4 full days to really take it all in, plus make sure to pack an umbrella since you are sure to get rained on at least once!
Marrakesh, Morocco (10/10)
Morocco was the only country outside of Europe that I visited while in Spain, but it was for sure my favorite country that I got to see! We traveled in a big group, which I actually recommend considering it made it easier to avoid people trying to take advantage of us. The people in Marrakesh were very friendly, but we stuck out like a sore thumb. It’s very typical for vendors to try and persuade you to come into their shops by calling you out, which may make some people feel uncomfortable if you are not expecting it. For me, the best part of the trip was getting to explore the Medina of Marrakesh. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and shop owners sold everything from spices and shoes to custom chess boards. Haggling for the final price is part of the culture, and I loved getting to negotiate with owners for a better price. While I’m sure I still paid well above the local price, I felt like I was getting a great deal. We chose to do a daytime excursion to some local towns as well as the rocky Atlas Desert. The excursion was a lot of fun because we got to try lots of local products, ride camels and see how the process of how some of Morocco’s butters are made. The food in Morocco was exceptional, and my favorite part was the traditional Moroccan breakfast which consisted of pita bread and a variety of sauces and butters for dipping. If you’re a fan of tea, Morocco has a mint tea that is served with breakfast and throughout the day. We explored a Muslim monastery and walked through the remains of an Islamic palace. Marrakesh was beautiful, cheap, and filled with great things to do. For me, it was completely different from any of the other places I was able to visit and I was able to try lots of new foods and experiences. I would return to Marrakesh in a heartbeat, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is looking for somewhere new to travel.
Cologne, Germany (5/10)
We decided to go to Cologne because Ryanair had a cheap flight there from Valenica. The Cologne Cathedral is gorgeous and it has the largest Gothic cathedral facade in Europe. The stained glass was amazing, and we visited it both during the day and at night since it was free. This allowed us to see the stark contrast in perception due to the lighting. Cologne also had a Lindor Chocolate Museum, so we were able to sample some rarer flavors of their chocolate such as stracciatella. Cologne’s location made it easy to take a day trip to a German village, and we strolled on the Rhine banks and explored a castle. The people in Cologne were not the nicest, and we were catcalled several times, which made us feel a bit unsafe. In addition, I think there are better cities in Germany to visit besides Cologne. I would not return to Cologne even though I had a nice time when I went.
florence, italy (8.5/10)
For our Easter break, we embarked on a six-day trip across Italy with our first major stop being Florence. There’s something in Florence for everyone, and there’s a reason why it’s one of the biggest tourist destinations in Italy. Florence is full of amazing churches besides just the Duomo, whose exterior is shown above; I would highly recommend seeing the Basilica of Santa Croce. The Basilica contains gorgeous stained-glass, artwork by Donatello, and the graves of many famous historical figures such as Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and Galileo. It was my favorite church in Italy, and it was worth spending time there. Another hotspot we visited was the Uffizi Gallery, which contained the famous ‘The Birth of Venus’ by Botticelli. If you’re a shopaholic, Florence is famous for its high-quality leather, and we shopped at several leather markets. You can haggle with these merchants for a better price, and many of the markets contain similar products. This means that you can move on to the next merchant if you think that you are being scammed on the price. Some of us also visited the Boboli Gardens, which were definitely worth the time if you want some great views of the Firenze countryside and of the city itself. As for the Florence cuisine, we thought it was good, but not great. It’s worth spending some time doing research if you want to find an authentic local restaurant. Overall, we found Florence easy to navigate with friendly people used to tourists. I would absolutely return to Florence and plan to in the future since it was impossible to do everything the first time around.
rome, italy (9/10)
Rome was the third stop on our Italy trip, and we traveled there during Easter weekend. I visited Rome during the summer of 2023, and I was shocked that it was less busy during Easter weekend than during early June. Having visited twice, I loved Rome even more the second time. I would highly recommend visiting Rome outside of the summer months because while it was still touristy, it was less congested and much easier to navigate. Some of us chose to visit the Aventine Hill, which was one of Rome’s seven ancient hills surrounding the Tiber. It offers beautiful views of the city, with some wonderful churches and orange groves. It was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city and we were able to relax there and get some fresh air. The best part of the trip was that we attended Easter Mass at the Vatican. I was able to get tickets only a month in advance, and we arrived two hours early which allowed us to get seating close to the front with many nuns and priests. Parts of the mass were spoken in different languages such as English, French, Arabic, Chinese, and Greek. In addition, attendees presented gifts in their traditional clothing from all over the world. As a Catholic, it was beautiful to see the universality of the church and the inclusive nature of the mass that allowed so many people to see a bit of themselves in the celebration. At the end of the mass, Pope Francis drove around in the popemobile, and we were able to get close to him! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I am so grateful I got to experience with my friends many of whom weren’t catholic. I would absolutely visit Rome again, since I do not think it’s a city you can do in just one go. It’s worth it to take your time seeing a few sites rather than rush through them all.
venice, italy (5/10)
Venice was the last stop on our Italian vacation! I was expecting greatness out of Venice, and overall I felt like it fell short of a lot of my expectations. However, Venice was beautiful and there were some amazing spots such as St. Mark’s Basilica, which featured lots of gold decoration and Byzantine style icons throughout. One island that is worth a visit is Murano. Murano is famous for its glass blowing, and we watched a glass blowing demonstration there. There were tons of small businesses selling glass blown jewelry and common-ware. It was a great place to get beautiful but affordable souvenirs. We also took a gondola ride, which was awesome to do, but it was not a life-changing experience especially since the canals were crowded throughout the ride. My biggest problem with Venice was that it seemed like an amusement park for tourists. Everything was catered towards visitors, and I struggled to find local Venetians. This is due in part to the price of living, which has skyrocketed in Venice. This has driven many residents out of the area, which since the 1950s, has led to a decrease of over 120,000 residents. To me, our visit there did not feel authentic, and it was the city I enjoyed least in Italy.
granada, spain (9/10)
I visited Granada and Málaga in the same weekend, and I was a huge fan of both cities. Granada is located in Southern Spain in the Andalusian region. It’s historically famous for being the last city under Moorish control, which contributed heavily to the architecture and culture of the city. We chose to split up our days by spending one day visiting the Muslim attractions of the city, and one day exploring the Christian attractions. The most impressive part of the city was the Alhambra, the city, gardens and palace were built by the Nasrid dynasty that ruled Granada from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century. The towers of the palace offer amazing lookouts over the city. In terms of Christian architecture, the Granada Cathedral and Royal Chapel are worth a visit. The Royal Chapel contains the tombs of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Catholic monarchs, who launched the war against the Nasrid dynasty to drive them out of Spain.Granada has a rich Flamenco tradition, which is a type of dance native to the Andalusia region. It is preformed in cuevas (caves) by both men and women. It is a highly intimate experience, where the dancers move up and down the cave aisle tapping their feet to the music’s rhythm. The dancers got so close that their skirts brushed up onto my legs. I felt involved in the performance, and the skill and difficulty of the dance was breathtaking to witness. If you are ever there, it’s definitely worth seeing. Andalusia is also famous for their food because tapas originated there. Typically, whenever, one orders a drink, you receive a tapa of your choosing as well. The locals joke that you can go “tapaing” for dinner since after a few drinks and tapas, you’ll have had your dinner! I’m not a huge fan of Spanish food, but I found the tapas here excellent. The “rabo de toro”, an oxtail stew was delicious and tender, and if you’re a vegetarian, I enjoyed the Gazpacho, a type of cold tomato soup. The tapas bars are on every corner, and it made eating out there so cheap. We chose some tapas bars recommended by our host, which were cozy and filled with locals. I had great interactions with the locals of Granada, they were friendly and very eager to talk about the different types of tapas and their cultural histories. Overall, I found Granada incredibly charming and beautiful and I would absolutely return in the future.
vienna, austria (9/10)
Like Billy Joel sings, Vienna was waiting for me to explore on one of my last weekends abroad. I was pleasantly surprised by Vienna because my expectations were not as high as they were for some of the other cities I visited. On our first day, we went to a classical symphony held inside St. Charles Church pictured above. The acoustics were incredible, and it was wonderful to be able to admire the church’s decoration alongside classical music. We visited the Upper Belvedere, a palace turned art museum, that contained famous modern artwork such as Gustav Klimt’s, The Kiss. One of my favorite museums that we visited was the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, the name is a mouthful, but the museum showcased Austria’s military history. We saw Franz Ferdinand’s blood stained clothes as well as tanks and bunkers from the First World War. The Schönbrunn Palace is also worth a visit. It was the summer palace of the Habsburg rulers, and it is well intact and filled with breathtaking Baroque style art and architecture. The gardens surrounding the palace are also nice to stroll through if you need a break from the city. I loved the Viennese food, and I preferred Wienerschnitzel (a Viennese veal cutlet), to German schnitzel that I had in Cologne. The traditional Satchertorte cake, a chocolate apricot cake, was also delicious and we ate it in a traditional Viennese coffeehouse. The only strange part about Vienna was the lack of people out on the streets, for a major city, it was not at all crowded, although we did feel safe throughout the entirety of the visit. I have to give praise to the public transportation system of Vienna as well, it was incredibly easy to get around the city, as we almost always had multiple options that came frequently. The suburban railroad and trams allowed us to see spectacular views of the city throughout our stay. In conclusion, I would come back to Vienna in a heartbeat as there are so many museums and palaces I still want to see! I think Vienna can be a day trip or a four/five day trip depending on what you want out of the city. I felt like Vienna had something for everyone, and it was one of my favorite places I visited.