Barcelona Trip
On Monday 23rd of April our year group were lucky enough to go on a trip to Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. We had an early start of 1am where we all left the school. We arrived at Dublin airport and we went through security and the excitment was on everyone as we were waiting to board our flight at 6am. We had no trouble flying and the view from the plane was amazing as we got to fly over the Pyranese.
We arrived in Barcelona and got ourselves settled by putting on our summery clothes as it was very hot inside. We met our tour guide and were welcomed by scorching 27 degree heat and sunshine. We then got on our bus for our first activity in the city of Barcelona which was a science museum. It was very unusual and the layout of the museum was very unique. We then sat outside in the sun for Lunch where we looked at the beautiful statues and monuments outside. After this we began our tour of the city. Barcelona had amazing buildings everywhere in the city with such amazing syles of artwork. We saw the famous Gaudi church which was very impressive and I really liked. It has been around for years but it is such a major project that it still has not been finished and is still under construction. I thought it was intersting how the stone on the outside looked melted and was suprised at how tall it was. After this we got to see Les Rambles and the Catalonian government building which is having controversy at the moment with the Spanish government. It was amazing to see all the Catalonian flags hanging around from buildings and flats.There was some very impressive architecture around the city which we viewed while we took the bus to the outskirts of Barcelona. We then got to take the cable cars over Barcelona to see the city from above. I thought this was very fun to do with our friends and we got to see the other buildings in Barcelona from above. At the top we got to go see the castle which I dont know the exact name of and the boats near Barcelona. after this we then took the bus to the hotel where we were staying in Salou. The hotel looked amazing from the outside with the beach nearby and three pools. Our room was decent enough but the beds were a bit unconfortable. I loved the balcony and the shower was amazing. We got a view of the pool that lights up at night which I loved. When we arrived, we had a to unpack before we all went for dinner. Personally, I did not like the food at all as what I got was still raw and the only thing edible was the bread rolls but atleast they were nice. After dinner we got ready to go bowling in an arcade. Although this was only a small activity in our tour it was one that I really enjoyed. We then headed back to the hotel where we were all glad to see our beds to get some sleep after such a long day.
The next morning, we woke up bright and early, we went downstairs for breakfast which I actually enjoyed concidering the dinner before. We then left the hotel and went to Reus, where we visited the Gaudi museum. Here, we watched a short movie on Gaudis life, and each received a mobile phone on which we could listen to more stories about Gaudi and his life while we saw the 3 different floors in the museum. After this we we were given an hours free time in Reus, to get some food and go shopping in the city. We then went to Portaventura Theme Park, Which I was very excited for, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Myself and my friends went on as many of the rides we could fit in in the timee we had. I had never been here before but loved every moment of it and all the thrills i experienced. Having really enjoyed portavetura, it was soon time to leave for the hotel. When we got back that evening, we quickly got changed and I headed straight for the pool, which was my favourite feature of the hotel , it looked stunning at all times. The water was at a warmer tempreture than i expected for an outdoor pool so late in the day, It was very fun to relax, swim and just to be there with my friends. We headed in to the hotel where some people got dinner, but I skipped it mainly because of my previous nights experience but also because we then got 2 hours of free time to spend in the area around the hotel. I was astounded as culture around Salou is just so contrasting to that in Ireland. It’s truly outsanding to see and embrace the performances salesmen and the other types of personalities on the strip, and compare it to the likes of Grafton Street in Dublin. My friends and I also stopped for a bite to eat and took a strole too take in all the amazing scenery, and then returned to the hotel at 11pm. I found the second day very amusing, and could not wait for what the next day had in store.
On our last and final day in Spain, I enjoyed my breakfast which consisted of pastries. after this I raced back to my room and stuffed the last of my clothes in to my bag, which was a bit hectic. As we walked out the reception door we said our last goodbyes to the hotel and took the bus to Tarragona, and visited the amphitheater which was so pretty. We then had a couple of hours to relax and shop in Tarragona, which surprisingly didn’t actually have many restaurants or shops open, maybe because it was so early in the morning. So I didnt end up staying that long there, instead I went down by the beach, dipping my feet in the water and taking in as much of the sun as I could. For me this was one of my highlights and even though we hadnt done much it was exactly what i had been looking forward too most of all. We then went to the Camp Nou, which is the home of Barcelona. Here we got a tour of the stadium, trophies, the conference room and pitchside. I also took pictures with my friends and of the whole stadium as just the sheer size amazed. After this, we headed towards the Maregagnum shopping centre. We spent an hour and a half here, where I managed to get food and some small gifts to bring home to my friends and family. Unfortunately, this was our last activity in Barcelona, and we went back to the airport. At around 12 o’clock arrived back to Ireland, and reality that the trip had come too an end. But the good news was I didnt get burned!
We arrived in Barcelona and got ourselves settled by putting on our summery clothes as it was very hot inside. We met our tour guide and were welcomed by scorching 27 degree heat and sunshine. We then got on our bus for our first activity in the city of Barcelona which was a science museum. It was very unusual and the layout of the museum was very unique. We then sat outside in the sun for Lunch where we looked at the beautiful statues and monuments outside. After this we began our tour of the city. Barcelona had amazing buildings everywhere in the city with such amazing syles of artwork. We saw the famous Gaudi church which was very impressive and I really liked. It has been around for years but it is such a major project that it still has not been finished and is still under construction. I thought it was intersting how the stone on the outside looked melted and was suprised at how tall it was. After this we got to see Les Rambles and the Catalonian government building which is having controversy at the moment with the Spanish government. It was amazing to see all the Catalonian flags hanging around from buildings and flats.There was some very impressive architecture around the city which we viewed while we took the bus to the outskirts of Barcelona. We then got to take the cable cars over Barcelona to see the city from above. I thought this was very fun to do with our friends and we got to see the other buildings in Barcelona from above. At the top we got to go see the castle which I dont know the exact name of and the boats near Barcelona. after this we then took the bus to the hotel where we were staying in Salou. The hotel looked amazing from the outside with the beach nearby and three pools. Our room was decent enough but the beds were a bit unconfortable. I loved the balcony and the shower was amazing. We got a view of the pool that lights up at night which I loved. When we arrived, we had a to unpack before we all went for dinner. Personally, I did not like the food at all as what I got was still raw and the only thing edible was the bread rolls but atleast they were nice. After dinner we got ready to go bowling in an arcade. Although this was only a small activity in our tour it was one that I really enjoyed. We then headed back to the hotel where we were all glad to see our beds to get some sleep after such a long day.
The next morning, we woke up bright and early, we went downstairs for breakfast which I actually enjoyed concidering the dinner before. We then left the hotel and went to Reus, where we visited the Gaudi museum. Here, we watched a short movie on Gaudis life, and each received a mobile phone on which we could listen to more stories about Gaudi and his life while we saw the 3 different floors in the museum. After this we we were given an hours free time in Reus, to get some food and go shopping in the city. We then went to Portaventura Theme Park, Which I was very excited for, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Myself and my friends went on as many of the rides we could fit in in the timee we had. I had never been here before but loved every moment of it and all the thrills i experienced. Having really enjoyed portavetura, it was soon time to leave for the hotel. When we got back that evening, we quickly got changed and I headed straight for the pool, which was my favourite feature of the hotel , it looked stunning at all times. The water was at a warmer tempreture than i expected for an outdoor pool so late in the day, It was very fun to relax, swim and just to be there with my friends. We headed in to the hotel where some people got dinner, but I skipped it mainly because of my previous nights experience but also because we then got 2 hours of free time to spend in the area around the hotel. I was astounded as culture around Salou is just so contrasting to that in Ireland. It’s truly outsanding to see and embrace the performances salesmen and the other types of personalities on the strip, and compare it to the likes of Grafton Street in Dublin. My friends and I also stopped for a bite to eat and took a strole too take in all the amazing scenery, and then returned to the hotel at 11pm. I found the second day very amusing, and could not wait for what the next day had in store.
On our last and final day in Spain, I enjoyed my breakfast which consisted of pastries. after this I raced back to my room and stuffed the last of my clothes in to my bag, which was a bit hectic. As we walked out the reception door we said our last goodbyes to the hotel and took the bus to Tarragona, and visited the amphitheater which was so pretty. We then had a couple of hours to relax and shop in Tarragona, which surprisingly didn’t actually have many restaurants or shops open, maybe because it was so early in the morning. So I didnt end up staying that long there, instead I went down by the beach, dipping my feet in the water and taking in as much of the sun as I could. For me this was one of my highlights and even though we hadnt done much it was exactly what i had been looking forward too most of all. We then went to the Camp Nou, which is the home of Barcelona. Here we got a tour of the stadium, trophies, the conference room and pitchside. I also took pictures with my friends and of the whole stadium as just the sheer size amazed. After this, we headed towards the Maregagnum shopping centre. We spent an hour and a half here, where I managed to get food and some small gifts to bring home to my friends and family. Unfortunately, this was our last activity in Barcelona, and we went back to the airport. At around 12 o’clock arrived back to Ireland, and reality that the trip had come too an end. But the good news was I didnt get burned!