From early February to early March, Syracuse Madrid hosted four different weekend “mini-trips” to Barcelona! Around 50 students attended each of the weekend trips. The trips are part of the new one-credit Mapping Madrid CAS course, although the destination may change by semester, the first round of trips were to Barcelona, which is only a 3 hour train ride from Madrid.
After taking a bullet train to Barcelona Friday morning, the itinerary included a walk down Las Ramblas, the city’s iconic main boulevard, and a visit to the lively Boqueria Market. While in town, professors gave a tour of the gorgeous Gothic Quarter and the Cathedral of Barcelona, after which students enjoyed several hours of free time and a buffet dinner back at the hotel.
Saturday was jam-packed–a breakfast buffet at the hotel, a tour of the modernist architecture in the city center, a tour of Gaudí’s famous Casa Milà, and a visit to none other than the Sagrada Familía itself, all followed by some more free time.
On Sunday, students and staff visited the Barcelona Maritime Museum and took a boat from the port around the Mediterranean Sea, then boarded a bullet train back to Madrid in the evening.
Details and photos provided by Cat Braza, Syracuse Madrid Communications team