Would it be too much of an exaggeration to say this overnight excursion to Costa Brava has been two of my happiest days of my life? Because it absolutely was.
Our trip started with a direct bus ride to the city of Girona, Spain and it was there where I rekindled the desire to explore — something that has been fleeting in Barcelona. The stairways and the city’s many bridges beg you to discover what’s on the other side. Many times during our guided tour I wanted to run ahead and never stop.
Our tour ended with I visit inside the Cathedral of Saint Mary. I’m personally not to excited by churches, but this one had been incredibly preserved and its inner chamber was Gothic and calming. There were many displays depicting moments from the bible that were pretty to look at, we also saw a quilt the depicted a younger than normal Jesus surrounded by many biblical representations.
From there we had free time and I was able to run free in the city. We were told to try the delicious local foods in Girona, but instead my sense of discovery lead me to a library. And, oddly enough, they had a display on the beauty of REM sleep. It’s hard to describe but that display it felt very surreal and Zen-like.
We then ventured to a fish museum where the nutrition aspect of this study abroad re-emerged. The techniques used to reel in fish and the auction were interesting sights but the pearl of this detour was the Fisherman Cuisine Workshop. Our chef had fresh fish and prepared a pizza, potato stew, land and sea Paella, dessert and more! The food we had was beyond expectations and the wine was incredibly soothing. I should have written down the label of it because it had a kick to it that was neat.
The final highlight of the day was when we arrived to Caella, a beach town that was originally fishing port. Our (4-star) hotel ended up being only 5 minutes away from the beach so I immediately headed there. The time was now 9 p.m. and the ocean still felt tingly warm. The city was quiet and only the sound of the waves lapping on the shores were apparent. I ended the day with a moonlit run along the coast.
And to think this was only Day One of our overnight trip!
Gustavo Aburto is a foods and nutrition major. He is studying abroad this summer in Barcelona, Spain.
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 
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