From March 31 to April 10, I traveled to the countries of Spain and Morocco with my family. The vacation was memorable and explorative, with many sights to see. I was introduced to new food, fashion and languages that gave me a unique experience.
Starting off in the San Francisco International Airport, we had a six A.M. connecting flight to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, before finally landing in Barcelona, Spain, at around seven in the morning. Due to the 9-hour time difference, I was extremely jet-lagged and could barely stay awake. However, my family and I headed out to explore the city anyway.
Throughout the days I stayed in Barcelona, we went to many famous sight-seeing’s such as the La Sagrada Familia, a basilica, the Arc de Triomf, the Cathedral of Barcelona, the Park Güell, a colorful architectural park that includes hiking trails, then the Montserrat, a beautiful mountain-top town, the Casa Batlló, known as an architectural wonder, and to a beach. On top of that, my family and I went to many other parks and restaurants to try Spanish food for the first time, and tried a dish called the paella. We also walked around the shopping streets and bought clothes. To go to these places, we had to take the metro, which was difficult at times to find which train to take, but it was fun to ride on.
Next, we took a train ride to Cordoba, where we went to a bustling Plaza with a huge crowd of people walking in and out of restaurants. It was a small city, and we were able to walk around almost the whole place in a single day.
Then, we traveled to Granada, Spain, which I may consider was my favorite city in Spain. It had very beautiful sights to see, such as the Alhambra palace, that included a garden as well. Granada had a lot of uphill walking, but the climb was worth it as it gave us memorable views of the city. Once again, my family and I did a lot of shopping here and bought souvenirs, clothes and delicious Spanish chocolate.
Lastly, we went to Malaga, Spain, for a single day, which happened to be the most colorful of all the cities. However, we did much of the same things as before, as there was not a lot of sightseeing to observe, besides the Picasso Museum. We did more shopping, walked around the city center and ate at an Italian restaurant.
Our next destination was to Casablanca, Morocco, which was only over an hour-long flight. We also had a day in the capital city, Rabat. Once there in both cities, we tried Moroccan and Lebanese restaurants and shopped in bazaars. We saw popular sites such as the Hassan Tower and the Hassan II Mosque. We also visited a beautiful Phoenician site with a large garden and castle.
Finally, after a long and eventful trip, my family arrived back in San Francisco, with full camera rolls, overpacked luggage and a lifetime of memories to enjoy. I was glad to have experienced new cultures and been exposed to lifestyles that are unfamiliar to mine. It helped broaden my awareness of how diverse culture can be, and I am grateful to have experienced it with my loved ones.
