Spain – The Girl Who Goes

Last Updated on September 26, 2023

Trip Review: Barcelona + European Road Trip

Bonjour, friends! As I begin to write this post, I’m sitting in a coffee shop in Bordeaux, France. I’m almost halfway through our two-week European road trip across Andorra, southern France, and northern Spain. It’s been raining all day. Matt is back at the Airbnb taking a nap. And I almost didn’t sit down to write this because my computer was almost dead and all the outlets in this coffee shop had plastic covers on them. Devastatingly, I don’t speak French so I was too afraid to ask the one person who works here for help. Eventually I settled for a weak “bonjour” and holding up my laptop charger… and here we are.

I have SO MUCH to tell you all about this trip! About the cities we’ve been to, about the car rental process, about taking a road trip in Europe. But I wanted to start with a “trip review” type post, as I’ve done in the past. I’ll probably publish this before it’s all the way done and then just update it as we go through the rest of the trip. I think it will provide a lot of good context for the trip, and I’ll eventually update it with links to specific topics as well. [Read more…]

Last Updated on February 1, 2024

7 Reasons Why You Should Visit Sevilla, Spain

From my first visit to Sevilla, Spain

A few months ago, my mom and I spent a long weekend down south in Sevilla, Spain. I can’t even describe how magical that time felt. Even though I was only a few hours away from Madrid, I felt like I’d been transported to an entirely different world.

During a visit to Spain, many travelers think about visiting the beaches of Barcelona or enjoying Madrid capital. But if you’re looking for a more thorough Spanish experience, I can’t recommend Sevilla enough. From Madrid, it’s easy to access – an hour flight or a two-and-a-half hour train ride – and though it’s Spain’s 4th-largest city, it has a distinctive personality that feels uniquely Spanish.

Have I convinced you to visit yet? If not, here are 7 reasons why you should take a journey down south to the capital of Andalucía! [Read more…]

Last Updated on December 28, 2024

Top 5 Things to Do in Sevilla, Spain

Just one of the many things you must do in Sevilla, Spain

During my second year living in Spain, my mom came to visit! Since she’d already seen the highlights of Madrid when she came to visit me the summer before, we decided to take a long weekend trip down to Sevilla in the south of Spain. Even though it was the end of February, we were nice and warm in sunny Andalucía!

It had been nearly four years since my first visit to Sevilla, when I went during my first-ever solo trip, so I was really excited to go back. After living in Spain, I felt like I had a lot more context for Spanish culture and history — plus more experiences with other cities throughout the country. That helped me to develop my understanding of Sevilla better than I could before. [Read more…]

Last Updated on September 1, 2023

The 5 Best Places for Scenic Views of Madrid

One of the best views of Madrid.

I’m always looking for scenic views. Not only do they make great pics for Instagram, but there’s just something about seeing a place from a different perspective. Especially in a big city like Madrid, it’s hard to fully appreciate the sheer size of the city when you’re simply walking the streets. So, if you like good views like I do — and assuming you’re not afraid of heights — I’ve put together a list of the 5 best places for scenic views of Madrid. [Read more…]

Last Updated on March 15, 2023

Top 5 Things to Do in Valencia, Spain

Plaza de Arzobispo, Valencia

Hi, friends! Do you ever lay in bed, late at night, when you’re supposed to be sleeping… and decide to creep on your own Instagram? Like scroll way back? Well, I was doing that a few days ago — looking through all my posts since I got to Spain. And I came across a post from Valencia! And then it hit me… I never wrote a post about my time in Valencia.

It was in April, on the same trip I went to Palma de Mallorca with my friend Morgan, but it’s not hard to remember! Valencia was a great city, so I thought it would be fun to finally write about it now. Better late than never, right?

So… here are 5 of the best things to do in Valencia. [Read more…]

Last Updated on September 1, 2023

Day Trip: Bilbao to San Sebastián, Spain

One of San Sebastián’s islands

You already know that I went to Bilbao for part of the puente at the beginning of November, but it’s not the only place I went. At the suggestion of friends — and the fact that I always want to visit more places in Spain — I decided to spend a day in San Sebastián. Though this city is relatively small, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to visit a coastal city in the north. And it’s only 15 miles from the French border! I was curious if/how that would factor into the city’s culture.

I arrived in San Sebastián in the evening and spent the night so I’d have all of the next day there. But if you have a little less time, I think you could arrive early in the morning and leave late at night and still have a good experience. Anyway, if you want to go from Bilbao to San Sebastián, here’s what you need to know!

[Read more…]

Last Updated on September 1, 2023

Top 7 Things to Do in Bilbao, Spain

After a year in Spain and visits to many different regions, I’ve finally made it up north! At the end of last week, we had a few days off from school, so I took advantage of the time to travel. I’ve always heard from others that País Vasco — Basque Country — was different from the other parts of Spain that I’m used to, so I was really excited to visit. I based my trip in the largest Basque city, Bilbao, with an overnight detour to San Sebastián. More on that later!

So after my time in Bilbao, here are 7 things you have to do when you visit! [Read more…]

Last Updated on February 10, 2023

Trip Review: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

santa cruz de tenerife - bell tower feature photo

Iglesia de La Concepción in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Last weekend, I returned from my first official “side trip” of this year — three days in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. My bestie Hanna was there for work, and she had a day off at the end of her stay. Since it was her first time traveling to Europe for work, and I’d never been to the Canary Islands, I impulsively booked a flight to Tenerife to see her for a day. I really didn’t know what to expect even though I had been to Mallorca last year, in Spain’s other group of islands. [Read more…]

Last Updated on February 4, 2024

Day Trip: Madrid to San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain

If you go from Madrid to El Escorial, you’ll be rewarded with this view

During my first visit to Spain in 2016, San Lorenzo de El Escorial was one of my three day trips from Madrid. (Segovia and Toledo were the other ones.) If you’re interested in Spanish or European history — history that certainly goes back further than the United States’ 200-something years — San Lorenzo de El Escorial is a good place to visit. It’s also the starting point for the journey to the Valle de los Caídos, or Valley of the Fallen, if you’re planning to make that trip independent of a tour group.

Learn everything you need to know about this popular — if slightly underrated — day trip. Here’s how to get from Madrid to El Escorial. [Read more…]

Last Updated on July 2, 2019

The 7 Best European Summer Drinks

It may have only been “officially” summer for a week, but here in Spain and most of Western Europe, we’re already in the middle of a bad heatwave. Temperatures of 102°F (39°C) for days on end may be normal in Missouri and other parts of the U.S., but it’s so much worse without one key American luxury: home air conditioning.

With a high of 109°F, I’ve spent the last 5 days bouncing from one air-conditioned cafe to another, chugging iced coffee by the gallon where I could find it and trying to avoid my stifling 4th-floor piso. Iced coffee isn’t a particularly Spanish drink, though. But it got me thinking about the summer drinks that are popular throughout different European countries. So if you’re visiting Europe this summer, hopefully these European summer drinks can help keep you cool — air conditioning or not. [Read more…]