Visiting Europe was the most amazing experience I have ever had. Going to Madrid and Barcelona, Spain was absolutely fantastic! There is so much to see and tons of things to do in both cities. I went with the Spanish classes at my high school, and we went on tour with a company called EF Tours. They took care of our transportation, tickets, and costs for food. The trip was definitely one of the most fun experiences I have had. In Madrid, I went to the famous Plaza Mayor, Museo del Prado, and Parque del Retiro. Each of these locations has a ton of history to go along with it. In Barcelona, I went to Parc Guell which has the world’s longest bench, saw La Sagrada Familia which is a large Roman Catholic church, and walked down Las Ramblas, which is one of the most famous and crowded streets in Barcelona. I also visited Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid and also saw FC Barcelona. Visiting the soccer stadiums was a great way to indulge in the culture of Spain because soccer is such a popular sport. Bull fighting is another popular event in Spain, however, it is illegal in Barcelona. Madrid, Spain has a bull fighting ring called Plaza de Toros. I was able to stand outside of Plaza de Toros but wasn’t able to go inside. Spain has so much to see and is a wonderful experience! I was even able to practice Spanish after studying it for three years, and that was quite rewarding! On the way from Madrid to Barcelona, my tour bus stopped in Zaragoza, Spain. Zaragoza was absolutely beautiful and it had the Basilica de Pilar, which was a majestic cathedral that had the most incredible architecture I had ever seen. Zaragoza was amazing like Barcelona and Madrid. Our tour bus went to Madrid first, then Zaragoza, then Barcelona. When we left Barcelona, we took a ferry and sailed over to Italy. We ported in a city outside of Rome, and had about an hour bus ride to our hotel which was located on the outskirts of Rome. Rome was simply amazing because it is one of the oldest cities in the world, and there are thousands of years of history present throughout the city. While driving along the freeway you can see Ancient Roman Ruins spread out for miles. The Roman Forum was a breathtaking sight because the architecture is so unique and extremely old. There is nothing else like that in the whole world, and it was such a privilege to see remains of a city from thousands of years ago. The Roman Colosseum was my favorite part of the trip because we entered an ancient development that millions of people have walked through over the thousands of years it has been in existence. Your imagination can run wild when you’re standing at the top level of the Colosseum because thinking about all the events that took place inside the Colosseum is overwhelming. After visiting the Colosseum, our group went to the Vatican City where we entered the Sistine Chapel. We saw where the Pope lives and works, and it was great to become so educated in the history of the Vatican. The Trevi Fountain was the last spot we toured, and it’s an absolutely gorgeous sight. My trip to Europe was fascinating and incredible, and I will never forget a moment of it. Everyone who is interested in European history should visit Italy because not only is it one of the most historical countries, but also one of the most beautiful countries.
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