People are increasingly drawn to Madrid. The capital of Spain is starting be a city that can hold its own against other cultural capitals, in terms of both cultural interest and important museums. So what are the most essential museums to see in Madrid?

Museo del Prado: Don’t miss the chance to stroll through one of the best art galleries in Europe. The Museo del Prado was inaugurated in 1819, and in its almost two centuries of history, it has compiled over 27,000 referential works of art within its walls. It also includes an amazing collection of works by Spanish artists like Goya and Velázquez.

Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía: More commonly known as the “Reina Sofía” it has an amazing collection of modern art including works by Dalí, Juan Gris, Joan Miró and of course, Picasso. In fact if you want to see Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica, you’ll have to come here.

Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: This museum houses a wonderful private collection that allows visitors to stroll through different periods in art history. Flemish and Italian masterpieces and modern art stand out among the collection.

National Archaeological Museum of Spain: Recently reopened after remodeling that took six years to complete, this museum is all the rage this season. Its biggest draw is that it knows how to mix modernity into its exhibitions and technology with some of the most ancient pieces in our history.

Museum of Romanticism: This small, charming museum is home to a nice collection of works, furniture and decorative pieces from Spain’s romantic period, a tumultuous period both politically and culturally.

Of course there are many other museums in Madrid that we encourage you to see. A trip to the city dedicated to seeing its art collections, natural history and even geology museums can keep you more than entertained for the whole trip.

Guanajuato, the childhood home of Diego Rivera, is a charmingly unique colonial city, located in central Mexico. A mid-sized university town brimming with history and art, copious plazas filled with cafés and restaurants and narrow, pedestrianized streets lined with colorful houses – a perfect city for strolling. La Bohemia is a small restaurant in Jardín De La Unión, Guanajuato’s main plaza. It is open seven days a week from eight in the morning till eleven at night. For fifty-five pesos (that’s just over 3 euros) the restaurant offers a meal of the day which includes a bowl of homemade soup, a starter, freshly prepared rice and salad, a round piece of bread known as a bolillo and a refillable glass of agua fresca (a Mexican fruit drink). The restaurant owner has about 50 dishes that he rotates for the meal of the day. It appears that the prices at the restaurant are about the same, if not a bit lower, than other eateries in downtown Guanajuato.

Oaxaca is one of the best places in Mexico to enjoy cultural holidays. Around Day of the Dead (on the 1st and 2nd November) families descend upon the local cemeteries to clean the grave stones of their deceased ancestors and have a picnic in their honor. In the city center, street vendor’s spring up selling marigolds and coxcombs (a velvety red flower typical of this season) and market stall owners attract customers with wonderful displays of candy skulls and special bread known as Pan de Muerto. The cuisine in Oaxaca is very rich and varied: from the chocolate-infused meat sauce known as mole to the crunchy fried grasshoppers not for the faint-hearted! As well as a selection of exotic dishes, Oaxaca is also famous for its alcoholic beverages: tequila always took center stage in the past; but over the years, it has risen considerably in price so its “brother drink” mescal has become the tipple of choice for all those who appreciate fine liquor.

Mexico City, the fifteenth most populous city in the world, might seem a bit daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be. The most popular tourist attractions are mainly concentrated in the heart of the historic city center, for example, the main plaza (known as the Zócalo), the Alameda Park and the Palace of Fine Arts. The Plaza Garibaldi, located a few meters away from the Palace is the best place in Mexico City to listen to live Mariachi musicians. The Rosa, Roma and San Angel zones, home to some lovely parks, shops and cafés are considered to be the “artsy” areas in town. The affluent neighborhood of Polanco is the place to be if you’re looking for a good night out. Further south, the UNAM campus (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) is renowned for its famous work created by some of Mexico’s most well-known artists.

Meet new people!

There are many advantages to spending time abroad. It provokes the increase of self confidence; it sees the reassessment of one’s own culture and arouses the intrigue in the exotic, the alien, the foreign. Here are some of the most widely acknowledged benefits of travelling abroad:

1) The greatest advantage of a longer stay abroad is probably the acquisition of a new language.

It’s a lot easier to learn a language abroad because it has to be used all the time; much more than in class or at home. Furthermore, you also learn colloquial phrases, which is more important in everyday life than you might think.

2) To travel abroad brings you forward not only personally but also intellectually.

It opens up new perspectives and ideas and you will be more independent and responsible towards other cultures. You learn a lot by talking with other people from different countries with different attitudes and different mentalities. You practice how to talk to people and get to know more about their way of thinking.

3) To study abroad is an strong attribute on your resume.

It also offers advantages in the workplace because these experiences make you stand out from other applicants. The administrators of graduate programs prefer people who have studied abroad. The experience abroad thus increases your job opportunities and your financial gaining potential. Many companies seek bilingual executives and this trait will increase your future bargaining power.

4) It is very likely that you will form some of the deepest friendships during your stay abroad.

You have the opportunity to get to know people of different ethnic and cultural profiles. Other travelers abroad are just as far away from home as your and know how you feel and can therefore help you to get over that initial foreigness. Although you are so different, you will quickly discover many similarities.

5) You get to know your own country much better whilst abroad.

Most of what others know about you comes from the media, such as music, films and television programs. This is your chance to prove that these stereotypes do not always apply. You are the ambassadors of your country, your culture, and thus you can contribute to the cultural melting pot! At the same time you can dispel any erroneous stereotypes about others by getting to know the other culture first-hand. Excursions to cultural sites and museums will also help you to get to know the culture of the host country. There are differences in each country’s landscapes, climates and historical places, things that contribute to the world history.

6) A stay abroad can change your entire life.

Perhaps you will notice that you like a completely different field of studies and you change your study plan, or you realize that you like this new country much better and you decide to move there later on. Or if you are in your Bachelor you can decide studying your Master abroad, which means for a big advantage for your CV.

Mexico City and Santiago rank in the second and third place for the best investment environment, and Bogota, the Colombian capital, rose from ninth to fifth place, thanks to recent internal developments. Lima also saw a rise to fourth place,  and the Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires continues to be attractive to developers.

With the growing importance of Latin America in the business world, speaking Spanish language will give you the advantage of outpacing your competitors in this challenging business world. While it may seem like a bad time to enroll in a Spanish course, it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think.

There are so many internet resources available. To keep up your Spanish, or to learn new vocabulary that will be useful to your business venture, read the online newspapers in Spanish, sign up for Skype language exchanges, or download Spanish language podcasts to listen to on your commute. Just that little bit of daily Spanish can keep your language skills growing.

Keep and eye out for special offers on language courses, especially with the summer sales on at the moment! Make sure you do sufficient research before you enroll, especially with in-country language courses. How much more are you missing out on for that cheaper course, would the intensive option be more effective for you?  While the big cosmopolitan, capital cities are really appealing, would it be cheaper to live in a smaller town? Every little helps.

Ask around for advice; locals are a great source of knowledge. You could save yourself the money buying a guidebook by going to the nearest tourist information office. It’s free, and a great way to sneak in some language practice!

Language graduates are always in demand. Translation or interpreting jobs aside, the education, marketing and sales sectors really appreciate language skills and major global companies value bilingualism too. Furthermore, if you have your sights set on greener pastures, English teachers are finding work the world over. Why not get qualified to teach English as a foreign language, and travel the world with your linguistic skills.

By Erin K., Teen Delegate Scholar and AmeriSpan Blogger studying at AmeriSpan’s Alajuela Spanish school

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a school as beautiful as this one. Nestled in a valley between coffee and sugarcane plantations, it’s not at all unusual to see a family of cows wander by the classroom window.  The classrooms are simple but comfortable; one even replaces chairs with hammocks.

We get there every morning around 8:00 when the bus we meet in Carrillos drops us off outside the gate. Each week we’re assigned a new teacher and a new classroom.  The classes are so relaxed and the teachers are friendly, making everyone feel right at home even though we’re thousands of miles away from our hometowns.  One of the first days we’re there, we take a break from studying to wander through the school’s gardens.

It’s time for our lesson on “plantas medicinales,” a huge part of Costa Rican tradition. Minor, the gardener, tells us how most Costa Ricans turn to the garden before they call the doctor.  Every plant has some use, like the “sleeping plant” that folds its tiny leaves in when touched. It’s used to treat insomnia.

Most days, the first half of class is spent learning about the Preterit tense (among others) or Spanish grammar. Then after a twenty minute break, usually spent chilling in the hammocks, we learn about some aspect of Costa Rican cultures. From legends to slang, food to traditional games, the school fully immerses us in all aspects of their culture.

The school is one of the best parts of my trip so far.  The people are warm and welcoming, with the typical Tico friendliness, and I’m learning more than I’ve ever learned during summer vacation. The campus is like a paradise with its sprawling gardens and panoramic views of the mountains.  I don’t know how I’ll be able to go home to Wisconsin now.

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By Laura K., Guest Blogger who wants to learn Spanish in Guanajuato, Mexico

Hola. It has now been one week since I arrived in Guanajuato. I feel much more at home now as I am in a routine. Every day I wake up at 745am and eat breakfast at 830 with my house mom and my roommate from Japan. We eat a plate of fruit covered in yogurt, usually melon, papaya and mango. I never liked papaya before, but now I love it! It’s supposed to be very healthy for your stomach too. We also eat toast with jelly. One thing I found is that peanut butter is incredibly expensive here compared to the US, but it’s one of those things that makes you feel more at home.

I also feel more at home now because I have girl friends from school and no longer have to go places alone all the time. Today we took a city bus an hour outside of town to the world’s second largest Jesus statue, Christo Ray. It was a good experience and there was a very nice view of the surrounding mountains.  The photo above is of the church in San Miguel de Allende, La Parroquia de San Miguel Archangel, at night. There was a wedding going on and I was was lucky enough to be outside as a bride and groom were saying goodnight. A mariachi band was playing beautiful traditional music as they made their exit. Mexico is a place where religion is omnipresent, which is much different than where I live in Denver. I am excited for tomorrow as new students arrive every Monday. I can’t believe how fast this week has gone.

Some things i have noted about life in Mexico either funny, frustrating, enamoring, or otherwise are: “machismo” in the men takes a bit to get used to, and it’s best to completely ignore. It is especially hard to camouflage when you have blond hair and blue eyes. There are “Perros de la calle”, stray dogs, everywhere! They are generally friendly but I wouldn’t pet them!  Things run on a slower time schedule, or none at all. Things will happen when they happen, it’s best to slow down and enjoy life. A ham sandwich with mayonnaise for breakfast is totally normal, and it is always a good idea to have small change if you are in public and need to use a bathroom, toilet paper’s not free!  I am having a great time and look forward to going to the mummy museum this week. Hasta luego!

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By Courtney C., Guest Blogger and Peru study abroad participant

¡Hola!

Now for a little bit about my family…..

When I arrived at the airport, my host parents, Belinda and Cesar, were there to pick me up with great big smiles on their faces.  I explained to them that I don´t speak much Spanish yet, but that I wanted to try to speak as much as possible.  They were very understanding and they have been very welcoming.  That first day they explained to me that to avoid a bad  case of altitude sickness, I needed to drink some coca tea and go straight to bed for a few hours, and so I did.  That evening their family had a huge family gathering because one of their nephews, who now lives in New York City, was coming in for a couple of days, so when I woke up I had a lot of friendly faces to meet.  The food was fantastic—lots of vegetables and some grilled meats such as chicken, sausage, and even slivers of cow heart of a stick.  It was all really tasty especially when dipped in a special sauce that they made with various herbs and spices.

My host parents have three children: Ursula (I think she is around 30 years old), Adriana (I think she is in her late 20’s), and Cesar (I believe he is around 20).  Adriana is married and has two sons, Augustine (around 2 and a half years old)  and Nicolas (8 months).  Adriana’s family lives in an apartment that is enclosed with her parents’ home by a big gated wall.  Ursula and Cesar live at home.

All of the food is great so far and I help by setting the table or washing the dishes after a meal.  I love to cook, but I haven’t had the chance to help yet because of my class schedule.  I have had many dishes that I want the recipe for for!

My bedroom is simple and cozy and the view is pleasant too as I can see some cute houses and the mountains in the background.  The only two ¨social rules¨ that I have found different is that you should always come to dinner with your shoes on as it is considered impolite to come barefoot, and in fact, it seems that the whole family wears their shoes at all times in the house.  I prefer to be barefoot!  But I think I can manage.  Second, you are not supposed to dispose of toilet paper in the toilet (this goes for all toilets, not just in my host family’s home), but rather in the trash can next to the toilet.  This rule is more practical than cultural because the pipes here are old and narrow and they can easily clog, although it is hard to get used to because I have been trained otherwise.

This weekend I am going on a trip to Puno and Lake Titicaca, so next week I will fill you in on my trip there as well as about my school.

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By William P., Chile study abroad participant studying Spanish and skiing in Santiago

Today was my second day and I was still very frustrated that I was having trouble understanding even the basic words that I know I should remember from high school or that I know on paper.  However, at least I was starting to understand most of what the teacher was saying today as she spoke to us in phrases that an intermediate beginner would know.  I know that learning a language does not occur overnight but because I know I am not very good yet I realized I was getting very nervous in front of people and ultimately too scared to talk.  My nervousness would make me forget simple verbs and phrases that I easily remembered later but was stuck without words at the time.  It also is very difficult to conjugate verbs on the spot and while I may know it on paper, speaking them efficiently will take many hours of practice.  Therefore, I did not have a lot of confidence in my abilities at all today.

However, when classes were over I went on my computer and decided to chat with one of my friends in the United States that speaks Spanish.  He was more than willing to help and in our conversation online I found myself finally being able to put what I have learned to good use.  There was no need for me to be nervous behind a computer.  I also had the comfort of both my verb book and dictionary and with the lag of the Internet and the numerous other reasons for pauses such as chatting with other individuals, I could easily communicate with my friend online and fill in gaps that I needed.  I started to learn a lot better this way.  I also for the first time gained some confidence that I can do this.  Due to the successful conversation I was able to control my anxiety a little better and therefore was more willing to talk in Spanish to others.  I obviously have a very long way to go but today I just might have gotten over the hump of not being afraid to make mistakes.

Therefore I strongly suggest for anyone else in the same situation where you are very nervous and afraid to speak do to worrying about mistakes and being embarrassed, then find a chat room in the language you are studying and start off by writing online.  Better yet, if you know a friend that knows the language, chat with him as friends will generally be more than willing to help you out.  Writing really does lessen the anxiety and it is also a great way to learn.

I will continue to chat with my friends that know Spanish using my very book and dictionary to build further confidence throughout the time I am here.  It was a great idea for me and I think it is a good idea for everyone providing of course you make the effort to speak to other people afterwards.  I don’t want the computer to be too much of a crutch for me  but I think as long as I make the effort to also speak the language here in the City, the computer is a good way to continue to lessen Spanish anxiety!

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