I spent a month learning Spanish in Oviedo, Spain and it was a life-changing experience. Oviedo is a gorgeous little city that boasts great food, kind people and some amazing sites. I attended classes at the University of Oviedo that helped hone both my Spanish grammar and communication skills. My homestay was also a great opportunity. My host mom was kind and the perfect host. Every afternoon, we chatted over a home-cooked lunch and I got to learn more about life in Oviedo and greater Spain from someone who has lived there all her life.

My university classes were very instructional but did not assign any homework which left lots of free time in the afternoons to go shopping at the mall, explore the city, buy a bus ticket to a nearby beach or spend time with friends and classmates. The buses are easy to access and convenient. You can buy tickets to many surrounding towns, a few of which have beautiful beaches. I was able to enjoy these beaches in the gorgeous Asturias weather, which stayed in the 70s and 80s while the rest of Spain was experiencing a record heatwave. July is the perfect time to go shopping at El Parque Principio, a nearby mall. This is because July is the month of “rebajas” in Spain, which gives one the opportunity to buy discounted clothing from Zara, Mango and any other stores.

The pride and joy of Oviedo, the local Cathedral is beautiful inside and out and only costs a five euro entrance fee (if you aren’t attending a Mass). The Cathedral can be seen from almost everywhere in Oviedo and is featured in a lot of local artwork and souvenirs. On the same plaza is the local art museum, to which entrance is free. The art museum features a lot of cool paintings from both local and more well-known artists (such as a piece by Salvador Dali). There was also an exhibit on Asturias’ local delicacy, an alcoholic drink called sidra, in the basement of the art museum. In addition to sidra, Oviedo also has a wide range of foods, due to their proximity to both the ocean and the mountains. Their local cuisine involves a variety of meats, cheeses, seafood, vegetables, and fruits. Oviedo also boasts some delicious foreign cuisine in an amazing hole-in-the-wall kebab shop and a yummy sushi buffet. There is also a small coffee shop near the University of Oviedo’s Humanities campus called El Titanic. I had a café con leche and a pincho de bacon y huevo almost every day during our thirty-minute break. All of the local vendors are very nice and cheerful. The staff at the restaurants brightened my day every time I went out to eat.

During our time in Spain, we also had a weekend excursion to Madrid. The city was beautiful and I got to see a lot of amazing sites. My visit to the grandiose Palacio Real was delightful and I spent a lot of time in the armory admiring all of the cool artifacts. El Museo El Prado is home to some of the most beautiful art I’ve ever seen in my life, including a version of the Mona Lisa tucked away in an unassuming alcove of a room (this version was also painted by da Vinci). My friends and I even got the amazing opportunity to see “La Guernica” by Pablo Picasso in person at El Museo Reina Sofia (to which entrance is free if you bring your student ID and a picture of your passport).

Overall, my study abroad experience was an unforgettable month in which I got to soak up both the sun and the wonderful Spanish language among kind strangers and new friends in a beautiful country. I would definitely recommend this study abroad trip to anyone who asks and I’m very glad that I was able to go.

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Spanish Language Literature and Culture in Oviedo