Burgos, Spain
Luana Ivošević
September, 2019
This September I had the opportunity to take part in the Erasmus + project ‘‘Burgos 2021: Our Heritage, Our Future’’ organized by Asociación Brújula Intercultural in Spain (fun fact: brújula in Spanish means compass). The project goal was to gather NGOs, strengthen partnerships, share good practices, discuss topics of social and cultural heritage, plan future project together and promote the Erasmus+ programme.
The project was an incredible opportunity for me to share experiences with other youth workers and learn about other cultures.
It was the first time I traveled in the North of Spain and I want to share some travel tips with you:
1. Madrid Airport
Madrid Airport known as Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport, is HUGE. It is the second-largest airport by size in Europe, just behind Paris-Charles de Gaulle, with four terminals. I landed in T4, the terminal designed by architects Lamela and Rogers which received praise for its interesting architecture. I wasn’t focused on the architecture, but if you happen to be there, check it out.
2. Tapas food
Our Spanish friends took us out to eat tapas in the evenings. Tapas are snacks, canapés, or small plates that originate in Spain. They might contain breads and meat, or a selection of dishes from ham, stuffed mussels, fried squid, olives, sautéed mushroom and other vegetables.
In the city of Burgos, the most famous tapa is Morcilla de Burgos (blood sausage with rice).
3. The weather in the North of Spain
To put it simply: ‘‘take a jacket…and an umbrella when you travel in the North of Spain’’?. In northern regions, because of their elevation, the weather can be sometimes unpredictable. If you have layered clothing, you’ll be able to enjoy the breathtaking landscapes.
4. Travel ideas
Madrid is a good starting point if you plan a road trip in the North. From Madrid you could go to the city of Burgos, San Sebastian in the Basque country, without missing the lovely town of Hondarribia and Bilbao, Santander in Cantabria, the national park Picos de Europa, the city of León, and many more. My wish is to visit the Principality of Asturias, since all my friends who’ve been there heartwarmingly recommend it.
As a travel itinerary idea, I must mention the routes of the Camino de Santiago. The Camino, known also as the Way of St. James, is a large network of ancient pilgrim routes stretching across Europe leading to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain. Since we visited Burgos, we found out that we could join the Camino from the city of Burgos ?
I hope you enjoyed this travel diary – I tried to include travel trips and notes of some things I’ve learned ? To conclude, I want to thank Sanja, Pasquale, Inese, Agnes, Pablo, Michael, Giulia, Julia, Giulio, Tomi, Emilia, Barbora for being great project buddies and participants and the organizers Laura, Bea, Loreto and our cook Valeria.
If you have questions or want to know more about youth opportunities, contact us at iyp@iyp-croatia.com.