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I lived in Seville, so...Pick me! Pick me!
No, seriously, the best way to make a decision like that would be to do a lot of research on your own. I think the best thing to do on that count, would be to take your OWN study abroad trip. I suggest going for a full year. That will give you lots of time to explore the entire country, and hopefully settle on a city that you like and can live in. As for where to take that study abroad year, well, that will depend a great deal on the options open to you, and the sort of person you are.
Madrid is a terrific city, big, bustling, the capital, with all that that affords you. However, in my case, I didn't like the study options available to me, so that was just out. If you have options you like, well, more power to you.
Barcelona has a lot to offer. It's a very international city, but don't believe that when you are there, that you are truly IN SPAIN. Even the people there would rather be an independent country...they actually have their own language, Catalán, which most people prefer to use. Still, very large, very cosmopolitan, very - well, more modern than much of the rest of Spain, and a lot of influence from France.
Valencia, the next largest city...I don't really know much about, except that they recently opened a huge Science facility with museums and a huge aquarium, but as a place to live, I can't help you out much.
Seville, the next largest city, has a large University, and all the charm and romance that you think of when you think of Spain. It's one of the warmest places in the country, the home of flamenco, and a huge center for bullfighting. The Semana Santa, there, is the best in the world (largest, most flamboyant), and the fair is not to be missed (sometime in April, usually a week or two after Semana Santa ends.) When you are there, you will KNOW you are in Spain, and if you need any info on what to do, where to go, where to live, email me. It IS where I lived, and I was just back last summer. Still felt like home to me.
Salamanca - home of the oldest university in the country...LOTS of tradition on that count, but if you aren't actually able to study AT the University, I don't think it's that great a draw. It's pretty isolated, and it's a very small town. University town, with all that implies...lots of students running around, and lots of people to meet your own age, but other than that, I don't think it's the best place to LIVE for a long time.
Alicante has a huge tradition as a destination for students who want to learn Spanish, as do several other smaller towns. Oviedo and Santander in the North, as well.
Granada, also, one of the most romantic cities in the world, large University, and lots of students go there, too.
Wherever you go, you will always look back fondly on your time spent, and you will probably always think of that town as another home.
Whatever you decide, have a good time, and ¡buena suerte!
Good on you for planning this far in advance, too. You can make so much more of whatever you decide if you have things well-planned. |
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