Spain, France, & Italy | Study Abroad Opportunities

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Home / Academics / Off-Campus Programs / Study Abroad / Spain, France, & Italy

During the summer of 2005, I traveled with Greta Anderson through northern Spain, as well as southern France and Italy. In Spain, we hiked 150 miles of El Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route through the Pyrenees. We then worked at a family-owned spiritual retreat center on top of Mont Ral, two hours outside of Barcelona. At the retreat center, we worked in their organic garden and did various maintenance jobs on the breathtaking grounds. We explored the surrounding countryside, which included ancient chapels and secret springs that surfaced in pools and waterfalls. During our travels, we also saw the running of the bulls in Pamplona's San Fermines and wandered the riotous streets of Madrid, Bilboa, Barcelona, Venice, and Rome.

After returning back to Northland, I produced an 80-page written account of our travels, for which I received independent-study credit. Overall, the trip was highly valuable for my academic education, spanish proficiency, and life perspective!