Guest article in Viktoria:I am spending my Erasmus semester in Spain, in the city of Tarragona. Tarragona is located on the Mediterranean coast and is only 1 hour away from the Catalan metropolis of Barcelona.
I chose Spain because I am interested in Spanish culture, especially the musical tradition. Through my stay I would like to get to know Spanish life better, but also improve my Spanish language skills, and I am here at the University of Rovira i Virgili (URV). Unfortunately (as I am studying culture and management in Germany) I am at the Faculty of Tourism, which is located in the neighboring town of Vila Seca. Vila Seca is about 10 kilometers from Tarragona and is good to reach by bus. In addition to tourism, the faculty also offers geography. I am taking 3 subjects at the faculty, Policies & Public Management and 2 other courses in English (Intermediate English, Advanced English). I am also taking a Spanish course at the University of Catalunya, which is in Tarragona. Here, at the university, Spanish courses are offered at different levels for a fee (for Erasmus students they cost about 60€, for other people/non-students about 300€). The course runs throughout the semester and you have to take a final examination at the end of the semester and there is also a SMiLE program, which almost all Erasmus students can take part in. The aim of this program is to support German/English or French teachers in primary and secondary schools in Tarragona and the surrounding area. The aim of this program is to get the students to speak. After completing 40 hours, you write a report (which is credited with 6 Credipoints).
I lived in Vila Seca for the first month. I had a room in a shared flat with 2 other girls, near the Faculty of Tourism and Geography. But because Vila Seca is a small place with few possibilities (culture), I decided to move to Tarragona. Now I live in Tarragona, in the center of the city, only 10 minutes away from Part Alta (= old town), which has several museums and many Roman monuments. Tarragona is a beautiful city on the coast, which has a charming old town. I live in Tarragona with 3 female students (2 of the girls are Erasmus students). We do things together from time to time, go out together or visit other places/cities nearby. Some Erasmus students organize "trips" to nearby places, such as the Basque Country, Andalusia or Morocco, and it should be noted that Spaniards have a different sense of time. It takes a little longer than in Germany to get information or a document from the university (such as the Learning Agreement). Here, as in other parts of Spain, there is siesta. This is the time between 1 and 5 pm when most people take a "break". This means that some stores and restaurants are closed. The banks only work until around 1pm and you have to expect a longer wait.
Otherwise, I really like the country and the people, their openness. Although they say that people in Catalonia are a bit more "distant". They also say that Catalonia is one of the most expensive regions in Spain. As for the university, I'm a bit disappointed, but I'm trying to make the best of it and take as much as I can with me. Supported by:
