In this blog I would like to present you two museums that are located in Madrid. Whenever you should be in Madrid, a visit of these two museums is definitely worth it! And the best? At specific hours in the evening, you do not even have to pay entrance fee!

Museo del Prado

First of all, you have to know that the museum del Prado is huge! It is mainly impossible to see the whole museum in one day. I visited the museum del Prado with my cultural class from university. Our teacher gave us a guided tour in which she explained the most important paintings, which have a significant meaning for the Spanish history, to us.

In this blog entry I would like to explain the meaning of the two most significant Goya paintings to you, which you can find in the museum del Prado.

The first painting, which is an oil painting on a Canvas is named ‘The 2nd of May 1808 in Madrid’ or ‘The Fight against the Mamelukes’. This painting is from the year 1814. The story behind this painting goes back to the topic of the War of Independence (1808-1812). The work of the famous Spanish painter Goya is representing the situations from the 2 May 1808, when the Madrilenian people attacked the Turkish soldiers of Napoleon’s French Army, also called the Mamelukes. It is showing the starting face of the War of Independence.

As described in an earlier blog, the 2nd of May is a very important day in whole Spain. Therefore, it was very impressing to see in what way Goya expressed his feelings about this day in the painting.

The painting that is hanging next to the one described above has a significant meaning as well. It has the name ‘The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid’ or ‘The Executions’. It is also an oil painting on a canvas and was painted by Goya in the year 1814. The painting demonstrates the executions of patriots from Madrid by the army of Napoleon as a reprisal for their protest against the Frech occupation on the 2nd of May in 1808. On the right side of the picture, one can see the French soldiers and on the left side the Madrilenes are shown who are to die. Within this painting, Goya expresses a lot of tension and a very dramatic situation. This is emphasized by the use of lights, with which he tries to lead the focus on the heroes, the Spanish people on the left.

The two paintings described above were analyzed and explained in detail by our culture professor of Villanueva university. We also saw many more paintings from Rembrandt for example, however, these two paintings have an incredible historical background, which I wanted to explain to you shortly before your visit of the Prado museum.

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes (30 March 1746 – 16 April 1828) is considered as the most important Spanish romantic painter of the late 18th and the early 19th centuries.

Museo Reina Sofía

The second museum, I would definitely recommend is called the Museo Reina Sofía. It is also named the ‘Muse Nacional – Centro de Arte’. We also visited this museum with our cultural class from university.

In this blog I would like to highlight one specific painting, which is very important for the Spanish culture.

The painting I am referring to is the Guernica of Pablo Picasso, which he painted in the year 1937. It also an oil painting on a canvas. The Guernica presents a very dramatic situation. From my point of view, this painting is very abstract, however, the meaning behing it, is vey touching. The history behind the painting. Guernica is the name of a city that was bombed by Nazi planes during the Spanish Civil War. Within this picture the horrible situation of the war is presented. The painting has become an anti-war symbol that should still remain as a reminder of the tragedies of the war. Moreover, it also is kind of a forewarning of what might come in the Second World War. It is, as mentioned above, a very abstract picture in which everyone might interpret something else. Nevertheless, I saw two groups in the painting: a group of animals (a bull, a horse and a bird) as well as a group of human beings (a dead soldier and several women of which one is holding her dead child).

The Guernica by Picasso is, from my point of view, a very crucial and important painting that everyone should have seen in order to be reminded of the horrible events that took place during the War.

In the following blog, I am going to describe the main differences between the study system in the Netherlands and in Spain, which I recognized during my stay in Madrid.

Difference 1 – The relation between teachers and students

The first difference I noticed during my Exchange semester at Villanueva Centro Universidad in Madrid, is the relation between teachers and students. In the Netherlands, everything is very personal and there is no real hierarchy visible. Teachers in the Netherlands always teach with a very personal approach and they have a concern for each individual. For me personally, it was a great change after coming from a German Highschool. In Germany, teachers have more power and this is also clearly visible in the whole school system. At Villanueva university I experienced a more distant relationship between students and teachers. It was not as distant and strict as I was used to in Germany, however, compared to the study system in the Netherlands, teachers are definitely not as close to the students and there is a clear hierarchy.

Difference 2 – The lengths of days at university

The second big difference are the lengths of university days. It is normal to have classes, which end at 20.00 or 21.00 o’clock. Most of the times, there are a few classes in the morning, then there is a 2 hours lunch break between 14.00 and 16.00 and afterwards the second half of the days continues.

Difference 3 – One semester and no modules

The third difference is the fact that at the universities they teach in semesters and not in modules. This was first a big change for me, because I was used to have the first exams after nine weeks and now I will have all my exams after the semester. I see advantages and disadvantages in both systems. Nevertheless, after being able to compare the two systems with each other, I definitely value the system with modules that we have in the Netherlands more.

Difference 4 – The meaning of time

This difference leads me to the cultural difference, with which I as a German had the most difficulties during my stay in Spain. On the one hand, is completely normal that a teacher is arriving 30 minutes too late. On the other hand, it is also not a very huge problem, if a student is a few minutes late. In the German culture, in which I grew up with, punctuality is very important. We have the saying: “Time is money”. However, I am glad that I spent my Erasmus semester in Spain, because this helped me to adapt to another culture and to be more relaxed, also when I sometimes had the feeling that 30 minutes of my day got lost due to the fact of waiting haha.

Difference 5 – Organisation

Furthermore, I realized that in Spain, many things are organized in the last minute. Planning is not as important as in Germany or in the Netherlands. It can be the case, that the teacher is just announcing the time for the next class excursion for example, only in the night before. Especially at the beginning of the semester, we were very confused because all teachers had different opinions and information about the coming weeks. It took us three weeks or even more, to understand how everything is working. However, this is the real Spanish experience and I learned a lot in these months!

In general I have to say that I learned a lot during the last months. For me it was first hard to cope with a lot of uncertainty and I had to change my mindset to be more open to changes and to live in the moment. I realized that it is not always the best approach to plan everything till the smallest detail, because in this way I limit myself.

Due to the fact that I am already living for over three months in the wonderful city of Madrid, I thought it is time to describe my top ten favorite activities that you should do while exploring the Spanish capital.

Top 1 – Watch the sunset at Templo de Debod 🌅

The first highlight of mine is to watch the sunset at Templo de Debod. Templo de Debod is a small park located next to the Palacio Real. It is a perfect location to study or to meet with your friends. You have an incredible view over the city and it is a great possibility to escape the stressful city vibes for a few hours. My favorite time to visit the park Templo de Debod is the evening. Take a drink and a few friends with you and enjoy the sunset!

Top 2 – Have a drink on the rooftop of the H10 Hotel, the NH Hotel or at Circulo de Bellas Artes

My second must-do or must-see are the beautiful rooftop terraces of Madrid. I have three favorite rooftop bars: the H10 Hotel close to Park Retiro, the NH Hotel at Gran Via and the Circulo de Bellas Artes at Gran Via. For the two rooftop bars of the hotels, you do not need to pay an entrance fee, only at Circulo Bellas Artes they charge you 4,00€ for going up. However, it is completely worth it!

The rooftop terrace of the H10 hotel is close to park Retiro and next to the district Salamanca.

The view from the terrace of Circulo de Bellas Artes is one of my favorite ones!

Top 3 – Taste some delicious specialties on the food market ‘Mercado de San Miguel’

The food market ‘Mercado de San Miguel’ is next to Plaza Mayor, in the heart of Madrid. It is a very old market hall that has been renovated. You can find many delicious specialities there and it is worth a visit!

Top 4 – Visit the ‘El Rastro’ on a Sunday

If you are on a Sunday in Madrid, the famous ‘El Rastro’ is a must-see! It is a very big market on which you can find handmade jewelry, many antiquities, books, second hand clothes and much more. Also if you are not searching for something special, it is just great to see! Meet up with a friend for breakfast and visit the Rastro market afterwards, this is a perfect plan for a Sunday. Moreover, while walking over the market, you can also explore the wonderful houses of the neighborhood La Latina!

Top 5 – Have a picnic in park Retiro

The best way to escape the university stress, work or just the metropole feeling is to have a picnic in park Retiro. The park is huge and you do not have the feeling anymore that you are in the capital of Spain. I especially love to study in the park or to buy some food and drinks before hand and meet up with some friends.

Top 6 – Go on a shopping tour in the neighborhood Chueca and Malasaña

You are not interested to see the same shops you can also find back in your country? Then I can recommend the neighborhoods Chueca and Malasaña to you! They do not only have amazing small fashion stores but also many nice cafés and restaurants, in which you can enjoy typical Spanish tapas or delicious cakes. It is definitely worth a visit!

Top 7 – Have lunch in my favorite café / restaurant ‘La Musa’ in the district La Latina

In Spain, food is very important. I learned that many Madrilenian are eating the most for lunch. This is also the cheapest option. In my favorite restaurant, which is located in my neighborhood La Latina, you can get a three dish menu including bread and one drink for around 12,00€. It is incredible! And it is not only cheap, it also tastes delicious! Each day they offer another menu of the day! Another recommendation at La Musa is the Tapas variation! You should not miss this culinary experience while being in Madrid!

Top 8 – Escape the city for a while and go running in the park Casa de Campo

For me, it was the first time to live in such a big city like Madrid. Sometimes I was feeling like escaping the whole city for a while. I discovered for myself, that running in Casa de Campo is perfect to get some fresh energy and to recover from stressful situations. Also if you don’t like running, Casa de Campo is a perfect place to relax for a while!

Top 9 – Visit a traditional Flamenco Show

To experience a bit more of the Spanish culture and traditions, I can totally recommend a visit of a Flamenco show! The typical Flamenco dance in combination with Spanish music is very impressive. Especially the way the dancers and musicians are expressing themselves is incredible! You have to experience it yourself! It is part of the Spanish culture.

Top 10 – Have brunch in another favorite restaurant of mine – Ojalá

You are only in Madrid for a few days but you enjoy good food! How about starting the day with an amazing brunch in the neighborhood Malasaña? Visit the trendy café Ojalá! They offer brunch and other delicious dished all day long!

Top 11 – Eat churros at the traditional chocolateria San Gines

Lastly, I can recommended the chocolateria San Gines. It is a traditional café that is famous for their Churros! Since 1894 this café is serving Churros with chocolate and coffee and nowadays you can also find other specialties there! If you like sweets, it is the place to go!

I hope you enjoyed reading my blog and if you come soon, I wish you a pleasant stay in the lovely city Madrid! 🇪🇸

In the following I am going to explain a bit about the history of Madrid, while highlighting the ‘Dos de Mayo’, a public holiday for the community of Madrid.

Before arriving in Madrid, I never heard about the second of May (Dos de Mayo). In Germany we only celebrate the first of May as the day of the workers. However, in the end of April, everyone was talking about the second of May. It seems to be a very special day for the community of Madrid. On the streets, there were many advertisements for street festivals visible and the whole community had a three days holiday! The inhabitants of the city celebrate it throughout three days with many parades, concerts and sports events. So I asked myself: what exactly happened on the second of May?

The Dos de Mayo is called the Second of May Uprising or the Battle of Madrid in English. It is the official day that reminds of the rebellion by the Madrilenian against the French occupation of the city in 1808. Every year, the people of Madrid celebrate their most important historical achievements on the second of May. This day let the people think back to the remembrance of the city’s victory over Napoleon’s invasion back in 1808.

First of all, it is important to know, that in the early part of the 1808s, Madrid was controlled by the French army of Napoleon. However, after only after a few days of occupation, the inhabitants of Madrid rebelled against the French troops at the Plaza de Oriente, which is located in the city center of the Spanish capital.

The troops from Napoleon were very brutal and many fights between the Madrilenian and the French troops were happening on the streets of Madrid. Over hundreds of the inhabitants were killed during these street fights. In the end, this sign of rebellion lit to the Spanish War of Independence, which lasted for six years till the 17th of April. On this specific date, Spain finally gained their independence.

Therefore, the second of May is nowadays also known as the Day of the Autonomous Community of Madrid. It became part of the Spanish history and is celebrated in whole Spain.

For me it was really nice to experience this historical event as part of the culture of Madrid. Furthermore, it was great to see that everyone expressed their joy on the streets and we as foreigners were directly integrated and warmly welcomed by the inhabitants of Madrid.

Hola a todos!

In the following I am going to present my favorite city of Spain to all of you: Seville!

One of the Erasmus trips I participated in was a trip to Seville and Cordoba. I can definitely recommend a visit! The Andalusian vibe and the atmosphere in general is beautiful! And the best? During the whole trip, we only talked in Spanish, which made the visit of Seville even more authentic and fun!

Seville has a lot to offer! It is from my point of view a very green city. You can find many different parks in the city and the river is the perfect spot to relax! Furthermore, the food culture in Andalusia is impressive. If you order one drink, you get free tapas for which you do not need to pay at all. I could not believe it until I experienced it myself.. One of my favorite Andalusian dishes is Salmorejo, which comes originally from Cordoba. It is a purée that consists of tomato and bread. You cannot imagine that it tastes good? Try it yourself!

In addition to this, I was already impressed by the Alhambra in Granada, however, the Alcázar, the kings palace, was very impressive as well. We visited the palace for the afternoon. All the impressive buildings are surrounded by beautiful gardens. I could have stayed here for one whole day. It was very quiet and this created a special calm and relaxing atmosphere.

People in general are dressed very well in Seville. The tour guide explained to us, that the richest people of Spain are with under living in Seville. Nevertheless, everyone was very friendly and I directly felt welcome in the city in the south of Spain.

The historical centre, in which there are the cathedral as well as the Alcázar, is definitely worth a visit! All the orange trees and the river create a wonderful Mediterranean atmosphere. For a small break or a lunch I can recommend the park called ‘Maria Luisa’. You will forget that you are even in a city because of the beautiful nature.

The next day we visited Cordoba. This city is part of UNESCO. The city impresses with the old buildings as well as the many churches and cathedrals.

Cordoba is a very small city that is convincing with its charme! Also worth a visit from my point of view!

In this blog I am going to describe my first company visit in Madrid, Spain.

As described in an earlier blog post, I decided to take the course ‘Company Service Learning’. In this course we had to participate in social projects on the one hand and on the other hand we learned a lot about the problems within the Spanish society. One aim of the course was to get in contact with non-profit organizations. Therefore, we visited the company ‘Cooperación Internacional’.

What is the company ‘Cooperación Internacional’ doing and why did we visit them? First of all, it is a non-profit organization. But what is their main objective? In general, the company is focused on supporting and helping the youth that is in need of help.

They have several different areas in which they have many projects: the social education, the social innovation, volunteer jobs as well as development projects in countries like South Africa for example.

At the moment they are already represented in the following countries: Burundi, Kamerun, Croatia, El Salvador, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Finland, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Irland, Italy, Kenya, Libanon, Nicaragua, Peru, Portugal, Kongo, Rumania, Senegal, Sweden and Uganda. In the Netherlands, they only have an office but they are not active at the current stage. This is the same in Germany. However, they still try to grow!

At this stage they have over 100 projects like voluntary traineeships and they help more that 50.000 students while offering education to them. In total, they count a number of 172 companies as their current partners and sponsors.

The first area in which the company ‘Cooperación Internacional’ is operating is the sector of social education. They prepare breakfasts for children that have a difficult family background. Furthermore, they sponsor study materials and many other social services in schools.

The second area is called ‘Social Innovation’. This is mainly focused on projects that highlight the human rights, fight against racism as well as discrimination. One famous event that the company representative showed us was the Football event with refugees. This was from my point of view such a great idea. It took place in Finland and many refugees from different countries were invited to socialize and enjoy a fun sports event. The after-video was very nice and it was great to see that the refugees had a great time! One category of Social Innovation is only focused on women and supports them in doing social and sport activities in order to get a feeling of belongingness.

The third area are the voluntary projects, in which I also took part. One social activity is ‘Painting for others’. Within this project we painted the houses of families that are in need of support and help. Friday Revolution is also one of the most famous projects from the company ‘Cooperación Internacional’ in Madrid. Within this project, students are delivering food to poor families in the neighborhoods of Madrid. One of the projects, which were represented to us, is called ‘Und sonrisa por Navidad’ (A surprise for Christmas). This was one of my favorite projects. With the help of all sponsors of the company, they gathered more than 10.161 presents that are given to all children from families, which normally cannot afford any presents for their children.

The last area in which ‘Cooperación Internacional’ is active are the development projects. One project in Kenya is focused on the education of women for example while another project in Peru is focused to improve the infrastructure of rural areas.

The company visit was very well organized. We got in contact with the main representatives of each department. In general, I was very impressed by the great network of sponsors as well as by the great variety of their social projects!

Hola a todos! 🌞

Time is flying and I only have two months left in the beautiful city Madrid. I cannot believe how fast time is passing by but I guess this is a good sign. In this blog article I would like to inform you about my past weeks and what I have learned so far in my semester abroad in Spain! I hope you will enjoy reading my experiences!

Two weeks ago I discovered the from my point of view most beautiful city of Spain: Sevilla. I directly fell in love with the city and the Andalusian vibe. I spent a weekend there with the Erasmus association and I can recommend everyone to take part in trips that are offered by the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) organization while being on Exchange. It is such a great possibility to get to know international people and to practice foreign languages, in my case Spanish.

The trips, which are organized by ESN are not expensive at all. Until now I travelled to Granada, Sevilla, Valencia, Salamanca and Córdoba thanks to the great organization of the Erasmus network. Each weekend I realized how much my Spanish language skills improved. Furthermore, I made many new friends from Italy, South America and Spain.

However, now I would like to explain you why I also value the academical experience in Spain. Since I was very young, my family and I always spend many vacations abroad, especially in Spanish speaking countries. I always associated Spain with good weather, excellent food and friendly people. Sometimes I even thought of moving to Spain because for me, the life quality seemed way better than in Germany for example. This semester abroad has changed my opinion concerning these topics completely. In my Spanish classes we learn a lot about the Spanish economy as well as the culture and problems of the country. I really enjoy the Spanish vibe as well as the good weather, however, I realize that I would not like to work for a Spanish company in Spain. This is due to several reasons, which I discovered during the last weeks. At the International women’s day for example, there were many protest everywhere and the subject was addressed during our Spanish language course. I was first surprised that the day is so important in Spain but after the discussions I understood the reason behind it. We learned that it is completely normal in Spain, that women in the same position like men, get more than 40 % less income. This is one example, which is unacceptable for me personally.

Moreover, we studied an article during my Spanish course, in which we learned that many Spanish people have to freeze during the winter because they can not pay their electricity bills. In addition to this, many Spanish people can not even afford themselves to spend one week at a beach because the have financial problems. How crazy is this? It was a great shock for me and it really opened my eyes.

Before I came here, I always associated Spain with only positive feelings. At the moment, I start valuing the conditions in Germany and the Netherlands. I could imagine to work in Spain for a period of time. Nevertheless I would definitely prefer to work for a German or Dutch company for example, especially due to the economical problems in Spain. I realized for myself, that Spain will always be in my heart, however more as a country I would like to visit during vacations and not for living there for a long period.

In conclusion I can tell that a semester abroad is such a great experience in which you really get to know the country from another perspective. I am so grateful that I got this opportunity and I hope that this is not my last study semester abroad!

Buenas tardes a todos!

In this blog I am going to describe how one course at university helped me to get in contact with many locals while helping people in need.

It is my second month in Madrid and I feel at home. As already described in my second blog entry, I selected one course with the name ‘Company Service Learning’. The main topic of this course is how we can add value to the current situation of the world. I selected this course, because I share the opinion that it is crucial that each of us tries to improve the world. However, I never expected this course to be as helpful, mind-changing and interesting as it is in reality!

Villanueva Solidaria is a social organization that has been created by one of the teachers of my university. For my course it was obligatory to join this organization. Within Villanueva Solidaria we have the choice to work for several projects: taking care of elderly people, supporting homeless people, helping people in need or to participate in a one month project in Kenya. The Kenya project is my favorite project and therefore I will combine it with another course: ‘E-Commerce’. Now you might ask yourself how I am going to combine it… For the E-Commerce course we have to work in groups and design a product that we will sell via several online channels. The aim is to analyse the whole process in the end. The goal of my group is to relate our product to the social project in Kenya, to which we will donate the profit we make in the end. At the moment we are still in the planning stage, however, next week, we will present the market analysis to our teacher and we will receive the first feedback. I am really curious and hope to be able to add a bit of value to the project in Kenya. This project is called Matumaini and I added a link in order to provide you with more information what the organization already reached in the last years. In general, students that are going there are teaching English in the school, building school facilities and are concerned with the health of the locals. From my point of view, this is a great possibility to add value to the world.

But what did I do until now for the organization Villanueva Solidaria? I decided to help people in need. Therefore, I joined the project ‘Painting for others’ as well as ‘Social Lunch Room’. The project ‘Painting for other’ is organized by locals from Madrid. Each weekend, several houses from families in neighborhoods, which are characterized by prostitution and drug problems, are selected. These houses are painted by volunteers. I participated already three times until now because this is a great opportunity to get in contact with local volunteers, practice my Spanish and helping people in need. At the beginning it was very hard for me to see how and under which conditions some families are living. Nevertheless, it feels great to be able to support these families and to add a bit of value to their life. Another project in which I also participated is called ‘Social Lunch Room’. In this project the work with homeless people is the focus. People are coming to the lunch room in order to get food. I assisted in the kitchen and learned from the locals how and why they came up with this idea. It was an amazing feeling to be part of this and to speak with the local volunteers!

I can only say that I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn even more from the Spanish people about their culture while working together with them in social projects. It is awesome how I, while only working a few hours, can add value to the life op people that are in need!

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog entry and I will update you soon again!

Muchas saludas, Birga 🙂

Time is flying! Today, I am exactly 20 days in the beautiful city Madrid. In the past weeks, I experienced a lot, met many new international people and got to know a new university system. At this moment I am happy to say that I feel settled and at home!

The first days in Spain were completely overwhelming. It is my first time living in such a big city. Especially during my first week I was always tired and felt a bit lost with the huge metro system. However, after a few days I started to find my orientation and got used to all the people in the streets.

During my first school week at Villa Nueva university, I had the chance to visit as many courses as I want to in order to make a final selection of my courses at the end of the week. In the Netherlands I had chosen courses related to the topic ‘International Relations’. Unfortunately, these courses are not available in the spring semester so I decided to visit many different courses in order to discover my preferred subjects. I visited Spanish as well as English courses. In the end, I decided to choose most of my courses in English (except my Spanish B1 course) in order to get all my credits. Nevertheless, I am aiming for the improvement of my Spanish and therefore I wil try to visit Spanish classes as well, just to listen to the language. I also started to read a Spanish book and I watch a Spanish serie. It is good to see that I already feel an improvement of my language skills. When I arrived it was very hard to communicate with my Spanish roommate and right now we even have discussions about topics like politics. On Friday I handed in my final course choice. In total I am going to aim for 30 credits in the end. The courses that I selected are the following: Spanish B1, Sales Techniques, Company Service Learning, Business Seminars and Discovering Madrid. You might ask yourself what the course Company Service Learning is about. I have to say, that this is my favorite course. The course aims for the improvement of the current situation in the world. It is partly theoretical and partly practical. We get to know Non-profit organizations and have to work a minimum amount for social projects. This can be a project like helping homeless people, taking care of children in need or assisting in an elderly home. The course Discovering Madrid deals with the history and culture of Madrid in which we will also visit many museums of the city.

However, next to the academic life I would also like to use the coming months in order to meet as many new international and Spanish people as possible as well as to travel as much as possible. Therefore I decided to register myself at ESN, the Erasmus network. The ESN network in Madrid is offering many trips during weekends and activities during the week, which are great opportunities to meet new people. Last weekend I traveled with ESN to Granada, which is until now my favorite Spanish city! I cannot describe the atmosphere but it was an experience that left me speechless! Below you can find a few impressions of my trip to Granada!

This was a short summary of what I experienced during my first 20 days in Madrid. Next weekend I am going to travel to Salamanca, Zamora, Aranda del Duero and Peñafiel.

I am curious about the coming weeks and I will keep you updated!

Saludos, Birga 🙂