Weekend Hike!

Calçots season has arrived! During the weekends of January and early February, our students have had the chance to discover one of Catalans’ favorite traditions: eating calçots!

But eating is not all our students do, and to build up the appetite, there’s nothing better than a hike! Our students hiked a part of Barcelona’s most famous mountain, the mountain of Collserola. There is nothing more rewarding than a beautiful scenic view at the end of a hike, and Barcelona has a beautiful top view, especially on a sunny day!

After enjoying the view, our student head to a local restaurant with the CIEE Staff to eat a “Calçotada”.

Calçots are a type of scallion or green onions. When a group of people gathers to eat calçots together, the event is called “Calçotada”. The harvest of calçots takes place in winter, and that’s when calçotadas must be enjoyed. Calçots are grilled over a hot fire, wrapped in newspaper, and normally served on terracotta tiles. After pealing them with your own hands, calçots are dipped in “romesco” sauce. The sauce is typically made of tomato, garlic, almonds, pinenuts, olives, and oil. Delicious!!

After eating calçots, our students had roasted chicken, sausages, and other traditional Catalan food. And with a full belly, the second part of the hike started, finishing at the Tibidabo theme park, at the very top of the mountain.

Another beautiful day in Barcelona!