Semana Santa, or “Holy Week,” occurs each year in Spain the week prior to Easter. It’s a huge celebration full of street parades, parties, and time spent with family. Here in Andalusia, school and work are essentially suspended for the duration of the week. With all my time off, I decided to travel to a few different cities in Northern Europe I’ve always wanted to see: London, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris. Despite being only a brief flight or bus ride away from one another, each city was distinctly beautiful, and I had an incredible time exploring each one! Here are some of the highlights of my Semana Santa trip:
- Seeing a West End show in London
Because I traveled to London solo, I had a lot of extra time on my hands. I decided to use my evenings to see two different shows: the Deutsche Bank’s production of Romeo & Juliet in the Globe Theater, and a showing of Kinky Boots in the London Coliseum. Both shows were spectacular, with Romeo & Juliet providing a smaller, more intimate experience (I stood in the yard in true Elizabethan fashion!). Kinky Boots, which was played in London’s West End theater district, definitely had a much bigger crowd and a more high-production feel. Both were amazing experiences I would highly recommend to anyone!
- Strolling through tulips in Keukenhof Gardens
On my second day in Amsterdam, I went on a day trip with my grand-uncle to Keukenhof, one of the world’s largest flower gardens. Although it wasn’t yet peak tulip season, the gardens were still spectacular, with countless flower fields, windmills, and, of course, some delicious stroopwafels! It was well-worth the 40-minute bus ride from Amsterdam, which can be purchased in advance with your ticket.
- Museum-hopping across borders
Personally, I love visiting museums. History, art, medieval torture methods––all of it deeply fascinates me. My favorite was the British Museum (which is completely free!), offering endless exhibits of ancient artifacts from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Renaissance Europe, and nearly every single region of the world. In Amsterdam, I visited the Torture Museum (very touristy, but fun!) and the Rembrandt Museum, which offers both a collection of Rembrandt’s works and an intimate glimpse into the artist’s personal life with the complimentary audio guide. In Brussels, I spent a morning in the Magritte Museum––which, being a huge fan of surrealism, I absolutely adored!
- Waffles and jazz in Brussels
I spent two nights in Brussels with a couple friends from my home university, who are currently studying in Luxembourg. Although I’ve been loving my time in Granada, it was such a relief to see some familiar faces and dish out all our study abroad gossip. After a delicious dinner at Nüetnigenough in the city center, we attended an intimate jazz show at the Music Village and got fresh Belgian waffles. It was a relaxed yet eventful night full of great music and even better company.
- Midnight in Paris
When the concert I was set to attend in Paris got postponed, I was heartbroken; however, I was still determined to see the City of Light, if only for a night. After meeting up with some old family friends, we took a cruise tour through the Seine and had some delicious macaron-gelato. The highlight of my stay, however, was definitely going for a late-night drive back to the 7th Arrondissement and seeing the Eiffel Tower light up at night. While the city is beautiful during the day, nothing compares to midnight in Paris.
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Karma Abboud
I am a second-year student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, studying International Studies and Professional Writing. In my free time, I love to read, bake, and write sappy romance novels.
