Welcome back to our whirlwind journey through ASA’s study abroad destinations to discover some of the elements of local life that will stimulate your senses.

Seatbelts fastened, here we go…

DUBLIN, IRELAND

Something you can…

Hear: Moore street market stall holders shouting their deals in their Dublin accents. “Freeshh Strooberieeees, five euro a basket!”

Taste: Warm soda bread slathered with fresh Irish butter. If you find a friend who made some with a family recipe, even better.

Smell: The vinegar-y scent of fish and chips at Burdock’s chipper, the Liffey at low tide, the salty sea air at Sandycove, and the hops and roasting smells emanating from the Guinness brewery.

Touch: Brave a brisk splash at Forty Foot, a popular outdoor swimming spot. Head into a café and wrap your hands around a warm mug of Irish Breakfast tea when you finish.

See: The native deer in Phoenix Park, one of Europe’s biggest urban parks.

FLORENCE, ITALY

Something you can…

Hear: Live music played in the most spectacular places; from Ponte Vecchio to Piazza della Repubblica, Florence has a lot of street artists and musicians!

Taste: Buontalenti, it is a gelato flavor that you only find in Florence, the place where gelato was invented! 

Smell: Coffee in all of its variants as you walk down the street… will you be able to resist? 

Touch: History! Every time you walk around, you can just stretch your hand out and touch Renaissance palaces or Medieval towers… isn’t it incredible?

See: The whole city from the Rose Garden, a quaint public garden that overlooks Florence and leads to the Piazzale Michelangelo. It’s the most famous place in the city to watch the sun set!

ROME, ITALY

Something you can…

Hear: The gushing or trickling from the many water fountains, the bells of the hundreds of churches and the cannon shot on the Gianicolo hill, every day of the year at noon.

Taste: The list is endless, you can start with breakfast and never stop indulging your palate until bedtime: cappuccino, maritozzo, rigatoni alla carbonara, artichokes, panino con la porchetta, supplì, pizza, gelato... you name it, Rome has it!!

Smell: Bread or pizza baking in a wood oven, herbs like basil or rosemary and the intense scent of rhinosperm from the city gardens.

Touch: The Mouth of Truth - put your hand inside, then pretend it got bitten away (because you are a liar!) by hiding it inside your sleeve.

See: Flocks of starling drawing moving images in the sky, pink sunsets and buildings that are over 2,000 years old.

SORRENTO, ITALY

Something you can…

Hear: Birdsong and silence in the beautiful vine-covered cloister of San Francesco.

Taste: A caprese salad made with fresh local ingredients: ripe tomatoes, basil and buffalo mozzarella and don’t miss the lemon cakes, Delizia al Limone!

Smell: Lemons! Nothing says sorrento like this tart yellow fruit that grows everywhere and is featured on countless products from soaps to tea towels to fridge magnets.

Touch: Join a hands-on craft workshop to learn the local art of marquetry or lace-making.

See: Head to the centro storico (Old Town) and lose yourself in the maze of narrow, medieval lanes and discover secret gardens, historic architecture and a 13th century overgrown flour mill. 

MAASTRICHT, NETHERLANDS

Something you can…

Hear: The chime followed by the echoing Dutch making announcements in Maastricht train station.

Taste: Vlaai. As alumna Britton Grossman says: “it sounds like pie, it looks like pie, but it’s vlaai!” It’s a local pastry filled with different fruit or cheese.

Smell: The sweet perfume of the tulips in the gardens at Keukenhof.

Touch: The rubbery handles of a bike you’ve rented to explore the city.

See: The beautiful panoramic view from the tower of Sint Janskerk. 

CUZCO, PERU

Something you can…

Hear: The rhythmic click of dancing feet during a local street festival.

Taste: Sweet bread flavored with aniseed and the salty white cheese that goes with it.

Smell: Raw meat in the butcher aisle of San Pedro market.

Touch: A hat made from local alpaca wool.

See: Once you’re acclimatized, the walk up to View House Restobar offers a stunning view over the city.

ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND

Something you can…

Hear: The howling, grunting, moaning and splashing of the seal colony on nearby Newburgh Beach.

Taste: If you eat meat, it has to be the world famous Aberdeen Angus beef. You must also try a “buttery” (similar to a croissant).

Smell: The strong scent of the local sharp and rustic Cambus O’May cheese.

Touch: A piece of history in the granite and sandstone of the Brig o’ Blagownie, the 13th-century bridge that crosses the River Don.

See: The 17th Century Craigievar Castle. It’s pink!

BARCELONA, SPAIN

Something you can…

Hear: The rumbling clatter and squeal of a train approaching the platform on the metro and the parrots in the palm trees on a sunny Sunday in the park.

Taste: Pa amb Tomàquet, eaten for breakfast at an outdoor cafe in one of the sunny pedestrianized plazas like Plaça de la Vila de Gracia, patatas bravas, paella, calçots and romesco, escalivada, and a cheese called mató… but also tastes you wouldn’t expect to find here: curry, tacos, sushi.

Smell: As a coastal city, the breeze blows in the moisture and scent of salty sea air from the coast and the scent of fresh fish can be found in the markets.

Touch: Old Roman stone and examples of architect Antoni Gaudí’s Trencadís (the mosaic style tile art) which you can find at Parc Guell, Casa Batlló and La Pedrera among other places.

See: Try to spot Castellers in action! This is a human tower building Catalan tradition dating back to the 18th century and is truly impressive to watch! Also, we love to spot the colored stained glass windows in Gothic chirches, Modernist buildings and mosaic façades.

MADRID, SPAIN

Something you can…

Hear: Flamenco music - in a class you join, a show you watch attend or street performers you catch in action while exploring the city.

Taste: A tapas feast! Try meson del champiñón, patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo, tortilla de patatas, croquetas and, if you’re brave, callos a la Madrileña.

Smell: Bubbling chocolate, hot oil and frying churro dough.

Touch: The concrete slab that marks kilometre zero in Puerta del Sol – the exact center of Spain.

See: A Real Madrid soccer match at their home stadium, Santiago Bernabéu, if you’re there during the season. If not for the sport itself, go for the atmosphere of singing, dancing, face-painted fans – an experience you won’t soon forget.

SEVILLA, SPAIN

Something you can… 

Hear: The flutter of Flamenco guitar in street performances or the sound dancing on the air from the nighttime tablaos.

Taste: Local favorites: Salmorejo, espinacas con garbanzos, croquetas, and chicharrones to name a few.

Smell: Oranges, especially in the spring when thousands of trees bloom across the city.

Touch: Feel the southern sun on your skin (don’t forget the sun screen!) while you relax along the banks of the Guadalquivir river at the heart of the city.

See: Plaza de España, for the amazing mix of Art Deco and Moorish architecture and the beautiful tiled alcoves where you can sit and people watch.

If you missed Part 1 of our Adventures for the Senses, head back and check it out. Find our more about our programs in the link below or DM us on Instagram and tell us where you’d most love to study abroad. We’d love to tell you more!