The saying that “a loaf of bread is better than the song of many birds” makes more sense while abroad. Without money and time, travel schedule of university students is filled with walking from morning till night. It is enough to eat well to have a fruitful trip! What is more, if you go to abroad after saving your cups of coffee? You should not be satisfied with McDonald or Burger King. Then let me fascinate you through famous foods with famous attractions in Portugal and Spain.

Portugal
1) Francesinha
“Francesinha” means “Little Frenchie” or simply “Frenchie” in Portuguese. Daniel da Silva, a returned emigrant from France and Belgium, went to Portugal and tried to adapt the croque-monsieur (French sandwich) to Portuguese taste. So, he gave the name of Francesinha to this Portuguese sandwich. It is originally from Porto and is consumed the most there. Francesinha is made with bread, wet-cured ham, various sausages and meats, covered with melted cheese, tomato and beer sauce. The Portuguese enjoy it with a side of french fries.
recommended by Portuguese native is known for its delicious Francesinha. The only thing to be careful is that it can be too heavy to eat for dinner because of the amount of protein and carbohydrates. I recommend eating this for lunch instead.
+ Sao Bento Railway Station
This station is famous for its azulejo (Portuguese traditional tiles) that depict historical events of Portugal. Besides being the last stop for short distance trains, it is always filled with people that come to take train and see the azulejo.
2) Pastel de Nata
Pastel de nata is a Portuguese egg tart pastry, common in Portugal. Many people think that egg tart came from Makao, Hongkong, but it is not true. This is the original one. Even people who do not like sweetie and pasties cannot help falling in love with it once they taste it. Now you cannot tell if people come to Belem to visit attractions of the Age of Exploration or to try this charming pastry.
From, the world’s first egg tart was created before 177 years ago. It was created before the 18th century by Catholic monks at the Jeronimos Monastery. Monks used egg whites to clean their clothes and the rest of egg for making pasty. It became the most delicious egg tart in the world, attracting so many visitors.
+ Jeronimos Monastery It is built to celebrate Portuguese explorers. The monastery is one of the most prominent architectures of the Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style (Portuguese construction style during the reign of Manuel I) in Lisbon. It was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3) Travesseiro
Travesseiro looking like longish rectangle means pillow. It is a pastry filled with sweet filling and sprinkled lots of sugar.
is the most famous dessert cafe in Sintra and is always filled with people. Although its interior is humble, its pastry is cheap and there are various types of pastries and coffees. One surprising thing is that a server gives a receipt on a little plate and customer leaves money on the plate and just gets out of the store. It is a sort of Portuguese practice.
+ Sintra
Sintra located near Lisbon is a little city for about 45 minutes from Sao Bento Railway Station by train. There are many attractions like the Quinta da Regaleira, Castle of the Moors, and Pena Palace.
Quinta da Regaleira is also classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO within the “Cultural Landscape of Sintra.” The place consists of a romantic palace and chapel, and a luxurious park that has lakes, grottoes, wells, benches, fountains, and a vast array of delicate constructions.
The Castle of the Moors is a hilltop medieval castle located in the municipality of Sintra. When you walk along long path of castle wall, you can enjoy beautiful nature of Sintra.
Pena Palace on the top of the mountain is a mixture of Islamic, Renaissance, Gothic, and Manuelino styles. With a mix of pastel toned colors, unique and antique shapes, it makes visitors feel like they are entering into a fairy tale book.

Spain
1) Paella
Paella is a Valencian rice dish that originated in its modern form in the mid-nineteenth century. It consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat (chicken or rabbit) and seafood.
is the most famous restaurant that sells Paella. As El Grop is a franchise brand, you can taste their delicious Paella in several places, especially ink and seafood Paella which they are well known for.
+ Casa Batllo
Casa Batllo is a renowned building located in the center of Barcelona and is one of Antoni Gaudi’s masterpieces. A remodel of a previously built house, it was redesigned in 1904 by Gaudi. A common theory about the building is that the rounded feature to the left of centre, terminating at the top in a turret and cross, represents the lance of Saint George, which was plunged into a back of the dragon.
2) Churros and Chocolate
Churros, which we can see easily at an amusement park, are originally from Spain. The difference is that the original Churros are a shape of hook, not a straight line. The Spaniards dip Churros in thick chocolate. It is said that the Spaniards enjoying drinking like Koreans like to cure their hangover with Churros and chocolate.
is located at the center of city, in La Rambla. So, many local people and travelers visit here.
+ La Rambla
La Rambla meaning liver is the most important street in Barcelona as it is a starting point for setting off for a trip, going to airport, and meeting people. So, it is always filled with people. On the street, there are many flower, ice cream, chocolate and souvenir shops. On both sides of the street, there are many unique souvenir shops and famous restaurants and cafe along alleys everywhere. The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca once said that La Rambla was “the only street in the world which I wish would never end.”