In love with Barcelona

We landed in Barcelona Sunday night. After a long set of flights, including a fun layover in Dublin, we arrived in our charming Airbnb ready to combat our jet lag. We woke up the next morning needing an additional energy boost. We embarked to get the lay of the land passing by the city’s own Arc de Triomf. We headed to Picnic for strong coffee, stronger sangria, and mouth-watering meals to start us off on the right note. It was the first of many fantastic meals while visiting.

We then walked to Barceloneta Beach for a calm first activity. Barceloneta is a beautiful beach but also known as a rampant pickpocket area. To ensure we had no issues, we went into the ocean in pairs so the others could stay back and watch our belongings. The Mediterranean Sea sparkled, though it was still chilly in late May! We freshened up back at our homebase and headed back out for tapas at Bar Centric Raval, a fantastic hole-in-the-wall that opened in 1941. The menu had something for everyone, and we tried about a dozen dishes. My favorite were the spinach fritters with honey aioli and the patatas bravas (a regional favorite you cannot miss).

We stayed a few blocks away from La Sagrada Familia, possibly Barcelona’s most notable landmark. Before entering this modern wonder, we stopped for a quick coffee and croissant at a nearby café. La Sagrada Familia is an unfinished church designed by Antoni Gaudí, an architect with a singular style. Construction began in 1882 and is still incomplete. While we visited, scaffolding covered a good portion of the exterior while restoration and new additions are completed on the building. I could have easily spent all day contemplating this architectural marvel.

We next visited the Picasso Museum, which houses more than 4000 of Picasso’s works. We wandered a bit around this neighborhood, El Born, for its hip and artsy energy. We walked over to La Rambla, Barcelona’s most well-known street lined with shops, restaurants, and entertainment. It began to rain so we ran over to Plaça Reial, where we had our pick of several restaurants. We chose an Italian restaurant and watched the rain fall while eating pasta.

While planning the trip, we agreed to spend one day on a guided tour. We chose a Viator daytrip visiting three countries. We left from Barcelona and headed to Bagà, a charming medieval Spanish village. Next we visited Ax-les-Thermes, France known for its natural thermal waters. As the area is mountainous, we appreciated warming our feet in the pools. We drove through the Pyrenees Alps, where it snowed despite the warm weather back in Barcelona. Though I certainly was not appropriately dressed for the weather, the snow-capped mountains were a breathtaking sight. We then descended to Andorra la Vella, capital of Andorra. Andorra provides duty-free shopping and no shortage of places to indulge.

When we arrived back in Barcelona, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Ziryab Fusion Tapas Bar. A few of my favorite tapas were vegan croquetas (another regional dish not to be missed!), baked halloumi sticks, and assorted dips with pita.

My admiration of Antoni Gaudí’s architecture fueled my desire to visit Barcelona. Since we already visited La Sagrada Familia, we set out to see his other notable works. First we toured Park Güell, where we learned the history behind this garden filled with mosaic-speckled buildings. Standing atop one of these structures provides a vista of the whole city out to the ocean. We next moved to Casa Vicens, generally considered to be Gaudí’s first major work. This ended up being my favorite stop of the day since I enjoyed the combination of vibrant colors with painstakingly delicate details throughout the house. Depending on the type of ticket you purchase, you can also receive a free dessert at their café.

We stopped at Lato Café for lunch, which had a variety of freshly made juices, ceviches, and brunch fare. The final stop was Casa Batlló, located on Passeig de Gràcia, another notable shopping street. It is hard to miss this building from afar with its surreal exterior. You can purchase tickets for a self-guided audio tour or even a virtual interactive version. We grabbed pizza and gelato for a well-balanced meal while we wandered and visited a few more shops.

For our last day in Barcelona, we visited the Mercado de La Boqueria, a food market and foodie heaven. I personally tried more than one type of fruit juice (some that I still dream of while at the grocery store), chocolate-covered strawberries, a spinach and cheese empanada, a potato spiral stick, and seasoned fries. You should only visit here on an empty stomach.

Next stop was the Palau de Música Catalana, a stunning concert hall that you can independently tour. Each hallway and room displayed an artistic flair to appreciate. We stopped over at La Granja Dulcinea for churros to dip in a bowl of hot chocolate. To conclude our visit, we watched a Flamenco performance that evening. A dancer soulfully interpreted the music a three-piece band played.