Barcelona
After visiting Barcelona twice this year - once in winter and once in summer - I have to say I’m just in love with it. I feel so relaxed there, and it is a city full of beautiful things and beautiful people. The days are long there. You can go out for tapas, or small plates, around 10 pm and it would be totally appropriate. This is a place where the focus is on making the most of your time during this day, and during your time on this earth. And be sure, that doesn’t mean running around and standing in line on your holiday.
I have personally enjoyed staying in the vicinity of Plaça de Catalunya. A large square in the middle of Las Ramblas, it is in the center of the city, and you will have no trouble reaching any attraction from here, day or night. There are restaurants and shops all around. And for convenience sake, Plaça de Catalunya is also one of the drop-off/pick-up points for the Aerobús, which takes you to the airport in a little over a half-hour. The buses run frequently, and I have found it very easy and efficient.
I love the architecture and design in Barcelona
If you happen to arrive with luggage and can’t check into your hotel, or conversely have to check out but your flight is in the evening, don’t waste any time lugging your bags to some café and just sitting there all day! You can take your luggage to Locker Barcelona, only a block away from Plaça de Catalunya. I always get nervous about leaving my bags, but this place was very secure. There are staff at the door, at the desk, and you can’t even get to the lockers without showing that you have one. They also have a private area to change, so my friend and I were able to ditch our bags and head straight to the beach!
To reach the shore, you only have to walk down Las Ramblas, then turn to head towards Barceloneta. The beach in the middle of August was obviously packed, but it didn’t matter because all you need is a place to lay your towel. The water was perfecto! I also went to the beach in February, kicked off my shoes, and felt the sand underneath my feet while wearing a peacoat and huge scarf. The contradictions were incredible. The beach was noticeably less crowded, and we found a play structure that is obviously for children. We had the best time climbing, taking in the views from up high, and hanging out with our inner kids.
Barefoot on the beach in February
For the most part, you can get by just walking in Barcelona, and you should. The architecture is so incredible, the wide avenues so vast; you look at a particularly gothic balcony and wonder what their view is from up there. This is how you will find a good local place to have breakfast. My preferred order is café con leche (coffee with milk) and a cheese and bread sandwich. Sounds simple, but this bread, let me tell you. The dough is so soft on the inside, but the oven has crisped the folds on the exterior, and the cheese just melts into it, even if it is served cold. Traditionally served with meat (ham? since I don’t eat meat I never really know) but I never had any problem finding a vegetarian option.
A reminder from a little local dive
Walking is also beneficial because you will probably stumble upon one of the many masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí that are found all over the city, as my friends and I did one night. We were walking home late, and saw some people standing outside a building. We looked up to recognize the Casa Batlló, a gorgeous building that I particularly liked as the balconies look like skeleton faces! To see it lit up at night was absolutely mesmerizing. We walked by again during the day to find an incredible amount of people clamoring for a photo outside of what really is a narrow building on a busy city street. You can book tickets online to go inside, but maybe I will do that next time. I would highly recommend incorporating it into your evening stroll, so that you can take it all in without the crowds.
Spontaneous discoveries like hole-in-the-wall candle-lit wine caves/tapas bars make up for the planning that one must do when visiting Barcelona. Schedule a day to wake up early, and take the bus, number 24, to Parc Güell. It is a known secret that you can enter for free before they officially “open” the park at 8 am. Get off at the stop Parc Güell - Ctra del Carmel and follow other savvy tourists racing to get a picture from the Insta-famous mosaic seats that overlook the sunrise. You can then wander around the park, another of Gaudí’s grand designs, which is smaller than you imagine but full of photo opportunities, at your leisure. If going later, be sure to pre-book tickets, but you will have to queue. The early morning is more than worth it to avoid lines, fees, and you are rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and having the place to yourself.
Beautiful sunrise over Parc Güell
Most importantly, you must visit La Sagrada Família, Gaudí’s most ambitious and still unfinished work. Regardless of your religious beliefs, visiting such an immense space, full of multicolored light from the stained glass and with white marble arches that seem to reach into heaven, is a humbling, moving experience, and one I will never forget. You must prebook tickets online - make sure to get both the audioguide (usually I’m not a fan of these but in this case is really the best way) and the visit to the tower. You get to choose which façade to visit, and don’t ask me why, but I recommend the Nativity façade. I must have learned it had something better about it, and it was amazing, so just trust me.
My friends and I had split up after our visit up the tower to walk around with the audioguide in solitude. When we rendezvous-ed outside we were in need of something warm to eat and a cool place to chill and talk about the amazing experience we all encountered. Luckily, across the park from La Sagrada Família, we found Piacere Caffè. We listened to Sam Cooke, had some nachos, and relaxed.
You feel so small, La Sagrada Família
By day, in any season, be sure to stroll down Las Ramblas. Take a fresh fruit juice from a street vendor and stop into some shops. You will see a crowd turn into the Mercado de La Boqueria, where you can pick up literally anything you could need from fish to fruit to candy. Make sure to visit the nearby Plaça Reial, one of the most lively squares I’ve seen! We sat outside for hours here (yes, in February!) enjoying a long lunch and lots of sangria at Les Quinze Nits (made possible by their heat lamps, of course). This square is quaint, gorgeous, and full of people. Bonus, right around the corner is the Flamingo vintage shop, one of my favorites! I picked up a vintage velvet shirt/dress, and a secondhand vintage coat that kept me warm for the rest of my trip to Barcelona. Now some of my favorite pieces to wear, they always bring back good memories of my trip and my friends who helped me pick them out.
My favorite square, Plaça Reial
I do admire the works of Picasso, without remarking on his personal life. And I do love of evening strolls through old stone streets warmly lit by lamps. So a night at the museum in the Gothic Quarter was top for me. Our first stop was the stunning Arc de Triomf; made of bricks and surrounded by palm trees, it’s a lovely place for an evening stroll. Don’t even get me started on the how the light warms the bricks so that they seem to glow, the palm trees illuminated as if they are on fire. It’s spectacular. The Museu Picasso is an incredible collection of his work. It was all the more special because we went on a Thursday evening when the museum is open late. Real-life A Night at the Museum! With the medieval location, and the special energy that the dusk and dark bring, it really was like the museum came to life. The entry is free on Thursday nights, but you do have to book online ahead of time. Highly recommended!
The Arc de Triomf, warmly lit on a summer’s night
After, we strategically strolled through the El Born neighborhood in search of paradise, or Paradisio, the super-cool speakeasy recommend to us by our friend. Paradisio was named one of the world’s 50 best bars, but it is far from pretentious. The staff are super nice, explaining about the drinks, and genuinely want you to have a good time. It is a speakeasy, so don’t be surprised when you look in the window and see a bakery. There is no secret knock, or dress code, so come as you are and be willing to try something new. The cocktail menu is original and innovative, so take it as an invitation to be adventurous in your tastes. My friend ordered a drink from the umami taste family, and it was served in a seashell! Come early to try to snag a seat at the bar, so you can see all the creations being mixed up!
On the way home we wandered through the Barri Gòtic and stopped in to have a glass of wine and a small bite to eat at a tapas place. Everywhere I went in Barcelona the people were so welcoming, so inviting. Sometimes I like to plan ahead and find specific places to eat, but here it’s nice to be attracted to the atmosphere of a place, the candles on the tables, their flames reflected in the glasses of red wine being sipped by friends and lovers all seeking warmth from the chill outside. This city is full of magic.
Sunset
What could be more magical than sitting with dear friends, dippin sugary, cinnamon-y churros into hot melted chocolate. Sit in front of the Barcelona Cathedral that is lit up against the night sky, with people dancing to the sounds of live music and children playing around you. Take your churros from Xurreria Manuel San Román and try to resist dipping into them before you reach the Plaça Nova, where buskers will be performing and people will be out enjoying the evening.
Barcelona Cathedral, by day
Take the metro to Plaça Espanya, as you will need to save your energy for what looks like an innocent walk up a few stairs to the hill of Montjuïc. It is actually a pretty long walk up, but well worth it. Some of the staircases also have escalators, which should tell you something. You walk past the Font Màgica de Montjuïc and Plaça de les Cascades, which even if the fountains are not on, are beautiful. At the summit, you are rewarded with a panoramic view of Barcelona. It was beautiful even on a cloudy day. There is an art museum, which I would love to visit next time, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. I was happy enough to buy plenty of souvenirs from the gift shop located outside.
The view from Montjuïc
On my second trip, my friend and I had both been to Barcelona before, so it was even more relaxed than the first time. We mostly ate, having empanadas at La Fábrica - so many kinds to choose from! We also had ramen, proper ramen not 25-cent ramen, at Ramen Shop. It was delicious, and just the comfort food I needed. Actually it was the first time I ever had proper ramen! It was delicious, and once again, what a great reminder of how much better the world is when we are open to learning about other cultures. My friend who lives in Barcelona also invited us to a picnic in the Parc de la Cituadella. There is no greater joy than sitting on blanket in the grass, surrounded by friends and palm trees, soaking up the sun and enjoying life.
Barcelona, I have found, is a super relaxed place. I did all this and more in only a few days, taking many coffee breaks and long lunches. You have to plan ahead a little bit as its necessary to get timed entrance tickets for museums. Book these as soon as you know you are going to Barcelona. We only booked ours the day we arrived, and I think we were very lucky to be able to get all the tickets we wanted. Plan ahead to avoid stress and disappointment. In your free time, wander through the different neighborhoods, which are full of surprises waiting to be discovered.
Muchas gracias to my friend Ana, who has shared her knowledge of Barcelona with me, and welcomed me warmly to this beautiful city. ¡Hasta la próxima!
