hola! i'm back with another travel post, as i promised. after exploring prague i took a short plane ride to beautiful barcelona, spain. barcelona is hands down amazing and definitely at the top of my list of favorite cities in the world. it is like no other city i've visited in europe. it's blistering heat, palm trees, and beaches did slightly remind me of SoCal however... i spent four days in barcelona, and was able to see practically everything, and even did a day trip to a small town tucked away in the spanish countryside. even through the heat and aching feet, it was definitely a trip to remember.
i stayed at the ac hotel victoria suites, and i would recommend it to anyone. it's a beautiful hotel, located in a nice part of the city, walking distance from camp nou, and located near a subway station; which made it super easy to travel to anyplace in the city.
since my hotel was so close to camp nou, i had to visit. to be honest, i would have visited it even if i was staying on the opposite side of the city. soccer is my favorite sport, but even if you don't really care about soccer (or even sports at all) i still think it's a cool place to visit if you have the chance. soccer is a huge part of spanish culture, so why not embrace that while you're there?
i was so sad when i visited park guell. by the time i made it there, they were not letting anyone else in for the day. so i didn't get to see the actual park, but i did get to see the surrounding gardens. the gardens were beautiful, but i would highly recommend booking tickets ahead of time so you can actually get in.
as you head from sight to sight, you'll see that barcelona is filled with hidden gems. they may not be famous parks and buildings, but they're beautiful nonetheless. don't forget to try some tapas, promptly followed by ice-cream. :)
casa mila is just one of gaudi's many architectural masterpieces. you won't be able to miss this unique building when you're walking by. you can see the inside too, but as i've heard from other people who have lived in barcelona, it isn't really worth the price. here's a tip though: go into the gift shop and in the back corner there's a window that gives you a pretty good view of the interior.
you can't leave barcelona without seeing the famous sagrada familia. it is a truly amazing work of architecture. but once again by the time i got there they weren't letting anyone else in for the day. so, again, i would highly recommend buying tickets ahead of time so you can also see the inside.
there were a few restaurants that i went to that i would recommend. i'm no barcelona expert, all i know is that this place had good food. it's called taverna mediterrania (as you can see). so if you're in the area, check it out! p.s. my little brother was very hungry and not amused that i was taking a pic of him in this photo...
la boqueria is an amazing place to wander through, snack on new foods, and take in spanish culture. the aisles are lined with colorful fruit and candy sellers. try a fresh smoothie, you won't regret it (at least i didn't because it was about 200 degrees F outside). it will no doubt be swamped with tourists, but you can still spot out the locals doing their grocery shopping amid all the bustle.
la rambla is a very touristy spot in barcelona, but fun to walk through nevertheless. it's a long street lined with shops, and at the end you'll find the columbus monument. it was created to commemorate columbus's first voyage to the americas, and it's a nice spot to visit if you're already in the area anyways.
one of the reasons i loved barcelona was because it's a beach city, so walking along the pier is a must. it's a really nice place to just walk, enjoy the ocean breeze, and relax after running around the city.
aside from the water, the area surrounding the beach was probably my favorite area in barcelona. i just loved all the beachy vibes and how it had its subtle differences from the SoCal beach scene that gave it that spanish touch.
and then there was the actual beach. i really wish i had enough time to just have a beach day, or even just a beach afternoon. i can't describe how much i wanted to run into the inviting blue water, especially after walking around all day in the heat.
head over to the gothic quarter to experience yet another completely unique neighborhood in barcelona. the buildings stand out from the rest of the city with their unique gothic architecture, and one of the main highlights of the neighborhood is the barcelona cathedral. however, as far as i know, it's only open in the evenings. and just an fyi, both guys and girls need to be dressed modestly to get in, as with a lot of churches/cathedrals in europe.
another restaurant i thought was pretty good was estruch, located near the barcelona cathedral.
my day trip to the town vilafranca del penedes was absolutely dreamy. i spent the day walking around this sleepy town taking in the colorful sunbathed walls and taking a break from the big city. i barley saw anyone else the whole time i was walking around; i guess the whole town was taking their siesta for most of the time i was there.
so... i went to this bakery in vilafranca and it was amazing, but i have no idea what it was called. it was in a central square type of area, but that's about all the info i can give you. if you happen to be in vilafranca and you see this place, definitely check it out. you won't be sorry!
if you're in barcelona, you have to see the arc de triomf. it's a spectacle on its own, but what makes it even better is there's a beautiful park right next to it. it's lovely to stroll through, sit down, and listen to the street performers.
as far as souvenirs go, here are some of the things i picked up. food is always a great idea. just go into any local grocery store and pick up something interesting looking to try out. i haven't mentioned this yet, but i was absolutely in love with the street style in barcelona. i know each country usually has their own unique street style, but in barcelona it just stood out to me. i bought this clutch just because it was very representative of barcelona style. i got the print at the bottom from the museu nacional d'art de catalunya. funny story about that museum actually. it was absolutely stunning, and i would tell any art lover going to barcelona to visit it. the reason i don't have any pics of it is because the day i went to the museum my phone was stolen. so there's actually a day of pics missing in this post... but i guess you can learn from my mistakes and pay more attention to your surroundings and belongings than i did.
nevertheless, i loved barcelona. it was like no other city in europe i've visited and had such a rich and unique culture. definitely visit if you ever get the chance! xo shawndiz
nevertheless, i loved barcelona. it was like no other city in europe i've visited and had such a rich and unique culture. definitely visit if you ever get the chance! xo shawndiz