We arrived late afternoon in Barcelona and took the metro to where we would stay for the next 4 nights, in the heart of the city and specifically, the Gothic district. We took a stroll down to the Sea which was just a few blocks from our hostel. There were numerous of beautiful yachts and sailboats in the harbor and with the World Race (sailing) occurring that weekend, we expected more to arrive to either participate or view the grand event.
Another big event going on during our stay was the Champions League match on the 7th between the top-ranked teams, Barcelona FC and Scotland’s Rangers. There were tons of Ranger fans that flew in for the weekend to attend the game. It was an insane and nonstop tailgate all over – the Scots and their crazy drinking have taken over the city! It was very entertaining to be surrounded by all of the hype, hoopla, singing and crazy shenanigans. Unfortunately, we only wished the visitors would be more respectful and not trash the host city.
The next day, we participated in a walking tour which took us around the Gothic district. We saw the grand gothic cathedral, many of Gaudi’s and Picasso’s work, and structures from medieval and Roman times. After the tour, Ben and I walked for several hours around the center and north of the city center. We stopped by a local Churroteria to have Spanish hot chocolate (had the consistency of a melted Hershey’s bar but didn’t taste as good as a Hershey bar!) and churros. Afterwards, we walked to several of Gaudi’s famous architectural pieces (i.e. Casa Batlio, Casa Milia, and Sagrada Familia). It was amazing to see his work and know that he thought of these particular designs over 100 years ago.
For our 3rd day in Barcelona, we decided to venture through the city’s largest open-air market, Mercado Boguileria. There, we enjoyed freshly-made smoothies (Liya had coconut-strawberry, Ben had pintaya-kiwi). After the market, we walked to the Royal Palace where we had a great view of the city. We continued walking up the largest hill in Barcelona and had an amazing view of the city and harbor at sunset.
For our last day in Barcelona, we decided to walk along the beach and visit one of the largest parks near the city center. The beach was pleasant and stretched for miles. The park featured different buildings, Gaudi sculptures, ponds and fountains. For dinner, we enjoyed eating tapas for the last time in Spain. We ordered Catalan sausage, pan con tomate (toasted bread with rubbed garlic and tomato), pork covered in blue cheese with a grilled green jalapeño on top, and proschetto with green jalapeno. To drink, Ben had a lovely Spanish Rioja and Liya enjoyed Cava, Catalan champagne.
Looking back – we really enjoyed what Spain had to offer. The only disappointment was the train system – so for all of you visiting Spain in the near future, think bus or plane, not train! We loved the culture, the people, the architecture, the lifestyle, tapas, sangria, beaches, and the Mediterrenean. Our favorite cities in Spain were Seville, Barcelona, Salamanca, San Sebastian and Valencia.
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