Maybe it was watching L'auberge espagnole, or having learnt Spanish at university, and never having had the chance to practice it in a local setting, or then again perhaps it was the promise of delicious tapas, wine, and sunshine. Or, most likely, all of the above.
So we were delighted to spend around a week in this beautiful city. We were fortunate to have an old school friend who we could stay with, and we made the most of her enormous balcony and its plentiful sunshine, and her local knowledge and tips.
Barcelona is a city which lives outdoors. Many people live in apartments, meaning that people come out to squares, parks, and the streets for lunch, or evening strolls. This makes for a friendly, sociable atmosphere. We enjoyed people watching over a beer or a coffee.
Parc Guell was great. The Gaudi buildings and amazing views over the city were fantastic. It gets really busy though, so we tried to escape the throngs, and found some lovely quieter paths, managing to get entirely lost.
We also enjoyed winding our ways down the streets and alleyways of Barri Gòtic, with its amazing medieval architecture, and boutique shops. It was nice to relax on the beach, and we also sought out a few more Gaudi buildings scattered around the city.
One must-see sight is of course La sagrada familia. The outside is really amazing, with its sheer immensity and the different designs on each facade. The two hour queue wasn't particularly appealing though and we chose instead to move along - I do regret that decision, but then I'm sure we'll be back to Barcelona before too long.
The food in Barcelona is just great as well. Staying in a less touristy area, we were able to visit local shops and supermarkets and make the most the amazing produce and wine, buying delicious bottles of red (Spanish, claro) for a few euros.
A delicious restaurant we tried in the Gracia suburb cooked up some stunning dishes (if a little pricey), including clams cooked in white wine, prawn with lobster cannelloni, salmon with sake and mango.
Although chocker blocker full of tourists, we also enjoyed the La Boqueria market and enjoyed cava, and delicious chickpea dish, and more.
We took a day trip out to Sitges, a small village on the coast, where we wandered through the quaint alleys, enjoyed ice cream and some delicious pintxos and beer, and relaxed by the sea.
We also saw some random signs around Barcelona. I'm at a complete loss to explain the second one.
Barcelona is a city which lives outdoors. Many people live in apartments, meaning that people come out to squares, parks, and the streets for lunch, or evening strolls. This makes for a friendly, sociable atmosphere. We enjoyed people watching over a beer or a coffee.
Parc Guell was great. The Gaudi buildings and amazing views over the city were fantastic. It gets really busy though, so we tried to escape the throngs, and found some lovely quieter paths, managing to get entirely lost.
We also enjoyed winding our ways down the streets and alleyways of Barri Gòtic, with its amazing medieval architecture, and boutique shops. It was nice to relax on the beach, and we also sought out a few more Gaudi buildings scattered around the city.
One must-see sight is of course La sagrada familia. The outside is really amazing, with its sheer immensity and the different designs on each facade. The two hour queue wasn't particularly appealing though and we chose instead to move along - I do regret that decision, but then I'm sure we'll be back to Barcelona before too long.
The food in Barcelona is just great as well. Staying in a less touristy area, we were able to visit local shops and supermarkets and make the most the amazing produce and wine, buying delicious bottles of red (Spanish, claro) for a few euros.
A delicious restaurant we tried in the Gracia suburb cooked up some stunning dishes (if a little pricey), including clams cooked in white wine, prawn with lobster cannelloni, salmon with sake and mango.
Although chocker blocker full of tourists, we also enjoyed the La Boqueria market and enjoyed cava, and delicious chickpea dish, and more.
We took a day trip out to Sitges, a small village on the coast, where we wandered through the quaint alleys, enjoyed ice cream and some delicious pintxos and beer, and relaxed by the sea.
We also saw some random signs around Barcelona. I'm at a complete loss to explain the second one.
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