Travel Therapy: Barcelona, Spain

Day one

  I arrived in Barcelona at about 4:00PM and went off to find my high school friend, Tee who had  just come in from Geneva. After getting off at the wrong stop, we found each other and went off to look for our Air BnB which was in the Gothic Quarters. Once we settled in, we headed out to find my dear friends, Yaya and Llyold who blog over at HandLuggage Only. They were travelling back to the UK in a few hours and I wanted to catch up with them real quick.

My pout though :/

 Yaya and Lloyd are such fun people to hang with, and we had a blast taking pictures and fooling around at Barcelona Cathedral. Then off they went to catch their flight, while we went headed to dinner

I am obsessed with  paella and I had been so excited to eat this Spanish staple in Barcelona

My expectation was cut short when I was presented with the soggiest rice dish. 

Forced smile as I chomp down on the paella

Day Two

Our second day in Barcelona  kicked off  with brunch on  the most popular street in Barcelona, La Rambla. A crowded tourist street, La Rambla boasts of restaurants, shops, and a beautiful view of  palm trees lined all through the sides of the street.  La Ramblas is a tourist trap with over priced items, and crappy food, but we thought we tick it off our list and have a meal there.

After brunch we made our way to Port Vell, a waterfront harbor that was built to beautify the city just before the Olympics in 1992. Our time here was spent people watching, enjoying in the cool water breeze, and of course, taking silly pictures.

This guy is totally judging me--lol!

Barcelonetta beach was our next port of call. It was November, and the weather was a tad cold, so our visit was a quick one. 

The beach was devoid of  usual tourist activities

The mohito guy insisted on being in my shot, and I look  like I am thinking " I can't hear you over this cheap tasting drink" --lol

Our next stop was Sagrada Familia. Unarguably, Barcelona's most iconic building, and Spanish architect,  Antonio  Guadi's most known work. This unfinished cathedral is a must for anyone visiting Barcelona. 

Construction for this magnificent edifice started in 1882 and continued after Gaudi's death in 1926

However, the progress was interrupted by the Spanish civil war in 1936

The cathedral is scheduled for completion in 2026

The Passion Facade of Sagrada Familia represents sadness and suffering

We visited the basement and watched a short film about the history of the cathedral

We even saw the architects and engineers at work

After our mind-blowing visit to Sagrada Familia, we passed through La Vila Olímpica del Poblenou (Olympic Village) and Port Olimpic area of Barcelona.

Robert Llimós sculpture "Marc" was created in memory of his son

Our next stop was Parc Guell, in the Garcia district. Our plan was to see more of Gaudi's work. However, when we arrived, it was already late and the park was closed. So we explored Garcia a bit and headed on our way

Gracia District

Dinner had been a bit horrid, the night before, so we decided to go to a restaurant in Eixample district that a french guy met on the plane had told me about. However, it seemed like the culinary gods were not happy with us, as the food SUCKED!

Weird tasting broth with RAW eggs in it-- Do I really have to eat this?

The olives were amazing though, and I ate two full plates!

The lamb entrée was just okay

Desert was not too shabby

Belly full of food, now let's go catch the train.

Lost in Barcelona?

Finally got the right train

We had heard so much about the night life in Barcelona, and we wanted a taste too. Unlike the USA, Barcelona clubs kick off at about 2 AM, and after touring the city the whole day, the last  thing I wanted to do was spend the entire night at some club. So in our day clothes ( I changed my skirt), we strolled to Plaça Reial, a square in Gothic Quarters, and partied it up for a little over an hour at Jamboree club.

The music was so good (90s hiphop), and each time we grabbed our coats to leave, we found ourselves running back to the dance floor. However, I still had a full day of sight seeing ahead, so we eventually called it quits and headed to our Air BnB to get some much needed sleep.

With that, day two came to an end.

Hope you enjoyed seeing Barcelona through my eyes. Watch out for the concluding part of my Spanish adventure.