ISSUE 7: Barcelona, Spain 2014
…a continuation from ISSUE 6: Paris, France 2014
We got into Barcelona that evening. The sun had set, and we were left to find our hotel in the dark. The hotel was actually a little ways from town because with this trip we were trying to stick to a strict budget, so that meant small rooms or far rooms. We stayed at the Residencia Melondistrict which was actually like an apartment complex for local students. It was clean, but still small. Not as small as London & Paris, but none the less, small. The bathroom had some flooding issues because the shower was not properly constructed to prevent water leakage, which was really frustrating. I was mopping up water with left over towels & I left the blow dryer turned on & lied it on the floor to help evaporate what was left over. It was NUTS!!!
Once we were settled into our room we began to crave fresh air. So we headed back to the underground and head back into the heart of the city. In my opinion the Barcelona subway felt really sketchy. It was hot, dingy, and I remember it being dirty. However, it was definitely safe & never overly crowded.
It was our first night out and the air was warm, and the streets were vacant. We found Casa Batllo, one of the many Antoni Gaudi sites, whose multi colored-tiles were gleaming under spotlight. Barcelona wasn’t as enchanting under the night sky as Paris or London, but fresh air is always good for everyone.
Sagrada Familia in 2014.. The Cathedral was nearing completion when I visited again in 2017
The next day we were excited to see things in day light. I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful deep indigo trumpet vines that smothered the fence along the road. We decided to walk into the city so we could stretch our legs and see what we might find... The first thing was this intriguing Jewish Synagogue. We were confused about what it actually was until we looked it up on our Apple Map App.
We stopped for sandwiches for lunch and then pressed on with every intention of finding La Sagrada Familia... We succeeded. The scale of the cathedral was massive, and the detail was truly exquisite. I still needed a break from all the tours we had been taking, not to mention it was hot & muggy, so we made the mistake of not touring the Cathedral (It's on the to do list if we return).
Since we really just wanted to relax we headed for the beach. We found the subway and picked our route. Before we knew it we were there! We decided to stop and eat first, so we picked one of the restaurants along the street that takes you to the boardwalk. Brad got Paella & I got a tasty pizza, my favorite! Afterwards, we finished up with what is to this day, 10 countries later, the best chocolate & nutella gelato I have ever had in my entire life. If you are there, and heading to the beach, look for Deliziosa Gelateria Italiana. Their Nutella gelato WILL change your life. With my sweet tooth satisfied, we walked on the beautiful pebbled beach. What Brad and I didn’t realize was that it's a nude beach. I saw more than I cared to on several older individuals, and at times I couldn’t keep my prude self from laughing like a school girl. The beach wass beautiful, clean, and the water is clear. Sadly, we didn't pack swimsuits so that meant we would only be walking the beach not swimming or tanning. Before we left for the day. we made it a point to stop for Sangria & olives at one of the small restaurants next to the marina.. It was enjoyable & refreshing.
Our final activity of the day was just some light exploring. We ended up finding a neat night time market full of snacks, cooking essential and colorful treats. We also found a small taco shop along our mystery route that served tacos & cerveza (Mexican beer) with taco eating instructions on the wall for those who may not know how to eat tacos... and some don't trust me, I’ve seen it... When we were at the Hard Rock Cafe in Paris, there was a gentleman next to us eating his tacos with a knife & fork. It was so wrong, I could have cried! I thought about interrupting him to let him know, but I figured that he probably wouldn't appreciate my gesture of good will.
Our 2nd full day was great. We first toured of Casa Batllo in all of its Art Nouveau glory. It was truly intriguing to walk through the house that I studied and became so enamored with my freshman year of college. The tour cost wass reasonable considering you get a headset that will guide you through the house and give you information about the architecture in your language.
In the spirit of Art Nouveau, after Casa Batllo we decided that a trip to Park Guell would be completely appropriate! We took the subway then transferred to the bus we needed & found ourselves at the bottom of a massive staircase that thankfully had escalators as well. We were enamored as we began wandering through a massive "garden" in the heart of Barcelona on top of the hill. The views were very hazy, but vast.
At first we were disappointed as it didn't seem that there was much more for us to see, and I started to wonder if we were in the wrong place, but as we kept going it turned into a rather enchanting place. We discovered a magnificent bridge designed by Gaudi that made you feel as though you had stepped into a magical land.
The area around it was filled with fun decorative touches & many people were there enjoying the environment and warm weather. I knew then that I would definitely return to this fun spot.... but what we discovered on our way out is that we were indeed in the wrong spot. Although this is labeled as Park Guell, the true Park Guell was on the opposite side of where we entered, and had a fee for entry (see pictures in the 2017 ISSUE). We skipped it, and that is one of the other things I regret doing, the downside is doing all of this during the peak of the day was a little brutal considering the heat and humidity.
With that behind us, we head back to the beach for more gelato and relaxation. We loved observing the people and enjoyed watching the water sway in and out from the shore.... On day 3, we were departing for Lisbon, but with the spare time we had we did the exact same thing... Hit the boardwalk, got our exercise and just relaxed. Barcelona is a great place for that!