Barcelona
Welcome to Barcelona! What a lovely city. So many open spaces. So much good food. I loved spending time here. This part of our trip was like the calm before the storm. Next on our itinerary was meeting my sister in Rome and city-hopping from there on out.
My mom and I just wanted to get to know the city. The weather was beautiful every single day we were here. Although there were still so many people, the way the city was built (i.e. bigger sidewalks and more space in cul-de-sacs) made it feel less overcrowded.
Day Seven:
Our first day in Barcelona! We were welcomed with blue skies and the sun! After settling in (and taking a small nap) we started walking around. There was so much green in the city! I loved the trees all around. My mom and I did some exploring and got a quick meal at Vapiano’s. The restaurant was almost like Chipotle for Italian food, but they had a lot of vegan and vegetarian options. It worked for a quick bite. After that, we headed back to where we were staying and watched The Secret Life of Arrietty. It was so good!
Day Eight:
We slept in! The sun was shining again and I enjoyed reading on the balcony with some coffee before heading to breakfast. Day Eight was Halloween! Our brunch spot had the cutest themed drinks and the best Shakshuka I’ve had for a while.
After brunch, we walked to Llibreria Finestres. Finestres was one of my favorite bookstores. If you’re in Barcelona, check it out! I wished I knew how to read Spanish, so I could buy some of the books I saw.
After that, we window-shopped and popped into stores just to look around. We hit up another bookstore, Casa del Llibre. This one felt more like what a Barnes and Noble is.
That evening we went to see The Rocky Horror Show at the Teatre Coliseum. It was a great production. After dessert and drinks, we crashed.
Day Nine:
First we wrote and mailed our postcards home!
We went to Casa Batlló. This house turned museum was such a cool experience. We had the auditory and ipad tour which created a unique experience. In the first half, I was convinced it was part of a fantasy book or something. The architect’s vision and story put into this house felt so fantastical. It was a wonderful tour and the house had so many interesting details.
To raise our energy we went to Age of Aquarius, which was about a three-minute walk from Casa Batlló. The food was so good. I’m dreaming of their fried oyster mushrooms and dumplings.
We explored the city further and then headed back for an early night. I think I finished the new season of Love is Blind, too.
Day Ten:
We had another breakfast before heading to the Barcelona Cathedral. Before heading in for our tour (most places are booked by timeslot), we walked around an antique market right on the steps. There was so much American Western memorabilia. The cathedral was beautiful and the outside atrium portion was nice because you could see the outside of the church above you.
We ended up getting lost in the Gothic Quarter. So many stores and restaurants!
Day Eleven:
Our last day! I got sick and needed to get to a pharmacy before our flight. It was so unlike our pharmacies here in America. The pharmacist listened to my symptoms and helped me get everything I needed.
Easy trip to the airport. Our plan was delayed but we made it to Rome in no time.
Highlights:
Casa Batlló was such a cool place to visit!
So much good food (most places had vegetarian/vegan options)
The Rocky Horror Show was so fun to see on Halloween.
Barcelona was a lovely city just to get lost in.
What to know:
Our lodgings and some restaurants we went to warned us about pickpockets many times. We didn’t experience any issues but, just something to keep in mind.
Easy public transport, but walking is nice to see all the sights.
I found that so many people spoke English but the Spanish and Catalan spoken sounded so beautiful.
Food:
Zenith - Great brunch and lunch options. All the staff were so nice and had a plethora of vegan / vegetarian / and meat options.
Niji Mochis - I had this amazing green tea mochi that was delicious. The size was huge and the price wasn’t too bad.
Vapiano - Quick, fast, and hearty Italian food!
Age of Aquarius - This food was so good and one of my favorite meals of the whole trip. The fried mushrooms and radish nigiri were amazing.
Bookstores:
Llibreria Finestres - I keep saying it but as I think back I’m continuously impressed. So many cool publishers and authors! The space (both sides) is also gorgeous. I didn’t see any English editions here.
LCasa del Libre - This reminded me a bit more of Barnes and Noble, but it was a huge space with so many books. A very small section of English books.
Laie Libreria Cafe - With a cafe upstairs and a bookstore downstairs, you have the perfect afternoon in front of you. No English books that I saw here!