Barcelona Spain

Antonio found out his father was going to be around Europe about 2 weeks prior to us finding ourselves meeting him in Barcelona! It was quick planning and so worth it to surprise his step mom! We hadn't seen them in two years. So obviously we were excited!

We used "Holiday Parking" at Frankfurt again for convenience. We flew out of terminal 2 (domestic flights I guess). This terminal has minimal food and shops. We set up to kill some time in the ONE place we found with a bar. Squeezed our way in and had a couple beers and pretzels. The place was crazy busy but service was prompt & the pretzels were excellent!

The flight we got cheap was through Iberia/Vueling. The plane was small and old, reminded me of Southwest Airlines. It was an quick two hour flight. 

Barcelona is very unique. It took us awhile to figure out where everything was and what to do mainly because the city is HUGE! There was so much to see and so little time.

The city is centered around the Spanish and Catalan history and their treasured architect, Antoni Gaudi and influences of Salvador Dali. Gaudi designed most of the UNESCO world heritage sites and other major buildings and landmarks in the city. The architecture and unique designs are pretty cool but I honestly knew nothing about this person before going.

Night one we got settled in Barcelona by 11pm. There were people out and about walking and seated outside having drinks & tapas so we decided we should be out exploring too! We set out on foot from our hotel.

We walked about a block and there were restaurants and bars down every street. We tried Tapa Tapa & ordered a Mojito. It was excellent! It was refreshing and delicious with the perfect balance of ingredients ...which most places can't get right! 

After our first drink we moved on. The next bar we went to was Taxepela. We ordered Sangria and tapas. We asked the server what his favorites were and picked 2 of those and got 2 of our own. They are small, and each one was very unique. My tapas were hot and made to order. They were all delicious!

We enjoyed drinking and hanging out for what seemed like pretty late for us. For a Tuesday night everything seemed to stay open late. Outdoor seating closed by midnight, inside was climate controlled (unlike Germany) so it was still pleasant sitting inside.

The next day we started with the hop on/hop of tours so we could get around and see as much as possible with our limited schedule. The concierge at the hotel sold us a discount ticket and explained the nearest stop to hop on, it was only a block away from our hotel.

We had to hang around the hotel in the morning in order to surprise Antonio's step mom and see his dad. Antonio was very excited to see his father! & if Antonio didn't post on FB that we were in Barcelona his step mom would have been much more surprised when he tapped her on the shoulder in the lobby.

By the time they finally made it to the hotel they were exhausted from their long flight so we set out on our own adventures while they rested up with plans to meet up for dinner.

Antonio & I jumped on the red line first. There is 3 routes on this hop on/off. 

We saw sites everywhere, including a prison that has been operating since 1902 & is still active today! Um let's just say it's a place I would never want to go! The guards outside and the looks of the building had me a bit concerned for anyone having to be incarcerated in Barcelona. No locked up abroad for me! Gracias. 

We drove past the Olympic Stadium, amazing historic buildings, & fountains. Antonio & I sat front row on the bus so we had great views of everything. The heat was a bit brutal and minimal breeze in the front top deck of the bus but it was still worth it. The lower deck just doesn't allow me enough freedom to snap pics as I please!

Throughout the day we wandered all over the place. We hopped off at a port. It had great views and a beautiful bridge we walked over. The restaurants on the port were very expensive so we got a small snack and a drink instead of a meal. 

There was also an aquarium, iMax theater, and mall along the port. The shopping in Barcelona is crazy like stores are everywhere! PS they have amazing McDonald's with Mccafes that have legit macaroons! Awesome! Seriously.

We walked from the port to the old town and Gotic area where the streets are packed with tourists, hustlers and beggars. There are options of restaurants and outdoor seating everywhere. We found one that looked like people were enjoying themselves at and enjoyed some Sangria to cool us down.

The people watching here was one of the best I've enjoyed in a long time. This barefooted dread head hippy walked by holding his guitar 3 times with a joint hanging out of his lip. There are a ton of pan handlers selling all kinds of odd items on the street that you would never really want to buy like a small whistle toy that just makes annoying noises! Pointless. 

Right in the Old Town, Las Ramblas area is the awesome Boqueria Market. It is an indoor market that to me felt like Spain's version of Pikes Place market in Seattle. It reminded me a lot of Seattle's market primarily because the fresh sea food, fruits & veggies. It was busy and fun inside. Including bar areas.

Reasonably priced fresh squeezed juices, fresh produce, meats like they're traditional Jamòn and so much more. It would be impossible to leave here hungry. You can buy a small cone of their local Pernil (looks like beef jerky, it's dehydrated pork) or a cup of fruit for as little as €1-€2! There were too many options to list but it's a very cool market. 

The Sagrada Familia is the largest cathedral in the world. This cathedral is still currently undergoing construction and has never and may never be fully completed. Now the entrance fees inside the church help fund the building and design project. It hurt my neck staring up at it for so long. And unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to go inside. You have to book tickets in advance to skip the 2-3 hour line to view inside. 

We knew this but didn't think we really wanted to spend our day inside until we got there & saw how amazing it was. But maybe next time. It was amazing from the outside & I'm still grateful for the experience of seeing it in person. 

The beaches are beautiful! 

Several man made beaches line the coast of Barcelona making it difficult to choose one place to hang out. 

There is a dock, boats and restaurants with small bars and souvenir shops all over. There was several ice cream and waffle shops too. I could have spent 3 entire days at the beach alone. It was gorgeous and reminded me of home, San Diego.

There is a town named "Lugo" in Spain we want to visit next time! There's a lot more of Spain I need to put on the books!

Barcelona is a fast paced city like New York. There are people everywhere! Public transportation and scooters and the predominant means of getting around for locals. You see a lot of people walking and riding their Vespas. It's a bit dangerous to drive/ride in the city because it's so busy. I wouldn't recommend it.

Overall it was a beautiful city with a lot going on in it! If you have the chance to ever visit I would highly recommend it. Antonio is anxious to back & we hope to be able to speak more Spanish next time!

Adios!