Finally catching up on my epic vacation posts! We flew a red-eye to Barcelona; because I stayed up late to work and woke up early to surf, I was able to sleep through most of the flight. At around 8 a.m., we checked into the Hotel Ciutadella Barcelona, a lovely, centrally located hotel in the El Born neighborhood (ask for a corner room with a balcony!), took a quick nap, and then set out to sight-see. Erik's been to Barcelona multiple times, so he lead the way to the Sagrada Familia. I've always wanted to see Gaudi's famous work, so it was magical eating our lunch less than 10 feet away from the gorgeous basilica. From there, we jumped in a cab to the Gaudi-designed Park Guell.
Gah, so beautiful. Pictures don't do this stunning park justice. It felt like I stumbled into an Alice-in-Wonderland version of Central Park. The intricate tile work, out-of-this-world architecture and blooming flowers combined with our jetlag-induced fatigue made the whole experience super trippy and magical! We spent hours rambling around; it's an experience that I'll never forget.
For dinner, we rallied to meet up with a bunch of Erik's homies. They took us to a local tapas bar, where we dined on wild mushrooms, snails, pan tomate, and jamon paired with little Estrella beers (so light and cold!), wine, and cava. Then we hit the town, hopping to a few bars and the one hip-hop club in town.
After such a jam-packed first day, a more relaxing schedule was in order. We wandered around the cobblestone streets and eventually made our way to Barceloneta. Who knew there was such a beautiful beach right in the middle of Barcelona? The weather was still warm, so we sipped on sangria and mojitos in the sun, dug our feet into the sand, and took a dip into the crisp clear-blue Mediterranean sea. On the way home, we caught an outdoor concert and feasted on razor clams and fried octopus al fresco.
For the rest of our time in Barcelona, we explored. We sipped cortados in charming cafes; took in Gaudi's dragon-like Casa Batllo home; and wandered into ancient churches. Of course, we also managed to swing by a few streetwear clothing stores. I loved the mix of old and new in the city: Hip skateboarder kids and colorful street art mixed with beautiful arches and cathedrals.
And the food, oh, the food. We've never eaten so well! Some of our favorites included: Bar Canete, a fancy-ish tapas restaurant with amazing seafood and jamon croquettes; Picnic for a super-fresh brunch; Enrique Tomas for an unforgettable jamon platter (Erik almost cried); and La Paradeta for seafood (you pick the raw seafood and they cook it up on the spot). Oh, Barcelona, we love you! We'll be back!
