Another trip, another post! And this time the destination was Barcelona (Bcn). My friends and I have been dreaming about this trip since last year and we finally got around to do it! So here is my experience and thoughts on this lovely city.
DAY 1
I woke up at 6h30 and got to our meeting point at 7am. However, due to delays, we only arrived at the airport at 8h40, 15 minutes before our gate closing time! Sara and I ran through security, lost Patricia in the meantime as she got fully checked, then flew by the duty-free section, got the shuttle train but still managed to get to our gate just in time. What a start to the trip!
We arrived in Barcelona around 11h40, with big smiles on our faces due to the excitement. We tried to figure out how to get to the city centre, hopped on a train and 20 minutes later, there we were: sunny Bcn!
First things first, we had to leave our luggage at the hostel, so that is exactly what we did. After that, we wandered around, trying to find a place to have lunch at. Now, this is where everything actually starts falling apart. I was feeling so tired but thought it was just due to being hungry. Nonetheless, as soon as I sat down at the restaurant, I realised it was much more than that: I was actually getting sick. And so, after lunch, I passed by a pharmacy on my way back to the hostel and went back to the room, where I spent the rest of the day resting.
We arrived in Barcelona around 11h40, with big smiles on our faces due to the excitement. We tried to figure out how to get to the city centre, hopped on a train and 20 minutes later, there we were: sunny Bcn!
First things first, we had to leave our luggage at the hostel, so that is exactly what we did. After that, we wandered around, trying to find a place to have lunch at. Now, this is where everything actually starts falling apart. I was feeling so tired but thought it was just due to being hungry. Nonetheless, as soon as I sat down at the restaurant, I realised it was much more than that: I was actually getting sick. And so, after lunch, I passed by a pharmacy on my way back to the hostel and went back to the room, where I spent the rest of the day resting.
DAY 2
Thankfully the rest and the meds I bought really helped as I woke up feeling much better.
The first thing on our to-do lists was the 'New Europe Tour' we had booked. While waiting for it to start, we had breakfast at cappUKccino. The tour was really interesting. It lasted 2h30 and our guide was the funniest and wisest. He told us so many stories and legends while we walked through the Gothic and Jewish Quarters. Some of the highlights we saw were the Catedral de Barcelona, Igreja de Santa Maria del Mar (known as the Church by the Sea due to its prior proximity to the sea) and to finalise, El Born Centre Cultural (where you can find the remains of the old village that Bcn used to be).
After the tour, and following our guide's advice, we made our way to the Parc de la Ciutadella, where we relaxed for a bit and contemplated the waterfall. Since there were some protests going on that day, we did not manage to get close to the Palau del Parlament de Catalunya. Close to the park, you can also find the Arc de Triomf.
After lunch, we made our way to the Palau de la Musica Catalana. Unfortunately, the tours that day had just terminated so we did not manage to go in.
Nearby is the Mercat de Santa Catarina, where we had a fresh juice.
Next stop was the well-known Las Ramblas. This consists of a really long street filled with stores and street performances. Some of the things we did along the way: visited the busy Mercat de la Boqueria, had a delicious hot chocolate at Escribà and met up with a friend (that is currently on his year abroad) at the Flaherty's Irish Pub.
After that, he took us to see the sunset at the lovely Port de Barcelona.
And to finalise the day, we watched the show at the Font Mà gica de Montjuïc. It starts slightly before 7pm during the winter months and each session lasts around 25 minutes. It was honestly one of my favourite things to visit!
The first thing on our to-do lists was the 'New Europe Tour' we had booked. While waiting for it to start, we had breakfast at cappUKccino. The tour was really interesting. It lasted 2h30 and our guide was the funniest and wisest. He told us so many stories and legends while we walked through the Gothic and Jewish Quarters. Some of the highlights we saw were the Catedral de Barcelona, Igreja de Santa Maria del Mar (known as the Church by the Sea due to its prior proximity to the sea) and to finalise, El Born Centre Cultural (where you can find the remains of the old village that Bcn used to be).
After the tour, and following our guide's advice, we made our way to the Parc de la Ciutadella, where we relaxed for a bit and contemplated the waterfall. Since there were some protests going on that day, we did not manage to get close to the Palau del Parlament de Catalunya. Close to the park, you can also find the Arc de Triomf.
After lunch, we made our way to the Palau de la Musica Catalana. Unfortunately, the tours that day had just terminated so we did not manage to go in.
Next stop was the well-known Las Ramblas. This consists of a really long street filled with stores and street performances. Some of the things we did along the way: visited the busy Mercat de la Boqueria, had a delicious hot chocolate at Escribà and met up with a friend (that is currently on his year abroad) at the Flaherty's Irish Pub.
After that, he took us to see the sunset at the lovely Port de Barcelona.
And to finalise the day, we watched the show at the Font Mà gica de Montjuïc. It starts slightly before 7pm during the winter months and each session lasts around 25 minutes. It was honestly one of my favourite things to visit!
DAY 3
Unfortunately, the final day of our short getaway arrived.
The first stop was La Sagrada Familia. There are no words or photos that could ever explain how beautiful and impressive the Basilica is!
Afterwards, we hopped on the metro and made our way to the Universitat de Barcelona. The architecture is stunning and the small gardens within it the cutest.
Close by, you can find Passeig de Grà cia. This is another long street with the fanciest stores. In addition to this, this is where you find many of the Gaudi creations: Casa Amatller, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà and Casa Comalat are some of the ones we saw along the way. A bit further and slightly less known, but definitely worth the 20-minute walk, is the Casa Vicens.
And still close to the area is the Plaça de la Vila de Grà cia, one of the most dynamic areas in Barcelona: the perfect mix between old and new. This is where we had a delicious lunch that day.
The Platja de la Barceloneta was our next destination. The weather that day was so nice I was even wearing a dress! And obviously, we could not leave Barcelona without checking out the beach! On the way back we also had an ice cream.
The next spot was actually too painful to get to: Bunkers del Carmel. It was definitely worth the 20-minute insane and steep climb from the closest metro station, though. However, I 100% recommend you take a bus instead!
And just 15 minutes away you can find the famous Parc Güell. Tickets to the park are 8.50€ and that morning, when we tried to reserve them, the only timetable available was 6pm. Now, we had read that before opening and after closing entrance is free. And as the park was supposed to close at 7pm, we opted to try our luck to see if what we had read was true. And to our surprise it indeed was! The timing was also so perfect as we saw the sunset with a beautiful view of the city!
To conclude the day, we met again with our friend at Las Ramblas, where we had tapas, Paella and a Mojito to celebrate our final dinner.
Unfortunately, the final day of our short getaway arrived.
The first stop was La Sagrada Familia. There are no words or photos that could ever explain how beautiful and impressive the Basilica is!
Close by, you can find Passeig de Grà cia. This is another long street with the fanciest stores. In addition to this, this is where you find many of the Gaudi creations: Casa Amatller, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà and Casa Comalat are some of the ones we saw along the way. A bit further and slightly less known, but definitely worth the 20-minute walk, is the Casa Vicens.
The Platja de la Barceloneta was our next destination. The weather that day was so nice I was even wearing a dress! And obviously, we could not leave Barcelona without checking out the beach! On the way back we also had an ice cream.
The next spot was actually too painful to get to: Bunkers del Carmel. It was definitely worth the 20-minute insane and steep climb from the closest metro station, though. However, I 100% recommend you take a bus instead!
And just 15 minutes away you can find the famous Parc Güell. Tickets to the park are 8.50€ and that morning, when we tried to reserve them, the only timetable available was 6pm. Now, we had read that before opening and after closing entrance is free. And as the park was supposed to close at 7pm, we opted to try our luck to see if what we had read was true. And to our surprise it indeed was! The timing was also so perfect as we saw the sunset with a beautiful view of the city!
To conclude the day, we met again with our friend at Las Ramblas, where we had tapas, Paella and a Mojito to celebrate our final dinner.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
- Where we stayed
We stayed at the lovely No Limit Hostel Grafitti, a 10-minute walk away from La Sagrada Familia. I really enjoyed our stay: the hostel was very clean, everyone was extremely friendly and the location just perfect. In addition to this, you can sign up for free dinner everyday: the perfect opportunity to meet new people!
Booking.com
- Transportation
We bought the T-10 ticket, which is ideal for a 2-3 day trip. It costs 10€ and gives you 10 trips, which you can split between trains, metros and buses.
Something to keep in mind is that you can use this ticket to and from the airport as well, as it is still within zone 1. However, the metro is not included: you can only use the train!
