Snapshots from Barcelona

Just popping in here on the blog to share some photos and anecdotes from my trip to Barcelona! Unfortunately, tonight is my last night in this magnificent city with my family. And now, we're down South in Malaga getting in some much needed beach time. I know, I know- Barcelona has beaches too but we stuck to the city (and a bit of countryside as you'll see) for this section of the trip! Vacation is all about balance after all, right? 

Anyway, I'm sad to leave Barcelona and its incredible food, beautiful architecture, and lively atmosphere. But, here's a little recap of what we (that is myself and my family) got up to in Barcelona.

Day one was spent sleeping and recuperating from a long flight. After our siesta, we headed straight for the bar for a drink and a little snack of Iberian ham. Let's face it, I love ham in all its glorious forms. But this ham? Man, was it special. It was soft, sweet, and delicate- a far cry from the salty ham we're used to at home (unfortunately I didn't save the photo!). 

Filled up on ham and wine, we walked down Las Ramblas to the port, where we caught a catamaran with a company called Catamaran Orsom for drinks (sensing a theme here?) and some stunning views of the coastline.

We had a late (or really normally-timed by Spanish standards) dinner at Alba Granados, as per the suggestion of our hotel. With traditional Spanish fare such as sausages and beans, as well as an entire section of the menu devoted to Ox, this restaurant was very old-times Spanish in the best way.

After breakfast on Sunday we set off for the city center, starting off with a free walking tour to get our bearings. Between this free walking tour and the one Ben and I went on in Venice, you could say I'm a fan. It's much better than wandering around on your own, and you're much more likely to see some hidden spots and learn some little known facts! 

While we didn't go to the beach on this trip, per se, we did eat by the beach at a restaurant called Can Majo. Paella is a must when you're in Barcelona, and we even tried a version with noodles instead of rice.

After lunch? Well, you can't visit Europe without scouting out some ice cream. This combo of strawberry and sweet cream was utter perfection! We found this gem of an ice cream store, called DelaCrem just off of Las Ramblas.

Our next stop was the Sagrada Familia, where we took an audio tour of the unfinished, yet iconic, church. The colors are stunning, and the reflections of light highlight the beauty of the natural world. You'll have to bear the crowds, but the hype is justified by the church's magnificence (the audio tour, however, is not exactly worth the price in my opinion).

You might be thinking that we're missing out on an essential part of Spanish cuisine- tapas! But don't worry, we settled that that night with some nibbles (or maybe a bit more than that) at Cerveceria Catalana- a restaurant near our hotel that was consistently crowded every time we walked by. As a large group, we actually were able to dodge the hour long wait and get seated right away! Even if we had to wait in line, it would've been worth it. Beyond the delectable savory tapas, they had the cutest tiny desserts!

Our next day started off early, with a train ride out to the countryside for a wine tour on bicycles. Honestly whoever thought that biking and alcohol is a good idea was either crazy or a genius. That being said, our guide Alberto was so charming and informative- his family owns a small winery so he's certainly an expert. 

We biked along the country roads on electric bikes- meaning the hills weren't so bad- stopping to familiarize ourselves with the region and take some photos.

We visited two vineyards in total- Albet i Noya, a medium sized organic vineyard, and Cava Guilera a small family-run vineyard. We stopped for lunch in between at a local restaurant called Cal Xim. I have to say that this was probably my favorite meal of the three days because the food was so unique- I barely knew what we were being served but what I did know was that I loved every morsel of it.

Our final night in Barcelona was spent relaxing at the hotel. I can't believe this portion of our trip is coming to a close but it's been fantastic overall! Hopefully the rest of our vacation can live up to it ;)