Tapas, Flamenco and Sangria
I haven’t been on holidays since February this year
That may seem like a short time to many people, but for me it feels like years
Last year I went to Spain for the first time ever... I was close to going 10 years ago, but never actually got there. By close I mean geographically close. I was in Tavira, Portugal which is close to the Spanish border.
Spain is a really special place and it’s a place for people who love to eat and drink. I love to eat and drink…very much
So last year I booked a trip to go to England, France and Spain, finishing with 5 days in Barcelona. I have already been to London and Paris many times, but it was part of the tour I was going on, so I decided I’ll just choose that one to get me to Barcelona.
Soooooo I'm gunna give you a quick rundown of what I did in 5 days in Barcelona. Most of it will be focused on food and wine, because that’s my style, but I also love art, history and architecture, so I’ll include some info about that as well
Day 1-Exploring, eating and seeing a Flamenco show
When I travel in Europe I like to stroll around a lot. By stroll, I mean walking around hands fully behind my back assessing everything I pass. You never know what kind of stuff you might find strolling around ancient streets.
That being said we started out first day taking a slow stroll down the winding streets of downtown and finding good restaurants to eat at. Patatas Bravas and cold white wine are everything you need to get going in the mid-afternoon.
That night we went to a flamenco show that included dinner on Mont Juic, the highest point in the city. The food was wonderful and the show was excellent. The performance highlighted the many varieties of flamenco in the form of music and dance. Sometimes you may have to book shows in advance to avoid booking problems when you get there. There are also many flamenco shows around the city where you can just walk in and attend
Day 2-La Sagrada Familia, Barceloneta and night time drinks
Wake up early, even if you’re hung over from drinking too much Sangria from the night before. I suggest going to grab a strong coffee and baked goods at the many cafes around the city. On our second day in the city we decided to go big and go to Sagrada Familia early in the morning. It gets busy very early on in the day so we booked our tickets ahead of time. It also takes an hour at least to see the whole church and small museum downtown. If you plan on seeing Park Guell I would also book that in advance, so you have a guaranteed ticket and no problems if it is busy or a public holiday.
After seeing such a breathtaking building like that, you will probably be looking for food and probably a crispy beer. I suggest heading down to Barceloneta and strolling around the winding streets and the beach area. There are tons of great restaurants and bars and places to grab an ice cream and people watch. The area has recently been redeveloped and become super hip. You can rent a bike and rip around exploring the Olympic Port and new casino or do it by foot
*interesting fact: when I visited the church, the inside of one of the alter rooms had been completed, but when my dad was there in the 1970’s it wasn’t even built.
If you are feeling ambitious and this is all up to you, Barcelona has a great night life, so I would take advantage of that. There are so many bars and clubs to choose from. I will warn you that if you choose to go to a club, it doesn’t get busy until after 12am at night. So be prepared to be up until 4am when you go
We chose to go to the Gothic quarter at night, ending up at a bar L’ovella Negra. It’s kind of like a German beer hall filled with young students from the city’s Universities. It was a cool vibe and it’s a good starter point to go to many of the other bars on the same street.
Day 3- Market La Boqueria, Gothic Quarter
Before I went to Spain I had people tell me about food. People kept telling me you gotta go to the market in Barcelona and I’m like yeah sure I love markets…duh
My friends let me tell you. You have never been to a market like this before…ever and you may only get one shot to go to it, so don’t miss it. We walked through aisles of cured meats, cheeses and fresh seafood, wine and dry spices like I have never seen before. Most stalls actually have seats where you can post up eat something and go on to the next one. Take the time to walk around, try stuff and smell things. Ask the vendors questions, because they know their shit. 1 thing I have to say is, be careful when you plan to go because some days it is closed and also keep your belongings tight to your body.
After walking out confused and accepting that I know nothing about what food should taste like again, we strolled down Las Ramblas and got on the subway to see Gaudi’s house. It costs actual money to enter the house, so if you wanna drop another 25 or 30 Euros to see another one of Gaudi’s creations, go ahead, but I opted out and decided to gawk from the outside.
We continued to the Gothic quarter, to see some lovely churches and actually do a bit of shopping. Being North American, I go crazy for European stores and try to buy clothing or accessories anytime I travel to Europe. The quality is sometimes better, but most of the time the stuff is actually more funky and non-generic
Day 4-Olympic Park and Gracia
Gracia is the neighborhood where I stayed for the last 3 days of my trip to the city. It’s a hip area in the city, with a mix of professionals and young families. It is located a little north of the city’s core, which is actually great because you get a different vibe there, which is less tourist oriented. It has many plazas, restaurants, cafes and independent businesses. It also has a smaller market, which can be great if you need to get groceries if you have the option to cook while you are there. Hanging out in the area is so much fun, because you almost feel comfortable by the time you leave.
There many squares, packed with Tapas restaurants and bars, so deciding on where to eat is easy. https://www.neverendingvoyage.com/gracia-barcelona-guide/
The Olympic port has a lot of great new architecture and when the sun is shining, the beach is bumping. We got a prime seat at a bar on the beach and posted up there for a few hours, drinking Sangria.
*I encourage you also to go back to where you’re staying and grab a siesta. Spaniards also eat late, so going for dinner at 9pm is common. Nothing like some Tapas and wine, before you go out on the town!
Day 5-A Sunday in Barcelona
Sundays are usually the day for family. It is also the day when most things are closed. Sundays are also for open air antique markets.
This Sunday, we chose to chill out and make a big brunch at our apartment, then walk around the Gothic quarter. We did find a huge open air market right in front of an ancient church. For our last meal we dinned in one of the squares of Gracia and people watched until we were too tired to think straight
After 4 days of going full on every day it does catch up to you
The one thing I regret that I didn’t do was take a cooking class. Next time I go back to Spain, I’ll be at the Paella pan learning how to make it from the best
Well that was a lot of info, but I hope you guys use this to see some cool stuff when you are in Barcelona. I had a great time when I was there. The vibe of the city is so wonderful and this was even at the beginning of March. If you have the chance to go, then go!
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