Uno: Barcelona!

palm trees and parties

SPAIN! I had never been until recently when my friend, Ashley, and I decided to meet up in Barcelona.  We scored a cheap (but safe) AirBnB apartment in La Rambla and settled in for a few days of sightseeing, sangria, and shopping. Ash and I go way back... we went to college together and lived in New York at the same time. Once we started hanging out we became fast friends and no matter where our lives take us, we always find a way to catch up. She's lived all over - Tennessee, New York, London, and Dubai & travels ALL the time (more than me!)... so whenever I get the chance to see her, I jump on it! She also has an awesome travel blog as well: http://www.ashterstravels.blogspot.com/ - get to know her! 

We had a blast in Barcelona. She had been once before, but didn't spend too much time there. Barcelona, while a little touristy, has some amazing FLAIR! It's a coastal town, so we took advantage of as much waterside walking as we could. We are both obsessed with being outside, so we got up every day (after sleeping in a bit - it was vacation, after all) and stayed out in the city until we absolutely needed to go back to the apartment. 

Here are my Barcelona Five:

1. Park Güell - Blame my dad for getting me into outdoor green spaces. The place is insane! Designed by Antoni Gaudi and has some pretty spectacular views of the city and coastline. PLUS - the world's longest park bench is a mosaic. Simply stunning! 
2. La Sagrada Familia - If you don't know about this church, get to know it. Another one of Gaudi's masterpieces, this church is an ongoing construction that is set to be complete in 2026. The project started in 1882. I can't even begin to describe the detail and thought that went into creating this church. Read about it - or better yet, go SEE IT!
3. La Boqueria - A functioning open air market that draws as many tourists as it does actual local shoppers. Careful with the camera - the  shop owners would rather sell you a piece of fruit than have you photograph it, so they might tell you to put it away.
4. Cava! - I assume you guys are aware of my love of bubbly beverages. No? Well, what blog have you been readin?! Cava is a spanish sparkling wine and it is oh so delicous. The best thing is that IT'S CHEAP! THere are a bunch of cava bars around, but the one I found most intriging was Can Paixano - a little hole in the wall where a glass of their house made cava comes out to about 1.50€. It feels sort of like you are walking into someone's garage. Just go with it.
5. Nightlife - Here's something you don't see me write about too often... clubs. Now, we all know that I am a girl that likes to sip wine and champagne, but my dancing days have for the most part come and gone. I like to actually hear people when they talk to me as opposed to screaming "WAAAAT?" every other second. ("THIS DJ IS SO GOOD" "WAAAAT?" "I SAID THIS DJ IS AWESOME!"  "WHAAAAAAT???" "OH GOD, NEVER MIND, I HATE YOU"). That said... this town is pretty dope for going out in and dancing. After a late dinner of tapas (which are actually native to other parts of Spain, but whatever), we hit the streets. Throughout our stay, we made it to Eclipse (26 stories up) and multiple beach side spots. There are tons of rooftop bars in this city, but unfortunately, it was a little too cold for them to be open. On the to-do list for next time

word to the wise: Barcelona is super casual, so leave those high heels at home!  

more Barcelona pics coming in the next post....

xoxo, 

b