Barcelona: Tapas, Montjuic, and other various Catalonia

Hi, all! This is going to be my last post about Barcelona...I'm ready to move on and write about different things! I'm fitting a lot into this post, so be prepared! 

On our last full day in Barcelona, we slept in pretty late and then went to Quimet & Quimet for a tapas lunch. I didn't realize this, but it was featured in one of the episodes of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. It was hands down my favorite place we ate ate while there! 

It's a 100 year old, family run LITERAL hole in the wall. It is tiny and standing room only. There's a little 5 foot long bar where all of the tapas are made before your eyes. All of the montaditos (a little bread with various toppings), glasses of Sangria, and most of the wines were under 3 euros.

The montaditos we had were so exquisitely simple. We had: yogurt with smoked salmon and truffle honey (took the whole salty sweet thing to another level), goat cheese and sundried tomato, pate with mushrooms, and mussles with caviar. Plus two glasses of really tasty Sangria, all for only 20 euros! If you go to Barcelona, you HAVE to go to this place. No, really. I insist. And if you don't know what to order, just ask the waitress to make whatever she feels like- that's what I did, and it didn't disappoint. 

   

   

Some of these pictures were actually from the day before, but I am already forgetting what we saw on which day. We walked to Montjuic (a park in west Barcelona that offers panoramic views of the city), and on the way saw some interesting sights. This is why we prefer walking to taking the bus or subway when we go out of town- we are able to stop and see so much. There was a parade going on (we are unsure what it was for, but it featured wine barrels).

We were able to take cable cars to the top of Montjuic- such a nice rest for our feet! The views were stunning and truly, you could see the whole city from the top.

There's a castle on the very top that used to be a prison and execution grounds, where 4,000 prisoners were shot here during Franco's reign.

It was a very relaxing, quiet area. There was a little trailer selling coffee, beer, and other beverages. Really, the perfect spot to go and soak in a beautiful day in Barcelona. This was probably my favorite attraction.

We sat in the grass, admiring the views and talking for a good part of the day. A great way to end our vacation.

We took the cable car back down about half way, then walked the rest of the way down the hill and back to our flat to (of course) chill on our terrace until dinner time. 

To end our last night, we had paella and then went to what Daniel calls the "secret sangria bar". It isn't secret, but not exactly what you would find in a tour book. All locals there. I love Sangria in Barcelona- I only had it a couple of times, but it isn't too sweet. It's made with MARTINI vermouth and a splash of fanta, plus some orange slices.

The next morning, while walking to catch the bus back to the airport, I took this picture because I was in shock of the amount of pigeons. I was too scared to get closer, in fear that they'd all fly off and poop on me.

In a nutshell, I loved Barcelona and I'm glad we got to go!

Barcelona: Sagrada, Picasso, and Magic Fountains

I wish I had a pedometer on during our second day in Barcelona- we must have walked around 7-10 miles. I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

We started our morning with Barcelona's most famous attraction- La Sagrada Familia. We decided to walk the 4 KM there, since we wanted to see more of the city, anyway. I had purchased tickets to see Sagrada Familia about a week before we left (I learned my lesson in Amsterdam with being unable to see the Anne Frank House) and I'm so thankful I did that- the line must have been over an hour long! 

    

The old front vs the new back look like they belong to entirely different churches. The front almost gives the illusion of things melting. The back is very geometrical. Daniel gave the back, geometrical nativity the very artistic term of being "Jesus blockheads" because, well, their heads are all block shaped! 

   

It's taken over a century to be built and is projected to be complete in 2026. I guess there are bound to be several different styles if it takes that long to be built, but it is still strange- it seems like nothing really belongs together! 

   

In the back was an old school house. Gaudi had it built to school the children of all of the builders. 

   

   

The inside all had an incredibly modern feel to it. It didn't look like your typical Catholic church, that's for sure! I loved all of the stained glass- it was just a mosaic of color, there were no depictions of biblical scenes. It gave the impression that there were different colored light bulbs in the church, as the whole area by the window would be illuminated in green, red, or blue.  

 It literally looks like Jesus is ascending into heaven on a parachute. Or I guess if he's on a parachute, would he be descending to Earth? Hanging around the parachute were grapes and candles. It was stunning.

After the church, we walked to a tapas bar and had a Spanish beer, along with tuna, eggs with chorizo and potatoes, padron peppers, and tomato flat bread. It was good, but I was disappointed at this point that we couldn't find as good of food as we did in Madrid. I needed Ashley and Kiko to help us navigate!

Afterwards, we walked to the Picasso Museum. It's free on Sunday afternoons, so we had to wait in line for about 30 minutes. It wasn't bad, though- there were a couple of men playing their violin and accordion, and they were actually quite impressive.

   

I think I'm just not a museum person. I rather be walking around a city than stuck inside a museum. I've also seen a ton of museums at this point, so maybe that's why. The museum was beautiful and in an old gothic building. However, I wouldn't go back if I had to pay (London's free museums have spoiled me). If you want to go to the Picasso museum when it's free (starting at 3 pm on Sundays), go around 2:30. The line gets REALLY long after then and you end up having to wait even longer. 

We took a little afternoon break and went to our flat to enjoy the terrace. Around 8, we headed to Plaza de Espanya for a free "magic fountain" show. Sounded quirky to me, but our host insisted that it was really cool! In typical Spanish fashion, it didn't start until 9:30 PM, so we ate first and then walk the 3 KM there. 

It was crowded, but enjoyable! I'm not sure if it just runs during the summer months, but it is a 15 minute light, music, and water show that runs on repeat from 9:30-11:30 PM Fri-Sun nights.

A very, very full day! I think I have two more Barcelona posts in me, and then I'll get back to normal life in London!

Arriving to Barcelona

We're back, a bit more sunburned than we left and with very, very sore feet. We were in Barcelona for the past few nights and loved it! We took hundreds of pictures and managed to do so much that I am trying to figure out how to best organize my blog posts. 

First, our flat. I always look forward to checking out our flat once we arrive. They have all been so different and give a little taste of what it is like to truly live in the city. Our Barcelona flat truly did not disappoint. What it was lacking in size, it made up for with perfect panoramic views and design (Seriously, I want this chick to come decorate our house. She had awesome taste). 

 We had a small studio, with this winding staircase that led to our rooftop terrace. We would go to the market, buy some jamon, manchego, and cava, and spend hours on the roof everyday. It was definitely my favorite thing about our trip to Barcelona!

       

Other than simple cheeses and meats, the market also had pigs head, tongue, and lots of questionable meats. We are adventurous, but decided to pass on the heads. 

 I thought we'd spend more time on the beach, but we only checked it out on the day of our arrival. It was warm but windy! And so crowded! We enjoyed walking around, stopping at beach bars, and people watching. 

 Sangria made with Cava. Was a little too sweet for my liking, but still refreshing to sip on while on the board walk.

Lots of musicians in Barcelona! This was one we listened to for a bit while on the beach. 

  

 Other than checking out the beach, we also explored the Gothic Quarter once we arrived, since it was where our flat was situated. It was interesting just meandering through the narrow, winding streets. Although we weren't looking for it, we found the Barcelona Cathedral and decided to take a peak.

   

True story: I didn't even try to go into the cathedral. I was wearing shorts and figured it wouldn't be appropriate to go in (and honestly, kept seeing other gals in shorts get turned away from going inside, and didn't want to face humiliation). So Daniel went in while I stayed outside. So take note, if you are going to Europe and want to check out churches, make sure you are not in shorts or a dress that is above knee length. It sounds like a no brainer, but when it is 85 degrees and you're spending your whole day walking around in the heat, you don't think about wearing your Sunday best!

In front of the cathedral was a full on band playing what I am guessing to be traditional Catalan songs. People, mostly local seniors, would get in circles and dance to the music, placing their purses and backpacks in the center of the circle. The dance consisted of them just slightly moving their feet while holding their arms up. I'm sure their arms got tired!

So, that was a very full half day in Barcelona! I'll write more in the next couple of days about Sagrada Familia, Picasso, the best view in Barcelona, and, of course, the FOOD (because what is a vacation post from me without a detailed account of what we ate?!).