Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Our Favorites - Barcelona


We were in Barcelona for four nights and loved every minute.  Barcelona has a lot of old world charm mixed with modern art and a fun energy.  Here are some of our favorites:


To Explore:

One of the top things we were told to do was wander down Las Ramblas, the main tourist street in town.  We thought Las Ramblas was a little too crazy and touristy, and really preferred wandering the streets alleys of the Gothic Quarter, where there's a new shop around every corner, as well as the beachfront in Barceloneta.  The Gothic Quarter and Barceloneta also have much better food options.


To eat:

Passagis de Pep - If you love seafood, this is the place for you.  They don't have a menu, and instead serve you whatever they found fresh in the markets that day.  We had amazing clams, squid, black rice, lobster tail, sea snails, and our new favorite, padron peppers.  The meal also started with complimentary pan con tomates and a bottle of cava, two staples in Barcelona.  Make sure to look up the address before you go, there isn't a sign outside and we circled the block about four times before we found it.

Tapas 24 - The head chef is a disciple of one of the best chefs in the world, Ferran Adria.  We tried some traditional tapas, but where they really shined was in their specials.  Order the truffle braised oxtail sandwich.  Yes, it's just as good as it sounds.  It was pretty hectic and noisy inside, so try to get a table outside if you can.  


To see:

Gaudi - The must-see architecture in Barcelona is all by Antoni Gaudi, who I'm pretty sure was the inspiration for Dr. Seuss.  Even if you aren't that into architecture, his stuff is pretty cool to see.  We really enjoyed Parc Guell as well as La Sagrada Familia.

Montjuic - Not only is this where we got engaged, it's also where the 1992 Olympics were held.  It's an easy hike up to the Olympic Stadium, and you can actually go swimming in the pool, which has an amazing view of the city.  We also really liked the Magic Fountains at the foot of Montjuic.




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7 comments :

  1. Beautiful photos! That architecture is pretty cool, and it's so funny that place didn't have a menu. I guess that's how you know everything is fresh!

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  2. Love hearing/seeing about your trip! I've only been out of the country once, but I hope to change that soon!

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  3. Hi what a cute nice blog honey you have.....My name is Marie I am a Blogger based in italy and I was wondering if we could follow each other GFC bloglovin

    Let me know I will follow back as always! Love Marie.

    www.mariezamboli.com

    www.mariezamboli.com

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  4. I'd love to visit Barcelona one day–I know a ton of friends that have been there and absolutely loved it. You trip sounds amazing (especially, you know–THE ENGAGEMENT PART!!!).

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  5. It's been two years since I visited Barca but it failed to steal my heart. It was probably because we went in early July and it was so.extremely.HOT. We climbed up a mountain in 40°C and without any water. I'll never forget that, haha. I should go back in early spring some time, and truly explore the city :-) xo

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  6. Looks amazing! and you are are giving me travel ideas :)
    www.olivedoesthecity.com

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  7. Love this post! I've been cataloging Barcelona tips for my future trip, I'm definitely adding this to my list!
    Catherine
    chroniclecat.blogspot.com

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