Barcelona was one of our first trips when we moved to Amsterdam. Neither of us had been before and as I started doing my research I realised that I didn’t know very much about where we were headed. We spent four days in this beautiful city and I feel like we barely scratched the surface of all it has to offer.

Day .5 - Dinner and Drinks

We arrived in the late afternoon so I’m not counting this as a proper day.

Checked into our Airbnb in the Gothic Quarter. Excellent location because of its proximity to public transit and the Cathedral Barcelona. But that’s where the perks ended. The apartment we walked into definitely did not match its photos and there was a ridiculous amount of construction going on across the narrow street/alley, which resulted in some early mornings. And to add insult to injury, the toilet seat was hanging on by a thread so no matter how carefully you sat, it would slip 3 inches to the left. Always jarring. Especially in the middle of the night. No one was harmed. Everyone was emotionally scarred.

First stop: Creps el Born for cocktails. It wasn’t very busy but you could tell that it was the calm before the storm. We were grateful because we were looking for a chill place with good cocktails to catch up with our friends. The Spicy Margarita is def the way to go. Chris’ cocktail came in a bag…A+ for presentation…I don’t remember if it was good or not…

Dinner at Bar Brutal was exactly what I pictured dinner in Spain to be: Lively tapas restaurant, communal table, pages and pages of excellent (affordable) wine, and a rich and delicious menu of meats. We had rabbit, lamb, kidneys of an unknown animal, and washed it down with bottles and bottles of Spanish reds. Can’t wait to get back here.

We left tipsy and full, so of course we had to close out the night with a nightcap back at Creps el Born. By then it had graduated to a raucous party, so if that’s your scene: welcome home.

Day 1 - I Think I’ll Go for a Walk Outside Now…

Getting a good look at our walk up Montjuïc Hill to the Palau Nacional

Our plan was to meet up with friends and walk until our legs fell off. We started at Plaça d'Espanya, the city’s biggest (and busiest) square, set at the foot of Montjuïc Hill. It’s a fairly easy walk up a gradual incline of stairs with plenty of places to stop to look back down at the square to check your progress.

Montjuïc Hill is home to the few surviving buildings from the 1929 International Exposition (aka World's Fair). I find historic architecture incredibly fascinating and Barcelona does not disappoint.

At the top of the majestic staircase, we arrived at the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. It’s impressive and an excellent spot to stop for a photo op (I promise this rhyming will not continue).

Next up was the Palau Nacional, which houses the National Art Museum of Catalonia. Rather than entering the museum to enjoy the extensive Catalan artistry, we stayed outside to enjoy the sunshine and pause for a beer and a bathroom break.

Onward up the hill, skirting the Joan Maragall Gardens until we arrived at the Olympic stadium. As Olympic stadiums go this one was quite stately and made me want to take a lap around the track. But they frown upon that so we moved on to Montjuic Castle. We debated about whether it’s worth the €5 for entry, and ultimately determine that we can, in fact, afford to enter the site. I’m glad we did. The castle was originally built as a fortress to defend Barcelona, and was later used as a prison. It shows. It’s dark and damp and narrow inside, but once you make it up to the terrace, the view of Barcelona - the port, the Mediterranean Sea - it’s worth the €5. And if they sold beers up there I would have paid double and stayed even longer.

View from the top of Montjuic Castle. Worth the €5!

Rather than hiking back down, I recommend that you walk over to the Miramar terminal of the Port Vell Aerial Tramway and take the scenic route down to Port Vell. For some reason it seems this terminal has the same name whether it’s at the top of the hill or down in the port, so do your own homework to make sure you’re landing in the right spot.

In typical fashion, our hunger coincided with the siesta so most places were closed so we walked and walked until we found Luki. Food was pretty good and although they did not have margaritas (probably because that’s more Mexican than Spanish), they did have delicious sangria options so no one was disappointed. There is honestly nothing better than an ice cold glass of fresh sangria after a lot of walking. We sat on a shady patio that was in the center of what seemed to be a sleepy roundabout. Fast forward 30 minutes, and it turned into a cut-through for student drivers. Keep your kids and your pets close folks.

Post-lunch and we were ready to hit up some of the recommended cocktail bars (there are many!). First stop was Betty Ford's in the Raval neighborhood. We scored a table by the window and spent a few hours enjoying this super chill sunny bar. The eclectic decor, great music, and, delicious and unique cocktails makes this a ‘must-visit’. But unfortunately we couldn’t stay forever. Our friends had a flight to catch and we had to keep it moving in the direction of their hotel so that we could squeeze every last minute out of our time together.

Side Note: Two Schmucks is only a few doors down from Betty Ford’s and was highly recommended, and although we missed it this time it is high on our list for a future visit.

After hours of cocktails it seemed reasonable for our next step to be a beer bar to slow our roll a bit. El Drapaire De La Cervesa Artesana has a wide selection a local craft beers and was a chill final stop for us to reminisce about all the things we’d seen that day and all the things we want to see next time we visit.

Talented bartender serving up nautical cocktails at The Caribbean Club

We bid farewell to our friends and headed next door to the Caribbean Club to drown our sorrows in some inventive rum drinks. The bar is nautically themed, and as you walk down the stairs, you feel as though you’re boarding a high-end ship. The talented bartenders quickly assessed our preferences and created some truly creative drinks. We had a few rounds and I felt like I was sporting an eye patch and a peg leg when we left.

Dinner was hazy but I do know we went to Bacaro. This cozy Italian restaurant was delicious and very lively. I remember we ordered octopus and homemade gnocchi, and next time I’ll visit before diving into the rum drinks, so that I can properly savor the meal. You live and you learn.

Day 2 - All Aboard the HOHO

We woke up earlier than we’d like thanks to the construction in the building across the alley, so we decided to make the most of it and start the day.

Bar Lobo is in the Raval neighborhood and is a 10 minute walk from our Airbnb. We ordered sangria (it’s never too early, right?) and a few plates of tapas, which were fresh and delicious. The terrace is in a plaza, making it a lively place to eat and people watch. As we were enjoying our brunch, a small group of guys stopped in the middle of the plaza, took their shirts off, and started oiling each other up with sunblock. At first it was unclear what they were preparing for, until they started stretching and pulled a speaker out of a duffel bag. Then we knew we were in for a show. After they performed some impressive gymnastics, and vaulted over a few volunteer tourists, we paid our bill, donated our obligatory Euros into the passing hat, and headed out to start sightseeing.

I know it sounds lame but, because Barcelona is sprawling and hilly, a good way to see a lot of sites without having to walk 15 miles is the hop-on-hop-off Barcelona Bus Tour. World travellers like us call it the HOHO, because it sounds far more sophisticated... Anyways, the HOHO helped us get a better sense of how far apart things really are so we could better plan the following days. Highly recommend it. We also bought the 2-day pass because the routes are long and we weren’t sure how much we could cover in one day.

There are two bus routes to choose from and we started with the East Route (aka the Green line) because it included Segrada Familia and Park Güell, which were both a healthy walk from our Airbnb.

Boarded the bus at Plaça Catalunya, and headed straight for the top deck for the best unobstructed views. The tour begins by heading up the shoreline; passing through Port Vell, by the marina, the Aquarium, scores of beachside bars and restaurants, and countless museums. Although we were tempted to hop off right away, we were on a mission to see Sagrada Familia.

The bus dropped us off right out front and we walked up the main entrance of Sagrada only to learn that you must buy tickets in advance for a specified time. That’s news we could have used yesterday, so we bought tickets online for the following day and hopped back on the bus. Don’t be like us. Check to see if the attractions you want to see in Barcelona require advance ticket purchase.

Back on the bus and after a bit of homework we learned that Casa Batllo has tickets available immediately and lucky for us it was coming up on the route. It’s a little pricey (~25€) but we were ready to see some sights so we decided to invest. It was worth it. Designed by Antoni Gaudi this house is an absolute masterpiece. Every detail is unusual and audacious. The use of windows and skylights and vents to create the sensation that you are outside when you’re inside is brilliant. There was a virtual reality tour to show what the house originally looked like as a residence, and an audio tour provides interesting facts. To see the whole house top-to-bottom only took about an hour and not an inch of it disappoints.

Sushi served on lily pads at Dos Palillos

Dos Palillos in Raval was our chosen dinner spot but it’s incredibly difficult to get a table without a reservation (again with the advance reservations!). We overcame this obstacle by arriving right as it opened and grabbed two seats at the bar. What. A. Meal. Dos Pallilos is Spanish for “two chopsticks” and the menu is an eclectic array of Spanish and Japanese flavours and ingredients. The vibe is cozy and the service was excellent. We feasted on kimchi pork, baos, and sushi served on lily pads. Next time we’ll book ahead so that we can sit in the interior dining room at one of the 24 seats that encircle the kitchen.

Because we can never just say goodnight, we headed over for a nightcap (or two) at Tuxedo. This swanky little speakeasy requires membership and it’s worth it even for just one visit. No photos and no phone calls allowed, just vintage cocktails and relaxed clientele. It’s cash only, so plan ahead. They take reservations if you don’t want to risk getting turned away. On a Friday or Saturday you might want one.

Bookcase-cum-secret entryway to Tuxedo Social Club

DAY 3 - Segrada Familia: Take 2

It was a perfect day, sunny and breezy, for our walk down to Port Vell. Our route took us across a section of Las Ramblas - a connected series of pedestrian walkways that you'll definitely pass through it at some point while you’re n the city. Lots of little stands to buy postcards, souvenirs, etc. It’s a bit torturous though because it’s so touristy and it is most definitely where your pocket will be picked. You’ve been warned.

View of View of Frank Gehry's Golden Fish Sculpture in Port Vell

In Port Vell, we walked along the boardwalk and realized we should have planned to go to the beach but we didn’t believe it would be this hot in April. It was pretty crowded, so a bike rental to head further up the boardwalk to a less crowded beach is something we might take advantage of on a future visit.

After an hour or so exploring the boardwalk, we headed to Park Güell. I highly recommend taking either the subway or the HOHO to reach the park. It is far from the waterfront and it’s a hike up, what feels like, an endless number of hills.

Park Güell is a public park unlike any other. An UNESCO World Heritage site, this municipal garden was designed by Antoni Gaudi and offers colourful animal mosaics, clever architecture, and fields of flowers. The park is free to visit and is perfect for an afternoon stroll and offers unique city views. The Gaudi Home Museum requires a ticket, but we had just visited Casa Batllo the day before, and because our next stop was Sagrada Familia, we weren’t ready to donate another €30 to Gaudi.

The walk to Sagrada Familia took us about 30 minutes and is a straight shot down 122 meters of hills. I’ve honestly never done as much walking on vacation as we did in Barcelona.

We arrived at 2pm ahead of our 2:30 ticket time and we were starving. In typical fashion, it is siesta. Again. Luckily there is a burger bar open for 30 more minutes so we grabbed a beer and burgers.

The forever-under-construction Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia is breathtaking. It’s impossible to describe what it feels like to be inside such a majestic, religious architectural wonder. I’m not very religious, but the initial sight once we stepped inside the basilica honestly brought tears to my eyes.

View from inside the Sagrada Familia Passion Tower spiral staircase

We bought tickets to head up to the Nativity Tower. I highly recommend this, as long as you’re not too afraid of heights or tight spaces. There is no better view of the city than the one from the Tower. Plus it offers up-close views of the ornate designs on the spires. We lucked out and two guys were having a philosophical debate on the bridge that connects the towers, so once we manoeuvred by them we basically had the other tower to ourselves. The spiral staircase back to the ground floor is dizzying. And narrow. Hold on tightly as you descend the 400 stairs.

We spent at least 90 minutes taking it all in; staring up at the vaulted ceilings and watching the ever-changing patterns the sunlight cast through the strained glass windows. We honestly forgot we had already walked 10 miles that day because we were so entranced. The exterior facades are also stunning in their own way. Ornate with limitless details on every surface. This is easily the crown jewel of Barcelona. A must-see for anyone who appreciates architecture and design.

After a quick nap, we were off to dinner at Suculent in Raval. It’s a more upscale restaurant with a Mediterranean / Spanish menu of fresh local ingredients. We opted for the prix fixe dinner with pairings, because after walking nearly 15 miles we definitely earned it. The meal was excellent - lobster, chicken jowl on a bone, scuttle fish, chicken skins - but the services was lightning fast, to the point where we had to ask them to slow down because we could barely keep up. Meanwhile, the table next to us was made of American women of a certain age, all flirting with their young Spanish tour guide. After dessert it was time for one last visit to Tuxedo.

This time Tuxedo was featuring a harpist who played literally two songs, and then sat with her friends for an hour. Great gig for her. We stayed for two delicious rounds and staggered home to get a bit of rest before our flight out in the morning.

Barcelona, there is so much more we need to see and do! We shall return.

THE LOGISTICS

Travel Date | April 2018

Flights | AMS > BCN on Vueling

Airbnb | When choosing this Airbnb I focused on one that was near public transit and within walking distance to points of interest. Then I only considered apartments that have many good reviews and/or ones with owners who also rent other well-reviewed properties. In this case, my additional suggestion would be to take a good look at the photos. In this case, our host had strategically re-positioned the furniture in different places across the photos to make the apartment look more spacious, and more furnished than it really was. This was not the case and was quite a disappointment when we arrived.

Transportation | From the airport it is super easy to take the bus into town and it's only ~€6. I think it's the A1 from terminal 1 and A2 from terminal 2. Buy the tickets at the kiosk right in front of the bus line and you're good to go. It's 35 mins with 4 stops. Brings you right to Plaça de Catalunya. You can use the cab fare savings on a pitcher of sangria. Also the subway is a quick and inexpensive way to cut across the city.

Pro Tips |

Book tickets in advance / make reservations ahead of time, if you can, or show up right when places open. We tried to stroll into Sagrada Familia and that was a no-go.
Star every place you like, or think you might like on the map. It's a big city and when you suddenly decide you need food, a drink, or shade, the last thing you want to be doing is wandering into some random place or scrambling to do your research on the spot.
Most restaurants close from ~2-5pm so plan your meals accordingly. We always get screwed because we forget to plan around midday closings. Don't be like us!
Download Luxe Guide for Barcelona. There is an ‘Around Me’ feature that displays restaurants, bars and sights nearby on a map so you can easily navigate there. Luxe never fails.
Wear comfortable shoes. The city is made up of hills and cobblestones so wear shoes you can walk in forever.
It was hot enough to go to the beach during the day in April so plan accordingly. There are lots of places to rent bikes, boats or paddle boards along the boardwalk in Port Vell. However, even if it is tank top weather in the sun, sitting in the shade I found that I wanted sleeves, so bring layers. This may be more of a springtime advisory warning.
Sunblock. Holy moly, sunblock. Early and often friends. This might be more of a springtime / summertime warning though as I don’t know how sunny it is at other times of year.

#195Postcards

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