Barcelona, Spain was a city made for me. Fresh seafood, tapas that allowed you to try multiple things, great alcohol, midday naps, and late dinners are all things I can endorse. At first glance, I wasn’t overwhelmed by the feel of Barcelona. Barcelona, Spain doesn’t run you over with history and monuments, in the Disneyland fashion of other European cities. The city is simply beautiful, with its own unique history and architecture… and there were also significantly less people trying to sell me selfie sticks and phones (I’m sure they fell off a truck…), which is always a good thing.
I loved Barcelona, so much that it split my personality. One side said it is the best city I have visited. Of course, there are other versions of me, who claim Budapest or Lisbon as the best…and still Barcelona has everything one could want. The people were nice, and of course the food was amazing. It would be difficult for me to love anyplace that didn’t have the power to add five pant sizes…
The Look of Barcelona, Spain
Someone once complained to me they didn’t like Barcelona, because it felt like just an “ordinary” city. I agree, because every city has a large gothic medieval section and buildings made by a man who may have bathed in absinthe and read Alice in Wonderland before designing them. Anyone who thinks Barcelona looks ordinary must have visited Mars, because compared to other earthy cities, it has a spectacular look and enveloping personality…
Gaudi’s architecture alone, present throughout the city, magnifies any street. Each of his works feels crazier than the last. The unfinished Sagrada Família was fantastic, the outside does not prepare you for the grandiose experience of walking inside (as a side maybe the thing would be finished if they didn’t take daily three-hour naps).
After seeing Gaudi’s amazing architecture, I continued walking down to the streets of the Gothic area. The area is complete with the obligatory giant church and Roman Ruins. I could spend hours just wandering the streets of Barcelona. Of course, walking the streets are just better when you have great places to stop and eat, which brings me to my next topic.
The Food of Barcelona
It wouldn’t be a Maninflight.com post without me talking how I stuffed my face, and stuff I did. Barcelona is so good it made the initial top spot of my favorite eating destinations (update needed). My favorite item might be a bit strange, as anchovies very rarely make it to the top of a list. Barcelona had anchovies that were delicious, fresh, and unique. I never thought I would give anchovies a second thought, but these were something special. If they make anchovies that good, their other seafood must be amazing.
Of course, it was, we gorged on grilled calamari, razor clams, octopus…all of the little mermaid’s friends. It was Barcelona, Spain that made me realize I was living a lie in terms of freshness of seafood. If there is one thing I like better than eating, it is eating cheap. Barcelona let me dine on a SeaWorld’s worth of sea creatures for a fraction of the price one would pay in the United States.
The La Boqueria market was particularly amazing, and is still to date, my favorite food market (sorry Athens). Following, Phil once again (from Somebody Feed Phil) we hit this place on multiple occasions throughout the day. We would go for breakfast, we would go for lunch, we would go for dinner…but we always went for $5 Mojitos.
Outside of the market
Besides seafood and tasty creatures, I need to reiterate the tapas. I assume you know what they are, but if you don’t I will say, they are like our appetizers, only for $1-2 euro…not $13. Small plates, eaten traditionally between 4-7 PM, this is to hold you off until your big dinner at midnight. Apparently, dinner is best when the sun is close to coming up. Barcelona, Spain had too many delicious items to count. The options to eat were endless, between the hot melted chocolate with Churros, Empanadas (from a great place near our hotel), Sangria, Iberico Dry Cured Ham…this is a city for foodies. Everything just tastes better there, because everything is fresher and cheaper.
Spoonik
I would be remise not to mention one of the best eating experiences of my life. My wonderful wife took me to a spot called Spoonik, a restaurant as crazy as any Picasso painting. The meal was 14-courses paired with wine, it was as much a journey as it was a dinning experience.
Each of the small plates was more decadent than the next, and they were three or four bites of heaven. The entire meal took us 3-hours to eat, like so much of the city, it was just amazing. The atmosphere was equally entertaining, the lights would come on and off, the music would add to the atmosphere, it was truly dinner and a show.
I had the additional entertainment of a guy next to us who took his blind date there. A woman who complained that there were too many ingredients in the meal. Not sure what she expected from a three-hour, 14-course meal. Sir, if you’re reading, piece of advice, next time go to Starbucks on your first date.
Things to Do in Barcelona, Spain
I mentioned in one of my posts that Barcelona doesn’t have the in-depth history and art like Rome. Regardless, it has its own history (although ironically the Barcelona history museum is primarily a Roman ruin). Gaudi, who shaped many streets in the city, is featured throughout the area. Barcelona was also home to Picasso, who seems to be kind of famous. Be sure to head to the Gothic area and spend some time in the Picasso museum. It is strange how so many artists in Barcelona seem to have hit the Absinthe before work, but everything is very unique…
I know I keep coming back to Gaudi, but I really liked his work. I recommend hitting one of his buildings daily. We saved the Sagrada Família for last, if there is one touristy attraction this is it. Don’t let the long lines and selfie stick sellers scare you, this is worth the wait. Whether it is the Casa Batllo or the Casa Mila – La Pedrera (which I recommend going to at night) you should see everything he created for his city.
Some “Other” things to do in the city
After eating your weight in clams and having your share of Mojitos from a cart, check out the Egyptian History Museum, regardless of its size, if you like Egyptian history it is worth the time and small fee.
For me just walking a city is my favorite past time. I already mentioned the Gothic area, but the whole city was beautiful. Every city has one street they are famous for, Los Ramblos is the one in Barcelona. This is the street that the market was one, so of course I was on it daily. It is in the heart of the city and connected everything. There was the added bonus of being able to buy Louis Vatton pocket books for 10% of the price! How do they offer such deals! Ok, the street might be a bit touristy for some, but when we went it wasn’t overwhelming and a great way to spend an afternoon.
The Night Life of Barcelona, Spain
This is not a city for the early bird. I personally am not a big clubber. I didn’t need to go clubbing to know the city is packed at night. When you go to a restaurant at 10:30 and there is a half hour wait, you get a feel for what it is like in Barcelona at night. Given the huge nap they take every afternoon, I guess it is like their dinner is lunch. The city is packed with bars, restaurants and places that are open to the wee hours.
There is an old saying that nothing good happens after 12:00 AM, I say Barcelona breaks this rule. Although I loved the city during the day, so many good things happened after dark. Whether it was a late-night Sangria and Empanadas, Mojitos in a random bar or full dinner at 11 PM, there was good to be had. Having travelled throughout Europe, I realize that Barcelona truly stays open later than the rest of the continent, which is much appreciated.
Conclusion
How do you describe the “feel” of a city? I can ramble on about all the things I love to eat and how beautiful the city is, but I don’t think that captured why I loved my visit. Sometimes, as soon as you start walking the streets the energy of the city just rubs you the right way. Maybe it was a combination of great people, great food, and laid-back atmosphere. If you are looking for something different, I would put Barcelona at the top of your list.
