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.

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First, I need to acknowledge that if one of your major problems is to not knowing whether to visit either Barcelona or Rome, then you are living a good life. Please take a second to thank whatever entity you may or may not worship, because problems don’t get much better. I loved both cities immensely, which is why I chose these two to start. I will divide it into 5 categories, Food/Drink, Art/History, Beauty of the City, Nightlife, and Things to Do.  So the bell has rung, let the smack down begin in this epic fight of Barcelona vs. Rome begin.

*For Hotels in Barcelona I can Vouch for the Majestic Hotel Spa Barcelona. Hit the Link to Read the Tripadvisor reviews and Shop for Deals

Round One: Food

If you read my last post this is a little anticlimactic, given I have ranked Barcelona as my favorite food city. If I lived in either Rome or Barcelona, I feel I would quickly have to replace my wardrobe with Mumus. Writing this, I feel a month in Barcelona would add on an additional 4 chins, while in Rome I would get a mere two. The food in Rome, while excellent, was not always authentic. I would be minding my own business, and before I knew it found myself in a typical tourist trap in Rome, while in Barcelona everything felt more authentic. The meals, at times, may have gotten a bit repetitive in Spain, but the idea of gorging on seafood and tapas is more appealing than spinning the wheel in Rome in the hopes that I have a native cook.

Barcelona 1 Point

Round Two: Art/History

Here we have another easy one, I am not saying Barcelona is lacking in art and history, because it certainly is not. Rome is Rome…meaning it basically touches the history of the entire western world. Rome has so much art and history that it pushes its way into other cities; Barcelona being one of them. The major attraction of the Barcelona History museum are the Roman ruins beneath it…

As mentioned, Barcelona has its fair share of art/history including the Picasso Museum and numerous buildings by the architect Antoni Gaudí. When compared to Rome, Barcelona can’t hold Rome’s ‘big paintbrush’ in the art category. The Vatican City Museums would take days to fully appreciate, let alone the rest of the city. Rome itself is one giant museum and there is history at every corner. So, for Round two Barcelona vs. Rome, I have to give this to Rome by a long shot.

Rome 1 Point

Round Three: Beauty of the City

So, the first two installments of Barcelona vs. Rome seemed easy, but this next category is a bit trickier. The only way I can think to explain it, is to say that visiting Barcelona is like slowly dipping into a pool. The city unfolds gradually and envelopes you into its warmth, its beauty sneaks up on you the longer you stay. You get an appreciation for the architecture of Gaudi and areas like the Gothic Quarter show the true beauty of the city. It took me a second to really notice how unique this city is, but once I did, I felt I couldn’t look away. 

Whereas Barcelona is like a gradual envelopment, Rome is an ocean of riddles wrapped in an eternal enigma, Rome gives your eyes a feast at every turn, statues, art, giant monuments; my neck hurt from looking around. It would be unfair to give the an edge to either Barcelona or Rome.

Tie: No Point

Round Four:  Night Life

You will get worn out by either way, but to me the obvious winner in this category is Barcelona. Since residents don’t even start dinner until about 10 pm, the city is basically up all night… Good food, packed restaurants and cava flowing into the break of dawn.  Rome was the quiet glass of wine at 10:30, whereas Barcelona was the non-stop party.

Barcelona 2-1

Final Round: Things to do

While there is a ton to do and see in Barcelona, Rome simply has the edge. The sheer amount of churches, museums, fountains, and parks can get overwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, I was never bored on my trip to Spain, it’s just Rome has so many things packed into it, it turns a Trip advisor map into an orange blur. You will spend an entire day in the Vatican alone, there are also catacombs, (which I missed) parks, and I believe I mentioned museums. Rome is a city where I will have to visit multiple times to even scratch its surface.

Final Tally 2-2.

Of course I can’t have a tie in my first city smack down, so I will add a tie-breaker. To settle the contest of Barcelona vs. Rome I will compare the quintessential drawback; tourist traps. The greater concentration of tourist traps in a city, the higher my disdain. Both cities (like all major cities) have there fair share of tourist traps. Unfortunately Rome takes this to the next level. Yes Las Ramblas, can be a touristy, but it pales in comparison to Rome.

Nothing awakens a more awe-inspired  experience than standing next to a 1000 year old statue and seeing a 19 year old millennial with a selfie stick making a duck face. It is not a pleasurable experience fighting your way through throngs of people texting to see the Trevi Fountain. In addition, the droves of overly eager restaurant owners pulling you towards  their over-priced, poorly made, microwaved food is maddening. When I travel I want a unique, authentic experience, like I am in a truly foreign land…not a circus.

The Vatican, for example, is so crowded you will lose your family and have to start anew. It isn’t all bad; if you’re looking for a selfie stick there are over 10,000 foreigners selling them in front of all the major attractions. I loved Rome, but the place can be a carnival wheel of misfortune with cargo-short filled crowds. 

Barcelona is subdued, it looks like a city that is lived in, with a respected nod to history; rather than an over-zealous euro-trash Disney..

Winner: Barcelona….for me.

Now if art/history is what your prefer and you don’t mind crowds, then by all means go to Rome. Hell visit both, then tell me which you believe to be the winner of the Barcelona vs. Rome city smack-down..

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