It has been two weeks already since I jetted off to Spain for a short trip away with my friend Karoline. It was something that I booked spontaneous. She was going anyway but I decided I would join her. I love a good travel deal on flights and accommodation.
I had a pretty early flight to catch but this is what you have to do to get good deals I suppose. My flight was leaving at 6.15am which means I had to leave the house just shortly before 4am. Days like this I find it hard to nod off early. Even to nod off properly at all because you are just so excited. A nice coffee at the airport kept me going though. The flight time from Dublin to Barcelona was just under three hours. In fact we landed twenty minutes earlier.
There are two ways to get to Barcelona city from the airport. Either the Metro or the Aerobus. I decided to take the Aerobus which is €5.90 one way. It is quite strange to be in Spain in January because I never experienced the cold. Spain is a place I would normally travel to go to the beach. I had to queue for a bit because it looks like everyone got off the plane at that time. The travel journey to the city is only thirty minutes.
Placa de Catalunya
The airport bus’s final destination is Placa de Catalunya. However I got off a few stops earlier to take in Barcelona city and walk to the plaza. I was sitting down for three hours after all. Barcelona in the morning is so nice as people are only slowly getting out of the house. You could see a huge difference to morning and afternoon (Despite the Siesta between 2 and 4pm). Just across the street from the plaza I had a coffee and a croissant in a cafe called Zurich. I would highly recommend it. Particularly when it’s sunny as they have a big area you can sit outside and watch the world go by.
The plaza is known for its fountains and statues as well as hundreds of pigeons in the middle of the square, waiting to be fed. This is also where the famous shopping street La Rambla starts.
Cathedral of Barcelona
Next stop on my list was the Cathedral of Barcelona. I wouldn’t be able to tell you what it’s like inside as I didn’t go in. But at the back of the cathedral is a cloister which encloses the Well of the Geece. It’s also known as the Gothic cathedral which leads me onto the next attraction.
Gothic Quarter
Located behind the Cathedral is the Gothic Quarter. The quarter is famous for its narrow streets filled with plenty of bars and restaurants. I quite enjoyed walking around the little streets. Cars only pass by very rarely. It’s generally only delivery vans for a restaurant nearby. You can take in the quarter lane by lane and spend quite some time there.
Ciutadella Park
Coming out of the Gothic Quarter, I walked to the Citutadella Park with its famous Arc de Triomf. It is only about a fifteen minutes walk, if even. Before heading to the arch, I explored the grounds of the park first. At the start of the park you will find Barcelona’s Zoo. It’s also where the Palau del Parlament de Catalunya is located.
Furthermore there is a small lake where people come to feed the ducks or just to sit down to take a break. As well as that you have to visit the large fountain which was designed by Josep Fontsere. The park grounds are 70 acres big. People mostly come here to get some fresh air, go for a walk or bring the kids out. I’ve spotted multiple playgrounds in the park.
After enough exploring around the park, I went back to the shopping street La Rambla
La Boqueria
Just off La Rambla in a side street you can find the big market La Boqueria. It’s incredible the amount of different foods they sell. There are multiple restaurants surrounding the market as well stands where you can try out the traditional dishes. I was keen on eating some Paella but couldn’t find any.
Instead I tried one of many freshly made juices. The juices plus the fruit order are so popular, every stand was fruit. At the price of €1.50/€2 you can’t go wrong with a cup of fresh fruit.
You could be browsing there for ages and try out different dishes like chicken with chips or mini tacos or even crepe packed with anything you desire.
During the Siesta things got a bit more quiet and so I decided to check us in to our hotel. It’s something between a hotel and a hostel but it’s at a great location. It’s at the end of La Rambla. The hotel is called Pillow by Wander. If you only stay for one night, like we did, then this place is suffice. Twin bedroom with a bathroom… What more could you want. For the two of us we paid around €58… bargain.
Tapas
Later that day I picked up Karoline from the bus station as she finally arrived too. After more exploring and shopping, it was time to get something to eat. We had our eyes on a burger place at the port but I was so tired from being up so early, we ended up in an Irish pub off La Rambla called Temple Bar. Here we enjoyed a delicious burger and of course some Tapas.
Port and Barceloneta Beach
The next morning we checked out and walked down the port which was not too far from our hotel. The shopping centre, located on the Sea and connected with s bridge, only opened at 10am. Instead we grabbed breakfast to go from Starbucks.
Then it was time to head to the beach. There’s just something about the beach, it doesn’t matter what season or month it is. We even spotted a brave local who went for a morning swim. We collected some stones and shells and headed off to our next adventure.
Port Cable Car
This was the cable car which is located down by the beach. As a child I used to love heights. I’d climb on trees and all but as a grown up now, I can’t stand heights. Though we managed to pull through and go for a ride on the cable car to the other side of Barcelona. The cost of a single trip is €11. Its worth it to take in the view
Casa Batllo
And so this brings me to the last attraction. Just about a ten minute walk from the Placa de Catalunya, you will notice a weirdly shaped house. It’s the Casa Batllo. It was designed by Antonio Gaudi. Much of the building is decorated with a colourful mosaic made out of broken ceramic tiles. While you walked around Barcelona, you may have noticed a lot gift shops will have this kinda design. That’s where it’s coming from. As a souvenir I picked up a fridge magnet with that mosaic design.
In the afternoon it was time to fly back home. In conclusion I think Barcelona is a lovely city by the Sea. As you can see, it’s doable to visit all important sights in just 1 1/2 days.
Have you been to Barcelona before or is it on your travel bucket list this year?
