One of the first European cities that Steve and I visited back in the beginning of our travel days was Barcelona. We absolutely loved it there – you’ve got the beach for relaxing, the history for exploring, and the culture for fun. So, when our friend Troy planned a trip to visit us in London and said he wanted to explore another city as well, this was at the top of our list of recommendations for a weekend getaway. The weekend consisted of walking miles around the city, soaking in the hot Spanish sun, and eating all the tapas we could handle.
One of the main to-dos in Barcelona is exploring Montjuic, which is a large hill / mountain on the south side of the city. There is a castle with amazing views on top, and the site of the 1992 Olympics is there as well. We spent a few hours there getting some exercise climbing the hill to the castle and enjoying the views. We took a bus up the last time we were here, but this time we walked up – sorry, Troy!
Next we headed to one of our favorite spots from our last trip to Barcelona – La Xampanyeria. It is a local spot that we discovered several years ago (that has now been overrun by tourists – thanks TripAdvisor!) right by the Mediterranean Sea with amazing food and a great Spanish feel. Imagine this: you’re walking down one of the endless number of alleyways in Barcelona; you walk into a big, open doorway with a long, narrow, cramped restaurant in front of you; there are 100 people in a space that was meant for 50; there are pig legs hanging from the wall; everywhere you look people are eating meaty sandwiches and tapas; you go to order, look up at the menu, and you have no idea what to do because it’s in spanish; and people behind you are yelling at you to hurry up! Suffice to say, it was awesome! We figured out our order and were rewarded with three absolutely delicious sandwiches and a bottle of rosé wine! I didn’t take any pictures here because it was too crowded to get my camera out, but it was just how we remembered it! Afterward we walked around the boardwalk of Barceloneta Beach and people-watched before heading back to our hotel for a siesta.
On our second day we went to Mount Tibidabo, which is a mountain on the NW side of the city. There is a church perched at the top of it as well as an amusement park. We primarily went for the views and it did not disappoint! It was the perfect spring day so we hung out at the top for a while to enjoy the weather and surroundings.
Then we headed to La Sagrada Familia. This church is so unique compared to any other church we have visited in Europe. Not only is the architecture unique, but the history behind it is interesting as well; construction on this church began in 1886, and it still isn’t complete. The architect, Antonì Gaudi, who designed the building, died in 1926 when the project was only 25% done, and construction has been on and off since then for various reasons. It is expected to be done within the next 10 years, so I guess I’ll just have to go back to Barcelona some day to check out the finished product! Gaudi has other famous buildings in the city as well, including the Gothic Cathedral, which we checked out later in the day.
And you know I can’t finish a post without reminiscing about the food and drinks – there was no shortage of tapas, paella, and sangria!
The Great Fekspedition 
Barcelona was one of the first trips we took as well! Fell in love with the city instantly and we keep saying we need to go back asap.
https://2weekendwanderers.com
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Wow you have a second career as a travel agent..you are hired !
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