Back when I was 18, I took a trip to Barcelona; it was a celebratory trip for completing the final year of college and one that I’ll remember forever.
Last week, I returned to this captivating city with the same group of friends. We had all decided it was about time we relived our younger years so we chose a weekend, found a hotel and booked the entire trip within an hour of discussing it. Now that’s how to get things done!
About Barcelona
Before I left for this exciting city break, I decided to do a little research. This time round we had decided we would spend more time exploring Barcelona’s culture as opposed to solely discovering the bars and clubs.
By uniting aspects of every Mediterranean city, Barcelona boasts charm, months of uninterrupted sunshine, a relaxed way of life and supreme Spanish food. Today’s Barcelona is a unique mix of old and new architecture, renowned museums, handsome buildings and mosaic tiles.
Arriving In Barcelona
Like we did, it is wise to research flights to Barcelona before booking as flying certain times and days often allows for more flexibility in prices. We all arrived on the same flight at around mid-afternoon which left us the rest of the day to explore. We’d already booked a minibus shuttle transfer from the airport to the hotel so it was a pretty easy journey.
What to Do In Barcelona
After reading a few guidebooks, I’d been told not to plan too much as Barcelona is more about meandering aimlessly through the city and accidently stumbling upon the many sights and sounds. Of course we all wanted to take a trip to the famous stadium but this was the only pre-booked event on our itinerary.
Parc de la Ciutadella
As the sun never stopped shining, this was probably one of our favourite places in the city. Despite visiting on a rather busy day, the park still felt perfectly relaxed.
Park Guell
I’d been told by the girlfriend to make time for this attraction as one of her favourite artists is Gaudi and she’d never forgive me if I didn’t come back with pictures. It’s a truly mad place and many of the buildings look as though they’ve been plucked out of a fairy tale book.
La Rambla
Possibly one of the most famous boulevards in Barcelona, La Rambla is a must-see. We spent an entire afternoon exploring the fairly impressive buildings and looking out for the famed Joan Miro’s pavement mosaic. We finished with a pit stop at the Boqueria market and demolished a well-earned round of delicious tapas.
