Barcelona

City Break to Barcelona

Desperate to chase that last glimpse of sun before having to unpack my winter gear and have a relaxing extended weekend, my boyfriend and I decided to take a city break to somewhere nice and warm. It was all very last minute but we ended up jetting to Barcelona with a 2 night stay in a gorgeous hotel, Olivia Balmes Hotel.

In terms of planning the trip, I decided to use an app I used to plan Brussels: Tripomatic, which I can honestly say is my saviour! Its an amazing website/app that allows you to see all the top places to visit and places to eat. You can also purchase the offline maps so you can use it as a guide without wifi or internet (I honestly could rave about Tripomatic all day! because it is just so useful). After planning the trip I loaded it onto my iPad app and had it by in my handbag throughout the whole trip.

After an early morning drive and flight, we arrived in the El Prat, Barcelona airport and it didn't take us long to figure out the bus that would take us right to the centre of Barcelona, Placa de Catalunya. The weather was gorgeous already and I was so excited to get exploring. But first we had to find the hotel to leave our luggage and find our bearings. The roads were pretty easy to navigate and with the help of my Tripomatic app, we made it to our hotel and it was modern, clean and friendly. It also featured an infinity pool on the roof and I was just dying to jump in.

Day 1

I had to tear myself away though and resist the urge to cool down into the pool so that we could begin exploring all the attractions near us. We saw some of the famous buildings such as La Pedrera Building (which unfortunately was under construction), Casa Mila, Casa Batllo, Placa de Catalunya. Whilst trying to stay hydrated in the sun, we had so many juices and even bubble tea because there were so many places with delicious drinks and we wanted to try them all!

Since it was still early, we continued to walk further down to La Rambla and it was fascinating that no matter which side street we looked down, there was something else to be discovered. This is how we stumbled across the La Boqueria Market that had so many different stalls selling chocolates, sweet treats, fruit drinks, ice lollies...and so many more types of food. I literally couldn't resist trying out some of the delicacies!

Our wandering led us to the port and we weren't far from the beach so we continued walking till we reached Barceloneta Beach. The beach was so picturesque and alive with people as the sun was setting and we chilled by watching the local artists carve structures in the sand. 

It was getting late and despite losing track of time, it was most definitely time for some dinner. So heading back in the direction of our hotel, we passed a strip of restaurants close to the beach and ended up at a restaurant called El Ray De Gamda to tuck in to some tapas and paella. Once we finished, my boyfriend and I were very much in need of some rest, so we strolled back our hotel and passed other attractions lit up so beautifully in the dark. (I just couldn't resist an ice cream for the walk home as well!)

Day 2

The following morning, we both had the best lie in to catch up on sleep and then headed to the roof top to lounge by the amazing infinity pool and catch some of the Barcelona sun! Our plan was then to catch the cable cars to Montjuic mountain to see some of the sights up there. Since my boyfriend had already looked around the neighbourhood and he had come across a perfect place to grab lunch. It was called el Fornet and it instantly became our favourite place for breakfast and lunch as they had the most delicious variety of sandwiches and pastries.

After trekking in the blazing sun to the cable cars, located near the beach, we began queuing for a ride to the Montjuic mountain. Our patience did not go unrewarded, as the view from the tower and journey across Barcelona was beautifully scenic and I took so many pictures of the beach alone! Once we arrived, the area was really deceiving as it looked as if we had just travelled to a quiet little village with little to see. However, we decided to follow the map and our intuition and continued walking up a zig zag upwards path. We eventually reached several different parks and the Montjuic Castle. 

The next stop to the Magic Mountain was my top place to visit. I really want to see the pretty fountain display lit up by all the colourful lights. We managed to stumble upon it as well whilst walking in the right direction. People were already crowding around the National Art Museum of Catlonia steps getting ready for the light display that was due to start at 7pm. But unfortunately we waited almost two hours and nothing happened so we decided to go find dinner instead. 

We consulted my Tripomatic app for a good restaurant and came across Cerveceria Catalana, a popular tapas restaurant. There were lots of people when we got there, which meant the waiting time was about an hour. However we were so hungry and tempted by the food that we decided it would be worth the wait. So we headed to a bar nearby to try out a sangria, which is VERY alcoholic and a risky decision with an empty stomach. The food at the restaurant was amazingly delicious and I definitely recommend it for anyone who visits Barcelona. We ordered so many different dishes, especially since we were starving by the time we sat down and loved every single one. I went to sleep feeling very full and satisfied that night.

Day 3

The following morning was check-out day and despite feeling sad about leaving, I had such a lovely time in Barcelona and still had a few more places to visit before flying back home. We had the early afternoon to visit Park Guell and even though we didn't get to go into the main area, we still got to catch a glimpse of Gaudi's famous lizard. The sun was shining and the view was amazing as well so I really couldn't complain. With the remaining time we managed to purchase some souvenirs and one last ice cream =P. I also saw this vending machine at the metro station that was massive!

Barcelona was the perfect destination for a city break! I had so much fun visiting the attractions and taking pictures for my blog. The people were friendly, the food was divine and the weather was exactly what I needed. I seriously recommend Barcelona to anybody who is planning a getaway and I hope that my pictures have all inspired you all to write Barcelona on your list of places to visit!

Have any of you been to Barcelona? Or planning to go anytime soon?

Love Anna x