So this trip was two months ago but as they say "better late than never". I was swept away to Barcelona and it was the best weekend break ever. Honestly, whether it's a couples holiday, a solo retreat, a hols with the girls or even a trip away with the little ones Barcelona is the place to go.
First of all, the weather was PERFECTOOOO!!! It was December and I had no coat on the first day! At times my long sleeved shirt was even too much.
Second, there is just so much to do and see. Barcelona is a melting pot of culture, we went for 4 days and saw a huge amount but there is still so much more to see and explore.
Thirdly, it is so easy to get around. Buy a metro card and you will get absolutely everywhere. So you have more money to spend on things to do and also cute little souvenirs (which from our other travel posts you should know I love to buy souvenirs :) )
So like Jade's last travel post its a long one (soz about it) so I am going to try and give you my top 5 things to see, 5 things to do, and 5 places to eat.
So we started our holiday with a smooth flight with EasyJet from Stansted to Barcelona. We drove to the airport and if you do I fully recommend their Meet and Greet service for convenience and ease- no transfers or searching for parking spaces.
We stayed at the lovely and perfectly located Acta Atrium Palace Hotel I fully recommend this hotel.
It was clean, modern, spacious and the staff were awesome. Plus, it is around the corner from our favourite breakfast spot so you can't go wrong really. On that note let me start with my top 5 Places to Eat.
Top 5 Places to Eat
Number 1
Our fave breakfast spot (we went every day) was the amazing Pudding located at Carrer de Pau Claris 90,08010 Barcelona, Spain. The food was AMAZING and the decor is so cute you literally step into wonderland. Here's a few pics :)
Number 2
The other fave spot was Elsa Y Fred. This place was recommended by a work colleague and my oh my am I glad we went! The food was just remarkable! We went there twice, we literally couldn't get enough. This cute little restaurant gives you affordable, authentic Spanish cuisine and the best wine we have ever had!!!
Number 3
So for a lovely dinner by the Dock with the Super Yachts in sight head down to La Mar Salada located Pg Joan de Borbó 58, 08003 Barcelona. This place is rumored to have the best Paella in Barcelona. I can definitely say that its defo the best paella I have ever had. This restaurant was lovely for a romantic restaurant and it came with huge portions which meant me lined our stomachs perfectly for the night ahead- it was a messy one lol. And of course we had to have another bottle of our fave Spanish wine "Perfume".
Number 4
We walked passed La Vinoteca Torres and just wanted to go in straight away even though it was 4pm - as Nene Leakes would say its 7pm somewhere in the world lol. We did refrain though as we had other plans, and intended to go back the next day ... but we didn't actually get to :( because we were too busy sipping champagne in the Jacuzzi :). This lovely winery and restaurant offers wine tasting as well as wine pairings with they choice of amazing tapas. You can find La Vinoteca Torres here Passeig de Gràcia, 78 08008 Barcelona.Number 5
365 is a super cute cafe that has pastries that are truly irresistible and so so cheap. We tried a few places on La Ramblas (tourist central DO NOT EAT THERE) and we were disappointed each and every time so it was lovely to bump into this GEM. To be honest any coffee shops NOT on La Ramblas is sure to be great but we can only vouch for this one. If you can get those long roll sugar dusted things at the bottom the were to die for. You can find these tasty pastries here: Plaça Tetuan, 3, 08010 Barcelona, Spain.
Okayyyyyyyyyyyy so enough about FOOD! I bet you can tell I rolled onto the plane after this trip lol-
Top 5 Things to See
...and boy did we see a lot! We walked around until our feet bled, we were dehydrated and suffering from malnutrition
1. Park your booty in Park Guell
This super cool and super huge park is packed with Gaudi architecture. It literally looks gingerbread land. Just prepare yourself for the trek you have to do to get there. Make sure you visit, for more info visit http://www.parkguell.cat/en/
2. Go to this aMAZE-ing Park
Ever since I was a wee lass I have wanted to go to a maze park. The Secret Garden novel was definitely what spurred on this yearning. So when I found out about Parc del Laberint I had to go! It was such a fun thing to do, and you will meet people trapped in the maze who are just as lost as you, and just as certain about turns you need to take in order to get out and after trying both yours and theirs you will realise neither of you have the answer lol. Definitely a must! And it is also super romantic.
3.Go Gaudi Crazy
Take a walk around Barcelona and see Gaudi's extraordinary architecture. Try to avoid spending money in the shops whilst looking for these amazing buildings. Casa Batllo is on the left and on the right is La Pedrera. I thought it was pretty cool that they are situated between the likes of Zara and Gucci. Barcelona really knows how to marry the old and the new perfectly.
4. Sagrada Familia
This was certainly the most interesting architecture that I have ever seen in my life. Hell on the outside and heaven on the inside. These pictures do not give this cathedrals beauty justice but here's a few pics so you can drool over its enormity. Book your tickets in advance here http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/tickets/
5. Take walk up to the National Museum
We went on to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya after a very long day of sightseeing and got completely distracted by a car show, the magical water fountain, and gorgeous views of the city. I must admit by the time we got inside of the museum we were so tired we just sat there and had a coffee **covers face**. I know, I know, I know BUTTTT we had a fantastic day so it was all good. Plus we need a reason to go back right?
Things to do
1. Walk around the Gothic town
Stop by the cathedral, and confess (or not just in case you will burst into flames because you are a sinner that can't stop sinning lol).
2. Find out what's going on before you go there.
Festivals, markets, concerts, etc. We went to the Christmas market, if you go in December go go go to the Christmas market and look at all of the cute little trinkets and ornaments. Check out Time out before you go http://www.timeout.com/barcelona
3. Use the subway!
It is so easy to get around and so affordable. Oh and of course use your snake card holder to make sure you don't lose it ;)
Stop by the W Hotel- we had a blast! The music is good, the people are friendly, and the drinks are great (even though they are expensivooo). There are loads of tourists there though so if you are after a night out with Spaniards then you will be disappointed. We also went to a small spot called Jaleo, right next to the Sutton club. There you will find some natives from Barcelona and hear great Latin music. We heard Sutton club is a great spot but didn't end up going because we were having such a blast in Jaleo. Here's some pics from the W Hotel.
5. Get a map!
Get a map, get 3 maps, get as many as you can lol. We had 3 and we needed every single one of them. Obviously we still got lost (sometimes I can't even distinguish my left from my right so it's expected) but the maps helped us find all the amazing sites and restaurants all around the city.
Lastly you probably spotted my gorge camo wrap and tote bag in most of the pics they are Runaway88 (Of course) and can be purchased via our website. :)
Ciao for now
Nay x
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