My mom is visiting for 3 weeks so last week we took a trip to Barcelona. It was about a 6 hour drive and the views were beautiful! Driving on the highways here are nothing like driving on the long, boring highways in the US. Unfortunately, the rest stops are not always the greatest and I found out the hard way that sometimes the bathrooms literally only have a hole in the floor and you have to squat!
We arrived at our hotel in the early afternoon so we decided to have a relaxing day at the pool after the long drive. The hotel pool was on the rooftop and had ocean views which was really neat. The water was pretty chilly but Makenna loved it anyway, and she really enjoyed her pool float! After some time at the pool, we took a walk to see the nearby beach and then headed to the hotel’s outdoor lounge. We sat outside and had some drinks and carpaccio until the hotel restaurant opened at 8. We usually don’t go out to dinner here since restaurants open late and it’s hard with a baby, but Makenna did well and was happy chewing on some bread. My first course was a vichyssoise soup with octopus. That was my first time eating octopus and I liked it!
The next day we started our day with breakfast at the hotel and were pleasantly surprised at the selection they had. There were meats, cheeses, fruit, eggs, pastries, saucisson (dried sausage), a chocolate fountain, champagne, espresso etc. Of course Ryan and I had to have a few mimosas before we left! We took a hop-on hop-off bus to the Sagrada Familia and spent quite awhile admiring the architecture and stained glass and then walked to a cafe for a coffee break. Then we walked to see Casa Mila (another building along with Sagrada Familia and others that were designed by Gaudi) and headed to Santa Gula for lunch. This restaurant was recommended to us and we loved the tapas there! After lunch we got back on the tour bus and went to Park Guell which I was very excited about after seeing pictures online. The park is so big that we only had time to see a portion of it but it was beautiful and had really great views overlooking the city. We even got to listen to a guy playing the saxophone in one area. I was hoping to see some statues made with mosaic tiles that I saw pictures of but we couldn’t find them….I guess we just need to plan another trip there!
We spent the following day checking out the Las Ramblas area which is a popular street full of shops, souvenirs, street performers etc. When we rode past it the day before on the tour bus it was overflowing with people, so we decided to get there earlier in the day when it wouldn’t be as crowded. We only saw 1 street performer which was a guy dressed like some kind of creature so we weren’t impressed; I guess we were there too early! I spotted a Starbucks and had to stop for coffee…I really love my café in France, but I still miss my Starbucks! Next we went to the La Boqueria market which was AWESOME. There were booths with fresh smoothies and juices, candy, candied nuts, fruit, meats, empanadas, fish, oils, and more. There were even some mini cafes set up where people could sit at the bar and eat. We stopped at a wine store next to the market and got a few bottles of Spanish wine including Tempranillo (which was necessary since we failed to bring wine home from Italy!). Next we checked out El Corte Inglès which is a big department store that sells pretty much everything you can think of. We finished our day with some time at the pool and a little shopping at the nearby mall.
Our last day in Barcelona was spent at our favorite place- the beach! It was Father’s Day and Ryan got a nice gift of seeing some topless ladies at the beach (you’re welcome hunny)…although the majority of them were not something you’d want to see. Makenna enjoyed playing in the water even though it was a little cold. The only downside was there were people walking around trying to sell drinks, beach blankets and massages. Which reminds me…there were signs in the Las Ramblas area with a picture depicting you will basically get the plague if you buy drinks from a street vendor. For lunch we went to Can Manel near the beach and got paella- YUM! Then we walked along the marina and checked out the yachts while drinking sangria. After putting Makenna to bed that night, we ordered dinner to be delivered by Uber Eats. Apparently the Uber taxi service was banned in Barcelona so they now operate Uber Eats where they pick up food from local restaurants and deliver it to you. The menu changes each day and the food comes from a few select restaurants. The food was great and it was so quick and easy to get our food! Then Ryan and I went out for drinks (delicious mojitos) for our first date night in probably at least 9 months! Thanks mom!
We heard and read so much about pickpockets in Barcelona but we never had a problem nor did we see anything shady. I think if you’re smart about how you handle your belongings and you avoid the metro and certain areas at night it’s not too bad.
This was another great vacation and I’m so thankful we’re living in France and have the opportunity to travel to these places!
The Pawlowski's Go To France 