Welcome to the first of 6 stops on my trip as I marathoned Europe with one of my best friends, Abby! We kicked off this entire trip (and its planning) with a one-way ticket to Barcelona. I've wanted to visit Barcelona for more than 6 years, since all my Spanish teachers in middle through high school made me fall in love with it and its history in class.
In our 2.5 days to visit, we hit the top tourist sights and one or two local highlights for meals. While I value finding local treasures on my visits, I just had to see some of these places that I've been hearing about for years. To summarize the trip, I've collected the highlights for each city: best sight, best meal, an honorable mention for the uncategorized activities, and a special tip for anyone thinking of going here.
Top sight: La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia is the kind of place that you can't take in over a picture on the phone. It's one of those places that you have to be in to admire, introspect, and appreciate. I was impressed with Gaudi's reflection of nature throughout the design, the incredible stained glass windows, and complex stonework on the facades.
Top meal: Paella de Montana y Mar and Cava Sangria from O'Toxo Tres Hermanos
I was excited to try paella for the first time and I wasn't disappointed! The rice was creamy and savory, the muscles and shrimp succulent, the chicken right off the bone. We had the best patatas bravas of Barcelona and pan con tomate as appetizers -- delicious -- and cava sangria with our meal. I was surprised and delighted by cava, a Spanish sparkling white wine, and believe this is the best drink of my life.
Honorable Mention: Cable Car to Montjuic
Montjuic is an incredible spot for a lovely walk, to see the castillo, museums, and gardens, and visit the Olympic Stadium. The cable car ride up to the castillo is a lot of fun in itself! There are some great views of the city and the sea.
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Katie's Tip: watch out for bird poop. the pigeons do not care what color shirt you're wearing.
