The flight to Barcelona was pretty uneventful. Ryanair is fine, there's obviously nothing luxurious about them but it's fine. They sold cigarettes on the plane, which I thought was really funny.
Then we got into Barcelona. Well actually, we flew into Girona, a small airport about an hour and a half from Barcelona. We collected our luggage and boarded another bus for the city center, which was all fine. We then got into the city center and proceeded to walk to our hostel. Which I thought was a lovely walk but I might have been the only one. Our hostel was right off the Passeig de Gracia so it was in a great location and it was really nice. We checked in, got our stuff, situated, and decided to go for lunch and to see the Sagrada Familia. We ended up asking the hostel people for a lunch place and they gave us a great recommendation - Bar Morrosym or something. It was really good tapas and sangria. I don't really remember all the dishes we got but we got patatas bravas, potatoes in white sauce, Spanish omelette, fried calamari and shrimp, sausage and mushrooms and other stuff.
Back terrace of the hostel
Stairs go up into the main part of the hostel - door goes to our part
Sangria at lunch - drink of champions
(Partially eaten) Pan con tomato, White potatoes, Spanish omelette
Clockwise: calamari, sausage and mushrooms, artichoke something, mystery ball
After lunch, we basically waddled to the Sagrada Familia. Walking inside again after 2.5 years literally took my breath away. They've done so much work since I was last there and it makes all the waiting worth it. It's just indescribably beautiful. Notre Dame, the Duomo, St. Peter's are all beautiful but to me, the Sagrada Familia will always be the church. So I could have spent hours in there but alas, we did eventually have to move on.
Altar
Closeup - incredible
Stained glass - you can kind of see the left corner white light that will eventually be stained glass. I cannot wait to see it when it's done. Supposedly, it will be done in 2021, the 100th anniversary of his death.
Outside bits I didn't notice before
After that, we went back to the hostel and napped for a bit. Then we decided to go walk outside the houses on the Illa della Discordia (Casa Batllo, etc.) once they had been lit up which was really pretty. We decided not to go inside them but I think I will probably go inside them when I go back. After that, we went back and had dinner at the same place we ate lunch at. Still amazing. The waiters recognized us though and I think they laughed at us. But who cares. After dinner, we went to one of the clubs on the beaches of Barcelona. The club was whatever, just like any other club anywhere, but to be able to go outside and sit on the beach at 2 am was pretty darn cool.
Cata Batllo - still beautiful
All lit up!
The next day, we got up early and headed for Parc Guell, the park that Gaudi designed. It was actually really cool to see because I didn't get to see it last time I was there, and it's beautiful. We didn't have a ton of time so we really only got to explore the front 1/3 but there was a huge back part that I'm sure would be lovely to walk around in. I might also do that when I go back, but we'll see.
Main square in the park
Entrance building
Me! With the cascade in the background
Me hanging out with a super-cool mosiac
The famous dragon
After the park, we went into the Gothic quarter where we stopped at a random restaurant for lunch (got paella - yum) and saw the Gothic cathedral. I saw it the last time I was here but it's still beautiful. Then we went to the beaches in Barceloneta (technically the neighborhood with the beaches) in the daytime. And we laid on the beach for about an hour. I did stick my feet in the water but that was it. The water was still really cold. Brr. Hopefully it's warmer when I come back.
Gothic cathedral
Beach!
More beach!
Proof I actually put my feet in the water
After the beach, we walked back to our hostel and napped again. These days are exhausting. For dinner, we tried to go to Ciudad Condal but we got there so late and there were 7 of us (we met up with another girl from UNC) that the wait was going to be like 2 hours. So we ditched that and went to a restaurant close by and had dinner. It was good (not as good as Ciudad Condal but). And of course sangria. But when I come back, I'm going to Ciudad Condal at like 8, staking out a table and I'm just going to eat for like 2 hours. It'll be lovely.
After dinner, we sat on the terrace outside our hostel and talked for awhile instead of trying to go out again because we had to leave at like 6 in the morning for our respective flights.
The next morning, me, Jessica and Liz left and got a train to the Barcelona airport for our flight to Paris. And that takes me into my next post!
Also, I just realized that I don't have nearly as many pictures from Barcelona as I normally would. Honestly, I was the leader of the group for both Barcelona and Paris so my efforts were more focused on getting around and figuring things out then taking photos. Hopefully, when I go by myself, I can do both: take photos and get around. I think it'll be easier since I won't be leading anyone. It'll just be me. And honestly, it sounds kind of heavenly.
Ciao!!
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