Have you ever been someplace and just felt “This is for me.” It’s only happened a few times so far. Once in San Francisco, which after a long weekend visit ended up with me moving there a couple years later. And again in Barcelona.
There are lots of easy comparisons between the two cities which might be why I love them both so dearly. I always say Barcelona is to San Francisco as Madrid is to NYC. All four fabulous places to visit, but there is something magical about the first two.
They are weird and quirky and have more art and culture jam packed into them than any other place I’ve been. They are relaxed and friendly. Incredible food and music.
We only visited Barcelona for four days, and we have a rule of always trying somewhere new instead of rehashing the same old haunts, but Barcelona is definitely on the top of my visit again list. Here’s why:
The architecture.
Google Gaudi and tell me you don’t want to explore any of his creations. They are pure art. From La Sagrada Familia to Park Guell, Casa Batllo to Casa Milo, they are playful and unique and worth the stroll by to admire the outside, even if you don’t pay the ticket price to get inside. I do recommend going in Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia if you have time. La Sagrada is actually unfinished. It’s been under construction for about 138 years but they have plans to finish it by 2026.
The food.
I could eat tapas and pintxos every meal of my life. Something about having my cake and eating it too with all the options. Patatas bravas, croquettes, and this creation called the Barcelona Bomb. It’s a mashed potato ball surrounded by meatball breaded and deep fried, then covered in tomato sauce. I haven’t found anywhere in the States that makes them and I’ve certainly looked. It’s an obvious recommendation from me because I love markets, but Mercado de la Boqueria is spectacular as well. Do not miss getting churros and chocolate either. And the jamon!
The museums.
Speaking of jamon, there is a Museum of Jamon and it’s awesome! At the Museu de la Xocolata your ticket is a chocolate bar. No further explanation needed.
Did you know that Picasso lived much of his childhood in Barcelona and much of his early work is incredibly realistic in contrast to the work we know and love from him later in life? At the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, I saw a quote that I just fell in love with (paraphrased): As a child I was forced to paint like an adult, so as an adult I chose to paint like a child. This museum focuses on his early work, while most of his later work is in France where he spent a good bit of his adulthood. Definitely worth the visit, but go early in the day before the school children arrive by the bus load.
You should also visit the Palau de la Música Catalana for a bit of Catalonian culture unique to this part of Spain.
The bars.
There is almost always a free appertif before your tapas or a digestif after your meal, but there are a few standout bars I want to mention.
First, IceBarcelona. It’s one of those establishments made entirely out of ice like you’d see in Scandinavia. But it’s on the beach in Barcelona instead. You pay a small cover charge and they give you a coat and gloves to enter. This particular bar was Star Wars-themed so my partner had a blast. The drinks were ice-themed, served in ice glasses, the bar was ice, the benches were ice, the art was ice, the dance floor was ice. I’m all for something quirky and this certainly fit the bill.
Second, La Xampanyeria. This place was a spontaneous find that I am so grateful for. It’s a cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and tapas bar, heavy on the cava. It’s still some of the best cava I’ve had in my life and it was only three Euros a bottle. We arrived late at night and it was a bumping little divey joint with loads of young people like us, crammed shoulder to shoulder yelling at the guy behind the counter what kind of croquettes we wanted. Unfortunately we just missed the opportunity to buy the cava by the bottle, but it was so good we decided to come back in the morning and stock up for the rest of our trip and for a souvenir. When we arrived the next morning, it was a very different scene: construction workers on break with a coupe of wine and a handful of pintxos. Clearly a local favorite and now one of mine.
The people.
So I told you we were in Barcelona for four days, but what I did not share is that for that entire four days we were an hour behind. Late to everything. We visited over U.S. Daylight Savings and Google did not get the time correct on our phones. Timed tickets to a museum? No problem. Dinner reservations? No problem. Closing down a bar? No problem. No one even mentioned to us that we were late so we had no idea. How often do you look at a clock that isn’t your phone these days? We only noticed when we missed our train to Madrid as we were leaving Barcelona. Again, no problem. The kind agent just rebooked us on the next hourly train. Everyone in Barcelona was so kind and laid back and it is so appreciated when you’re in a new place. Yay humanity!
If you can’t tell, Barcelona makes me giddy. What cities make you giddy?
P.S. The title is from Ed Sheeran. Credit where credit is due.