We got to Barcelona around dinner time on Wednesday, well I should say America's dinner time (6 pm). We found out dinner time in Barcelona is from 9-11 pm! We actually were able to eat around that time due to being so busy throughout the day and evenings. On Wednesday night, we were able to grab our first round of tapas: patatas bravas (potatoes with a cheese sauce), peppers, & chicken. It was great!
We, well I should say, I, woke up on a mission on Thursday. This was the first trip that I really prepped for and did my research. It helped that a few of our friends over here gave some suggestions, so from that I made an itinerary. I know what you're thinking...poor Jeff. I eventually calmed down once we checked a few things off of our "to dos". We were able to see this place called Casa Calvet, and to be honest we could barely find it because the building didn't really stand out from the rest. Jeff laughed that I even had it on the "must sees". If you're reading this, and planning on going to Barcelona, you can definitely leave this one off of your list. I'm not going to even waste blog space by putting a picture up! hehe
We headed towards La Monumental (former bull fighting stadium), which was fantastic. There were not many people there, so we were able to take advantage of the stadium and even stand in the middle of the bull ring. La Monumental no longer does bull fights, which completely bummed Jeff out. We ended up getting some great pictures and really enjoyed our time there. This was one of Jeff's favorite places we went while in Barcelona. He has his eye on attending a live bull fight at some point. Yikes!
The outside of the stadium. The blue & white parts of the building are made of small tiles. Amazing!
Jeff inside the bull ring.
Thanks, Sis for letting us buy the camera. We took advantage of the self-timer & new settings. We love it!
After the stadium, we attempted to go to a flea market, but it wasn't open...so we headed onto the next destination which was Arco del Triunfo. This was a beautiful monument in the city that we snapped a few photos of before heading into a park. Grabbing lunch was up on the agenda, so we heading through the Gothic Quarter and stopping at a local market to grab something for lunch. The markets were amazing & everything was fresh. The fish were a little too fresh, if you know what I mean. Because it was so crowded, Jeff and I made a plan to meet outside with our items of choice if we got separated. Good thing we said this, because the minute I smelled the fish...I quickly moved away from that area. I think Jeff ended up with some sort of meat & pepper skewer and breaded spinach. I came out with a chicken & cheese pastry and a strawberry juice. We ended up heading back through to get some more fruit.
Well this is a first...just a peacock walking around the city. The zoo was close by, so I was convinced it escaped...
Now, do you see why I ran? This AND the smell...not cool.
Can you believe I'm still only talking about Thursday? We accomplished so much at this point! We headed back towards the hotel to get some sun at our rooftop pool! Before the pool, we saw Casa Batllo, which was so creative! This building has to be one of the best pieces of architecture in the city. We opted out and didn't go inside, but I'm sure when we live there we will have time to do that. Am I right? The pool was so relaxing, and definitely a great way to unwind after a long day of walking the city. We got cleaned up and headed out for, yet another, round of tapas. We tried a few other types including some sort of pork, grilled vegetables, patatas bravas (Yes, again!), guacamole, and Pa amb tomaquet. Pa amb tomaquet was a Catalan specialty. You were given bread, tomato, garlic, and olive oil. You rubbed the garlic and tomato on the bread and drizzled olive oil on top. Really yummy!
Casa Batllo...one of the many Gaudi pieces of "art" throughout the city.
Pool time!
Our little oasis!
Now...Friday.
So, since I "planned ahead" I obviously checked the weather before we left for Barcelona. Planning a beach day didn't seem odd at all as all 5 days were in the mid 80's with zero clouds. Little did I know, the forecast changed and we woke up to the sounds of thunder and rain. After getting ready and eating breakfast the rained stopped, so we started our trek to the beach. We walked through the city, stopping in/out of a few shops, markets...and feeling a few rain drops here and there. At the time, it wasn't looking pretty for our beach-filled day. We got to the beach, with dark clouds overhead, and just enjoyed the fact that we were sitting beach-side. The rain came back, and within a half an hour...beautiful skies again. We really lucked out because due to the hiccup in our morning, the rest of the day was beautiful and the beach wasn't that crowded. We got some sun, enjoyed some reading, had a few beers, and played around in the Mediterranean Sea.
Before...
After...
We didn't leave the beach until around 6:30 or so. We headed to the Flea Market to look around. They had this club-type atmosphere at the very top of the multi-teared market. Jeff grabbed a piece of pizza and a beer. I think he needed that to get himself through the flea market with me. Poor guy. After the market, we got cleaned up and went to a Flamenco Show. This is something I really wanted to go see, and once again Jeff was a trooper and went with me. It was an hour long show where local performers would dance and sing. I loved it! Their costumes were amazing as well as their level of speed when moving their feet. It was definitely a different experience for us, as we don't normally take advantage of shows and things like that while on holiday.
It wasn't just an ordinary flea market. This place was huge!
Palacio del Flamenco
Look out for another blog post to summarize Saturday and Sunday. Phew, I'm tired.
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