Beautiful Barcelona.

Not going to lie. I’m pretty sure I had George Ezra’s song, Barcelona, stuck in my head half the time while walking through it’s beautiful streets last week.

Barcelona has it all…beaches, mountains, shopping, old churches, and alleyways that you can easily get lost in. To be honest, I don’t mind getting lost in a foreign city, just as long as I find my way back eventually. (Although, we did get lost when we are in Marrakech, and that wasn’t really too fun, mainly because every time we stopped, shoppe keepers flooded us within seconds, all trying to give us directions.) Alright, back to Barcelona.

 

Barcelona is a city that you easily become entangled by its beauty around every corner. You can just about walk anywhere and like most European cities, the public transportation makes it easy to get around.

We stayed right next to the Sagrada Familia, the grandiose church that is the heartbeat of all of Barcelona.  This wonder of a church was designed by Antoni Gaudi, one of the most famous architects of all time, and whose distinct art style has a strong presence throughout all of Barcelona.  La Sagrada Familia began construction in 1883 and is expected to complete in 2026.

There is a lot to see while you are in Barcelona, but of all the places we went, we all agreed that the Gothic Quarter was our favourite. Located only a couple miles from La Sagrada Familia, the Gothic Quarter is full of life and as mentioned previously, alleyways that you could get lost in for hours.

On one particular morning, I wandered the streets alone, stood underneath an old church in the Gothic Quarter and joyfully listened to a Spanish lady play the violin with a beautiful vibrato. Afterwards, I spent a couple hours at a cafe with no plan or agenda for the day. Really, I spent more time there than I intended, because it took awhile for me to get my check, but by the end of it, I felt so relaxed. That’s the beauty of Europe. We are so impatient in America and are always on the go, whereas in Europe, you can spend two hours on the appetizer and have it be perfectly normal. America, take notes.

I even spent a few hours at a local park, reading a book, eating Churros con Chocolate, and listening to all of the languages around me. What I realized in that moment of how important it is to be still, stay right where you are, and appreciate the beauty of another culture that is different from your own.

 

Overall, I absolutely loved Barcelona and to quote George Ezra, “Barcelona, I still long to hold you once more.”

Cheers until next time, friends!