Tuesday 2nd April 2013
The day started early (a 2.30am wake up call alarm to be precise!) and with the suitcases in the car we headed to London Gatwick to catch our 6.40am flight to Barcelona.
With an hour to spare before the flight, we lounged in Jamie's Italian drinking tea and eating breakfast.
I had oatmeal with banana and toasted coconut flakes.
And for him, pancakes and bacon of course.
We shared tea, which came in a small authentic teapot.
Upon arriving in Barcelona around 9.25am, we caught a taxi from the airport to our hotel, a short 10-15min journey costing €24.
Our hotel (Madanis Liceo, Barcelona) was a 5 min walk to Camp Nou and Palau Blaugrana and the metro station (Collblanc) was situated right outside! So convenient.
We got 2, three day travel cards for €38 that allowed us to travel through all lines.
With the sun shining we headed to Port Vell (Metro: Drassanes).
Upon exiting the station you are greeted with Columbus' Monument, his famous statue pointing east, leading you to the beautiful waters by the port.
We leisurely walked over the bridge, stopping every 5 minutes or so to bask under the sun.
We found a lovely set of restaurants with alfresco dining by the port. As it was our first day in Barcelona, we had to try out the paella.. and of course the seafood variety! Shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels... delicious!
We made our way back to the hotel as the sun began to set...
Wednesday 3rd April 2013
We visited the famous 'La Rambla' (Metro: Liceu) firstly to gaze upon Gaudi's architecture...
And secondly to sit by the fountains at Plaça de Catalunya, before wondering down the backstreets away from the busy touristy boulevard.
Thursday 4th April 2013
With an earlier start to the day we made our way to 'La sagrada familia'
There are beautiful gardens and waters behind and in front of the famous church. The romantic settings are perfect for strolling around.
As the weather didn't look too promising we hastily headed to Park Güell (Metro: Lesseps) This was my favorite part of Barcelona. The further we walked up the hills the more magnificent the views became...
On the way back down we passed Gaudi's viaduct.
For dinner we went down to the beach (Metro: Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica) Although the weather was wet and windy we enjoyed a lovely dinner by the beach in oriental inspired Carpe Diem.
I had a green tea and a king prawn curry, which came in a coconut shell like bowl and was filled with jasmine rice, mango, green peppers, banana chip and king prawns in a lovely fragrant coconut sauce.
And for him, steak with a sweet mash...
Very expensive, but well worth it!
After clocking up miles of walking around the city we were verging on tired. But the day wasn't over yet as I had booked tickets to watch Barcelona Regal basketball team play against Tel Aviv at the Palau Blaugrana arena.
The arena soon filled up as we watched the team warm up. As the game tipped off, the crowd came alive cheering and chanting. A close game but Barcelona came out on top!
Friday 5th April 2013
Home day :(, but still lots to do before catching our 7.25pm flight!
We decided to go back to La Rambla and explore 'La Boqueria' market.
The market is so dynamic with bright colours of the fresh fruit and vegetables, the variety of smells from stall to stall and the hustle and bustle of the locals and tourists.
The fruit stalls were my paradise, with each one selling cheap but fresh natural smoothies. I ended up buying 3! My favorite was the mango and coconut.
Fresh fruit ice lollies!
An array of nuts
And of course we had to try the chocolates...
Oh and the crepes...
When we asked the crepe maker which was one was best, he replied "Me!"
With Louie Armstrong playing in the background, like a dance routine he poured the mix on the griddle, flips it over, sprinkles chocolate, strawberries, white chocolate drops and nuts, folds it, boxes it and smiles. Yum!
We had the best time in Barcelona and would love to go back and do it all again. Although we had some lovely weather the first couple of days, I would love to go back during the summer months for a warmer climate and maybe even a dip in the sea!
