Prior to the planning of this trip I didn’t know much about Barcelona. However, thanks to Google, by the time the trip rolled around, I was ready to explore the beautiful city. I wanted to climb to the top of Parc Guell and explore every surface designed by the great Guadi.

After a long but relaxing flight, I arrived in Barcelona around 6:30 pm. Upon exiting the airport, I gasped for air as I realized that all of the Googling in the world couldn’t prepare me for the glorious beauty of Barcelona. As the airbus drove us into the Borne district, I stared with my face pressed up against the window, drooling at the architecture. I knew my companion was probably thinking “man, she’s never been anywhere?” I was like a toddler watching Elmo for the very first time. It was love at first sight.

Although we had a late dinner, the streets were lively, buzzing with music and tons of entertainment. Everyone dined outside and the food smelled delicious. We settled at Taller de Tapas in the Barri Gotic sector, and ate mountain lamb off of the chef’s special menu. The lamb was so delicious that I was ready to throw on my hiking boots and go lamb hunting immediately. As we dined outdoors, a street entertainer played Jason Mraz’s I’m yours, and we invited him to sit, play and dine with us. He soothed us with Bob Marley tunes and stories of his life and travels for the rest of the dinner. At that moment I knew there was something magical about this place. That night, I fell in love with Barcelona and my partner to this day.
 spain

The following days were spent touring every corner of Barcelona and soaking in its color and culture. I appreciated every tile and carving that highlighted each structure — La Segrada Familia left me speechless. My evenings were spent resting on the warm sands of the Barceloneta beach eating frozen fruits, pizza and drinking Vol Dam triple brewed Estrella beers while watching the long-lasting sunsets. Our late nights were spent turning up and down, percolating and gyrating to every genre of music at Club Catz with some cool natives. At 7am, as the sun was rising and we stumbled into conveniently located taxi cabs, I realized that this was how to live!

Sagrada-Familia-Barcelona-Spain

Though I have had the pleasure of visiting many beautiful places, nothing compares to Barcelona. It encompasses culture, art, food, magic and romance. It was my introduction to the beauty and excitement of traveling, leaving me hungry for more.