Sangria y Sol
What a weekend. Izzy and I flew to Barcelona on Friday evening for an extended birthday celebration (one week late) as a part of my parents’ birthday present to me— thanks mom and dad! We had a beautiful flight over at sunset and watched the sky turn purple and pink over the water and then eventually the French Pyrenees. When we arrived, we were picked up by a driver and went straight to our airbnb right next to La Sagrada Familia! We had to sit outside for a bit to wait for our host, Ingrid, but we were located on the cutest walking street with little benches and cafes so it was no problem. Not to mention the shockingly mild weather! 50 degrees at 9pm?!
After we dropped our stuff inside, we set out to find some dinner at the appropriately Spanish hour of 9:30pm. We found a cute little restaurant just down the street and izzy got some almost vegan penne with tomato sauce (I had to eat the cheese off it!) and I got a generous pan of paella. All washed down with a pitcher of Sangria of course! On the way home we continued our first-night-of-the-trip-tradition of picking up some wine and chocolate on our way home from late dinner to have at home!
paella!
Saturday was a JAM packed day: think 12.5 miles of walking and ~30,000 steps. We started off the morning going to Park Guell and La Sagrada Familia which we had bought timed tickets for. We walked all the way up to Park Guell from our Airbnb and got there right on time. There was a brief moment of ticketing crisis when I realized the company had never actually sent me the actual tickets (just the receipt), but it was quickly resolved and the ticket agent was able to look up our reservation.
We got in at 9:45 and the morning light was beautiful and warm! I actually couldn’t stand to keep my jean jacket on and Izzy and I both stripped off our outer layers as we walked around. It was such beautiful and whimsical art, with richly colored tiles, mosaics, palm trees, and Spanish architecture. I LOVED the tiles— I would love to take them home with me: rosy pink, canary yellow, cerulean, and emerald green. We walked around for a while (and took lots of pictures) before deciding to head back in the direction of Sagrada Familia. We hadn’t eaten yet at this point so we decided to stop at ToastAmore for a quick brunch and it was cheap, delicious, and fast— just what we needed! Izzy got a vegetarian sandwich with zucchini in it, and I got an Iberico ham, cheese, tomato, and basil sandwich.
After lunch, we hopped over to La Sagrada Familia for our 11:45 time slot. We got in really quickly, and I was blown away by the magnificent beauty and size of the church. The outside has such an interesting and intricate story, with every scene, pillar, and turret dedicated to and depicting a different biblical scene or character. I loved all the color that is used on it, with ornate jeweled grapes, fruit, and mosaics decorating the facade. As pretty and breathtaking as the outside is, the inside of the building is what actually took my breath away.
I got chills as soon as I walked in. Ave Maria was playing on an organ, and I was immediately awestruck by the massive scale of the room and its whimsical design. The ceilings are vaulted to an incredible height, and the central tower, when finished, will be 170m high. The stained glass filtered in bright, multicolored light, and cast a cheerful glow around the space, something I don’t tend to associate with churches. It made me feel happy and also quite small, in a good way. Everywhere we looked was a beautifully ornate design of glass, stone, or tile. Color was splashed everywhere in rich jewel tones and made the space feel like a place of joy, instead of somber Catholic guilt!
We decided to go home and change into some flowier clothing and grab our bathing suits after wandering around the church for a while, and we set off towards the beach! First stop was Plaza Catalunya to wander through old town and do a bit of shopping. It was a long and lovely walk from our neck of the woods to the older part of the city. Izzy and I were both just so happy to be outside in the warm sunshine after weeks of cold, gray, Danish days (I still love you Cope).
After a bit of shopping (we cant help ourselves!), we decided to meander down to the water. The older part of the city near the beach was bustling and lively, with colorful Spanish architecture, churches, and palm-lined boulevards. We finally caught sight of the pier and ambled down the broad street past cafes and seafood restaurants with people dining al fresco, young people roller blading and biking, and dogs trotting patiently besides their owners. It was really funny to see some of the Spaniards wearing parkas, scarves, and jeans in weather that we classified as downright tropical!
When we reached the beach, we sat for a while by the water and relaxed after so much walking. After a while, we started to get hungry again and set off on the beach road to find a place to get a bite to eat and maybe some more sangria. We ended up at a really cute outdoor cafe with string lights and colorful tables. We ordered guacamole, a hummus platter, and another pitcher of sangria, this time with cava. Amazing. It was a very needed break, and we sat by the ocean, and the palm trees as the sun got lower in the sky and enjoyed our food!
We decided to take an adventure on the bus back to our Airbnb to take a 15 minute power nap and change one more time before dinner at Barceloneta: a sangria and vegan tapas bar of Izzy’s choosing. It was absolutely delicious! We got some fun orange blossom gin Sangria and a mediterranean dip platter with focaccia to start, and then Izzy ordered a vegan paella with mushrooms, and I got a rice and bean burger with tumeric mayo, vegan cheese, and spinach. It was surprisingly delicious! We both were very full and happy by the end even despite the blowout couples argument that exploded behind us halfway through our meal! Actually we thought it was hilarious and spent a good deal of time listening in along with the french girls who were sitting next to us.
After dinner, we stopped for some gelato on our way to The Old Fashioned, a gin and tonic classic cocktail bar that came highly recommended by Rianna’s girlfriend, Nicole (thanks Nicole!!!). It was probably the best bar I have ever gone to. They had an extensive menu of creative cocktails that were all served in creative glassware, trays, and adorned with fun accessories! I got the “Fish without chips,” a gin cocktail that came in the cutest fish glass, and a “Pisco Por Favor,“ a fun take on a pisco sour with pomegranate. Izzy got the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and a “Femme Fatale” which was a bourbon and amaretto drink that was delicious. We had a great time and the atmosphere was super fun, lively, and cozy. Our bartenders, Stefano and Erik were super fun and both wore a uniform of a white shirt and suspenders. Old school and super fun! At this point, it was late and we were both exhausted so after leaving, we walked home and passed out hard and fast by 1am.
We had to catch an early flight in the morning and made it to the airport by 8:45am to catch our 10am flight home to Copenhagen. We were both sad to go, but at least Denmark whipped some sun out for our return! Hasta luego, Barcelona
