The one where I keep saying Barth-e-lona

Right after the new year's celebrations were over I took a short trip to Barcelona with my mom and my stepdad. Tobi decided he wasn't up for the rigors of traveling with children so he offered to stay home with the kids. Mom and Joe were looking forward to going to another country, so we settled on Spain. We thought we might have the best chance for good weather if we went to Barcelona, and we were right! It was gorgeous the whole time - upper 50s/lower 60s and sunny every day we were there.

Santa Maria del Mar, built in the 14th century

The Sights

In three days, we did a lot. We nearly walked the entire old section of the city. We toured Barcelona Cathedral and Santa Maria del Mar, both grand churches in the ancient part of Barcelona. I really loved Santa Maria del Mar and its beautiful simplicity. 

Mom & Joe, in front of the remains of the 4th century Roman wall.

We did our own architectural walking tour using my guidebook (unpaid shout-out to Frommer's - their Day by Day guides are the best). We saw the remnants of the Roman walls of the ancient city. We also saw the Modernista architectural wonders of the city, namely: Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera. We walked (and shopped!) down the Passeig de Gracia, which is a great street to walk for more interesting architecture than you can shake a stick at. 

Gaudi's famed La Pedrera apartment building

Gondola ride up to Montjuïc park - great views.

We took the funicular and gondola up into the Montjuïc park, which is the largest park in Barcelona. From up on the hill of Montjuïc, you could see the entire city and the ocean beyond. 

Christopher Columbus statue and city views.

The Museums

We visited Museu Picasso, a museum dedicated to Picasso's early works as an artist. He donated 2,500 of his works to the museum and it's also housed in a beautiful old palace in one of the oldest parts of the city (tip for visiting: buy your tickets online ahead of time. Otherwise the queue is overwhelmingly long to get in). We also took a guided tour of Palau de la Musica Catalana, the city's amazing concert hall, built in 1906. The tour takes about an hour and was very fascinating.

Palau de la Musica Catalana, an architectural marvel.

The Beaches

Our last day in Barcelona was the warmest, so we took advantage of that and walked through the little Barceloneta neighborhood, home to Barcelona's beaches. I'm not ashamed to report that I took off my shoes & socks, rolled up my jeans and walked into the Mediterranean! We decided to eat at a restaurant right on the beach, just to soak up some extra rays. It felt great to be able to sit outside and eat lunch on the beach . . . on January 5th!

We enjoyed the sunshine and the beach.

The Food

Simply put, we ate our way through Barcelona. Highlights included poached eggs atop sauteed spinach, fried calamari, flan, Blackberry Mojitos, sesame seed encrusted tuna, churros con chocolate for breakfast (thanks, Beth!), octopus, sweetbreads, chocolate dipped croissants, various coffee drinks, artichoke 'chips', and sauteed spinach with chick peas and pancetta. Not all at one meal, I swear.

The croissants! Dipped in chocolate! Genius!

Joe & Mom with Alfonsina and her husband

I have to give a special thanks to my friend Nancy for giving me a restaurant recommendation. She had been to Barcelona in October and said the Argentinian steak house, Parrilla Alfonsina, was one of her family's favorites. It was fantastic. The steak was very, very good. Alfonsina, the owner, imports her beef from Argentina. I hadn't had a good steak in ages so it was a definite treat. But more than the food, Alfonsina herself was a joy. She chatted with my mom & Joe, as they had visited Argentina a few years ago. She suggested a starter of her empanadas (which were very tasty) and her homemade pumpkin ravioli (also delicious). Her small restaurant was very busy and lively. She and her husband were so much fun to watch as they darted around the restaurant helping customers.

Beautiful city!

Barcelona is a great city that I would recommend visiting - easily walkable, with a great subway system that was very easy to navigate. Everyone was friendly and the city seems vibrant and ready for visitors!

Cheers!

Tiffany