Barcelona-Spain
So I'm having some anxiety right now. Why? Because I'm about to tell you all about my Spain trip when I haven't written my blog on Milos, Belgium or Berlin yet. My OCD, and need to have things in a particular order is seriously kicking in right now. Still, I'm determined to write this blog while the trip is fresh in my mind instead of waiting a year like I did with Greece.
Ahhh Barcelona. A place I was totally looking forward to but was met with some disappointment. In the event you live under a rock, I'll briefly summarize the current political climate in Spain for you. Barcelona is located in Catalonia, which is located in Spain (think Brooklyn- New York- United States). I arrived right when Catalonias were insisting on having a vote for secession from Spain. I'd love to get into the political reasons about why they desire to separate but it stems from a long and complex history which my airbnb host attempted to explain, but his limited English and my limited Spanish did not allow me to understand the situation holistically. Anyway, the Spanish government declared this vote illegal and illegitimate but Catalonians insisted on carrying out the vote. This resulted in unrest, with police being dispatched to contain the situation and prevent voting from taking place. The images shown on television were atrocious, although, as someone on the ground in Spain, I believe the media portrayed things much worse than it actual was. Still, it created such an outrage amongst the people that they decided to have a strike two days later, which basically shut Barcelona down. I have to say, I was amazed to see all the restaurants, bars, and big commercial stores close their doors in solidarity. It was interesting because I can't begin to imagine something of this magnitude happening in New York, or anywhere in America for that matter. It's sad to say, but this capitalist society we live in would never shut their doors and risk losing money for what is considered "someone else's problem". And let's be clear, not everyone in Barcelona was for secession, there were many demonstrating to keep Spain united as well.
As a result of all of this, two out of the four days that I spent in Barcelona meant that I could not really enjoy Barcelona. I had the pleasure of seeing the Sagrada Familia the night I arrived, and again the next day since my airbnb was just a couple blocks away. Unfortunately, I never made an appointment to go inside to witness Gaudi's masterpiece, which is still under construction and a work in progress. It would have been interesting to literally see history in the making.
My first day in Spain, my best friend Sarah had her wedding dress fitting in the outskirts of Barcelona. The subway system in Spain is extremely easy, and when in doubt, use google maps. The ride there was just over an hour but the train travelled along the coast so I was able to see the beautiful beaches. I also got lucky because the weather was amazing. After the fitting we grabbed lunch at an amazing restaurant called A Media Luz. The red house wine was excellent, and I chose to pair it with a delicious lamb dish. Spanish food is quite heavily seasoned so it can be a bit much if you're not used to eating flavor rich foods every day. I found myself needing to hydrate often to counteract the effects of the copious amounts of sodium and wine I was consuming.
That night we went to watch a Flamenco show at Palau Dalmases in the Gothic Quarter. The tickets were 25 euros, includes one drink, and the show lasts an hour. Let me just say, this show was mesmerizing, and interestingly enough, I was more captivated by the male dancer than the female. His movements were so precise, intense and in tune with the music, it was almost as if he was enchanted. I felt hypnotized just watching him. After the show, we went to dinner at Tapas Lolita Taperia. Spanish people tend to have dinner at 9 or 10pm at night so restaurants are typically empty at the customary 7 or 8pm. I was excited for my first tapas experience in Spain, and this place did not disappoint. If you decide to go, make sure you have the prawns, burrata and croquette. We really wanted to try the mini burgers since our seat at the bar offered an excellent view of the meats being grilled, but we were so stuffed that we had to pass on it. I also had Cava here, a famous type of Spanish sparkling wine, and a must-have if you like champagne.
The next day Sarah returned to Luxembourg and I began planning my day trip to Montserrat Monastery. I was going to be traveling solo for the next 8 days and I knew in my gut that the adventure was only just beginning...
A couple other noteworthy restaurants to check out in Barcelona:
Flax and Kale- for those who want to be healthy while on vacay; their watermelon and goat cheese appetizer is excellent.
Cera 23- I ate here twice because it was near to my airbnb in Sant Antoni:
On my second visit to Cera 23 I had the prawns as an appetizer and the lamb for my main course. Both were excellent.
Unfortunately because of the strikes in Barcelona, I was unable to do any shopping in Las Ramblas or visit the Gothic Quarter in the daytime, but this just means I'll have to go back and visit soon!
Stay tuned for my day trip to Montserrat Monastery...
Ahhh Barcelona. A place I was totally looking forward to but was met with some disappointment. In the event you live under a rock, I'll briefly summarize the current political climate in Spain for you. Barcelona is located in Catalonia, which is located in Spain (think Brooklyn- New York- United States). I arrived right when Catalonias were insisting on having a vote for secession from Spain. I'd love to get into the political reasons about why they desire to separate but it stems from a long and complex history which my airbnb host attempted to explain, but his limited English and my limited Spanish did not allow me to understand the situation holistically. Anyway, the Spanish government declared this vote illegal and illegitimate but Catalonians insisted on carrying out the vote. This resulted in unrest, with police being dispatched to contain the situation and prevent voting from taking place. The images shown on television were atrocious, although, as someone on the ground in Spain, I believe the media portrayed things much worse than it actual was. Still, it created such an outrage amongst the people that they decided to have a strike two days later, which basically shut Barcelona down. I have to say, I was amazed to see all the restaurants, bars, and big commercial stores close their doors in solidarity. It was interesting because I can't begin to imagine something of this magnitude happening in New York, or anywhere in America for that matter. It's sad to say, but this capitalist society we live in would never shut their doors and risk losing money for what is considered "someone else's problem". And let's be clear, not everyone in Barcelona was for secession, there were many demonstrating to keep Spain united as well.
 |
| Subway and bus systems were completely shut down on October 3rd, 2017 in support of Catalonian secession from Spain |
As a result of all of this, two out of the four days that I spent in Barcelona meant that I could not really enjoy Barcelona. I had the pleasure of seeing the Sagrada Familia the night I arrived, and again the next day since my airbnb was just a couple blocks away. Unfortunately, I never made an appointment to go inside to witness Gaudi's masterpiece, which is still under construction and a work in progress. It would have been interesting to literally see history in the making.
My first day in Spain, my best friend Sarah had her wedding dress fitting in the outskirts of Barcelona. The subway system in Spain is extremely easy, and when in doubt, use google maps. The ride there was just over an hour but the train travelled along the coast so I was able to see the beautiful beaches. I also got lucky because the weather was amazing. After the fitting we grabbed lunch at an amazing restaurant called A Media Luz. The red house wine was excellent, and I chose to pair it with a delicious lamb dish. Spanish food is quite heavily seasoned so it can be a bit much if you're not used to eating flavor rich foods every day. I found myself needing to hydrate often to counteract the effects of the copious amounts of sodium and wine I was consuming.
 |
| Highly Recommended |
That night we went to watch a Flamenco show at Palau Dalmases in the Gothic Quarter. The tickets were 25 euros, includes one drink, and the show lasts an hour. Let me just say, this show was mesmerizing, and interestingly enough, I was more captivated by the male dancer than the female. His movements were so precise, intense and in tune with the music, it was almost as if he was enchanted. I felt hypnotized just watching him. After the show, we went to dinner at Tapas Lolita Taperia. Spanish people tend to have dinner at 9 or 10pm at night so restaurants are typically empty at the customary 7 or 8pm. I was excited for my first tapas experience in Spain, and this place did not disappoint. If you decide to go, make sure you have the prawns, burrata and croquette. We really wanted to try the mini burgers since our seat at the bar offered an excellent view of the meats being grilled, but we were so stuffed that we had to pass on it. I also had Cava here, a famous type of Spanish sparkling wine, and a must-have if you like champagne.
The next day Sarah returned to Luxembourg and I began planning my day trip to Montserrat Monastery. I was going to be traveling solo for the next 8 days and I knew in my gut that the adventure was only just beginning...
A couple other noteworthy restaurants to check out in Barcelona:
Flax and Kale- for those who want to be healthy while on vacay; their watermelon and goat cheese appetizer is excellent.
Cera 23- I ate here twice because it was near to my airbnb in Sant Antoni:
 |
| Tuna dices breaded in Sesame with sweet potato puree and honey |
 |
| This dessert was called "Death by Chocolate" I had it both times I went to the restaurant |
On my second visit to Cera 23 I had the prawns as an appetizer and the lamb for my main course. Both were excellent.
Unfortunately because of the strikes in Barcelona, I was unable to do any shopping in Las Ramblas or visit the Gothic Quarter in the daytime, but this just means I'll have to go back and visit soon!
Stay tuned for my day trip to Montserrat Monastery...
