5-days in Beautiful Barcelona

“So let’s pretend we’re dancing in the street

In Barcelona

Las Ramblas, I’ll meet you, we’ll dance around La Sagrada Familia

Drinking Sangria, mi niña, te amo mi cariño

Mamacita, rica, si  tú, te adoro señorita

Los otros, viva la vida, 

Come on let’s be free in Barcelona”

- Ed Sheeran, Barcelona lyrics

           

            What seems like over 2 very long years during the pandemic were indeed 2 very long years.  Between health scares, mental drain, and political turmoils, our family decided to put a pause on all the worries and celebrate LIFE. We decided to book a trip to Spain.  Why Spain?  With my 9 yo kiddo being in a Spanish Immersion program, we thought a trip to a Spanish speaking country would a great reward as well as an appropriate challenge to her, i.e. something that would make her truly appreciate the language she’s learning. 

            Anyway, a few friends and family have expressed interest in visiting Spain too, so I thought a blog with tips on top of our adventure telling would be useful to give ideas of a possible vacation itinerary. Spain as it turns out was so much more than just paella and Magellan. 9 days in Barcelona and Valencia leaves us wanting for more. So, brace yourself, this will be a long one, but hopefully a helpful guide too visitors in Barcelona.  The Valencia trip will be a separate post. 

Day 1: Getting the lay of the land - the historic city and L’Aquarium

            Our vacation in Barcelona started with our arrival at our AirBnB. After doing some research, we booked a place at the district of Villa de Gracia, just outside of Eixample, instead of staying at the old city near La Rambla which is packed with people… you know, for pandemic and noise reasons. Our place at Carrer de Provençal was nicely situated near Casa Batllo and Casa Mila (La Pedrera). It is walking distance to bus stops and metro station, and even to the old city but so, so much more peaceful. A bonus we didn’t expect was we were right across the street from a wonderful bakery in Hotel Pratik.  

            After taking a short nap, we ventured to El Born, Barrí Gothic, and La Rambla, exploring the nooks and crannies of the city center.  One can easily spend a day here especially if you’re into history or if you’re into shopping.  The alleys and plazas are mesmerizing with their classic architecture, and old churches, walls, and buildings date back from the Roman times.  The Gothic quarter is the oldest part of Barcelona, and its heart.  Milling around the area makes you appreciate how much amazing the Romans were in building, that these narrow alleys and romantic squares are able to be preserved so well through the centuries.  We had a late lunch by American standard, at 3 pm, which is not too late by Spanish standard, at Placa Reial to try some of Barcelona’s famous tapas - patatas bravas, sautéed mushrooms, etc. Sadly, we were not impressed.  It became quickly apparent that the food at Las Ramblas was subpar and geared towards undiscerning tourists’ taste buds.  AND as tourists we probably would have just shrugged our shoulders at the “meh” offerings, but we came across a delicious tapas place a few days later that opened our eyes. So, if you are looking for good tapas, I would suggest skipping Las Ramblas. If you’re just hungry or got the munchies with no expectations, then go for the gelato. You can never go wrong with gelato! 

            Before I continue, here’s one strong recommendation - if you’re going to sightsee in BCN for a few days and planning to hit most of the attractions, I suggest buying the All Inclusive Go-City BCN Pass, which lets you skip the ticket lines and are heavily discounted. We bought a 4-day pass, and it pretty much

paid for itself by the 2nd day.  With the pass on hand, we soon made our way to the L’Aquarium at Port Vell, which boasted of being the biggest marine leisure and education center dedicated to Mediterranean undersea life. But if you ask my kids what they enjoyed the most in the aquarium, it’s the… not one, not two, but 3 Axolotls!  

            After having our fill of cute sea creatures, we took a walk at the edge of Parc de la Ciutadella, not being able to explore the park anymore after 25K steps and lack of sleep. We passed the Arc de Triomf built as the gate to the 1888 Barcelona World Fair. Then called it a day! We were too beat to make any decent dinner at our apartment. Thankfully, there were lots of small stores scattered near our place, and we enjoyed ramen and wine and called the very long day a success. 

Day 2: Park Guell, a park like no other 

            Waking up in Barcelona at the early morning of 7 am, haha, I made my way to the bakery and grabbed a delicious olive bread with cheese, fresh tomatoes and arugula, and got warm chocolate croissants for the kids. Walking to the bakery brought memories of my childhood when my grandfather would hoist me on his shoulders and we’d buy a bag of pandesal. 

            Included in our All Inclusive pass is 1 day ride on the Hop on Hop off bus turístic. So we decided to use the pass for this day because it is the day we are visiting Park Guell, which is not really within reasonable distance for the shoe-leather express. We hopped on the blue bus route which gave us a sneak peek  of Sagrada Familia and other BCN sights, and then we got off at the Park Guell stop.  Before visiting the park, we made advanced reservation for a tour through the go city pass, and met with our guide and group outside of the park. This is certainly one of those places where you’d need a tour to truly appreciate the park history.  Since we were a bit early, we walked to the top of Parc del Carmel which gave us a great birds eye view of Barcelona. 

            Park Guell was an amazing first introduction to the works of Antoni Gaudí. From the aqueducts in the shape of palm trees to the ceiling made of mosaics, also known as trencadis, to the gingerbread house, to the serpentine plaza, this place was came out beautifully as imagined by Guell, a businessman, and Gaudí to house the upperclass of Barcelona. On display is Gaudi’s love of nature, and his method of recycling broken plates and glasses to use in the mosaics were on full display at the park.   We spent several hours here then hopped on the blue bus back to continue our sightseeing, passing the university, the stadium, etc. We changed to the red bus route, which brought us to Montjuic, to the site of the 1992 Olympic, past the Joan Miro museum, which we sadly knew we wouldn’t get to see, then south all the way to barceloneta.  By this time, it was evening, so we hopped off and picked up food at the local grocery and went home for a nice home cooked meal. 

Day 3: All about Gaudi with chocolate on top - Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, and Sagrada Familia + Museo de la Xocolada

        Our Gaudí art lessons continued with a trip to Casa Batllo which was only a few blocks from our AirBnB. To say that Casa Batllo surprised us with its beauty is an understatement.  My 11 yo and family artist was so inspired that she bought a notebook from the gift shop and started drawing as soon as we left the museum.  To be honest, all of the chatter on Gaudí’s work were loudest on Sagrada Familia and Park Guell that we did not have much expectations about Casa Batllo. Being in Casa Batllo makes grown-ups feel like kids again, one living a fairytale. It is dreamlike. The outside has bone-like facade, which reminds me of the mask of the phantom of the opera somehow, and the rooftop, which you can go up to, showcases what looks like the sinuous iridescent scaled spine of a dragon, but beautiful and not scary, bright not dark. As such, Casa Batllo was given the nicknames Casa del Drac (house of the dragon) and Casa dels Ossos (house of bones). The house was designed with St. George and the Dragon story in mind, which is very much embedded in Barcelona culture.  According to the legend, the dragon terrorized the people of Barcelona, and to calm it down, they fed a random person to the dragon every day. But when a princess was selected, a knight (St. George) in shining armor appeared and rescued the damsel, killing the dragon, which spilled red roses out of its body. The knight took one rose and gave it to the princess. Sigh…. This legend is actually celebrated in Barcelona every year on April 23.  Gaudí didn’t believe in straight lines, which he believed is man made. Instead, nature offers beautiful curves, which he embraced in his art, featuring curves and swirls all over Casa Batllo including in art nouveau doors, windows, mushroom-shaped fireplace, chimney, and ceilings. There is a small center balcony from which tourists can take a picture, that’s i the shape of a rose, yep St. George’s rose. Aside from emitting macabre and medieval feels, Casa Batllo definitely gives a marine feel too, with its kaleidoscope of sea foam green, blue and white tiles. It soothes the soul. As you go down and exit via the staircase, the ceilings have hanging chains that is reminiscent of a knight’s chainmail. This brings you down to an immersive room where they show Gaudi art and colors.  

            After Casa Batllo, we could not wait to check out La Pedrera, also known as Casa Mila.  And…I have to admit that it was a let-down after seeing Batllo.  Perhaps I was expecting too much.  Or perhaps we should have seen Casa Mila first.  Still, the apartment building has its own charm, evocative of sea life, with waves and corals on the ocean landscape. Perhaps my favorite part is the attic, with curved brick ceilings that makes you feel like you’re inside the belly of a whale. Second favorite is the rooftop, which features “warrior” chimneys that resemble storm troopers from Star Wars. 

            Finally, we saved the most talked about Gaudi masterpiece for last, the La Sagrada Familia.  We pre-booked the tour, and took the metro train from Paseo de Gracia.  You can get the train tickets in the metro station machines, which accepts all major credit cards as well as cash. If you’re a family of 4 and want a round trip to SF, you can get the Familiar ticket, which allows 8 journeys. 

            La Sagrada Familia is grand, and unfinished.  The church has been under construction since 1886 and was scheduled to be finished in 2026, which is the 100th death anniversary of Gaudi, but the pandemic screwed those plans. Gaudi was fully aware that it will not be completed in his lifetime, and had the foresight to leave detailed plans to guide the completion. It is a stunning work of art, and a must-see regardless of your religion. I’ve seen many churches in my lifetime, and this is perhaps the most iconic one I’ve seen inside and outside. The church has three facades with different themes: the birth of Christ, the passion, and the glory. 

            As impressive as the depictions of the story of Christ, what really caught my eyes were the fruit on top of the spires.  I mean… what’s up with those fruit? I knew that Gaudi was very much into nature, but my kids and I were scratching our heads because they are whimsical for a church. So, of course, I had to research it.  As it turned out, Gaudi used various plants to create a garden surrounding the tower dedicated to Mary, and at the pinnacle are baskets of the fruit of these plants as offering. The fruit includes dates, olives,  grapes, apples etc. which are organized by seasons and symbolically represents fruit of good deeds. 

holy water fonts are giant clam shells from the Philippines

            The exterior is awe-inspiring, but visitors would be remiss not to go inside the church.  In all honesty, I find the exterior quite busy, and I like the interior so much more with its nature theme reminiscent of a scene in Miyazaki’s movie Nausicaa and the valley of the wind which had the forest that becomes petrified as the trees absorbed the toxic elements in the air.  Inside the Sagrada Familia, there are columns made of different stones that stretches high up and spreads like trees.  The overall effect is a forest made of stone pillars, and the canopy is the ceiling of the church.  I love that Miyazaki’s and Gaudi’s arts intersect at the commonality of their love of the natural environment.  The windows have stained glass of different colors which shows how much Gaudi loved playing with lights and colors, especially with the sunlight shining through the the stained glass. 

            After a long day of art, we thought we’d do one last art museum but this time featuring the edible kind! Off we went to the Museo de la Xocolata.  You know it’ll be a good when they hand you your ticket in the form of a chocolate.  The museum isn’t big, but the chocolate sculptures had great variety from Greek statue to pop culture. At the end of the tour, we sat down for, what else? Hot chocolate!  And this is the kind that you really need a spoon to enjoy.  Note to visitors: get the small size. Believe me, it’s sufficient. 

St. George, the princess, and the dragon in chocolate

Day 4: We swayed to the wave and the music  - Picasso Museum, the beach, the market, and amazing Flamenco

   Alas! So many museums and so little time.  We started our day with Museo Picasso. While you can do a guided tour of the museum

 through Go City, we decided to do this one on our own. I must admit that I’m not a huge Picasso fan, perhaps because I don’t get his cubism style of art. Still, Picasso had some non-surrealist and non-cubist art that I appreciated. There were two pieces that spoke to me at the museum. The first is Picasso’s expressionistic painting of Gored Horse, which showed a dying horse with his head strained upwards and limbs splayed at impossibly awkward positions. It is violent, evoking the feeling of agony of the horse gored by a bull. The second piece is one of Picasso’s wife Jacqueline, looking over her shoulder.

            After Picasso, the kids were feeling “museumed out” (Gasp! I know!), so we headed to barceloneta to check out the beaches.  We passed by a xurros (churros) store and Maya ordered some three churros for us with chocolate for dipping.  Well, “three churros” at this place is actually three bags with about 6 fresh and hot churros each.  I’m not complaining!  It’s THE BEST churros we’ve had in our life, and definitely put the Costco churros to shame.  Thinking about it now makes my mouth water.  With churros and dipping sauce in hand, we managed to make our way to Nova Icaria beach, which was beautiful! And cold. We dipped our toes in the Mediterranean Sea, but it was too cold for any swimming. Then we took the bus back to the old city and meandered in the stores, Mercado de la Bouqueria, which is the main market in the city, spotted Gaudi’s lamp post in Plaza Reial, and the site of the old synagogue in El Call.  After that, we grabbed a quick bite and headed to our Flamenco show at Tarantos.  Tip for this one: arrive early, around 20-30 mins before the show to get amazing seats.  I read this tip somewhere and took it to heart, so we were able to nab front row seats to my kids’ delight.  The show itself was ridiculously good. The group of four female were all so talented, the guitar player, the singer, and the two dancers.  They sang/danced/played so emphatically that even the kids can’t help but feel the emotion.

Jamon Iberico everywhere!

Day 5: We leave a piece of our hearts in Barcelona - Montjuic and Mosaicos

Why hike down or take the stairs when you can slide?

            This is our last day in Barcelona, and the kids (and adult) are grumbling and can’t believe we have to leave this beautiful city already.  But before we leave, we checked out Montjuic, which translates from Catalan as the Jewish mountain because it was the Jewish cemetery during medieval times.  Sadly, there’s really no signs of the cemetery now. It’s also hard to believe that there was once an amusement park up on top of this mountain, which closed in 1998. It was interesting to read too that the Philippine National hero, Jose Rizal, was once imprisoned in the dungeons of Montjuic.  Talk about my worlds colliding!  There’s no signs of it now too.  Nevertheless, the Montjuic castle is an impressive structure, and gives a great view of the bustling city and coast below. You can reach it by bus, cable car, or even walking.  The kids were really looking forward to riding the cable car, but of course, it was undergoing some testing and repair while we were there. Oh well, Bus 150 brought us all the way to the top by the castle, and we decided to walk all the way down.  And that was a good thing too!  It was lunch time when we made it down from the mountain to the streets of El Poblé-sec, which I didn’t realize was the Tapas route until later in the day. We simply walked in one of the restaurants whose menu looked good, La Platilleria, and WOAH! This is were the enlightenment happened. We’ve found The Best place for patatas bravas, chicken chimichurri, etc. Their tapas put the tapas at La Rambla places to shame.  

            After a wonderful lunch, we made our way to Mosaicos for a family activity.  We made our own trecandis souvenirs.  Angelica, the owner, and her staff were super helpful with cutting the tiles for the kids.  We really enjoyed making the trecandis and it brought out our inner Gaudis!  In fact, if you ask the kids which is their most favorite thing we did in Barcelona, this one ranks pretty high on their list. It was a great way to end our Barcelona adventure. 

Next stop: Las Fallas Festival in Valencia! 

But first some more tips:

- It helps a lot if you know some Spanish! And Barcelona speaks Catalan, which has some differences from the Spanish most people learn in school in America. If you are Filipino like me, a lot of tagalog words will go a long way... like when we were buying "medyas"!

- We heard so much about the pickpockets in Barcelona, so we all wore moneybelts that we strapped under our sweaters. We kept copies of passports, address of embassies in Valencia and Barcelona, vaccine cards, etc.   

- Going in March is great because there are less tourist, but the drawback is you won't get to enjoy the beach. 

- Go to the area of Carrer de Bias for Tapas, not in La Rambla

- No need to rent a car, the buses and metro run pretty smoothly and on schedule

- Real talk: having seen many aquariums, I thought the aquarium in Barcelona was ok, but not the best. Still, my kids (and I think every kid) enjoyed the visit, and especially the axolotls, which seem to be their current obsession these days.  

- Schedule your tours or buy your tickets online in advance if you can, some places get booked pretty quickly (e.g. Sagrada Familia). If you’re visiting a lot of places, consider the All Inclusive Go-City Pass - and no, I don’t get any $ from them.  We just really thought it was a good deal. :)

- if you have more time than we did, check out Mt. Tibidabo, an amusement park on top of a mountain. It was on limited hours so we missed out.

- Other places to check out, which we didn’t get to: see a show at the Palau de la Música Catalana, check out the Barcelona stadium (if you’re into soccer, which we are not), and the site of the Olympics.

- Whatever you do, have fun, make memories and enjoy the rich Spanish culture!