If I was ever going to cheat on my love Havana, it would assuredly be with Barcelona. From the first time I visited Barcelona, I was in love. From the laid back attitudes to the amazing food and drink to the amazing architecture and almost perfect weather, you have to love a city that has clearly stopped to smell the roses. I could walk around the city for days. Just stopping for a tapas here, a beer there and just enjoying the sights and sounds that never seem to get boring.
On a recent trip we wandered into the famous market La Boqueria. This market has been there for 800 years and is a feast for the eyes and mouth.
If there was ever a fat kid’s heaven, this is it. There are hundreds of stall and restaurants selling everything you could ever want to eat and drink. You could walk around for hours and graze and never see it all. Absolutely one of my favorite things to see and experience in Barcelona.
It is located on Las Ramblas which is in the heart of the city.
- Las Ramblas
You could make a 3 day trip just from walking up and down Las Ramblas and exploring all of the amazing shops, bars and restaurants in the little alleyways connected to this beautiful street.
When you get tired, hungry or thirsty, Barcelona always has you covered.
There are an endless amounts of these fantastic Tapas bars on every street. You just walk in and start grazing. You simply save the toothpicks and when you are ready to leave, you hand them to the cashier and they ring you up for what you ate. Usually between 1-2 Euro per small plate. The beer flows and there is never any such thing as a rush. You can spend entire evenings just like the Spanish do by walking from one to the next and grazing and drinking your way to a state of culinary elation.
Days you spend walking around this majestic city, you will see architecture like nowhere else in the world. There are countless buildings and structures by the famed artist/architect Antoni Gaudí. Here are some of my favorites.
- Started in March of 1882 and still not finished.
Once you have seen the sights and need a break, you can simply head to the beach. Barcelona is located on the beautiful Mediterranean. This is the biggest reason for the amazing weather and endless fresh seafood in their dishes.
For those of you who want to add a little gamble to your trip, Barcelona has a world class casino located just a short walk from the city center. Just remember to dress up a little and bring your passport if you are a visitor to Spain. They don’t allow the shorts and tank top crowd from Vegas inside here.
So there you have it. A little taste of my second favorite city. I will be returning to Barcelona next May and will do an update post with some new adventures. Go visit this marvelous city. You are truly missing out if you don’t.
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