We took a long, holiday weekend and went to Barcelona.
Yep, you read that correctly — we flew across the Atlantic to spend two and half days in Barcelona. Crazy? I think so. Worth it? Absolutely!
Between difficult work schedules and spending any free summer weekends by the lake, our options for traveling further afield often feel limited.
But, with an amazing flight deal and careful planning, the trip turned out better than we thought!
Placa de Sant Jaume
We flew out on a Thursday evening and were checking through customs in Lisbon just a few hours later, arriving in Barcelona at lunchtime.
I found a lovely little apartment on AirBnb in the Sant Antoni neighborhood, and the location proved to be perfect for everything we did.
The famous Pont del Bisbe
Our first stop was the Picasso Museum, walking by the best parts of the Gothic Quarter along the way.
The Cathedral of Barcelona in the Gothic Quarter
Part of the Roman Wall that still stands in parts of the Quarter.
The Picasso Museum
This museum is definitely worth a visit.
I was absolutely amazed at the number of items on display — sketches, preparation paintings, notebooks, photos, pottery — room after room filled to the brim with Picasso.
In fact, so much of the artist was there, it felt like he had just stepped into the next room for a moment.
I'll do a full post on the museum so you can see just how wonderful the collection is!
While El Xampanyet (one of the tapas places on our list) was closed for the Spanish afternoon siesta, we opted for Bodega la Puntual for a pick-me-up before continuing through the winding Gothic Quarter streets.
We finished the croquetas before I could snap a picture, but make sure you order these if nothing else while here!
The Gothic Quarter is really a gem in the city, with winding streets that lead to nowhere in particular, but without making you feel like you're lost. The perfect place to wander.
Many of the streets lead to the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar.
And everywhere you look, there's a new building to see and architectural style to marvel at.
One of our last stops that evening was at Cerveseria Vaso de Oro. A German-style beer bar that packed quite the local after-work crowd. The place is basically the bar, open any of the three entrance doors and you're right at the bar. Grab a seat, marvel at the yard-tall (seriously!) beer steins decorating the walls, and order up.
A lovely first afternoon in the city!