Bienvenida a Barcelona!
- ccleg10
- Jul 26, 2019
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 5, 2021
When people ask me "where is your favorite place that you've been to so far?", I tend to pause for a moment as if I don't know the answer. And while I still have a slight internal struggle to this day, my taste buds always remind me that the answer will most likely, always be Barcelona..
It was a quick three day trip (in flight attendant time, that means roughly a 24 hour rest period - aka not three full days as implied). Alas, it was warm and dreamy and the glowy ambiance of sunset in gothic quarter never leaves my mind. Aside from the beautiful, world renowned architecture that the city is known for, the reason it is my favorite place that I've been to thus far is because of the f o o d ... Naturally.
< Skip ahead to the Barcelona layover lowdown below >
Layover Life
Once we got to our hotel in Barcelona, most of the crew went to nap after working all night and agreed to meet on the rooftop later. It's always so hard to wake up from a nap on international trips because they leave you feeling so groggy and a wee bit nauseous if you're lucky; but, sangria was calling my name! Anytime you get a trip to Barcelona, the crew always talk about two things - the sangria at the hotel's rooftop pool/bar and the paella on the flight back home! Needless to say, I had no idea that this massive glass of sangria was only the start of an evening that I dream of living over and over again on repeat.
I found my way to the rooftop only to discover a crew that had been awake with sangria in hand long before I arrived. I was immediately handed quite possibly the largest and most delicious sangria that I have ever sipped. We shared stories from past trips, gossiped as flight attendants do and began to make our grandiose plans for the rest of the evening.
Our first stop was at a local pharmacy to pick up some goodies that you can’t get in the states without a prescription. *flight attendant secrets* Then we made our way to one of the first “MUST SEE” sights in Barcelona, The Basílica de la Sagrada Família. Seeing this gothic style architecture that has been in the works since 1882 was nothing short of breathtaking. Pictures will never bring justice to the way your own eyes take in sights such as these!
One thing that I love about Europe is the history.
When I was in high school, taking British literature, I always dreamed of how amazing it would be to walk the same streets and touch the same walls of buildings in cities that Shakespeare and other historical figures once inhabited. The city's architecture was mind blowing. Another buzzed cab ride left semi blurry visions of beautiful apartments with lovely little balconies that I could only imagine sipping my morning coffee from. Our next stop was one of my favorites (before dinner of course). The Casa Batlló.
This is that Barcelona "glow" that I mentioned earlier that is forever ingrained in my memory. I remember standing there just s w o o n i n g and smiling because I couldn't believe what my eyes were getting to witness. It was a quick moment since I had to rush back into the cab that my fellow crew member was holding, but it was an exquisite one.
Before our buzz could even slightly wear off, we found ourselves at one of the best restaurants that I could ever recommend! I will keep this short and sweet and just show you the good stuff. The reason that Barcelona is my favorite place thus far is because the food absolutely made me cry, it was THAT good! I'm sure that the Spanish rioja was 96% to blame for my uncontrollable emotions at the dinner table, but the tapas here were UNREAL!
Tapas to indulge in [bottom left to right]: Baguettes (French bread soaked in tomato juice with Iberian jamon and scrambled eggs), Pulpo a la Gallega (Galician octopus served with sliced cooked potatoes, smoked paprika and olive oil), the best Foie Gras I've ever had (it's served with beef tenderloin & melts in your mouth), Crunchy Camembert (fried creamy cow's milk cheese with a raspberry sauce).
My mouth is literally watering while I type out these descriptions. H A N D S D O W N , the best tapas restaurant in Barcelona - Vinitus JUST GO and thank me later!
Last but not least, I will leave you with a few "souvenirs" to take home from your time in Barcelona. I'm sure this list could be infinite depending on the person you ask; but, for a flight attendant and a foodie like myself, these are my recommendations.
* A good Spanish olive oil
* Obviously some Spanish wine (rioja for me)
- I also really love LAN and Campo Viejo Rioja Tempranillo (available in the states)
* stuffed olives! jamon & anchovie stuffed to be precise
- a pilot mentioned to pick these up! we fought over the only 12 cans we could find in the store. They are great for martinis and hors d'oeuvres / charcuterie boards. Great gift for a guy or someone who enjoys the craft of cocktails.
- if you like baileys in any shape or form, you will never go back after this, I promise!
>> Don't forget to accurately declare your goods when you go through customs! (I'm pretty sure olives are allowed as long as the pit/ seed is not inside).
el fin!
hope you enjoyed (:
July 26 2019
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