Summer Weekend in Barcelona

It's been a few weeks since my last trip to Europe so when I was approached to film a short video on the city of Barcelona I was genuinely excited. Fourteen years ago while working in Germany for my student internship I took a couple of my days off and backpacked through Barcelona. Now, I am older, more versed in culture, and I have more of a desire to see more than the average pub-crawl. I want to not only see the famous sites but I want to know what makes this city and its people tick. Barcelona is different than the average European city. The atmosphere here is much more laid back with afternoon siestas still being part of the locals’ daily lives. They have a saying here in Spain “here we work to live…not live to work.” And I think that is the perfect saying that encompasses the vibe that surrounds this part of the world. So now that I have gotten philosophical on you all lets get to my trip and the experience I had while filming in Barcelona for a few days. Barcelona is an incredible city. In fact I rank it as my second favorite city in Europe behind Rome. Like I said I use to live in Europe and have traveled extensively - so being second is a very solid ranking. There is an electric energy that pulsates through the streets and you feel it as soon as you are in the city center. I quickly checked into Hotel Silken just off LA Rambla and ventured off to start exploring and filming everything this city had to offer. La Rambla is the most notable boulevard in the city. Its runs for about a half a mile from the city center down to the Mediterranean. Just a few blocks into my walk I stumbled into La Boqueria, which is a famous farmers market here. This place is a MUST DO for everyone. Fresh cheeses, meats, fish and produce are in abundance throughout. In fact this became my morning ritual while here. I would grab a baguette from one vendor, some cheese from another and some exotic ham from another. Viola…there was my breakfast. Then it was off to Montjuic, which is a short distance from La Rambla. There is a really old fort up at the top of the mountain that offers amazing views of the city from above. There are plenty of ways to get up there – but the gondola is the most fun and offers fantastic photo ops. Be sure to stop off at the Palace at the bottom of the mountain after dark to see the incredible water fountain light up the night After exploring Montjuic, I was off to what is probably the most popular attraction in the city - La Sagrada Familia. This cathedral, designed by Antoni Gaudi over 100 years ago, is still under construction to this day. It’s a beautiful church with Spires like none other. But you can’t sit here and admire the place for too long before you ask yourself “why has it taken so long to build?” I guess you could blame it on the siestas. Remember, they work to live here, and they don’t live to work. Onwards from there I found myself at Park Guell, which is another one of Gaudi’s architectural masterpieces. This is a very large public park built on the side of the hill on the east side of the city. Take at least a half-day to explore more of Gaudi’s whimsical designs. Cool off in one of the Flintstone-like caves, get lost in the maze of staircases throughout the park, and enjoy the panoramic views of the city. The trails are lined with local musicians that offer a soothing soundtrack as you stroll, hike or just relax in the shade. This is Barcelona… so, napping is always fine to do in public. . By this time I was pretty hungry and ready or some authentic Spanish Tapas. A local suggested the restaurant Cerveseria Catalana and it did not disappoint. I suggest the mussels or the salmon tartar. I asked the waiter to pair a wine and unless you know Spanish or are very savvy with wine I would suggest you do the same. Food is a big part of the culture here and the restaurant really cared about making my meal an experience. By the way this place gets packed so either go early around 7pm or go really late like 12 am or you will have at least an hour or two wait. The next day I decided to do a bike tour of the city and linked up with The Fat Tire Experience. Overall this was probably the best time I had sightseeing. You’re on this beach cruiser style bike, which was very comfortable considering the tour is at least 4 hours. The guy who runs the place is an expat and simply gets it. His guides are not only informative but also funny. By the end of the experience you will know the city very well as it takes you through the Barri Gottica Quarter, under the Arc De Triumph, and through Parc De La Ciutadella as well as some of the other famous landmarks I had already seen. Looking back I wished this was the first thing I did when I got to Barcelona. It’s a great way to get your bearing, see a lot in a short period of time all while meeting a bunch of new people. The rest of the time I would just kick back in a sidewalk café and soak up the Spanish vibe over a glass or two of wine or their sweet sangria. Why not? Remember… you are in Barcelona!