Barcelona is a wonderful, modern European city that is a joy to visit. On my last travel adventure I headed to the Spanish city armed with my new Huawei P20 Pro phone to take pictures of the dazzling architecture. Its very easy to walk and cycle around Barcelona, so I decided to hire a bike for the day and stop off at any building that caught my eye. Below is my diary for the day which takes you from the beach, to the major tourist attractions and finishes with some incredible gelato ice cream.
The beach is my favourite place on earth. No matter what country being beside the sea is such a beautiful place to be, I just wish I could live beside it. The beaches in Barcelona can get pretty busy, even on a week day. You also have to be mindful that some of the beach goers like to sunbath naked (yes fully naked!) so pick your beach spot wisely.
The dramatic building that stands out at one end of the beach is the W Hotel Barcelona. A beautiful glass building that reflects the blue from the sea and the sky.
I headed East along the coast on my bike until I reached quieter beaches. Here I stopped for a paddle, before heading further along until I was surprised to find this Wes Anderson inspired disused power station. Pretty cool!
Stopping off in the many overpriced beach side restaurants I sampled some fresh local prawns and delicious salad. It might be pricey, but you are paying for the location which is worth so much more.
Away from the beach and heading North now, past the main roundabout the separates the coastal part of town and the city.
I was heading for the Barcelona Arc de Triomphe. This is an impressive building on the edge of a park. Cycling under the arch and onwards my next destination was the Gaudi Sagrada Família.
This cathedral is a must see tourist spot. It seems to be constantly being renovated, but if you can see past that its the most impressive structure. Stopping briefly to take some snaps of the building, and dodging the tourists I kept heading North up the pedestrian path on the hunt for a snack.
As you make your way up the paths towards the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, you will find an array of cute local restaurants. I opted for the take away treat of empanadas after finding a delightful hole in the whole type of bakery.
This local treat had a large selection of hot and cold snacks of which I tried the spicy beef and tuna. The beef was by far the tastiest, and I would highly recommend it. After purchasing it you can sit on the outdoor benches and watch the world go by.
As it was now starting to get late in the day, I double backed and headed to the original Cathedral of Barcelona and took this stunning photo.
After passing another Gaudi building I had reached my final stop Soho House Barcelona. This impressive members bar has the best roof top pool with views out over the marina.
Heading back to rest my tired wee head, I noticed Ottimo Gelato. This ice cream store was calling my name, so I treated myself to some raspberry and cherry scoops and with that my day was done.
So if you are visiting Barcelona, let me know of any other hidden gems you find, and Ill be sure to take them in on my next visit.
