I've never been to Spain but fell in love with it straight away. The blue sky, Spanish language, incredible architecture and sparkling Mediterranean Sea won me over.
Katherine and Alison had spent hours picking a hotel and eventually settled for Hotel Lleo, just a short walk from the Ramblas and Plaza de Catalunya and complete with a rooftop pool. This hotel is great value for money and I'd recommend it to anyone thinking of visiting Barcelona.
We decided the best way to see the city was to get the opentop bus tour, which you can hop on and off. We spent time drinking coffee on the sandy beach and dipped our tops in the sea, wandered through the narrow cobbled streets of the Barri Gòtic, gazed at all the incredible works of Gaudi and of course drank sangria on La Rambla while watching the street entertainers.
Alison is football mad so we paid a visit to Camp Nou but as they had just won the match against Man Utd a couple of nights before it was seriously busy and we just had a coffee and decided against the tour of the stadium. Katherine and I would have gone in - I felt it was a bit like taking me to a massive shopping centre and only allowing me to look at it from the outside otherwise :)
One thing that caught us unawares was that there are no shops (except those selling gifts) at all open on Sundays - so get your shopping done before that. We just had to have another glass of sangria on the Ramblas instead.
Just before we headed back to the hotel to get changed on Sunday afternoon we discovered a market at the very bottom of the Ramblas with lots of great jewellery etc. I treated myself to a ring which will remind me of my hols.
So I just want to say thanks girls for a great weekend and here's to next autumn when we will be having another weekend away for Katherines 40th.
Alison, me, Katherine
so jealous! I have spent about 3hours in Barcelona which is clearly not long enough! Really want to visit it properly.
ReplyDeleteThe Sunday thing is a pain everywhere in Europe - working in Brussels meant the only shopping day was Saturday so the shops were always rammed!
i'm so glad you girls had such a fab time! my barcelona trip was also an escape with the girlies!! the sangria and paella were wonderful and we also stayed just in/behind the main stretch of las ramblas - fab! wonder where you'll head for next time? :)
ReplyDeleteWow what a wonderful trip and photos to go along! Lucky you!
ReplyDeletePaula
WOW, I am really looking forward these days for myself! Welldone!
ReplyDeleteI love this city, i have been twice now, i traveled by the open top tour bus, it was a great way to get around, i had to go to the football stadium also with my hubby and son, i would love to go back as it is a beautiful place. eve x lucky you
ReplyDeleteAhh sounds like you had a wonderful time.
ReplyDeleteI was only in barcelona for one day, flew there in the morning and flew back in the evening. but it worth it, just to see some of gaudi's work.
and 40 is the new 20, didn't you know :-)