It is my 3rd trip to Barcelona, and I don’t think I’d ever get tired of coming back. We stayed in a cozy apartment a block from the Catedral de Barcelona and right next to a lovely market for produce, meat, fish, and ready-to-eat snacks.
The first couple days were pretty quiet as we battled jet-lag and work. We took some walks through the adjacent Gothic Quarter, where we stayed during our 10th anniversary trip to Spain. I also revisited this statue of our ancestor, Ramón Berenguer, which I had found during my first visit in 2016
Wednesday things got busy. Mom’s cousin happened to be in town from England for a cruise and we got the chance to meet for lunch. Later that same evening, our friends from San Francisco came into town and we went out to another meal. Luckily, being all tapas, you can spend the whole day in restaurants and not end up too painfully full.
Unfortunately, our friends got sick or food poisoning and missed a day of their vacation. Back in action the next day, we took a long tour of Gaudi, starting with the Sagrada Familia (new tower completed outside, but the inside hadn’t changed since my last visit), and then passing by Casa Mila and Batllo.
We followed the Ramblas down to the marina for an incredible paella dinner recommended by our home exchange host. Nearby, we got to see a lovely sunset and moonrise, then passed by a lively street fair with live music, food and craft stalls.
The next day we met for lunch at the Boqueria, the more famous, intense and touristy version of our local market.
We returned to the beach for a swim, then took the cable car across the port and got some pretty views from a new angle.
I was sorry they left Sunday morning, as it was St Joan’s Eve, a big festival in Spain and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event. Originally a solstice celebration to mark the beginning of summer, this festival was modified in Christian times to celebrate the birth of John the Baptist (St. Joan) on June 24. There were still strong pagan vibes, with bonfires, dancers dressed as devils swinging fireworks over the crowd, and a full July 4th-style beach scene. It was a really lucky coincidence to be in town for that!
It was so nice to come back to this familiar city and to see some familiar faces again! That’s all the time we are spending in Spain, as we leased a car there and drove off to our next stop: Andorra!