Flirting with Barcelona

Happy New Year! Where will 2015 bring you? I hope that my blog can inspire you to go to new places, discover new things and meet new people. I’m very grateful to be surrounded by a loving family and friends who motivate me to get out and experience all that life has to offer. Whether it is to try a new restaurant, start baking or initiate myself to curling, I want to begin every week with a new endeavor.

Back to business!

Barcelona, the city of Gaudí, is like an all-star player in a hockey team. You can spend each and everyday admiring beautiful architecture, tasting delicious tapas, and enjoying the sun and the beach…all at the same time. The city is set on a plain facing the Mediterranean sea with lush hills in the back completing the landscape. At the end of my visit, I came to the conclusion that Barcelona is a beautiful marriage of opposites. New and old, sea and mountain, arts and sports during the day and a top-notch night life complete the profile.

A date with arts and history

Before departing to a new destination, I always try to do a some research to understand a little more about the place I’m about to discover. It turns out Barcelona has profound roots in the greek mythology. One of the legend says that the ancient city was actually founded by Hercules. The depth of its history can be felt in the stone of the city walls and roads.

The architecture is truly mesmerizing in this city. A short walk along La Rambla or Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes allows us to admire all styles of constructions, from the intense and dramatic to the soft and romantic. The gem of the barcelonian architectural world is of course the still-in-construction Basilica La Sagrada Familia, the works of which began in 1882. Its projected completion is in 2026, a century after its creator’s death.

Park Güell is another masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi that has been declared a UNESCO heritage site. The style of Gaudi is a mixture of strong and soft, straight lines and curves, neutral and colour… As I walked through the site, I felt as if each piece had a little bit a life in them.

Columns and walls bring us back into the Roman era

Facade of La Sagrada, still under works.

Doors of the Passion facade with embossed words of the bible. — Doors of the Passion facade with embossed words of the Bible.

Inside la net of the church — Inside la nef of the church

Beautiful ceiling, inspired by the forest

Admiring beautiful buildings while sipping coffee at the local cafe

Seduced by the landscape

It must be so much easier to stay active in Barcelona, when you can jog on the boardwalk facing the Mediterranean sea and walk the hills to visit the romantic gardens of Montjuic every day. With its sixty-eight parks and seven beaches, kayaking, stand-up paddling, hiking and biking are very popular activities.

Boardwalk with the Mediterranean sea as backdrop

Port of Barcelona, one of the busiest in Europe

Inspired by the sports culture

One thing I will forever remember about this trip is the time we were walking back to the hotel at night and were startled by screams from the car driving by us. I was terrified at the beginning before realizing that they were screams of joy and ecstasy. It turned out the Barcelona soccer team Barça scored a splendid victory against its rival Madrid during the league final. The whole city was euphoric.

We also visited the premises built for the 1992 Olympic games hosted in Barcelona. The city boasts the largest stadium in Europe and fourth largest in the world: Camp Nou.

Camp Nou: Home of the Barcelona team — Camp Nou: Now home of the Barcelona football team

Tempted by the gastronomy

What’s the best about eating tapas? You can try everything on the menu! These delicious small plates really do merit all the reputation they are known for. Iberian ham is a definite must-try, but the Catalonians are also masters of cooking seafood, especially seafood paella. After a satisfying hearty meal, head to the chocolate museum for dessert!