During this summer, some locals in Barcelona made headlines because they were so fed up with tourists that the squirted some visitors with water guns while they were eating al fresco. I’m happy to report that our experience was quite the opposite, and the people of Barcelona were friendly and welcoming.
Gothic Quarter – The Gothic Quarter is amazing with buildings and narrow streets dating back hundreds of years. It’s so neat to walk through, and it was right next to our hotel the first night.
Pickpockets and scams – Keep in mind this is a real thing in most tourist areas in Europe, especially Barcelona. In these areas be very aware of your cell phone and wallet. Fortunately this is the main hazard (it seemed quite safe). Also, it’s my opinion that if you’re in non-tourist areas the risk for pick pockets is much lower.
Park Guell – Park Guell features amazing architecture, nature, and great views of the city. Definitely bring your walking shoes for this one, because it’s quite large and you’ll probably end up walking a few miles to see everything. It’s popular with locals and tourists, and will sell out so you want to buy tickets in advance. Prices are very reasonable at around 10 Euro.
Sagrada Familia – Have you ever complained how long a construction project is taking? Well construction on this started in 1882 and it’s still not done! But as a result it has multiple styles and construction techniques. Definitely impressive outside, and you can pay to get a tour inside as well.
Food – We enjoyed the food while in Barcelona tremendously. Nearly every local restaurant has fresh local ingredients, with a selection of healthy foods if you want. We enjoyed Empanadas and fresh fruit for breakfasts, and visited the Market Boqueria. Just gotta say tapas is such a fun way to eat with friends and family – sharing different types of food. Our favorite was La Alcoba Azul, which is located near the Gothic Quarter and has a spectacular indoors and outdoors seating area along with amazing food.
Night on the town – Barcelona isn’t an in bed by 11 p.m. city. At midnight there’s still plenty of people out and about. One night we were there, a Barcelona soccer match on, and the city was a buzz about it. Most areas felt safe and there were no problems walking around, even late at night. The city is also known for being LGBTQ accepting.
Sun Dog – We also saw this while in Barcelona. Meteorology friends will recognize this as a sun dog (refraction of sunlight through ice crystal cirrus clouds resulting in a ‘mock sun’). Pretty neat to see.
