We spent our first Christmas living abroad visiting Barcelona. We wanted to experience this unique, fun city, and the warmer weather and sunshine. Barcelona has so much to offer: the big city vibe with incredibly artistic architecture, great neighborhoods, beaches, and lots of Irish Pubs. Our top sights from Barcelona are wandering through the ancient, twisted streets of the Gothic Quarter, the big open-air Market, visiting the Spanish Village, the must-see La Sagrada Familia, and an outing to an Abbey and Wine Country.
Gothic Quarter
In the tangle of the Gothic Quarter we were constantly finding squares with beautiful churches, café tables, and musicians. In one of these squares is the lovely Barcelona Cathedral.
For a few euros it’s possible to go to the roof of the Cathedral to take in wonderful views over the city. An elevator brings you to the roof, and then you are literally walking on narrow walkways across the spine of the Cathedral.
Mercado de La Boqueria
Barcelona’s famous marketplace, Mercado de La Boqueria, quickly became a favorite stop for us. We wandered around taking photos, picking up food for a picnic, constantly amazed at the variety of products. A very European market with anything and everything, all edible parts of animals on display, also fruits, vegetables, and candy.
And of course being right on the Mediterranean, lots and lots of fish and seafood. We ate the most delicious grilled squid in Barcelona. Also amazing are the variety of empanadas and so many lovely tapas.
Spanish Village
Visiting the open-air museum, the Spanish Village, created for the 1929 World’s Fair, is a wonderful stroll through a beautifully kept replica village. It includes narrow streets, homes, craftsmen, shops, a monastery, restaurants, dancing, and more.
La Sagrada Família
Truly impressive to see is La Sagrada Família, a basilica which has been under construction since 1882. The basilica is truly beautiful, tremendously tall, with gothic spires, and includes work by Antoni Gaudí, a famous Catalan architect with a distinct, fun style.
Abbey of Montserrat and Wine Tasting
A fun day outing from Barcelona is a tour to the Abbey of Montserrat and the Oller del Mas Winery. Altogether an enjoyable time, and lovely to get out and see a bit of the countryside, mountains, and a vineyard.
Two fun events in Barcelona that caught us by surprise was our Christmas day dinner, and when we unexpectedly met up with friends.
We booked a reservation for dinner on Christmas day, but had no idea we landed at the best spot in town: Flaherty’s Irish Pub. Flaherty’s put on a warm and welcoming Christmas event. Walking through their front door, instantly everything and everyone was festive and fun. The table settings, Christmas decorations, and music all provided an especially homey Christmas feeling. They served us up a multi-course meal that included turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, and cranberry sauce. And of course, pints of Guinness.🍀 It was great to enjoy this traditional meal after being away from home for the past 4 months. One of our highlights from our first year of travel from our new home in Germany.
For a fantastic ending of our time in Barcelona, we met up with one of Rob’s college friends and his family who were visiting at the same time for a wonderful Tapas & Wine lunch. Great people, a great time.
Salud!
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