A taste of Spanish Culture in Barcelona - Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Where I stayed
Generator Hostel
What I did
Segrada Familia
After spending a beautiful week in Ireland and then some time in France, my trip took me to Barcelona Spain. A newbie to the Spanish country, I was very intrigued and excited to explore this city full of interesting architecture, history and amazing cuisine.
The first landmark I got to view and take many a photograph of was the famed church Segrada Familia. Very different in design, the church stands on its own in uniqueness and character within a very thriving city. Millions flock to Barcelona to get that quintessential photograph of the church that is still incomplete after many years of construction.
My free day in Barcelona started off with a guided tour of some of the many sites. I was awed by the Olympic torch, arena and views atop the hill where they were located. It's no wonder this city is rated highly in my travel destination list.
Barcelona was also an amazing hub for great shopping. Designer shops, markets, jewellery ,Havaianas footwear, and other stores made this city a gem for finding bargains and key vacationista finds of stylish outfits, minus the heavy price ticket. I discovered the Oshyo chain - a beautiful store of sleepwear and beach clothing, designed for the vacationista on a budget. Their colours of blues, grays, and purples definitely suited my needs and undoubtedly, took a chunk of my vacationista budget.
Although the shopping was mostly successful, I was saddened to learn of the closing of the Jordi Labanda boutique. Excited to shop at the boutique, I travelled all over the city based on the web site's information. When I arrived at the address, I was told the store was shut down 3 years ago. A very disappointing discovery and lack of internet maintenance.
A visit to Barcelona should never go without a Flamenco dancing experience. My tour group went for a Flamenco evening and got to experience the traditional dance of tapping, castanets, and quick movement. The show was entertaining with Sangria served to keep us alert for the finale, involving our novice dance moves on the flamenco floor. I definitely cut a good rug that night!
After dancing, our tour manager took us to a fantastic seaside restaurant located at the marina near the casino, where I experienced my first Tapas. Served an array of seafood and vegetables, I could not help but fall in love with the Spanish traditional meal and crave more in the future. When going for tapas, be sure to check out the variety of dishes. The restaurant we went to, served everything from mussels, to potatoes, chicken, squid, shrimps, sardines and more. A truly cultural experience to wrap up my very short stay in this beautiful heart of Spain.
Barcelona was a fantastic place to visit. The scenery, shops, food and dance certainly had me captivated. Now go see it and feel it for yourself. No Regrets.