Barcelona After

Hola de nuevo :),

It took me a while to recover myself, my work, and my school after the Barcelona vacation. Together with these, I got sick, and I could only find the opportunity to write again. Fortunately, I am here now :)You can find below all the details of what we did in Barcelona between October 6-10, day by day.

October 6, 2023

Our plane landed in Barcelona around 2.30 pm. After going through passport control and getting our luggage, we reached our apartment with Uber(28€). The name of the apartment we stayed at was Aparthotel Napols - Abapart. After we checked in and settled in the room, we rested a bit and then went for a walk to explore the surroundings. We were very hungry since we had come from the road and we sat in one of the random restaurants. Luckily we made a good choice and we had a delicious nacho and beer duo. After dinner, we walked towards La Rambla. At the beginning of La Rambla, Catalunya Square, we stopped by stores such as Adidas and Zara and determined what we would buy the next day :) For dinner, we had planned to go for Barcelona's famous Tapas and Sangria option. For this, we chose Ciutat Comtal, one of the famous restaurants there. There was a line at the door and we waited for about 45 minutes. It was worth the wait. As additional information, if you want to sit outside in the places in Barcelona, a 10% difference is added to the bill. We didn't know this and signed ourselves up for the line inside. We tasted almost everything drank a liter of sangria and paid a total of 75€. For dessert, we tried the famous Crema Catalana. It was good but you shouldn't raise your expectations too high. It was as if the milk and rice were passed through a blender and caramel was burned on it. Try it while you are there. I think 25€ per person is very reasonable for a luxury restaurant in Barcelona. After dinner, we walked back to our apartment.

October 7, 2023

We woke up in the morning and waited for the bakery and the market to open. My cousin and his wife, with whom I went on vacation, care a lot about breakfast. So we went to the market and bought everything we needed for breakfast, from cheese to vegetables, fruit, olive oil, and tea. We also bought hot bread and croissants from the bakery. The croissants were frankly very bad. They were not fresh, they were doughy and there was sugar on them. At 2 pm we had tickets for Park Guell and we left the apartment around 12 noon. We thought we could walk because we had time and it looked like a 45-minute walk from the apartment. But then we decided to take public transportation and I'm glad we did. It is not a road to walk :/ It is very hilly and they are working on the road. Let me give you this life-saving information. We took the Hola Barcelona travel card, a 48-hour option. After getting on the bus, we went about 7-8 stops and reached Park Guell. It was 1 pm when we arrived and we were an hour early. I explained the situation to one of the staff there and asked if we could enter. He showed me his superiors and told me that he would give me permission if I told him as a dessert like this :) After talking to his superiors, we went in and we didn't have to wait. This was such a sweet memory. We walked a lot in Park Guell and took a lot of photos. The ticket was 10€ per person. There are many buildings inside. After walking all around the park, we ended our route with the view of the three crusader historical monuments at the top with the whole of Barcelona under our feet and we walked down and left the park. After leaving the park, we bought glasses and magnets from a souvenir shop. Honestly, I thought it would sell expensive because it was at the foot of Park Guell, but the souvenirs we bought there were really affordable. You can also prefer it if you go there. Then we went to the center with the metro. On the way, we had a dessert and coffee break in a patisserie. On the way down La Rambla, we added Casa Mila and Casa Battlo to our plan. After seeing them, we went shopping. Because everything is very affordable. We lost ourselves in the evil triangle of Oysho, Sephora, and Zara. Especially me :) But how don't lose yourself? I bought two perfumes that cost 11.5K in total in Turkey for 4.5K there. Thanks to my cousin, I learned the Tax-Free process, which I went alone on my previous vacations and frankly did not want to deal with. When you go to the cash point, it is enough to say Tax-Free to the cashier and hand over your passport. Then she does the procedures and gives you a document. You process those documents at the airport. I will explain that in detail later in this article. After we did our shopping we went back to our apartment to drop our stuff and get ready for dinner. Our plan for this evening was Paella and Cava. For that, we chose Restaurante La Barca del Salamanca, which is famous in Barcelona. We ordered Shrimp, Paella (with seafood) and Cava. To be honest, Paella for 3 people was too much for three of us. I think n-1 person would be enough. Afterward, the place served dessert. The bill was 110€ here too. After dinner, we walked through Barceloneta Beach and toured the marina. There we came across a concert with a Cuban artist. People were really enjoying themselves and having fun, honestly, I was very jealous. We continued walking and passed Palau de Mar and stopped by Fossar de les Moreres. After seeing that, we went through Ciutadella Park, saw Arc de Triomf, and returned to our apartment. Every moment of today was very productive, we ate so much, explored so many places, and bought so many good things. Now it's time to rest.

October 8, 2023

At 1 pm, we had tickets for La Sagrada Familia. We woke up early in the morning and decided to go to the Picasso Museum first. When we went to the Picasso Museum, they told us that there were tickets for 12.00 noon. While we were waiting, we had a cake and coffee break in a cute cafe. I think the coffee in Barcelona is really good and high quality. Every coffee we drank was delicious. After the time came, we visited the Picasso Museum. After that, we immediately took the metro to Sagrada Familia. After seeing the interior and the towers, we bought souvenirs for ourselves. It was really fascinating and awe-inspiring for me. I can say that I left my heart there :) After we left, we were very hungry and tired. There was a famous empanada place nearby, Malvon Empanadas. We decided to go there but we were disappointed because there was no place to sit and we couldn't rest. It was normal taste. Then we came to the churro place we saw on the way, XURRERIA. We had our legendary churros and americanos and rested. It was really perfect. If you like dessert, you should definitely try it. Then we did our tour of Saint Jaume Square, El Pont del Bisbe, Barcelona Cathedral, Santa Maria Church, Sant Felip Neri Square, Plaça Reial, Palau Guell, and Christopher Columbus Monument which we had marked on the map. In the evening, we had a cocktail at Mariposa Negra and ended the day.

October 9, 2023

Today was declared the day of free movement. I got up in the morning and walked from my apartment to Federal Coffee for breakfast. It was a great feeling for me to watch people going about their normal lives and getting to work. I didn't neglect to make my manifestos while walking :) After having breakfast at Federal Coffee, I went to Spain Square. After visiting the Catalan National Art Museum and the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, I walked to the famous ice cream shop Lucciano's. Simply PERFECT. It will be very difficult for me to eat ice cream anywhere else again. Afterward, I stopped by Mercat de la Boqueria to buy the things I would buy on my way back to Turkey. It is similar to our Spice Bazaar. There is everything from cheeses to oils, olives to bacon. In addition, you can buy food from the bakeries-booths there in case you get hungry :) I bought a lot of cheese, especially parmesan, olive oil, olives, turron. These are famous in Barcelona. Then I went back to the apartment and we went out for dinner and drank our Cava. I wanted to tour La Rambla for the last time because I fell in love with the city. I asked Ciutat Comtal for takeaway sangria and they directed me to the next restaurant Obama. While I was buying sangria there I heard live music and I went in. I sat there very spontaneously to the sound of music. The musician David chatted with me and gave me a song as a gift :) We met and chatted and danced with the people there and talked to David between the performances and I realized that people are people everywhere. We all have common problems and feelings. Even though places, circumstances, religions, and beliefs change, we are all the same. This night is in the top five of my most enjoyable nights. I actually learned the best lesson. Sometimes you want to control things so much that if you just go with the flow, everything will happen in the most beautiful way. I went back to the apartment after these universal and enjoyable moments. If tomorrow is not our last day, I guarantee that I will stay until the morning. Obama Cafe and David are my recommendations :)

October 10, 2023

At 11 am I wanted to have one last coffee before checkout, so I went to Blackbird Coffee near Sagrada Familia. Their coffee and croissants were amazing. On the way back, I bought coffee and croissants for my parents too. I admired Sagrada Familia for the last time and made it clear that I would come back with manifests. On the way back, I bought churros for us again :) We checked out and took Uber to the airport again. Back to the reality :)

Accommodation in Barcelona

We stayed at Aparthotel Napols - Abapart. The location is very convenient. Three of us stayed in the apartment with two rooms and a living room. The apartment was very spacious and clean. They also left a water gift for us, we liked it very much. A thoughtful gesture. Everything we needed was available in the apartment. We especially loved the huge balcony. What caught our attention was the balconies in Barcelona. I think they have such a culture. The apartment was cleaned every day. The staff was very friendly and smiling. They gave us good and sincere information both about the environment and about the apartment. The apartment is in a very convenient location because it is very close to the center and there is a bakery and a market right across the street. La Rambla Street is 10 minutes on foot and two stops by public transportation. This was very good for us because, after shopping or sightseeing in the morning, it was good to stop by the apartment for dinner, rest get ready, and leave.

Transportation in Barcelona

We generally love and prefer walking. While walking, we feel the spirit of the city, we can see much more and discover much more. But as the duration of the vacation gets longer and the distance of the places we visit gets longer, there is a need for public transportation. For us on our Barcelona vacation, this need arose on our way to Park Guell. When we looked at the map, it showed 45 minutes on foot from where we were and we had time. We started walking but then we wondered if we should take the bus. I am glad we did because it is definitely not a distance to walk. The roads were very hilly and there were renovations. In Barcelona, Hola Barcelona transportation cards are made for tourists and they have 48, 72, 96, 120 hour options. We bought the 48 one and it was enough. You can use different options depending on the number of days you go. I think having such an option definitely reduces your fatigue and allows you to see more places in more time, even if you like to walk. Additionally, we used Uber for airport transportation, but there are buses departing from Catalunya Square. It can be preferred according to the number of people and suitcases.

Food/Coffee/Shopping in Barcelona

• Tapas - Sangria: Ciutat Comtal
• Paella - Cava: Restaurante La Barca del Salamanca
• Churros: XURRERIA
• Ice cream: Lucciano's
• Breakfast: Federal Coffee
• Coffee: Blackbird Coffee
• Restaurant: Obama, 7 Portes
• Cocktail: Mariposa Negra
• General Food Shopping: Mercat de la Boqueria

Gifts from Barcelona

• Sangria
• Cava
• Cheese
• Olive
• Olive oil
• Turron Halva
• Spices
• Delicatessen Products
• Chocolate
• General Gift
• Espadrille

How to do Tax-Free?

I had not done Tax-Free in Vienna and Budapest when I traveled alone before. When I was with my cousin on this trip and bought a lot of things, I thought I should learn. When you come to the cashier after shopping, you tell the cashier that you will be Tax-Free and he asks for your passport. Then she processes and gives you a document. You need to keep that document. When you arrive at the airport, you scan them one by one at the kiosks there. Then you go to the Tax-Free office. There they take the documents from you and refund you. They also make a deduction for cash purchases. There is a 21% tax rate on clothing and cosmetics in Spain. When we heard this, we bought almost everything :) But we looked at a document and saw the percentage of service deducted. With the service deduction plus the deduction at the airport, the refund is actually not much, but it is still better than nothing :)

Water

Water is my fine line. I took 3 liters of water with me to Barcelona. I don't like sparkling water abroad and if I can't find it, at least I want to have it with me :) If you are like me, Viladrau in Barcelona was very suitable for our taste. Recommended :)
Inner voice: No way 😄

My general opinion about Barcelona

Honestly, as someone who was born and raised in Istanbul, I think I can't live anywhere else. Because you can't find the beauty, the movement, the excitement, the chaos of a big city anywhere. Barcelona really resembles Istanbul in this sense. The city is alive 24 hours a day. It's like it doesn't sleep. There is always movement. The people are smiling and friendly. They also know how to have fun. Considering the economy in Turkey, it seemed appropriate to me, but when I talked to David, I learned that they complained about the cost, traffic, and ethnic conflicts. I fell in love with their life, their fun, their fondness for pleasure, quality service, every street of the city, architecture, food, and coffee. I plan to go back in the future and even experience life there at some point in my life.

Nos vemos de nuevo Barcelona ;)