The perks of working at the airport is that a quick weekend getaway to another country is pretty much effortless on a Friday evening!
Going downstairs through security and to the gate takes pretty much 20 minutes!
And this time I was off to
Barcelona!
All in all, the weekend was approximately €343
- €87 3D/2N at Sercotel Amister Art Hotel
- €117 Ryanair Return Flights from Dublin
- €140 Food, Entry Tickets, Transport
So since it was just a quick weekend, here is what I managed to fit in –
lots of walking and eating (as usual).
Six Things to do in Barcelona
1. Eat your way through La Boqueria Mercat
The oldest market in Barcelona, the Boqueria Market has much to offer. Fresh produce to either take home to cook or eat right there. Fresh poultry, seafood, ham, fruit, juice, tapas, empanadas, bread, pastries, cake, churros, the list goes on and on.
Tip: Go there on an empty stomach and try to eat a little bit of everything you can possibly fit into that belly. You won’t regret it.
2. Scare pigeons at Plaça de Catalunya
Only a short stroll from the Boqueria Market, walk to the Plaça de Catalunya. It’s a central square in the middle of city full of pigeons. It is pretty entertaining watching kids and dogs chasing after them.
Tip: If you have a bird phobia, you may want to stay clear from this place.
3. Admire Casa Batlló and Casa Milà
From the Plaça de Catalunya, continue your walk up Passeig de Gràcia where you will eventually come across Casa Batlló, one of Gaudi’s gorgeous artistic creations. Complete with bone-like structures for pillars and skull-like balconies, it definitely will make your head turn.
Further down the road, another one of his masterpieces, Casa Milà, takes a totally different tone with seaweed-like balconies.
The style of colours, architecture, are so atypically enchanting, even if you don’t go in, it’s definitely worth a look from the outside.
4. Soak in the history and beauty of La Sagrada Familia
Continuing the influence of Gaudi, you cannot miss the Sagrada Familia. Grab yourself an audio guide to truly appreciate the artpiece in its partial completion designed by Gaudi. Although many parts of the entire cathedral were gorgeous, my favourites were definitely the stained-glass windows, internal tree branch pillars, and the music note pews for the choir at the top floor. I can’t wait to go back in 2026 when they hope to have the entire cathedral complete to celebrate the 100th death anniversary of Gaudi. So it’s definitely worth a visit before its completion so you can return to appreciate it even more.
Tip: Make sure to book your ticket online as they sell out quick and the lines are long.
5. Get lost in Park Guell
And if you think you can have too much Gaudi, you’re probably wrong. Stroll through Paek Güell to see more of his designs. A giant park filled with mosaic pieces, slanting pillars, and fairytale-like colours create such a magical environment to get lost in.
Tip: You don’t really need to pay for an entry ticket to the secluded areas, a free walk through it allows you to see majority of it.
6. Check out the Contemporary Art Museum
As it was raining while we were wandering, we decided to stop by the Museu d’Art Contemporani. The pieces in the exhibition were definitely unique and my favourite was the final room of darkness. We were led in a small group to enter a room which was completely pitch black. You could not see anything at all and it was so uneasy until our eyes adapted to the surroundings and started to see the art light installations within! Definitely recommend it if you appreciate contemporary art or even need to hide away from the rain for two hours.
And of course, no holiday is complete without food!
Five Places to eat in Barcelona
1. La Boqueria Market
As mentioned at the very start of the blog, the Boqueria Market is an ideal place to meet the locals and eat like one.
Tip: Just beware that they close on Sundays!
2. Lolita Taperia
The best tapas we had throughout the entire trip was definitely in this little tapas that can seat a maximum of 40 people inside with a few tables outside. Amazing service and fresh, tasty tapas to offer. It was a great way to start our weekend getaway.
We had the patatas bravas (fried potatoes), costelles de porc (tender pork ribs), calamars a la Romana (deep fried squid), and the special of the day – pintxo de Filet de Vedella amb Ximixurri (beef skewers with Chimichurri).
Tip: They have seasonal things not on the menu and also their own homemade sweet alcohol concoction of berries, star anise and more – so give it a shot!
3. La Flauta II
Another great place to get tapas. After a full day of walking, it definitely hit the spot! First, we had the flautas – toasted baguettes with camembert cheese – one with slices of jámon serrano and one with minced pork, walnuts and honey. Then we shared some pimientos de Padrón (fried and salted small green peppers) and deep fried little fish.
Tip: Wash down your tapas with their pitcher of sangria, it certainly comes with a kick.
4. Eixampeling Cafe
If you are craving some brunch, step into this cute little cafe complete with endless puns in their menu. They do poached eggs, salads, burgers, desserts, in massive portions. The service was great and the food was tasty!
5. Xurreria Sagrada Familia
Did you really go to Spain if you didn’t have churros? Being a true believer in the classic churros, we shared a serving of these deliciously deep-fried goodness. Complete with a cup of thick hot chocolate to dip it into, it went down so sweetly and smoothly.
Tip: It’s just a two minute walk from the Sagrada Familia, so kill two birds with one stone and stop by for a bite!
Barcelona was such a wonderful getaway. Filled with good food, adventures, and sweet memories. Although I may not have hit all the places I wanted to, it just means I will have to come back!
