A Day in Barcelona

Hello, friends! Nicolas and I decided to take a spontaneous trip to Barcelona, Spain this past week! Although we already visited Spain this past summer, I had yet to see Barcelona. We flew in late Monday evening and spent the following two days there. We had an amazing time seeing all the beautiful cathedrals, eating lots of Spanish ham and tapas, and simply enjoying the culture of this amazing city. In this post, you will see some of the first things Nicolas and I experienced in Barcelona. 🙂

1. Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar

After reading up on the history of the Santa Maria del Mar, I was so thrilled to visit this beautiful cathedral. It has been said that the apostle James preached in this very spot, leading to the construction of a tiny chapel. The actual church construction began in the 14th century in the year 1329 and was consecrated in 1384. Since construction of the cathedral only took 55 years, it is the only Gothic church to have been completed in one architectural period. The inside is just as stunning as the outside with beautiful stained-glass windows, countless shrines lit up with candles, and an incredibly arched ceiling. It was so nice to walk around, light a candle, and take in all the tiny details of this church.

2. Plaça de Catalunya

This plaza is in the center of Barcelona where the city’s most important streets meet. There are beautiful statues along with fountains and lots of cozy benches to sit and people watch.

3. La Rambla

La Rambla is a boulevard in central Barcelona and is said to be the city’s most famous street. It is a beautiful, long stretch of shops, cafés, and markets. Nicolas and I really enjoyed one particular market that was filled with all types of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, and different meats.  It was quite an enjoyable stroll for us this time of year being that there were not many tourists.

4. El Casal

For lunch we stopped at El Casal. It was the most charming little restaurant tucked in between city streets and separated from many of the tourist attractions. It appeared to be a place that many locals visited, so we decided to give it a try. The food was DELICIOUS. We shared some tapas consisting of toasted bread, Spanish ham, salad, sun-dried tomatoes, and different cheeses. It was the coziest lunch date!

After such an eventful morning and afternoon, I retreated back to the hotel for a much needed nap before heading out to explore the city again. You can read about that in my next Barcelona post soon. 🙂 In the meantime, we are off to Sweden for a week of skiing! Have a wonderful weekend, and thank you for stopping by Breakfast at Madison’s. <3

-Madison-