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Food, Spain, Travel

Churros and Coffee in Barcelona

Happy Tuesday! I am finally home safe and sound after another week of traveling and am anxious to share my newest experiences with you 🙂 This post is the continuation of my last post when Nicolas and I visited Barcelona. If you missed it, you can read it here and see what we did during our first morning in this beautiful city! https://breakfastatmadisons.com/a-day-in-barcelona

After a much needed afternoon nap, Nicolas and I headed out to further explore the city. Barcelona is famous for its churros, so we were very determined to try some! We ended up at Churreria Laietana. It was one of the tiniest and coziest cafés I have ever been to. On TripAdvisor, it is rated #1 out of 176 cafés for coffee and tea in Barcelona as well as #8 out of 8,272 places to eat! We both agreed that the coffee was delicious and bold and the churros (freshly fried and doused in sugar) were amazing.

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Spain, Travel

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.

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Travel, United States

A New York Christmas

It has always always ALWAYS been a dream of mine to see the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, and it just so happened that Nicolas and I were spending a night in New York City on our way to Pennsylvania for the holidays. Despite our jet lag and the below-freezing temps, Nicolas was determined to make sure that I saw the tree. We woke up early in the morning and had an amazing breakfast at the Tick Tock Diner (highly recommend). We bundled up and took in all the beautiful sights there are to see in New York during the holiday season. When we finally reached Rockefeller Center, I nearly cried! The tree was so beautiful – just like the movies (i.e. ELF 🙂 ). We passed the Empire State Building on our way to Penn Station. My fingers were literally frozen, so I kept the photo-taking to a minimum. 🙂

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Travel, United States

A Cozy Ocean View

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Hello, all! I have just returned from a visit to the states to see my wonderful family. Every year in the fall we travel to Ocean City, Maryland – a place that is so close to my heart. I have been visiting this particular beach since I was little. It is so special to me. Ocean City is such a popular tourist location during the summer months, but I think it is even more charming in the fall. The water is still warm, the air has a slight chill, and the beaches are much more quiet. I was thrilled to be able to spend time with my family, relax, and eat a lot of good food. 🙂

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Spain, Travel

4 Amazing Sights I Saw in Spain

Hi, everyone! In today’s post I am going to share 4 incredible sights I saw while in Spain. So many of the experiences I had left me in awe. I read about history and culture in textbooks all throughout my schooling, but I never thought I would actually be seeing these things in person someday! Life is truly crazy. Anyways, on with the post.

 

1. A White City

Spain is scattered with pueblos blancos (translated to “white villages”). They are gorgeous, tiny cities where everything from homes to markets to churches is entirely white. It is actually quite fascinating to see! The specific meaning behind the completely white theme is unknown, but it has been speculated that it was either a mandate by a 20th-century dictator or simply just a chemical reaction of the limestone that was used. Mijas, the particular town I visited, was charming and very tourist-friendly.

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Spain, Travel

3 Things I Loved While Visiting Spain

My recent trip to the south of Spain was absolutely wonderful. I had the opportunity to truly experience the Spanish culture and see things I never dreamed of seeing. I decided to wrap it up with a list of my top three favorites (in no particular order). 🙂

1. The Food

I ate SO MUCH good food while in Spain. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and delicious. Something new that I tried was tapas. Tapas are basically teeny, tiny portions of savory foods that are served as a snack with drinks or shared among friends as a meal. I love this idea because I am so indecisive when it comes to ordering at restaurants. While eating tapas, you don’t have to choose! Nicolas and I ordered pasta bolognese, Spanish meatballs, and ribs with roasted veggies. Paired with some fresh bread and a piña colada, this was one of my favorite meals by far.

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