Barcelona.
Two days in one of my favourite places, watching the skaters at MACA, going to see as much Gaudí and possible, and missing out on the Miró Museum for the second time in ten years (annoying).
I love Barcelona. There’s something about the city that feels incredibly comfortable and familiar to me, even though I’ve only been a couple of times before. Once, when I was about 4, and again when I was 23.
We wedged in the stop-over to break up our journey between Morocco and Italy. We considered other Spanish cities like Madrid or Seville but decided that with the 48 hour time constraint, Barca would be our best option — see a Gaudí or two, eat some small plates, pop into Bar Brutal for a vino and then be on our merry way.
We found cheap flights from Tangier (frequent flier points) and cheap accomodation (well, cheap for Barcelona) … aka a room in someone’s apartment which was underground, with no windows, and shared bathroom for $150 AUD a night. But, there were complimentary Kit Kats and the place was in El Raval so location, location, location, I guess, and off we went.
Here’s what we did:
Vintage shopping — notable mentions to Urban Vintage, La Principal Retro & Co., Mahalo Vintage Raval, and a shout out to the best skate shop I’ve ever been to, Petshop Skateboards. Petshop have a selection of curated vintage which they personalise with a little embroidered version of their logo somewhere on the item.
Vintage in Barca was incredibly well priced, tee shirts were $5 - $15 and the average price for a pair of Levi’s (in good condition) was between $30 and $50 AUD, compared to upwards of $90 here in Sydney. Plus, the stores were super well organised, the clothes were fresh, clean and ironed, and merchandised really thoughtfully.
Markets — of course you have to go to the Mercat de la Boqueria on La Rambla. Of course, it is full of tourists and subsequently, it’s pretty expensive. But it’s got the hustle and bustle and it’s fun to wander around.
There’s also the Mercat de Santa Caterina, which has a stunning multicoloured, undulating roof, which is less busy that Boqueria and moderately less expensive. Perfect for a Cava and oyster stop mid-afternoon.
Eating & drinking — We went to Bar Brutal, of course. As two long standing natural wine enthusiasts, it had to be the top of the list. It’s been around since 2013 and is attached to the wine bar Can Cisa, which was originally a family business that opened in 1949. We did not have a reservation but were accommodated at the bar and had a delightful evening — one of those magical experiences where everything was immaculate from start to finish. We felt so welcome, there was a giant husky at one of the tables, the off-list wine our new friend / sommelier dug out for us was exactly what we felt like (a crystalline chenin blanc, Domaine aux Moines Vin de France Le Berceau des Fées if you’re curious), the food recommendation (pork three ways with apple) was a perfect match and we left with a hand written list of recommendations for Rome. We had such a good time, in fact, that neither of us took any phots. You’ll just have to believe me.
We also ate at a tiny little wine bar just down the cobblestones from our accomodation. Bar La Parra is tiny, old school and super cool, full of a mix of regulars and hip young things standing around outside smoking, drinking red wine and gesticulating. We were just going to get a bite and then bar hop but we ended up staying for a couple of hours because the vibe and the beers and the wine and the tapas were delicious and also it was proper cheap. A hidden gem.
For caffeination, we stumbled upon a kiosk called “News & Coffee” which, you guessed it, sells news and also coffee. But when I say news, I mean gorgeous, high quality magazines like my all time favourite, The Gentlewoman. And, the coffee was excellent. They have locations all over Barcelona as well as in Madrid, Valencia and London.
If anyone would like to open a franchise of this clever business in Sydney, please contact me.
Culture — for some reason I can never time my Barcelona trips to line up with the Fundació Mas Miró being open. Did you know, Joan Miró and I share a birthday ? One day I will make the pilgrimage just to visit said museum, but until then, it'll be repeat visits to Park Güell to watch the sun set, a quick whip past the giant sandcastle aka Basílica de la Sagrada Família (by the time we decided on Barcelona, tickets were already sold out for entry to the Basílica. Turns out you need to book about a month in advance these days) to check on the building site’s progress (they’re “nearly finished”) and of course, to blow a quick kiss to the glittery perfection that is Casa Batlló.
We were staying just by the MACBA, the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, but we didn’t feel like we had time to go in and do it properly — but we did stop to watch the skaters filming each other out the front of the building.
A brief but delicious whirlwind tour of Barcelona which, as always, left me wanting more. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, I’ll be back.
Next time, Rome ! Walking, spritz, walking, deep fried spaghetti, more walking and lots of trippa alla romana.
But you did see the Miro museum art gallery when you were 4 !
Just too young to remember 👧🏻🧡Maman XX