Barcelona, I love you! This was already clear to me when we started our #IZDDW day trip on Montjuic, the mountain in the Catalan capital, Barcelona. We shake hands, exchange hugs and chase away the clouds over the city. It is the perfect way to start a day bound to be full of encounters with new people and places. Lydia, our local guide, joins us. Her eyes gleam with love for her adopted hometown. She has lived in Barcelona for many years and her enthusiasm for the city does not seem to decrease.
With mixed feelings, we take a cable car and head towards the beach. For Markus, my companion for the trip, the day begins with an embrace of the cool-steel-beam of a cable car. However, for the production team, the day began with a few furrowed brows and several concerns – will the Vodafone LTA network allow us to share our experiences with you without any problems? Will we be able to make it despite the various changes in elevation and the amount of kilometers we’ll travel? Are there enough spare batteries and is everyone fit enough to climb several meters and tolerate heights? These technical challenges always astonish me over and over again. What the crew and the LTA network manage to accomplish is nothing short of spectacular.
Next, we exit the gondola and hop into electronic tuktuks. Markus, who was previously frightened due to his run-in with the cable car, finds his voice and decides to become our chauffeur-guide. Lydia and I make ourselves comfortable on the backseat and yell excitedly, „Vamos a la Playa!“ Markus is thirsty for a cup of coffee and agrees. We drive along the promenade in the direction of Port Olímpic“
…and stop at „El Pacifico“, a tapas restaurant right on the Barceloneta. With the pleasant sea breeze and a round of Snapchat (find us as „Uberding“!), we enjoy the somewhat different concept of Tapas: Gourmet, but oriented towards the typical tapas of Barcelona. Once inside the restaurant, we discover an interior that’s a mixture between retro charm & modernity as well. Stylish and yummy!
After dinner, Markus resumes his duty as our self appointed driver and takes us for another ride in the tuktuk. But then it’s time for a walk. We drive to the trendy neighborhood of „El Born“ and stretch our legs in one of the coolest parks in the city.
Parks in Barcelona: Parc de la Ciutadella
In a city where even the streets are watered, the parks radiate in all their glory. We forget the hustle and bustle, we forget the cameras, we giggle and marvel and suddenly arrive in beautiful Barcelona. Of course we also had to take a „Puddlegram„.
Then we continue with art and souvenirs. We chat with the artist Maxó, who lets us give away one of his works on Instagram and stroll through the slightly different souvenir shop „OMG BCN„. I am pleased to have a reunion with Mister Wonderful and we buy gifts for our loved ones who remain at home. We treat ourselves to some new headgear from Hatquarters and march on to the „Placa Sant Felip Neri“…
…a super hard to find, small Placa. We catch a few minutes on a fountain with Lydia and she tells us a few things about this very historic place. The thought of the war and the terrible scenes that took place at this location creates a gloomy mood, but this also belongs to a city just like the many colorful, cheery places and sunshine.
Snack Time in Barcelona: A Tu Bola
Street food is popular in Barcelona like never before. At festivals the local chefs in the multicultural quarter, Reval, sell specialties from around the world. One of the most famous street food vendors is Shari and her team. We visit them at „A Tu Bola“ where they sell meat, fish, and veggie meatballs with salads and delicious sauces. We drink a cold beer and take our snacks with us to MACBA (Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art).
Located in the creative district of Reval, MACBA stands for the „new Barcelona.“ To keep up with developments in the world and up to date, the city has to observe exactly what happens in this neighborhood. Reval is a city known for skaters and we find out why: skating is a sport, which for many is not only a passion but a calling, and it is tolerated and encouraged in Reval.
Best Xurros in Barcelona
The perfect dessert is available at Granja M. Viader Xurreria. This business is family-run since 1870 and they know exactly what they are doing and what tastes good. We really want to try their dishes and we can’t wait. Bring on the best Xurros in Chocolate town! A bit of sugar, chocolate and carbs are definitely allowed on a day like this. I eat three Xurros which makes me team-best. After an espresso and some small talk with fellow blogger Nicole and a few others, we go on our way again. Our bellies are very full.
Borrowed Fashion in Ropateca, Barcelona
…therefore it’s time for a breezy dress. Maria and Christine Schorn are two Germans who founded a sustainable fashion company. The Ropateca store is all but sophisticated. Together with Laure of „Indigo by Laure„, we talk about sustainability and minimalism while they dress me in a new outfit. The shadows are getting longer and we still can’t get enough of this city.
We jump into a taxi to enjoy the evening sun on the rooftop of Casa Mila, one of the most famous Gaudi buildings. You can find my thoughts on this building here.
Streets, colors, festivities: The Gracia Festival Barcelona
We end our live stream in the district of „Gracia“. Our feet are tired and we can’t form proper sentences anymore. It’s time to get even deeper and join the fray: At the Gracia Festival, the different areas of the „village-like“ quarter of Barcelona, compete against each other in different disciplines. It has been decorated for several weeks and now people are celebrating and rightly so.
Hotel for a city trip in Barcelona: Barceló Raval
I found some good rest after this long day in my bed in Hotel Barceló Raval laying next to the famous Ramblas. The rooms have everything you need for a city trip in Barcelona, including free WiFi and coffee. What more do you need? Maybe a rooftop with 360 view and a small pool? You get that there too.
I have to say it again: thanks to all who where involved in this wonderful day, which ended up being a full blown city guide Barcelona on uberding! And if you missed the live stream, you can watch the highlights in the video.
