TOURISTING IN BARCELONA
/In deciding to move 4,000 miles away, we hatched a corresponding secret plan to import as many friends and family, for as many cumulative days a year, as we possibly could. The details of the plan were based on two primary assumptions: (1) jet-lagged visitors aren't dying to be fully immersed in the day-to-day insanity of your new Spanish life (ergo, rent an apartment with an extra bedroom and bathroom in its own [more] quiet corner), and (2) friends don't make friends fly 8+ hours to see them in a city that sucks (ergo, choose a city that will lure people in on its own).
For the moment, our plan seems to be working delightfully; the two-pronged strategy successfully in place, we're looking forward to importing several loved ones over the coming months. We just had our first of the year—my parents, a visit highly-anticipated by two small grandchildren who (rightly) counted on 8 days of spoiling. They were the second set of houseguests we've had so far (Aaron's parents were able to come twice last year), but the first guests that included a Barcelona first-timer; it was my dad's first visit to Spain.
Wanting to ensure that he saw all the highlights, we spent most of the week being tourists, roaming to all corners of Barcelona and beyond. We hit up many of our so-far Barcelona tourist favorites — things which, if you come to visit, I'll probably suggest you do, too:
- Get lost in the Barrio Gótico (good eats @ Santagustina and Milk / good drinks @ Mescladis and Paspartú) and wander through the adjacent Parc de la Ciutadella
- Make a day trip to Montserrat, followed by lunch at a nearby olive orchard
- Take back-to-back tours of Sagrada Familia (get the audio guide, skip the towers) and La Pedrera (a short walk away)
- Find vistas for the adults/amusement park rides for the kids at Tibidabo
- Find food trucks and artisans at the Palo Alto Market (first weekend of every month)
- Explore Montjuic by foot and telèferic (get to the Parallel station and take a funicular to the top); when you're done, hop on the cable car to Barceloneta for a long lunch by the sea (good options @ Barraca and Gallito)
