Steve and I made a trip to Barcelona this summer for our anniversary. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a region in Spain. We stayed in an area called Eixample which was walking distance to restaurants, art galleries and shopping. Our room was in an old building with a lot of character. I loved the designs and couldn’t get over the European aesthetic. The hallways had cool tiles and the rooms are modern yet they maintained the structure of the building and the balconies creating such a romantic feel.

Whenever we arrive in a new city we usually start off by taking a walking tour. The tours are free most of the time, you just have to tip them at the end. It helps us to get our bearings and we get a background and history of the city. Not to mention you get to know where the locals eat too!

Barcelona is a beautiful city mixed with old and new. I love the architecture and interior designs. Gaudi is an architect who is well known for the design of the Sagrada Família. His buildings are everywhere, you can tell by just looking at them. He has his own signature design to these grand buildings.

Every morning we hit up a hip cafe, trying different green juices, coffee, pastries, chia pudding, avocado toast and jamon baguettes- our fav!

We had lunch at La Boqueria, it is a food market where people can just go in and taste all the local food. Foodies get ready to eat your heart out. Just be careful there’s a lot of pick pockets around the area.

We then headed over to La Rambla, a street that is 1.2kms long with shopping, restaurants and cafes along the street.  We did some shopping and had a gelato there.

Next day we explored The Gothic Quarter in the early morning to capture photos before the crowd flocked in. Best time to go sight seeing around the city is when everyone is asleep, it feels like you have the whole city to yourself!

We checked out Museu Picasso. We got to see Picasso’s early work and how it had been influenced throughout his life. Perfect spot to stay cool and to get lost in the world of art.

The Sagrada Família was our favourite attraction, the outside was intricate and very detailed. The building is still under construction for over 135 years now.  Once we stepped foot inside, we were blown away by it’s beauty. I have never seen a church like this one. You have to see it to believe it.

The Catalonians sure know how to eat well so our trip was a culinary experience.  We had good food and wine every night. Barcelona has some of the world’s most finest restaurants, the coolest cafes and endless tapas bars. We had sangria at all the tapas bars. We even brought back my favourite sangria- Lolea to share with my friends. My favourite tapas restaurant was Casa Lolea. You also need to try paellas. The seafood paellas are the best because Barcelona offers some of the most fresh seafood. Our favourite restaurant on this trip was Caelis. We celebrated our anniversary there and their “Celebration” tasting menu was impressive.

Barcelona is all about fashion, they have high end to affordable shopping. Zara originated in Spain, they’re popular and they have all trendiest clothes at affordable prices however they may lack in quality. Barcelona is also known for it’s high end designer shopping. It’s every shopaholic’s paradise, they have all the latest season’s trends. Also you can get your tax returned on the way out of Europe, win win! Give yourself extra time at the airport, the lines are crazy to claim back the tax.

Sum it all up Barcelona is all about art, eating, shopping, trendy interiors and world class architecture.