“Barthelona!!” we kept whispering excitedly with a lisp, the normal way of speaking in this part of Spain.  But this was not Spain, this was Catalonia.

Fresh in the middle of a new independence battle, the people of Barcelona were proudly sporting their flag-striped shirts and we saw several rallies in the streets.  Apparently the public was very divided on the issue, polls showing an almost perfect 50/50 split.  There’s the obvious question of weather 51% is enough support to divide a nation, and opinions were free flowing, as was the wine.  The reasons why Catalans want to be there own country vary, but we gathered it has a lot to do with Catalonia bringing in a large percentage of Spain’s entire GDP.  There’s definitely a lot of regional pride.

We spent four days in Barcelona, walking everywhere and seeing very little of the huge city.  The food was amazing as was the wine, and we did a good job exploring the eating options.  The first day we had a fancy lunch at Michelin-starred Alkimia.  (Make reservations in advance.)  The “reinventing classic”-style food was amazing and gave Zach great inspiration to get back to work in San Diego.

After 9pm we would cruise the Gothic Quarter, scoping out new bars and tapas joints.  The city was bursting with nightlife, everyone out and about.

Jamon Experience. Slightly creepy but extremely Spanish.

This is El Kiosco Bar, selling drinks and tapas into the friendly alleyway.

The Sagrada Familia, Casa Battló, and other works by Antoni Gaudi are scattered about the city.  Sagrada Familia, has been under construction since the 1880s.  We couldn’t afford to go inside, so maybe we will come back when it’s finished (if ever!)

Sagrada Familia details

The back of the massive church

Casa Battló

At the top of a steep hill, the Parque Guell (also designed by Gaudi) features many great viewpoints over looking the entire city.  It’s also a great park to walk around and enjoy many talented buskers.

Parque Guell entrance

A string performance in the park

Since Barcelona was the end of our trip, we tried to soak up the relaxed Spanish culture as much as possible.  Wine was drunk, tapas were eaten, and many more beautiful streets were explored.  Returning home was bittersweet, but we know we found something special in Spain, and we’ll be back.