One thing that I didn't realise about Barcelona was the existence of the grid system of the streets. I'm not the biggest fan of the grid system and especially at night since every single intersection was exactly the same as the previous one which was a little confusing. First night was empanadas at El Laurel which was highly rated on Yelp.
I can't remember what I ordered anymore. From memory it was cheese & corn, blood sausage and ... I have no idea. Super yummy.
What is a visit to Barcelona without visiting Sangrada Familia. Well, I was a little torn originally since it was so expensive (for my standards) at €15,50 I believe (student price) for Sangrada Familia + tower admission. I do think it was money well spent since the interior was absolutely amazing. It's incredible to think that it was constructed in that style during the 19th century. I would highly recommend!
That being said, I think the visit to the tower was a waste of time and money. Largely money. Pretty much, you caught the lift to the top of the tower. Walked onto the little walkway (which was 2m in length) and then ... that was it. You would then descend via the stairs. Hmm.
Hello grid system.
Gloomy day (the next day). Walked all the way (quite a few blocks) to see the Magic Fountain, however it was turned off for cleaning. D'oh.
And to wrap up this Barcelona post (did also take a day trip out due to sheer boredom but that is for another post).
Paella! Carne paella since I'm not the biggest fan of seafood. Prior to that night, I had never tasted paella before and it was nice? It's hard for me to really judge the quality as I don't have a basis of comparison. This was at Bosque Palemro (also highly rated on TripAdvisor and Yelp) and it was quite a nice place. Although there was a table of Canadians who were super loud and obnoxious. I don't know what it is, but you can usually hear North Americans tourists (Canadians and Americans) from a mile away. I think the same also goes for Australians. It's weird. You could also order 600ml bottle of cava for something ridiculous like €3 if not less.
Overall Thoughts
I had high expectations of Barcelona and it was very underwhelming for me. I'm not really sure what the appeal is, but I didn't really appreciate the city. It was kind of non-descript for me. And saying that to people makes me uncomfortable as everyone seems to love the city and I feel like the odd duck. I think it would also be wise to have this disclaimer that I did visit more than Sangrada Familia and the things I mention in all my posts. I sometimes just don't have what I deem as worthy photos or simply, a story to go with it hence it is omitted in my travel posts.
An interesting thing to note is the whole pickpocketing reputation that Barcelona has. That being said, a lot of other cities that I have visited also have that reputation and perhaps it is because I went in the quieter season, but I didn't think it was a problem. To be honest, I am quite situationally aware when I am travelling, probably moreso than when I am back home. In fact, I have only ever had one thing stolen in my life and it was my wallet on the bus back from the CBD to my home.
Would I re-visit?
No.