There is something about Barcelona, this vibrant city full of color and joyful people, delicious food and good music that no other city in the world can concurre with.

As a flight attendant I have the “luxury” of visiting for free any place in the world that its on my airline map…even getting payed for that. In the month of June I was blessed to have in my schedule 6 flights to Barcelona with a layover of 24 hours each which is not much but accumulated I ended up being in Barcelona for 6 days which made me a real “connoisseur” of the city.

First day: Walking tour of the city

Unfortunately my first trip to Barcelona didn’t start very well, getting sick on the flight and having to endure a tremendous stomach ache. Even though I was fighting with pain and a sleepless night this didn’t keep me in the hotel room and wearing my red jumpsuit and big white hat I was ready to take over the city.

I downloaded an offline map and I decided to visit the city by foot, which took me approximately 7 h with often stops for pictures and food. Another option its the Hop on Hop off bus or the metro which is cheap and easy to use.

First stop: Sagrada familia

Eternal in construction but with a well deserved reputation as the most unique and fascinating church of Europe, the Sagrada familia was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi. Actually the entire city revolves around the famous architect who’s modern view was rejected in the beginning but later on won the hearts of the Catalans and now…of the entire world.

The best time to visit Sagrada familia it’s early in the morning or by noon when the sun it’s not very strong and you can take amazing pictures. I wasn’t aware of this detail and I ended up having to fight not only my health problem but also the crowd and the sun.

The back side of Sagrada Familia has a modern appearance while the front side still holds the gothic vibe, whichever angle you choose you won’t get it wrong…splendor it’s all around the place.

If it’s Spain then it’s Paella

As I was starving I decided to stop for a late lunch/early dinner to one of the restaurants located near Sagrada familia. It was quite hard to find Spanish cuisine in this touristic area but surprisingly a Turkish restaurant was serving Paella (Spanish dish made of rice and sea food) and I didn’t regret giving it a try.

Casa Mila and Casa Batllo

Two of the most beautiful houses designed by Gaudi are located downtown, 20 minutes apart from each other and impress by their unique style and surrealistic influences. The price of the ticket starts from 25 euro and the queue to get inside is long but if you are pressed by time a visit outside it’s totally worth it.

Casa Batllo is also hosting magic nights, events that starts in the evening and include the tour of the house, a welcome drink and a concert for 39 euro. Find your favorite event by clicking the link below.

Magic nights

Gothic quarter

One of my favorite areas of Barcelona, the charming gothic quarter has narrow medieval streets filled with restaurants, bars, shopping places and it’s pure heaven for photo addicts.

The main attraction of the plaza it’s Barcelona cathedral, built in the same gothic style and dedicated to the Saint Eulalia.

Sunset in Barceloneta

It’s almost sunset and even though I feel exhausted the excitement of discovering a new place doesn’t let me stop my journey. I set up on my offline map the direction towards Barceloneta, the most famous beach of the city and I am surprised to discovered that it’s only 15 minutes walk from the Gothic quarter.

I get a little bit lost trying to find the entrance to the beach but I don’t regret it. Hundreds boats perfectly aligned are dancing in the wind and I am walking slowly enjoying the first moment of relaxation throughout the day.

Barceloneta didn’t impress me much, it’s like any other beach of Europe where the sand and the color of the sea doesn’t fascinate but a good place to sunbath in a torrid day or change few worlds with the locals. There are also plenty of restaurants from where you can choose and tapas are welcomed at any time of the day.

I am returning to the hotel around 10 pm trying to rest few hours before my early wake up call and already planning my new layover in Barcelona. There are still so many other things to see and I don’t want to miss anything.