Living La Vida Barcelona Part 1

I'm baaack. I spent two weeks of April enjoying Europe and discovered that two week vacations are the best. I immersed myself into each of the cities I visited and didn't worry about emails or getting to the gym. I saw friends and family and ate local dishes. I was able to enjoy Europe without a shoestring, study abroad budget. I seriously need to do this every year. 

First up, Barcelona. I have always wanted to see this city and it did not disappoint. I spent three days visiting Barcelona and I went there solo. It was the first time I'd ever taken a vacation on my own and I loved it. Plenty of time to pamper myself and do whatever I wanted. I'm a lucky girl.

On my flight in to Barcelona I could just make out the Sagrada Familia below. Can you see it down there?

I stayed at a beautiful hotel, Hotel Majestic. It was a little bit of a splurge but completely worth it. It was in a great part of the city right near the Gaudi sites and La Rambla. The rooms were beautiful with big marble bathtubs and chocolates on my pillow at night.

The rooftop pool and bar was the best part of the hotel. The weather was 75 degrees and sunny; a perfect escape from the Chicago cold.

I picked up a face mask at Sephora before I left the States and HIGHLY recommend this for whenever you travel. After about 15 hours of travel, I put on this mask and it left my skin glowing. So I headed on out to explore the city.

Even the sidewalks in this city were special. I also loved my Tieks, but they took a little bit of breaking in.

 

My first night out in Barcelona a co-worker suggested I try Ciudad Condal. It was a happening spot on a Saturday night and I just barely grabbed a bar table. The waiter was very helpful and brought dish after dish of tasty tapas. I of course started off with Sangria. Plenty of people came over an introduced themselves to me while I ate. Quite a friendly city.

More to come from Barcelona and Spain!