If you follow my new YouTube channel, you might have seen quite a few video blogs from my recent trip to Barcelona. I’ve compiled all of the shots I took from my too-short weekend and put them together in a compilation video (above). Barcelona is an incredibly diverse city with a surprising amount of things to do for every budget. I always imagined it as a destination that’s usually on the costlier side, but I was able to discover quite a few great restaurants at a decent bargain price. The club I visited had way less of an entrance fee than I would’ve expected for Barcelona, though that’s probably because it was just one of a few gay clubs in the city. And (perhaps surprisingly) gay clubs can be quite affordable in many cities.
Here are a few of the highlights featured in my Barcelona travel video:
Parc Güell
Well, really — what trip to Barcelona wouldn’t be complete without a visit to something by Gaudi?! On my previous two visits I’ve seen different Gaudi architecture each time. The first visit saw me paying the entrance fee to get as much inside as possible into La Sagrada Familia, and when I visited last summer, I had the chance to explore Casa Mila. This time around I was desperate to visit Parc Güell and it was just as much picturesque as I imagined.
Saüc Restaurant
Not particularly budget-friendly, for a Michelin-starred restaurant this place is still a pretty solid deal. I tagged along with Mickla for lunch where we snagged their set menu (just 37€ per person). It included five courses—everything from a black olive gelee with sugar to a mushroom risotto with fresh scallops.
Bar Marella
It’s a bit of a tourist trap (watch your pockets!) but I don’t care: Bar Marella is awesome. It’s allegedly where Hemingway and Picasso used to hang out and the only thing you should order here is a glass of absinthe. There’s a process to the madness. When you order the drink, they’ll pour it in a class, give you a spoon and some sugar cubes and a bottle of water. You’ve got to poke a hole in the water bottle’s lid and melt the sugar into your drink with that. If you order an absinthe cocktail in any slightly more upscale cocktail bar in the world, they often make it into a whole process. The pedestrian way you’re served absinthe here feels much more…original…bohemian…Hemingway. This is the Barcelona I always dreamed of; not some style-frenzied city with loud and obnoxious beach parties.
Whatever your taste, Barcelona seems to cover it all. On this trip I finally managed to fall in love with the city, to discover its incredible amount of diversity and prove that it’s actually quite affordable. Barcelona is one of those cities that’s pretty much accessible from anywhere, and often times very well-connected at that. Flights to Barcelona can be found on most major booking sites like Expedia, or check individual budget airlines that often run sales and special deals. I’m fairly certain I’ll be returning soon; there’s much more to discover!
If you like historic locals next time you can try “Els Quatre Gats” (the four cats). Nowadays it is a restaurant. But around 1900 it was the place where the “modernisme” artists met, and was the place where Picasso did some of his first exhibits. Now it’s a tourist place but it has this historical charm.
Nice images in your video, i’m glad you enjoyed your trip :)
If you know Sagrada Familia, Park Güell and La Pedrera then Casa Batlló is the next. Awesome Gaudí building in Paseo de Gracia.
If you come back some day to my city or if some of your blog’s readers is coming, i want to share our online guide. We just translated to english, hope it helps: (click on name for link)
Regards!