Barcelona

Story & Photography by Elisa Vandergriff

Barcelona. A kaleidoscope city. The city every person who watched The Cheetah Girls 2 wanted to experience. A city that you could visit over and over and never get tired of.

My first visit to Barcelona left me craving more, savoring every photo, souvenir, and memory after I had gone. When the opportunity arose for me to return, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. I was excited to explore parts of the city I had missed the first round and to return to the incredible places I had been before. Here are a few of my favorite things from the enchanting Catalonian city of Barcelona:

This was our first stop and it set the bar high for the rest of our time in Barcelona. The neon industrial aesthetic was delightful and everything we ordered was delicious!

MUSEU PICASSO

The Picasso Museum was the perfect activity for the rainy morning we spent in Barcelona. There are 4,251 works by Pablo Picasso in the museum, showcasing work from every era of his career. Having seen a couple of his paintings at various museums across the US and Europe, it was an astounding experience to see so much of his work under one roof. You can buy tickets in advance for the museum or at the door.

BASÍLICA DE LA SAGRADA FAMILIA

If you only do one thing in Barcelona, it has to be this. Basílica De La Sagrada Familia is an architectural wonder designed by Spain’s groundbreaking architect, Antoni Gaudí. I struggle to find words to describe this astonishing masterpiece as it’s unlike anything I have ever seen before. The experience of merely entering this tremendous cathedral moved me to tears - both times I visited. Rainbow light streams in through stained glass windows from all sides, highlighting the insane detail from floor to ceiling. You must have a ticket to enter and I recommend buying them online beforehand.

JEFFERSON BEACH BAR

When in Spain, eat tapas. We had the most delightful experience at this surfshack-style tapas bar on the beach. Every dish we ordered was delicious, but the best part was sitting next to the water, the sea breeze blowing through the open interior, watching the beach-goers and, as we ordered our third round of tapas, a rainbow appeared over the sea. The setting was as much of an experience as the food, and I would highly recommend both to anyone visiting Barcelona.

LA BOQUERIA MERCAT

La Boqueria was another place I returned to on my second trip to Barcelona. This public market is packed with booths selling fresh fruits, meats, fish, and vegetables and bustling with shoppers and gawkers alike (trust me, it’s hard not to gawk). It’s a market of a million colors and it truly is an unbelievable sight. If you get overwhelmed by all the options, the fresh squeezed fruit juice sold at several of the booths is definitely the way to go. CASA BATLLÓ

This is another one of Gaudí’s architectural marvels scattered throughout the city. Although we didn’t go inside, the exterior is unlike anything you’d ever see on a regular street corner - like a fairytale cottage disguising itself on a city block. It’s definitely worth a visit, even just to briefly join the constant crowd of onlookers before moving on.

LA PEDRERA - CASA MILÀ

Right across the street from Casa Batlló sits Casa Milà, another one of Gaudí’s masterpieces. While its exterior is far less vibrant than his other works, we were able to become well acquainted with the charismatic cafe inside. It was by accident that we ate here, we just happened to get hungry while we were visiting and there just happened to be a restaurant, but having lunch inside a Gaudí was one of my favorite experiences. The interior was intriguing and the food was exquisite. PARK GÜELL

This final Gaudí work was the last place we visited before we had to leave the city the next morning. Not visiting this extraordinary park was one of my big regrets from my first trip to Barcelona, and I’m so glad I got the chance to return and experience it for myself. The big draw is the view, the entire city laid out between the park and the sea, but every inch of the park is uniquely and interestingly designed. We spent our last moments of daylight in Barcelona exploring the park before we headed back to our Airbnb to leave early the next morning, like a final kiss goodbye from the city that gave us so much.