Making new connections in Barcelona

How a bike ride led to an unforgettable experience

If you are looking for a city that offers beautiful sights, kind people, and good food, Barcelona is a must-visit destination. With its stunning architecture, rich history, and cultural diversity, this amazing city has something for pretty much everyone. But how can you possibly explore all that Barcelona has to offer in a short time? Well, it turns out that one of the best ways to explore the city is on two wheels!

As a Dutch person, biking is like second nature to me, it is practically in my genes. So, it was only logical that on the second day of our week-long trip to Barcelona, I searched for the nearest bike rental shop. Forgetting that it was Sunday, and some stores are not open in the morning, it took me a while to stumble upon a place that rented out geared bikes for a day I picked a bike with a little box in front for my water bottle and set off to explore the city.

Now, having lived in a country where the entire city infrastructure is built around bikes, I was not quite sure what to expect from this big city. I was very much surprised to find out that Barcelona is an incredibly bike-friendly city. Many of the big streets have designated bike lanes, and the traffic lights are easy to follow. And if there is no bike path, do not worry - it is acceptable to bike on the walking path or even with the cars or buses!

Barcelona is famous for its architecture, and I was excited to see it all up close. And honestly, biking through the city is a great way to do it. Being able to navigate quickly through the city, from the Gothic Quarter to the works of Gaudí, every sight is easy to reach. Not to forget, Barcelona has some amazing views of the sea and the parks, it even offers a path made specifically for bikers that goes past some of the more mountany parks. And if you have the energy to bike more uphill, you will be rewarded with some of the most breathtaking views from the mountains.

But my adventure did not end there. As the day passed by and I made a round trip through the city, I decided to go back to the sea shore to catch the sunset. On my way, I heard a mix of music that sounded familiar while I passed by the Arc de Triomf I walked with my bike towards the crowd of people watching a parade of people dressed in colorful outfits, dancing to a variety of music pieces.

I started a conversation with a family standing next to me and asked them if they knew what this parade was for. They explained that it was a Colombian parade, common in many Latin American countries. I mentioned that I had seen similar parades during my time in Nicaragua, and to my surprise, they told me they were from Nicaragua! The woman in the group told me about her move to Barcelona over a decade ago and how she started a family with a Catalan I told her about my year in Nicaragua, where I went to learn Spanish after high school, as my family is from both the Netherlands and El Salvador. I asked if they knew other Nicaraguans in the city, and she told me they only knew of around ten in total, which is not that many! The odds were so small for this encounter, we were both amazed. Who would have thought we would cross paths in such an unexpected way?

We chatted in Spanish, shared stories and experiences, and they even gave me recommendations for some delicious El Salvadorian food in the city In Latin America, it is quite common to treat strangers like family. So it was only natural that she started calling me “cariño”, which translates to sweetie or love, and of course she also gave me her contact details and told me to give her a call anytime I am in the city. Moments like these make travel so special, when you find unexpected connections with people from different parts of the world. And in Barcelona, that sense of community and diversity is everywhere you look. The city offers so many different communities the opportunity to showcase their culture and make everyone feel at home in a different way.

So, if you are ever around Barcelona, rent a bike, explore the city, and do not be afraid to embrace the unexpected. You never know who you might meet or what wonders you might discover