Barcelona Photo Diary - Day 1

I'm not best known as a 'do-er', and this is something I'd like to change very soon. I'm much more of a thinker, a dreamer, but very rarely do I ever actually see these dreams into reality. So I surprised myself, and my bank balance, when I finally DID something I had wanted to DO for a long time, and booked up to go to Barcelona. Travelling with Ally, when we got there, we DID all the DOs that we said we would! Our departing flight left early morning, which meant we arrived something around mid-day and still had a long stretch of summery afternoon to fill. We tracked down our hotel no problem at all and after a smooth check in - complete with a glass of complimentary fizz, we jumped out of our travelling clothes and slipped into something a little more fitting to peruse the streets and squares of Barcelona.

In no particular direction, we strolled lazily, our necks constantly cocked so we didn't miss any of the bizarre, but brilliant architecture the city is famous for.

Our hotel was only a fifteen minute walk from Las Ramblas, Barcelona's busiest street and so we shortly found ourselves just on the outskirts of a flood of people rushing up, down and across the street.

At this point, realizing we hadn't yet eaten, we thought it best to make a pit stop, and fuel up before we dived into the crowd ourselves. We saw this as the perfect opportunity to immerse ourselves in some Spanish culture and so we decided to dine in a gorgeously authentic...pizzeria.

Okay, so our first dish wasn't the most adventurous but we did branch out as the week went on! Plus, look how bloody deliciously tasty it looks!

ANYWAY...

At the bottom of Las Ramblas we discovered the beautifully nautical Port Vell and I instantly fell in love with its deeply maritime views and vibe.

It was a bit more breezy right out by the coast so we headed back inland to keep exploring! We trailed back up Las Rambas, dancing in and out of shops, and around various street stalls, until we found ourselves at the other end of the street, where it opens out onto Placa de Catalunya, the main square at the heart of the city. Two huge fountains surrounded by beds of blooming flowers show off its splendor and status quite effectively I think!

By this point we were starting to flag on our feet, and were stunned when we noticed the time. Pushing eight in the evening we were more than content to have seen so much in one afternoon, but were also more than keen to retire and rest our sleepy little heads! All that travelling and exploring in one day had really taken it out of us!

An obligatory glass of wine on the terrace to mark our first night here, and it was straight to bed for us!