This was the second time we had visited this city and upon stepping onto Las Ramblas, I remembered why we came back.

Even in Winter, Barcelona has a vibe to it that no other city in Spain has. It’s cosmopolitan, without being pretentious, beachy without being isolated, and offers the tourist plenty to see and do, without feeling over the top. Of course, in winter, there are less tourists, so it does feel less touristy and Las Ramblas doesn’t have the same amount of ‘buzz’ that it would have in summer (for one there were hardly any street performers, to my disappointment). But don’t be fooled into thinking that winter in Barcelona is boring.

As we arrived late into Barcelona, we decided to have something light to eat and took inspiration from walking down the famous Ramblas. Thankfully, our hotel (Hotel Lloret) was in the perfect place to start, overlooking Las Ramblas itself.

And boy, did we stumble on a gem: Vienna. Like 100 Montaditos, this place made delicious bocadillos at a great price. It is certainly worth a visit as the staff are friendly and the food is great. We even went back the following day to take some Bocadillos for the road!

As we had exhasted all of Gaudí’s amazing architecture last time were in Barcelona, we decided to ‘go local’ and pace ourselves around the city. Of course, I couldn’t help but resist visiting La Sagrada de la Família again (the outside at least) as it would have to be one of my favourite sights in the world. Having begun construction in 1882, it is still being built and completion isn’t expected until 2028! (which gives me plenty of time to save up to return). Gaudí. What can I say. He thinks and designs “like a boss” and one can only admire everything he’s done with awe. The attention to detail and concepts he has come up with are incredible and it is easy to see how this cathedral in particular has taken so long to build. The two main sides depict Christ’s life; with one side focusing on his birth and the nativity scene, and the other on his crucifixion and resurrection.

Of course, I cannot resist the calling of Desigual, and seeing as though there were two stores right across from the hotel, I had to indulge. I happily gazed at and tried on the clothes for a while before remembering my account balance and moved on. That night we were treated to a delicious dinner included with our stay at the hotel (#ilovefreebies) before having an early night (for Spaniards at least, midnight) to rest up for the big day ahead: Montserrat (see following blog: ‘Getting closer to God at Montserrat’).

The rest of our time in Barcelona was filled with more casual sightseeing, more eating, more Desigual (I visited a total of 5 different stores in Barcelona alone!) and a visit to the Ice bar. More of a spectacle than anything else, it is a bar that is set between -5 to -10 degrees. We went in, we drank, we froze, we got the hell out of there! I can see the appeal it would have in warmer weather and with a group, but the drink prices couldn’t be justified for the two of us (and in winter, when we were already cold). Prior to the Ice Bar visit, we had a huge meal in one of the restaurants in Barceloneta, which was conveniently airing the match between Barcelona and Malaga on a few big screens. All the men in the restaurant (including the waiters) were transfixed.

Once again Barcelona, you’ve put up a great game and I’m already looking forward to round 3.