screen-shot-2016-11-02-at-20-37-33Victoria Moraru– Friday, 7th of October at 7:45 AM

When it’s early in the morning and you’re wondering why you aren’t in bed at this hour, it means that you are ready to travel…

Standing in front of the Citylife Madrid Bus Stop where there is a huge line of people who are waiting to get on the bus, gives me time to stop and think. A part of the people who are waiting are still sleepy but they are taking with enthusiasm about what’s going to happen today. Well, let me tell you that today we are going to see an incredibly varied, dynamic city. I’m talking about the Catalan capital or the City of Gaudi. Still unsure?
We are going to BARCELONA!

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It was an eight-hour way from Madrid to Barcelona but the time flied by while we were having fun and watching some comedy movies. Even if some of us fell asleep on the way, by the time we arrived there everyone was admiring that wonderful view of the sunset from their window. We never thought that we’re going to have our hostel so close to the beach. So, as soon as we finished with unpacking our luggage we just went out to enjoy Barceloneta sandy beach. In those moments, nothing could have felt better than this freedom. It’s so good to feel the fresh air on your face and the wind blowing through your hair at the beach.

What is so great is that whether you prefer spending your time walking barefoot on the sand while watching the waves, playing volleyball or just enjoying a lazy lunch with a seaside view, Barceloneta has something for everyone. Here you’ll find a lot of places to eat, ranging from fast food to elegant seafood restaurants. There are also lounge-restaurants that become clubs later in the night. We had a VIP access to Shoko, a restaurant located in a privileged place in the Barcelona sea front. One of the best parts was that during that night we could admire The Fashion Night BCN show, while drinking a glass of wine or champagne and trying a variety of Mediterranean and Asian food. Later on, the party started and as they say, Barcelona is the city that never sleeps, so, neither did we.

Even if we were so tired after the party, we still thought that we couldn’t miss the sunrise, so we took our breakfast at the hostel and went out to watch an amazing view. It felt so great to stop thinking for a moment about what you have to do and just close your eyes, feel the sun on your face and relax. After a couple of hours is was time for us to take our bus and enjoy a tour of the city with a very sweet Catalan guide. On our way to the city center she took us to a point from where we could take a panoramic picture of the port. When we finally arrived in the Old Town, we felt like we were in the beating heart of Barcelona. We could admire the historic center with its wide avenues and modern architecture, the streets that never stop buzzing and all of this beautiful buildings around us. Our guide started to tell us the story behind every place which simply fascinated us.

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We’ve learned that the most famous treasures of Catalonia are the Works of Antoni Gaudi and those have been included in the sought-after list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Among Barcelona’s most famous landmarks are Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, Casa Batllo and Casa MilaWe started the evening with a pleasant paseo on the famous boulevard La Rambla, and continued with visiting Barcelona’s premier landmark, Sagrada Familia, located on Calle Mallorca. It is a colossal Roman Catholic church and a spectacular sight in its own right. Absolutely fascinating us with its unusual architecture and exceptional grandeur, this famous cathedral dominates the skyline of Barcelona. It remains one of the world’s most unusual and controversial constructions, and it is definitely one worth seeing while in Barcelona. But no trip to Barcelona would be complete without walking around the charming Park Güell. Here you can see the beautiful work of Gaudi which is definitely one of the most weird an amazing architectural treasures in Europe.

Walking around there for hours made us want to try some local products and exotic specialties, so we went to Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria which is the most famous public market in the city, and one of the best in Europe. This major tourist attraction is true pleasure for the senses. We stopped here to discover the colorful stands, the market restaurants and traditional tapas bars where we could try all this delicious food. Isn’t Spain such a great place for trying new food specialties?

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During autumn, Barcelona is so lively and colorful after dark and once the sun sets over the city, Gaudi’s spectacular buildings become captivating. A wonderful thing was The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc which hypnotized us with its choreographed water, light, and sound show. It was now time for us to enjoy again Barcelona’s nightclubs. Pulsating, varied, and sophisticated, nightlife in Barcelona offers everything you would expect from rock and jazz to classical, electronic and latino. After two days in Barcelona, we realized that what they say it’s true indeed. Barcelona is a famous place for sunny blue skies, stylish Mediterranean vibe, unique architecture and nightlife.

At the end of this weekend we travelled back to Madrid with pleasant memories and so many stories to tell, of such a beautiful city. Thank you everyone for coming along on this trip. I really hope you had a great time with Citylife!

 

If you want to see more pictures from this trip, click here!

Thank you all for travelling with Citylife to Barcelona!

If you want to read more from Victoria, head over to her wonderful blog where she writes about travel, life and everything in between!

 

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