Fins al prop temps, Barcelona!

I spent a very quick weekend in Barcelona, Spain last summer and this was a city that defeated me.  When I say defeated, I mean…I was absolutely drained/exhausted/fatigued (you name it) when I left the city.  I had about 65,000 steps on my watch in two days.  Sheesh.So I wanted to share an idea of things to do if you find yourself in Barcelona for the weekend!One of the top priorities in my life is food so it goes without saying that food is at the top of my list!  So you must have paella in the city.  I had paella twice while I was there (once during a class where I learned to make it from scratch and another at a restaurant).  We had our paella at Barraca which is near Barceloneta Beach in a huge tourist area.  Chances are, you will already be in the area if you are in Barcelona for the first time.  What I loved about Barraca was the vegetarian paella option offered.  We had the standard seafood paella, but we did try a sample and yum!  It is also important to note that when you order paella, the cost is usually 20 to 30 € per person.Side Note: I have heard wonderful reviews of 7 Portes, Bodega Joan, and Can Solé.Another place I loved was Brunch and Cake recommended by my travel friend, Britt.  The name of the restaurant is self-explanatory, but I will say that if you have food allergies like me (and Britt LOL) then you can still eat here!  They have a variety of dishes that are gluten, nut, and dairy free as well as organic (Sue’s favourite food option) so chances are everyone travelling with you is good to go!  I had a chocolate Nutella cake with a dairy free strawberry ice cream and bananas plus a mango smoothie.There are two locations in the city and the one I went to was near the beach in the tourist area.  The other location is in the city centre and near a lot of shopping so either spot is perfect depending on your scene.  Also, if you do not speak English, don’t worry because the staff speaks Catalan, English, and Spanish.  I speak enough Spanish and I survived! :)Take a moment and visit the Picasso Museum if you love art like I do.  The museum is split into around fifteen different rooms revolving around different eras of his life and an outdoor area for photos as well.  There is a lot of history at the museum and I really enjoyed myself.  You can wait in line or buy your tickets online beforehand which I recommend.  There are no bags allowed in the museum so you have to pay (cash only) to rent a locker to hold your items so please be aware!At the Picasso Museum, there is also an outdoor area on the second floor to get photos over the garden, but of course it was under construction ;)

Typically behind me would be filled with flowers, bushes, trees, etc., but everything was removed to work on expanding the museum.

La Sagrada Familia is a well-known temple (or basilica) done by Antoni Gaudi in the late 1800's.  I was not able to go in because I went on Sunday (*face palm*).  However, you do need to buy your tickets ahead of time so you CAN go inside!  The building is under construction for a few more years, but you can still visit!

I was not able to see the beautiful inside, but you can see La Sagrada Familia from blocks away and still get great shots!

I would also advise to walk the streets of the city and explore.  It is so beautiful with so many stories!

I love Europe and the street signs helping you figure out where you are going!

Nothing like an alley picture.  I will take one anytime I can!

I went to a water show at Parc de Montjuic my first night there, but the pictures were not that great because of the lighting, but the water was really cool!

When you travel solo, you become an avid selfie taker.  I took this on my way to the beach right off the pier!

If you remember, I was in France for the summer so I drove to Barcelona using a carpool app called BlaBlaCar and paid 20 €.  I flew back to Toulouse because I wanted to get back as soon as possible since it was Bastille Day in France and there were a lot of celebrations I did not want to miss.I rented a room in an AirBnb in the Sant Antoni area and I ate breakfast with the family so I did not eat as much as I typically would have.  The location I stayed in was west of the university and near many markets and restaurants.Hopefully you can visit Barcelona or another part of Spain and I hope this helps you!  I also cannot wait to visit again especially since I have so much down time right now.  *cues Elevation Worship's Available*Xoxo,Shay