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barcelona apartment – a little gaudí but just our style

I adored the lovely condo we rented in Barcelona via Airbnb. Located on el Born in the astoundingly gorgeous Barri Gòtic, the old Gothic quarter, the location could not have been more prime. It was hip and sociable, but not as overrun with tourists as las Ramblas, and conveniently located to just about everything. The management company was super helpful, and the apartment was even nicer than it appeared on Airbnb. Victory was ours.

  

The most precious balconies overlooked our narrow street, and I loved throwing open the French doors and watching the neighborhood bustle by below.  It was the perfect place for a glass of cava and a snack when we came home for siesta in the afternoons, and it was here that a crop of itchy hives clued us in that I was either sensitive or allergic to the grosellas (redcurrants) I had brought home from la Boqueria to nibble.  Thank goodness for benadryl.

We also spent siesta time at the apartment admiring the gorgeous reclaimed hardwood ceiling.  With all the walking we were doing (over a dozen miles most days), our dogs were barking! So we made sure to take breaks to elevate them when we could.

With two bedrooms, one on each floor, a giant living space, and lovely open kitchen, we had way more space than we needed. I saw that coming, and offered the room up (seriously) to several friends and family members if they would meet us in Spain, but no one took us up on it… I think they thought I was joking? Regardless, I was happy to use the upstairs bedroom as a dressing room, and David was happy to have the bomb zone corralled.  The decor was intermittently simple and sassy, with clean lines and splashes of leopard fur and neon. I loved the hell out of the chaise lounge- it was the coziest spot when this girl needed to get her nap out.

And the sitting room, neon Jack Daniels sign and all, was the perfect place for us to test our new tripod with some shenanigans… par for the course.

    

I could have stayed forever in Barcelona, and I’m sure our welcoming temporary home played into that. It’s generally pretty solidly booked, but I’d certainly make the effort to stay there again when we return.

loveRavayna

October 19, 2015
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la sagrada familia

  

This is one of those times where no matter how gorgeous the photo, it is impossible to do the insane beauty of this place justice.

  

The size and scope of the church from outside, and sheer quantity of artwork within, is really simply beyond.  More than once, I looked up and found myself completely awed.

     

 We had one or two people advise us to skip the Sagrada Familia, or to only do an outside walk by. I can’t imagine feeling that way! Granted, it was crowded with tourist and school groups, and not exactly what I’d consider a peaceful place of worship.

    

But surrounded by rainbows of glorious morning sunshine streaming through all the stained glasswork, the hubbub seemed to fade.

  

  

It’s crazy to me that after 133 years, there is still 15 or 20 more of construction ahead, but I understand when I see how incredible it is, and it will be even more so when the scaffolding and curtains are removed.

  

It’s crystal clear to me how and why this is so renowned. It is gloriously beautiful, and seeing its growth towards completion is one of the (many) things I’m looking forward to about a return trip to Barcelona.

loveRavayna

October 8, 2015
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la boqueria: bigger bites

 

As I mentioned, La Boqueria was kindof killing it as far as deliciousness. I swear we only got to eat and see one quarter of the offerings.  I obviously loved the market vendors, but one of the things I thought was coolest about the Boqueria were the restaurants. Just a dozen seats around the grill and counter, which is laden with the freshest of that day’s catch.

The cooks have access to the city’s best raw foods in the produce, seafood, cheese, and meat vendors around them, and that is clearly reflected in the uncomplicated but delicious local food presented. Once you’ve scored a seat and a drink, you place your order. Often, we heard the provenance of our meal- who caught it when and so on. I love eating so utterly local.

Bar Central, all the way at the back of the market, was our favorite. Despite the perpetually waiting throng, the service was speedy and positively charming. And the food: scrumptious. 

You know I went to town on one of those lobsters, along with clams and chorizo, tiny seared pulpitos (baby octopus),  and sizzling garlic shrimp.

Razor clams, grilled with lemon, garlic, parsley, fruity olive oil and flaky salt? So succulent, so fresh and tasty- you could have knocked me over with a spoon. I ate multiple orders.

 We also had great meals at Bar Pinoxto, which is cash only, FYI. I love spicy food, so played the roulette of grilled local peppers every chance I got. They were generally both sweeter and spicier than the shishitos we get here in the states.

We ate ginormous red prawns, perfectly flaky trout, and the most incredible harissa chickpeas. The langoustines, white beans, and garlic shrimp were also yummy here- so basically every single thing we tried.

  For what it’s worth, we ate at lots of delish places outside La Boqueria too- I just haven’t gotten a chance to tell y’all about them yet! More amazing Barcelona food, coming up soon.

loveRavayna 

October 5, 2015
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playing in park güell

Despite our choices of vacation destinations, we are no fans of crowds or lines, so we try to plan our best to limit the majority of that mess. Such was the case when we visited Parc Güell. Making reservations online was suggested, and I’m glad we did- we walked right in.  Choosing the 9 am time slot meant an early wakeup to walk and metro out to Carmel Hill, but it allowed us to enjoy the beauty of the park at peace for a little before crowds descended.

     

  I could have gazed over beautiful Barcelona forever, it seemed.

 

Without a doubt, Antoni Gaudi was a magician, especially with mosaic, and the planning team did an amazing job with the overall design of the park. Even the water fountains were beautiful!

   
  

 It was gloriously sunshiny, and the gardens were in bloom. I couldn’t help myself from frolicking- I was giddy!

  

 “I am the one who knocks.” Yeah, not quite as tough as Walter White. 

  

 As the resident staff photographer ?, David’s not often on the receiving side of a camera. Despite the tacky taste it left in my mouth at first, I got a selfie stick in hopes of snagging a few more pictures of us, rather than just me. As is typical, nonsense ensued.

     

Also, a major wtf? to the tourists recording their every step with a fully extended selfie stick! So not the intended usage, people. 

  

We left the park after a few hours of exploration, to walk down the steps and through Gracía, and immediately came across a beautiful stone chapel.

  

  

In Barcelona, beauty is all around- on the grandest and most humble of scales.

   

 

loveRavayna

September 27, 2015
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la boqueria: a foodie’s paradise

 

Our first morning in Barcelona, we grabbed a Spanish SIM card for my iPhone first thing, then walked to Mercat de la Boqueria to begin indulging in authentic Spanish cuisine. It was the perfect way to start our week of food and fun.

I’d heard tale of ‘cones of Spanish ham,’ and pork is hands-down my favorite protein. I was so excited to find them right at the front! Shopping while munching on luscious treats was simply glorious, and there was literally yummy snack after yummy snack.   I especially loved fresitas, tiny super-sweet wild strawberries.

 And once I realized it was perpetually happy hour, I was in heaven! Through the week, I got friendly with the sweets-and-sangria go-cup vendor. Leisurely day drinking is one of my vacation priorities, and Spain agrees with me.

  

I juice regularly at home, so went a little crazy at the 1€ fresh juice stands, trying tons of flavors. The pitahaya + coconut,  pineapple + passion fruit, guayaba, and kiwi strawberry were some of the standouts. I couldn’t help myself- I got at least one juice, usually multiple, every time we were there.

 

I also made a habit of visiting the nicest fishmonger. She had incredible ceviche,  and was happy to pry open ultrafresh oysters and sea urchin for me, so I was happy to oblige her by slurping them merrily down. I practically gorged myself on the most delicious (and inexpensive!) uni I’d ever come across.

Total first world mini-regret, but I wish we’d had more time in Barcelona simply so I could have done some serious cooking. Our apartment kitchen was spacious, and the raw foodstuffs at La Boqueria were so lush and varied, but we had so many amazing restaurants to try and things to do, I never served more than cava and pinxtos at home. But seriously- I dream of being able to do my grocery shopping here, with access to all that gorgeous seafood and artisan products.  

  

Slightly more seriously, I remain upset that US customs and my dear husband conspired against me- I desperately wanted a whole jamón iberico as a souvenir. David staunchly refused, spouting some sensible nonsense about rules and room (in our luggage), so I consoled myself with purchasing some amazing smoked pimentón to take home, and eating as much as I could while in Spain.

Honestly, we wound up at La Boqueria almost every day for a snack, a meal, or to pick up yummies for a picnic or our apartment. Wandering the market, we also had delicious paletas and croquettes, pastries and gelato, and more. All of the fruit was perfectly ripe, which made it so tempting and gratifying. And I had some positive feasts of cheese and charcuterie. We truly endeavored to eat everything in sight, and were pretty pleased with our showing.

  

 I always found new and delish things along with my established stops (ham, sangria, juice) and such great people-watching to boot! I didn’t even mention the amazing sit-down meals available at the tiny restaurants interspersed with the vendors;  I’ll share our meals at La Boqueria soon!

 

loveRavayna 

September 21, 2015
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eurocoes, revisited

We sat at date night, discussing plans for our next “big trip.” We’ve got a to-go list a million adventures long,  so the wanderlust is real. It’s true what they say- I’m in love with places I’ve never been to.  I’ve been fantasizing about a Parisian getaway since I spent 36 hours there as an awkward teenager, and moreso as David and I have grown up and travelled together.  I wanted to absorb culture and cuisine, romance and rosé, to stroll and shop, and spend some time living like a local. Milking my 30th birthday, I guess I had a pretty good sales pitch, because David bought. We started pondering when, settling on a week+ in late summer. I wanted to add another European city if I could, but knew I was pushing my luck as flights are spendy from the west coast.

The next evening, David was at the theater, so I started ‘wanderlusting’- reading and researching cities, itineraries, activities, and more.  I start the planning process of most vacations that way, so I can assess value before I start fleshing out the itinerary according to the budget we’ve set.  I was looking at European flights on Kayak Explore, when I came across a crazy deal on flights to Barcelona. They were far from ideal- in April rather than August, for more than two weeks, and with a simply nonsensical detour through Moscow, but our schedules were surprisingly still open, and they were literally two for the price of one, and an anomaly- other cities/months were significantly pricier. I’ve rarely met a sale I didn’t like, so I justified the longer stay with flight savings, and went down the rabbit hole. I browsed available apartments, and by the time David got home around midnight, I had had planes, trains, and several airbnb’s ready to discuss. Poor guy- I essentially steamrolled him, but when we went to bed sometime much later, we were booked to fly to Barcelona, had apartment booking requests out, and I was beside myself with glee.

And y’all- it was loverly. Filled with so much deliciousness and delight, it was shamelessly romantic, occasionally perfectly imperfect, and such a fabulous trip on the whole. We walked and rode the metro all over Paris and Barcelona, took a million pictures, had so many adventures and experiences and amazing eats (live to eat, I always say!) and I’m so excited to reminisce as I share them with y’all. I’ll be breaking it down into manageable chunks, beginning with Barcelona, where I’m already pining to return as soon as reasonably possible…

 

loveRavayna

September 15, 2015
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