Barcelona

As city breaks go I can see why Barcelona is so highly rated, it literally has something for everyone. Me and one of my girls only had 2 nights to spend here, which was great but you could easily stay a week and still not see everything. Whether you're into architecture, art, shopping, amazing food, markets or beaches you can tick every box here!

We landed pretty early and easily grabbed a bus from the airport for a couple of euro that took us straight into the city centre in just half an hour. In terms of accommodation there are a million different options to choose to suit everyone's tastes and budgets, but we chose to opt for one of the many hostels that can be found in the city. Our's was called The Black Swan, which is apparently the oldest hostel in Barcelona. We also chose it, not just because it was budget friendly, but for what it had on offer that you don't get in hotels such as free walking tours, family dinners, as well as evening events like flamenco experiences & nightly bar crawls. I would really recommend this hostel, it was clean, not too big, perfect location with brilliant helpful staff & was the perfect base for our stay.

We spent the majority of our days walking around taking in all the incredible architecture there is at every turn, from the modern marina area, the imposing buildings found in the gothic quarter to the abstract & iconic Gaudi designed buildings dotted all around the city. We obviously had to make some important food stops in between all this sight seeing. You've got to make sure you head to the famous La Boqueria market located just off Las Ramblas to get your fill of the best cured meats, cheeses & local delicacies. We sat down in one of the little walk up restaurants inside the market & had some amazing fried squid, patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce smothered on top) & goats cheese with fig bruschetta washed down with, what else, sangria! Of course there is the famous Spanish paella that you must also make a point to try whilst here & just generally feast on all the delicious tapas options there is to choose from!

Lastly, there is no way I can't talk about the most breathtaking building I have honestly ever seen in my life. I'm blessed to have seen some incredible things but the La Sagrada Familia far exceeds anything I've seen before. The photographs I have & words I write can't even begin to do this place justice. For me, not being a religious person, what blew me away was the level of thought and detail, from Antonio Gaudi, that went into every single aspect. Things that, until we listened to the audio tour, we hadn't even contemplated. We paid extra to go up one of the towers, the passion facade, and it was well worth it to see panoramic views of the city from a unique angle. You can also see in a lot more detail all the different mosiac pieces that adorn the building. Make sure you book your viewing in advance of your visit otherwise you will be left dissappointed as it sells out. Also allow yourself plenty of time to take this place in, I think we spent about 3 hours here! Overall Barcelona was amazing & I genuinely hope I can come back to this amazing city again.

Death & resurrection facade