ONE YEAR IN BARCELONA

Am I making it more difficult for myself by moving to Spain? Absofreakinlutely. Is it going to be worth it? I will let you know :-) These are the words I wrote over a year ago, before moving to Spain. Last year, our slightly crazy “let’s live abroad” dream suddenly became reality when Chris got a job. It was time to pack or stuff, say goodbye and move to the south. Let’s take a look back and see if it was worth it! 

PARTY ALL WEEK LONG: MERCÈ 2014

Five years ago, I came to Barcelona to  visit Chris and to celebrate my 19^th birthday. It also happened to be the time of the Mercè festival; it was the first time I experienced a correfoc and saw the castellers in the middle of the crowd at Plaça Sant Jaume. There were free concerts everywhere, parades, light projection shows, fireworks at the beach: I couldn’t have picked a better place to celebrate my birthday. This year, I was finally there again to enjoy the biggest festival of Barcelona!

GRACIA FESTIVAL

During the summer months, every barrio in Barcelona has its own street festival. The most popular and colorful street festival of all has to be la Festa major de Gràcia, where they go all out. Streets are decorated in the most fantastic themes, like zombie apocalypse, sea creatures, jungle or Mexican fiesta. These festive decorations are hand-made by the residents of Gràcia. A definite must-see!

TENERIFE PART 2: PUERTO DE LA CRUZ & ROAD TRIP TO TEIDE!

Finally it’s time for part two! After 2 nights in Santa Cruz and a café con leche at our favorite bakery, we took the guagua (bus) to the next destination: Puerto de la Cruz. We spent four nights in this city, chilling on the beach and sipping cocktails, but we also rented a car and explored the beautiful landscapes of this island. Read on!

TENERIFE PART 1: SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE

I’m so happy! I just got my first week off this year (and believe me, I needed it - badly). A few weeks ago, Chris and I decided we deserved a little summer trip. We booked a flight to the Islas Canarias, Tenerife! We were there six nights in total: two nights in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and four nights in Puerto de la Cruz. Continue to read about the first part of our island adventures in Santa Cruz de Tenerife!

LAZY SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN MONTGAT

One of our missions this summer is to explore beaches outside of Barcelona. This time, we did not go far away from home: Montgat is still in zone 1, so only a euro metro/train ticket away. Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon at the beach.

SANT JOAN: THE CITY’S ON FIRE

It’s like New Year’s Eve and a summer beach party in one: La revetlla de Sant Joan. The night of June 23^rd and 24^th, the shortest night of the year,  family and friends gather to celebrate the start of summer with music, cava, dancing and fireworks all over town.

SUMMER IS COMING!

Temperatures are rising, beach weather has finally arrived: summer is coming! Considering I have been in Barcelona since mid October (more than 7 months!), it felt like ages until we could jump in the ocean again. At the same time, it’s incredible how fast time actually went. I’ve been here for more than half a year… So what have I been up to all this time?

ON BIKING IN BARCELONA

In Holland, my bike and I were one. Helping me carrying groceries (I LOVED my little pink basket), getting me superfast from A to B (even if it was totally walkable), and always, even after a couple of beers, having a ride home (for free!). As a Dutchie, I can’t live without a bike. Biking was always second nature to me, but boy, it is different here in Barcelona. Fun, but different. Read about my experience here!

BOOTLEG

Welcome to Bootleg,  a cozy bar in the middle of Gótico. From the minute we set foot in this place, it strangely felt like “home”. Warm lighting, affordable beer, friendly staff and a comfortable atmosphere… not to mention their incredibly cute (and slightly sad looking) dog which welcomed us at the entrance. A perfect place to meet friends, have a drink and a tapa on the side.

TRIP TO MONTSERRAT

Except for the few moments I thought I was going to die – my fear of heights might have a little bit to do with it – our trip to Montserrat was a great success. This mountain near the city of Barcelona offers spectacular views, sacred sites and some truly terrifying hiking paths.

HAPPY HOLI!

What a weekend. Finally, the sun returned after a gray and rainy week. After an intensive day in the mountains, it was time for the Holi Festival in Barcelona on Sunday. Ingredients: sun, music, a very relaxed atmosphere, smearing colors on stranger’s faces… what’s not to like?

QUICK TIP: 1 EURO PINTXOS

La Tasqueta de Blai is always packed, no matter what time you arrive. Even at four in the afternoon, which is after lunch and far before dinner time (even for the Dutch), you have to fight for one of the few tables or a seat at the bar. The main reason for its popularity: 1 euro pintxos. And they are good!

TRIP TO VALENCIA: LAS FALLAS

So I added a new category to the top bar: Travel. I wasn’t quite sure if we would be able to go on holidays this year, but I guess any trip outside the city would count as travel. Last weekend, we were lucky to join an Erasmus trip to Valencia, for the incredible price of 25 euros – bus, entrance to a club and sangria included. It is hard to even find a one way ticket for that price, plus who says no to free sangria!? And even better, that weekend it was Las Fallas, the biggest and most famous festival of the city.

CARNAVAL IN VILANOVA AND SITGES

Last weekend, it was Carnaval time in Catalunya, like in many other parts of the world. Strangely, there wasn’t much happening in Barcelona city, but Vilanova and Sitges were only a short (and cheap!) train ride away. Two very different, but equally fun celebrations!

CALÇOTADA – LET’S EAT A BUNCH OF ONIONS

I never even heard of this Catalan tradition until I was invited to join a calçotada. Then I started seeing big heaps of calçots, basically long and thick spring onions, in every supermarket in the city. What on earth was this onion craze? And how was my first calçotada experience?

CHINESE NEW YEAR (WITH A CATALAN TWIST)

A few weekends ago, the Chinese New Year was welcomed in Barcelona. This celebration took place in front of the Sagrada Família and for the first time, traditional Catalan groups blended in with the parade. An odd but surprisingly fitting combination, seeing how they have traditional elements like dragon figures and fireworks in common. While it was a bit of a gray and rainy day, the streets where brightened up with yellow and golden dragons, dancers dressed in traditional Chinese costumes, Catalan devils, giants and human towers, accompanied by live music and loud firecracker bangs. 

HOLLY SUSHI

Finally a food post! Maybe not very Catalan or Spanish, but still very good: Japanese restaurant Holly Sushi, close to the Diagonal Mar shopping center. Even though there are like a million restaurants here in Barcelona, I have been to this particular restaurant already four or five times in the past few months. It’s amazing what great food you can get for a little over 10 euros – I just can’t get enough! 

Cavalcada de Reis 2014 – Three Kings Parade

Each year on the fifth of January, the arrival of the Three Kings is celebrated in Spain. The parade is a big happening for kids, but also fun for everyone else: it’s a spectacular carnival with dancers, music,  floats, gigantic animal figures, lights, costumes, stars, enormous balloons, glitters and candy thrown around everywhere. It was quite a party!