Barcelona is a must visit city for everyone with its idyllic city beaches, streets full of history, architectural beauties and performances, and food that will give you one of a kind experience.
A friend whom I haven’t seen in years told me he was going to spend the summer in Barcelona and it would be great if I could pay him a visit. My flight was booked and accomodation was arranged two days after this conversation. But I did not make any plans which already became a travel tradition for me.
I went to Barcelona after a busy period at work and took a really early morning flight with a stopover so I was feeling like an iPhone battery at 1% by the time I arrived. But being in this vibrant city boosts up your energy no matter how tired you are.
You can take Aerobús to get to the city center from airport. A single ticket costs 5,90 €. There is a bus every 5 minutes and the journey takes 35 minutes so it is very convenient.
I did not want to waste a single second of my time but barely had any energy to breathe. And you know what takes away your guilt in a moment like this? A rooftop pool. Yes, my hostel had a rooftop pool where I spent few hours and felt rejuvenated.
After the rejuvenation, I met two of my friends (whom I have not seen in years and whom I have not met in person before) and did not need to worry about rest of the day.
Arnau, my superb Catalan friend, took me and my Turkish friend Rahman to a ride around the city even though he was extremely busy with his studies. We enjoyed the sunset at the Turó de la Rovira which offers amazing bird’s eye views of Barcelona. Unfortunately my pictures failed to show the true beauty of the view but make sure to go there and see it for yourself.
After spending few hours with a local and a resident of BCN, my plans were pretty much shaped and ready.
If you do not have so much time to spend time in the city, joining a free walking tour would definitely come handy. No need to look for one if you are planning to stay at a hostel. Otherwise Google is your best friend.
I was really worried about pickpockets as almost everyone, each and every blog post I read about BCN had a warning. Yes, they are everywhere. But you will be fine as long as you keep an eye on your belongings. Just do not leave your phone and go 5k away. Then you will be just fine.
Coming from Istanbul, I immediately realised similarities between these two cities: good food, hospital and laid back people, great food, 24/7 availability of whatever you are looking for.
BCN metro covers the whole city very conveniently. Go for the T-10 ticket which is a bundle, and saves lives. You can use T-10 for the night bus as well!
I also read a lot about women worrying about their safety but again as a solo female who spent a week in the city I must say I never had a moment when I felt unsafe. Maybe it is because I am already used to having constant catcalls as part of my daily life but no matter if it is day or night, there is nothing awful waiting for you in Barcelona.
Just like Amsterdam’s bicycles, Barcelona has motorcycles all around the city. And as I cannot ride neither of them, all I could do was to watch people riding a motorbike with phone in one hand and ice-cream in the other.
I spent a great week in Barcelona, and could stay there way longer. Summer or winter, city trip or beach holiday.Barcelona deserve a visit at least once during your lifetime!
