Adiós, Barcelona

For the final day in beautiful Barcelona we visited a few more points of interest and then relaxed on the beach and took our time enjoying surprises, like a market through the Arc de Trimof, along the way. Day 2, even though less jam-packed, was probably my favourite for that exact reason. It was nice to slow down and feel less like a tourist. 

First stop after leaving our Air Bnb was Palau Güell, a palace of Gaudí's creation. This piece of work is slightly more industrial and understated, but keep in mind that is comparing it to the bright mosaic tiles of Parc Güell. The metal work on this building is quite incredible. 

Palau Güell

The streets in Europe are always just so clean. Step it up, Canada.

Barcelona's Arc de Triomf is made of gorgeous sandy-red brick and was built in 1888 as the main access gate for the Barcelona World Fair. We mainly walked by for pictures and as a stop along the way to Parc de la Ciutadella, but to our pleasant surprise there was a market set up that day all along the pathways inside of the arc. 

Parc de la Ciutadella contains the Barcelona Zoo and is open to the public as an amazing attraction of it's own. Perfect for those who don't have the time or cash for a zoo visit. There are little rowboats you can rent for a quick float, benches to soak up the sun, and multiple pathways for enjoying the incredible scenery. 

From reading up I knew there was a big fountain in the park, but I didn't quite expect it to be like a small castle. Staircases, balconies, statues - and of course the large fountain in the middle.

Finally, we made our way toward Barceloneta Beach. Most of our day was planned around this must-needed 'chill time'; with the perfect amount of heat and sun, there was no way to pass this stop up for more touristy landmarks. 

We arrived at what turned out to be the perfect time, around 11am. The beach was not crowded at all and the heat was just right, not overwhelming. When we left, about 2 hours later, traffic had definitely picked up and space was limited. Although, I'm sure a lot of the slower morning had to do with the fact that it was not a holiday, just your average weekend (unfortunately my birthday isn't internationally celebrated, yet).

On our walking tour the previous day, we had briefly passed through the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria (La Boqueria, for short) and we knew we would have to go back if there was time. La Boqueria is mainly a food market that is open every day from morning to evening. It was incredibly busy, but very cool to experience.

Very popular items to both sell and buy at the market were these wide ranges of fresh fruit juices. There were choices ranging from kiwi to dragonfruit and everything in between, plus combinations. We both opted for a delicious (but pulpy, sadly not my fave) mango coconut juice. 

Another market we had passed by the day before was a smaller artisanal one in Plaça del Pi - where the cathedral with the largest rose window stands. This market sold things like homemade honey and gourmet chocolates.

I instantly gravitated toward the chocolate stand. With flavours like cayenne, rose, jasmine, and violet infused with dark chocolate, who could resist? 

We decided to each pick one and split it between us. I can't even pick a favourite - they were both so unique and delicious. Floral chocolates need to be more commonplace, because they're incredible. These particular ones had little chunks of flavoured sugar on top (either rose or violet) as well as some real dried petals for show.

Our last main stop of the night was The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc to see the water and light show. But first we had to refuel - on gourmet cronuts.  

Chök the chocolate kitchen is, despite the chocolate name, a donut and cronut shop. Along the back wall, below, you can see where they display their donuts; in the case, above, are the cronuts. I chose the one (in the above photo) on the bottom shelf, left tray, front right. Yep - delicious. A crispy cronut dipped in chocolate, topped with caramel frosting, with a dollop of soft caramel on top. 

We took at quick metro ride to the (in Spanish) Font Màgica de Montjuïc. Every evening when the sun goes down, weather permitting, the fountain puts on a rather lengthy light and water show to different music. I guess I was expecting some classic Flamenco or something, because the 2010's top 40 hits really took me by surprise. We were laughing most of the time because songs like Roar and Story of My Life made 30 second appearances, then the odd Viva La Vida or Counting Stars got an entire song. An interesting mix of tunes - there was some Queen thrown in as well. 

I had a select few photos to choose from for this excursion, because the wind was strong enough that when the fountain did anything prolonged or high up, the water basically turned into a foggy cloud and sprayed mist all over the crowd. So, unfortunately, we often only saw hazy colours in the air and got a bit wet, but it was still fun and definitely worth the light shower. 

View of the street from Montjuïc

That sums up Barcelona! What an amazing and perfectly-timed trip. This was definitely a birthday weekend for the books - especially since my final exams back home usually fall on or around my birthday. The beach, heat, and treats were much needed.  Barcelona is a city I'd definitely tell everyone to visit; I really hope to see more of Spain in the future. 

Thanks for reading :)

- Alexandra