Barça
One of the few destinations that have stayed (and I mean stayed) at the top travel list is Barcelona. It’s one of those places that so many of my friends have been to, yet I never made it.
I’d like to think that part of the reason is simply because the time and distance to travel to, from London, is smack-bang in the middle average: as in it’s not a weekender destination/train ride like Paris, nor is it a week-long excursion of, say, Morocco or Eastern Europe.
The food though, was naturally the main incentive. Prior to this trip, Spanish food meant Barrafina pan con tomate (where the portion tends to be 1 slice of rustic bread: 2 tomatoes) and overpriced beachside seafood paella at Sant Antoni de Portmany. Upon reflection, I can tell you genuine pan con tomate has a ratio much more similar to a tomato topping con jam spread. Half a salad tomato, at a push. The paella? Had the best I ever had on my first night through Deliveroo after being pre-occupied by the endless churros cafés dotted around the Gothic Quarter.
If you’re a visual learner, you’d probably appreciate Barcelona more than the average bunch. The colourful mosaics of Palau de la Musica Catalana, the curved roofs of Casa Milà, the legend of the Batlló family and the Tapestry of the Fundació by Miró.
But once you return from the trip, speaking of Gaudí and Miró with eyebrows raised and shoulders shrugged does make you all the more cultural.
Word of advice? Book your tickets online to all attractions. I’ve witnessed the worst queues for La Sagrada Familia and it sits on top of my list, when I return.