Three Days in Barcelona: Gaudí, Giggles, Gothic Streets, and My First Time in Spain

This was my very first trip to Barcelona, and in fact, my first time ever in Spain. Which sadly means I can no longer make my favorite joke when someone asks “Have you ever been to Spain?”

My reply: “They say Spain is pretty, though I’ve never been.” Cue confused looks. Then I break into singing Daniel by Elton John: “Daniel says it's the best place he's eh-eh-eh-ever been. He should know he's been there enough.” That joke is officially retired.

Barcelona has entered the chat!

Arrival: First Impressions and Tapas Done Right

What Barcelona Looks Like When You First Arrive

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Barcelona. Maybe some combination of California and Mexico, with a little Italy thrown in, filtered through my own personal frame of reference.

Driving in from the airport, we (a high school BFF and I) saw the bay first, and I’ll be honest, it looked pretty industrial. Not exactly the romantic Mediterranean dream I had imagined. I later learned there are much prettier beaches outside the immediate downtown area, but that first glimpse did not make me gasp.

As we got closer to the city center, we passed large apartment complexes and then entered downtown. At that point, Barcelona reminded me a bit of San Jose, California. Medium tall buildings, busy streets, and a very real city vibe.

Hotel Room Mate Pau

I choose Hotel Room Mate Pau because of it's location, great recommendations online and cool decor. I'm happy to say I recommend it! Check out my post about it here.

First Night Tapas Win

On our first night, we asked the front desk for a recommendation for traditional Spanish food. They sent us to Casa Alfonso, about ten minutes away, and it was absolutely delicious.

We ordered several tapas plates and I tried foods I’d never had before. Everything was excellent. We chatted with a couple seated next to us who told us they return to this same restaurant every time they visit Barcelona.

That is the kind of recommendation you trust.

I asked Chat GPT what to order there and here's the suggestion, which we went with!

Day 1: Gothic Quarter Wandering and Picasso Hysteria

Getting Lost in the Gothic Quarter

The next day, we explored the Gothic Quarter, which was pure magic. Narrow brick alleys. Winding streets. A mysterious, cinematic vibe that somehow reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean.

I fully acknowledge that half of my cultural references come from Disneyland.

It rained on and off all day, but it was warm, which only added to the atmosphere. Moody, Mediterranean, and very photogenic.

The Picasso Museum and Uncontrolled Giggles

We visited the Picasso Museum with audio guides and accidentally started at the end of Picasso’s timeline instead of the beginning. This led to a day of near hysteria.

Some of Picasso’s later works, including repeated drawings of his dog and very abstract birds, had us laughing uncontrollably while the audio guide reverantly explained the absolute genius of these paintings.

As we moved backward through the museum, his early work appeared, and it was genuinely stunning. He was classically trained, and those early paintings were beautiful in a very traditional way.

Then came the birds.

Early birds versus surreal birds. Side by side. The contrast was wild. I understand the historical context of abstract art and the chaos of World War I & II, but I will admit that a small part of me still wonders if this is occasionally a case of the emperor having no clothes.

I did, however, buy bird themed merch in the gift shop, and it makes me grin every time I see it. So maybe that is the point.

After the museum, we wandered the rainy streets, ducked into a restaurant, and enjoyed a cozy pasta lunch.

Wide Boulevards and Castle Like Buildings

Later, we walked along one of Barcelona’s wide boulevards and enjoyed a noticeable shift in architecture. The historic buildings here felt heavier and more castle like than in other European cities I’ve visited. It made the city feel distinct and grounded.

Day 2: Sagrada Familia, Flea Markets, and Views from Above

Sagrada Familia Was Not What I Expected

The following day, I toured Sagrada Família. My friend had not booked a ticket in advance and was unable to get in at all, so consider this your reminder to always book ahead.

I went in expecting something strange and maybe a little waxy looking. Instead, I was genuinely moved.

Gaudí was deeply religious and inspired by nature, and you can feel that everywhere. The columns resemble tree trunks, branching out toward the ceiling, and the stained glass fills the space with glowing oranges and blues.

It has been under construction for over a century and is still not finished, which made me wonder about Notre Dame in Paris and how quickly that restoration happened after the fire.

I highly recommend a guided tour. Mine was only an hour and a half and completely worth it.

Flea Market Surprise and an Observation Tower

After lunch, we took the metro to a massive flea market called Encants Market, housed in a very modern structure. I had never seen a flea market like this before. I think you could find pretty much anything here!

Upstairs they have a row of food vendors, overlooking the market below. While up here I noticed the tall building in the photo below and looked up what it was on the map.

Torre Glòries Building

The “Gherkin” shaped building turned out to be the Torre Glories building, the tallest building in Barcelona. It features an observation deck floor which offers amazing 360 degree views of the city! Tickets are about $20 and can be prepurchased here. Well worth it!

Only the Sagrada Familia will be taller than the Torre Glories building once it's finally finished. The building regulations in Barcelona don't allow any other building to be taller than the Sagrada Familia.

On the way to the Torre Glories building we stumbled upon the Design Museum of Barcelona. The museum itself was closed, but the gift shop was open and full of fun, unique items.

Be sure to check out the museum if you can, it looks really cool based on the shop!

Day 3: Gaudí Houses, Sangria, and Flamenco

Casa Batillo

Our final full day included a visit to another Gaudí masterpiece design, Casa Batllo. Fascinating, wild, and completely unique. Rich guy, Josep Batllo, hired our old pal Gaudi to renovate his house in 1904. Gaudi turned it into a strangely beautiful, straight line-less, sort of undersea/animal skeleton-in-a-good-way feeling dream. 😄 (How's that for a description?!)

Half way through the tour there's a vending machine where you can buy a cool bottle of water in a Casa Batillo themed reusable bottle. There's also a champagne bar!

At the end of the tour you pass through a room which ends up being like (what I imagine to be) an acid trip!

Catalana Restaurant

Next, we needed to fulfill our tourist need to sample sangria and paella in Spain, so we searched for a nearby restaurant. Catalana was a 5 minute walk from Casa Batillo.

Click the photos below to see the menu:

We ordered the homemade paella and a pitcher of sangria. Both delicious!

Tip: if you plan on doing anything after lunch, do not order a pitcher of sangria between two people!

Flamenco Show

That evening, we attended a flamenco show in a beautiful but slightly odd venue. It felt like a classic Barcelona moment.

The show was only one hour long. You could choose between reserving a table with dinner near the stage, tapas a bit further back, or no food at the back. We went to the no food option. It's a small venue so the view and sound was still very good from the back.

My ticket was 30€ and included one drink.

If you're looking to check off your-tourist-in-Spain checklist like I was, this was a perfect show! It felt off the beaten path enough to not be a tourist trap. But at only one hour long for a very reasonable rate, a two minute walk from my hotel, it couldn't have been more ideal!

The venue was a bank built in the early 1900's. The original neoclassical and modernist style has been maintained, so it's a really cool place to check out and take some photos.

My friend and I were so inspired by the well maintained bank teller desk we created this amazing masterpiece of improv. Lorne Michaels, we invite you to ping us.

Final Thoughts: Was Barcelona Worth It?

Barcelona won me over. Art, architecture, tapas, sangria, and flamenco in a city that somehow feels historic and slightly unreal at the same time. It is not like any other place I’ve visited in Europe, and that’s exactly why I want a round two. I still miss my Spain joke that everyone thought was stupid, but honestly, the tradeoff feels more than fair.

Please let me know if you have recommendations of where I should visit on my next trip to Barcelona. Thanks for reading!