Monday – Just arrived in Barcelona!
I’ve spent a few Christmases away over the years, but it’s been a while since I was away over the New Year. So, this year, as my Christmas was quiet, I decided to book a little break away for the New Year. I hadn’t been to Barcelona, and it was on my ‘city breaks’ list, so I decided to give it a go.
Late December/early January is the perfect time to visit Barcelona, in my opinion, as there are fewer crowds, and the temperatures are much more bearable. The weather was beautiful the whole time I was in Barcelona: clear blue skies and barely a cloud in sight! You need to wear a warm jacket or coat whilst out and about at this time of year, but I didn’t need to wear a hat or scarf and, in the sun, it actually got quite warm at times - the evenings were a little chillier.
I arrived in Barcelona on a December morning just before New Year and was lucky to avoid the foggy mornings we had been having in the UK a few days prior to leaving, which had been affecting flights. When I arrived at Barcelona airport, I didn’t really know how I was going to get to my hotel in the city centre. Luckily, I was staying pretty central so I hoped that would make getting back and to from the airport and out and about a lot easier. There were lots of taxis parked up at the airport arrivals, but I had seen a sign for the metro which I reckoned would obviously be a lot cheaper and probably quite quick? I followed the signs for the metro, but it did seem like quite a trek from the airport. I had a quick look at the metro plan on the wall, but it looked a bit complicated when I wasn’t sure exactly where I needed to go. Anyway, luckily, after walking a bit further, I came across a platform with a small ticket/information kiosk just in front of it. The lady in there spoke good English, as my Spanish is limited. She pointed to the platform (1) in front of me and said that it was just four stops into the centre and cost me the equivalent of about £4 – not bad at all! The journey was at least more scenic by train and didn’t take very long. I was soon walking up some steps from the metro station and was greeted by a wonderful city full of festive cheer and brilliant sunshine!
I instantly fell in love with the city of Barcelona that lies on the northeastern coast of Spain and has a population of around 1.6 million. The city is a major tourist destination with a rich heritage and is renowned for some of the best architectural works of Lluis Domenechi Montaner and Antoni Gaude. Barcelona also hosted the Summer Olympics in 1992 along with many other international sporting tournaments.
It was great to be able to absorb some of the culture of the city on route to my hotel, which wasn’t too far, but an enjoyable walk on such a nice day. The festive cheer was apparent from street to street with an array of festive décor adorning everything from shop fronts to hotels. On arrival at my hotel, I was greeted with more glitter and sparkle and an even bigger Christmas tree, and a glass of champagne!
After settling into my room, I went for a wander around the hotel to get my bearings and then headed back out into the city to soak up some more of the atmosphere and stop off for some refreshments at one of the many cafes in the area. The hotel I was staying in has the most amazing rooftop terrace that overlooks the cathedral and the city – the views are impressive, and it even houses a small, heated swimming pool, pool bar and bistro that has heaters in the evening when the temperatures are cooler. I decided to eat at the bistro in the evening, which was very good and not too cold with the heaters on and blankets provided. It was then off to get some sleep after an early morning, and another early start the following day when I had a trip booked to see all the main sights of Barcelona.
