Hi, guys! It's been a while. I have a lot to tell you of the past few weeks. We've done so much and I should've been posting regularly. There were so many wonderful days in Barcelona and I need to share them with y'all! Before I can continue with what I call adventure days, I'll talk about some things I've noticed or done over time in Barcelona.
Barcelona has a lot to offer for everyone. Miguel and I were there for three months and still didn't finish seeing everything. In those three months, I gained some wisdom to pass to others and to remember for when I travel elsewhere.
Prepare yourself to explore. Think about it, why are you traveling? You want to see and experience something new? Is it to fulfill a childhood wonder? Is it to satisfy your curiousity or to stimulate yourself? It seems that most people want to travel because it's exciting, enlightening, and fun! Well, prepare to do so. When you're finally there, explore! Always take your camera with a fully charge battery and plenty of memory because you're making memories! You should, at least, have a phone able to do the job. There's a traveling blog I follow where the couple only uses their phones. Get out of your hostel/hotel and travel! See the town!
Hopefully, when you're traveling, you're not alone. I have been freaking blessed that I have my husband with me. I've been told by others traveling that it's nice to have someone with you along the path because it can get lonely. I can definitely see that, especially when things aren't looking too great. Having someone with you makes traveling more fun, I believe, but, I will say, that you need to choose your travel buddy carefully. Think for a second about this person, are you able to have a fun time with them? Are you able to relate? Are you able to comfort each other? And are you able to be with them 24/7? The last is crucial. Really, can you be with someone all the time? It's tough. We've had our moments, but it's been worth it. I will say, sometimes it's good to split for a few hours or even a day. It'll recharge your battery and, hopefully, make you miss your travel buddy. I know that I missed Miguel terribly when we rarely split to have our own time.
Stay fit! With all that exploring, you need to be in shape to see it all. We did a lot of walking in Barcelona. You need to take care of yourself before you can enjoy things. Needs before wants mentality, you see. Keeping your body healthy is a great idea in general. I'll have a regimen posted. It's a simple workout where it takes maybe 10 minutes our of your day. You do each exercise for 30 seconds with 10 second breaks inbetween. It's recommended to do these 3-4 times a week. We found this through another travel blog. Thanks, blogger! (Sorry that I couldn't remember your name.)
As a healthy traveler with your buddy tagging along, don't forget to do your research where you can get some free wifi. There are tons of free events and places to go! I know I already said to get out and explore, but doing your research for some things is nice. In Barcelona, we used a website called www.forfree.cat to see local free events. There are free festivals, music events, theater, movies, and the list goes on! I'll talk about some of those things later.
Another major important idea to remember when traveling is the timing. Our friend Claudia informed us that in the months of June until August, our time span there, are the BUSIEST months for Barcelona. There are always tourists in Barcelona, but the best time for events and weather is in the fall. Plus, spring is nice, too. Wherever you're traveling, research the best time to go! Sometimes, you need to just battle the crowds and travel. We enjoyed our three months.
Americans....Yes, my fellow Americans....Please, when you are planning on using a card abroad, USE A VISA! I cannot stress this enough. We had such a hard time trying to use our American Express card. Europe doesn't like them. It's a rarity to find a store that accepts American Express. We've experienced so many disappointments. We've asked and asked if they accept AMEX, and we're even told, "Sí." They try to swipe the card and they're confused as to why it's not working. They get the manager and there's this long complicated dialogue of using the card machine the right way, maybe some arguing, and then the disappoint happens. They do not accept AMEX. So, travel with a VISA card. Even though the Europeans will be confused as to why it doesn't have a chip yet, they will for sure accept a VISA card.
My last tip, enjoy and appreciate where you are. You made it! Now, enjoy. Try not to get down or be homesick, there's time for that on a plane somewhere. Don't waste your time traveling with emotional baggage. Overcome it and have fun! Make memories!
Now, for some random moments we've experienced.
Staying with Claudia was a wonderful experience. Her apartment building was lovely. It wasn't an older building. It was spacious, clean, and the bathrooms had some lovely marble. There was even a shallow pool on top of the building. What was fun for us was the view that it provided. We could look around and see the Columbus tower, Columbus statue, the port, Barcelona's twin towers, Montjuic, and even Montserrat. The old district was below us and we could see the thousands of buildings where people lived. There were some lovely moments on the roof, including when all of Barcelona celebrated with fireworks all around us. There was a period where a baby seagull lived on the roof and we would visit every so often to watch how it was developing.
We lived so close to the beach. Miguel and I love the ocean and we would walk to the beach to rejuvenate ourselves. One of those times, we wanted to see what the free film screening was like at the beach. They mounted a large screen and speakers, people brought their blankets to sit on the sand, and, of course, the brought their alcohol. There were plenty of screenings but none of the films peaked our interests too much. Instead of watching the movie, we walked along the beach at night. We watched people lounge, laugh, drink, dance, skate, play, swim, shower, talk, etc. Barcelona's beaches were consistently busy. That night, though, we watched the waves crest and splash as we heard thunder clap. A thunderstorm was rolling in and, from a distance, we could see the lightning. The show was fascinating to watch as it slowly formed overhead. Another time, we would walk in the sunshine at Barceloneta (the main beach at the port) until we found a restaurant for brunch. We relaxed and had our drinks at the beach. Miguel had a Moscow Mule and I had Rose Wine. We shared a Tijuana burger a límonada with ginger in it. It was a delicious meal and it was fun watching people with a slight buzz on a lovely day. I even drew a little, but I am not an artist.
Regarding free movie screenings, the films that interested us happened to of been at the CCCB museum. It was another venue to watch outside. The screen was enormous and the chairs were comfortable. Claudia, Miguel, Aldo, and I would leave early enought to grab some seats in the first row. We would have snacks in hand and talk until the movie played after sunset. The weather was great each time. These kinds of events are the ones that would be advertised on forfree.cat and we would go. Ironically, these screenings were run by Claudia's friend. The series of films were about expats or people running off to other countries/places (What we are doing).
Other things that have been advertised are the Catalan festivals. There seems to be one every few days in the summertime. I noticed a pattern of a band of pipers playing in a parade of giant wooden puppets dancing. Afterwards, there would be some different festivities, but we would always notie the pipers. They sounded sort of like bagpipes but without the drone....or bag.
Then, there would be other events that are not free. Like the Circuit Party event. Ciruit Party is a series of parties over the week with loud music, dancing, and drinking galore. It's advertised for the gay community and is a big thing, apparently. We did not go, but we wanted to go. It seemed to be bigger than Pride for Barcelona. We did notice when Circuit Party was happening because the streets had more gay men than usual. They were more "vultures" after my Miguel than usual. Annoying.
Another annoying thing to me was the lack of cats in Barcelona. Yes, I'm a cat guy, but I do love dogs....just not as much. Barcelona has plenty of dog owners walking in the streets. If you don't see them, you will definitely see their evidence on the ground. I told Miguel one time how I barely saw a cat in the streets or in windows. Then, suddenly, I had a cat day where I saw on eor two on each street coming from a hole. There was even a cat sanctuary I came across for lost cats. They were so cute. There was this one regular cat, though. It was owed by this homeless couple that stayed near La Rambla's Macdonald's. He would sleep away on one of their bags as tourists walked by. Hmm....interesting.
What I did love seeing were the bats. Bats are my favorite animal and I was overjoyed to see them flapping their cute wings in Barcelona. I can imagine they would have plenty of places to live in older buildings, under eves, and in some local trees. They would fly around streetlights where bugs would collect. I saw them at the beach and near our flat. One flew past Miguel's head behind him! They're cute, no matter what you try to say. If interested, look up a cutie called the Honduran White Bat.
Lastly, we explored the area one day to discover a basilica called Sant Just Basilica. We were able to go inside and I was struck by this older church. High ceilings, giant stone floors, different shrines to saints, confession booths, skulls on the floor, and this notion of.....It was over a year since I stepped inside a church.
I'm not religious, anymore. I used to be devout but began to think for myself. When I was in that church, I thought of how Miguel and I were not accepted into this place. If it was up to people, they'd kick us out. Well....an American church would. I'm not too sure about the Europeans. Continuing, I became sad as I walked around to view these elaborate shrines. They put so much money into revering a god instead of helping their own people with that money. I thought about how old the church was and remembered an exhibit in San Diego that we saw on old torture devices from the Spanish Inquisition. There were so many deviced aimed to torture the homosexual community and other sinners. I wept for those people. I was angry walking in this church. I was angry for the persecutions and pain that the church inflicted to unholy people. A year of not entering a church...a good year I'd say.
Anyways, there were so many little mometns in Barcelona that we enjoyed and I am happy to say we were there. I'll admit I wasn't happy for a time, but I shouldn't have been. It was an experience I needed to have. We created some lovely memories there.
Barcelona has a lot to offer for everyone. Miguel and I were there for three months and still didn't finish seeing everything. In those three months, I gained some wisdom to pass to others and to remember for when I travel elsewhere.
Prepare yourself to explore. Think about it, why are you traveling? You want to see and experience something new? Is it to fulfill a childhood wonder? Is it to satisfy your curiousity or to stimulate yourself? It seems that most people want to travel because it's exciting, enlightening, and fun! Well, prepare to do so. When you're finally there, explore! Always take your camera with a fully charge battery and plenty of memory because you're making memories! You should, at least, have a phone able to do the job. There's a traveling blog I follow where the couple only uses their phones. Get out of your hostel/hotel and travel! See the town!
Hopefully, when you're traveling, you're not alone. I have been freaking blessed that I have my husband with me. I've been told by others traveling that it's nice to have someone with you along the path because it can get lonely. I can definitely see that, especially when things aren't looking too great. Having someone with you makes traveling more fun, I believe, but, I will say, that you need to choose your travel buddy carefully. Think for a second about this person, are you able to have a fun time with them? Are you able to relate? Are you able to comfort each other? And are you able to be with them 24/7? The last is crucial. Really, can you be with someone all the time? It's tough. We've had our moments, but it's been worth it. I will say, sometimes it's good to split for a few hours or even a day. It'll recharge your battery and, hopefully, make you miss your travel buddy. I know that I missed Miguel terribly when we rarely split to have our own time.
Stay fit! With all that exploring, you need to be in shape to see it all. We did a lot of walking in Barcelona. You need to take care of yourself before you can enjoy things. Needs before wants mentality, you see. Keeping your body healthy is a great idea in general. I'll have a regimen posted. It's a simple workout where it takes maybe 10 minutes our of your day. You do each exercise for 30 seconds with 10 second breaks inbetween. It's recommended to do these 3-4 times a week. We found this through another travel blog. Thanks, blogger! (Sorry that I couldn't remember your name.)
As a healthy traveler with your buddy tagging along, don't forget to do your research where you can get some free wifi. There are tons of free events and places to go! I know I already said to get out and explore, but doing your research for some things is nice. In Barcelona, we used a website called www.forfree.cat to see local free events. There are free festivals, music events, theater, movies, and the list goes on! I'll talk about some of those things later.
Another major important idea to remember when traveling is the timing. Our friend Claudia informed us that in the months of June until August, our time span there, are the BUSIEST months for Barcelona. There are always tourists in Barcelona, but the best time for events and weather is in the fall. Plus, spring is nice, too. Wherever you're traveling, research the best time to go! Sometimes, you need to just battle the crowds and travel. We enjoyed our three months.
Americans....Yes, my fellow Americans....Please, when you are planning on using a card abroad, USE A VISA! I cannot stress this enough. We had such a hard time trying to use our American Express card. Europe doesn't like them. It's a rarity to find a store that accepts American Express. We've experienced so many disappointments. We've asked and asked if they accept AMEX, and we're even told, "Sí." They try to swipe the card and they're confused as to why it's not working. They get the manager and there's this long complicated dialogue of using the card machine the right way, maybe some arguing, and then the disappoint happens. They do not accept AMEX. So, travel with a VISA card. Even though the Europeans will be confused as to why it doesn't have a chip yet, they will for sure accept a VISA card.
My last tip, enjoy and appreciate where you are. You made it! Now, enjoy. Try not to get down or be homesick, there's time for that on a plane somewhere. Don't waste your time traveling with emotional baggage. Overcome it and have fun! Make memories!
Now, for some random moments we've experienced.
Staying with Claudia was a wonderful experience. Her apartment building was lovely. It wasn't an older building. It was spacious, clean, and the bathrooms had some lovely marble. There was even a shallow pool on top of the building. What was fun for us was the view that it provided. We could look around and see the Columbus tower, Columbus statue, the port, Barcelona's twin towers, Montjuic, and even Montserrat. The old district was below us and we could see the thousands of buildings where people lived. There were some lovely moments on the roof, including when all of Barcelona celebrated with fireworks all around us. There was a period where a baby seagull lived on the roof and we would visit every so often to watch how it was developing.
We lived so close to the beach. Miguel and I love the ocean and we would walk to the beach to rejuvenate ourselves. One of those times, we wanted to see what the free film screening was like at the beach. They mounted a large screen and speakers, people brought their blankets to sit on the sand, and, of course, the brought their alcohol. There were plenty of screenings but none of the films peaked our interests too much. Instead of watching the movie, we walked along the beach at night. We watched people lounge, laugh, drink, dance, skate, play, swim, shower, talk, etc. Barcelona's beaches were consistently busy. That night, though, we watched the waves crest and splash as we heard thunder clap. A thunderstorm was rolling in and, from a distance, we could see the lightning. The show was fascinating to watch as it slowly formed overhead. Another time, we would walk in the sunshine at Barceloneta (the main beach at the port) until we found a restaurant for brunch. We relaxed and had our drinks at the beach. Miguel had a Moscow Mule and I had Rose Wine. We shared a Tijuana burger a límonada with ginger in it. It was a delicious meal and it was fun watching people with a slight buzz on a lovely day. I even drew a little, but I am not an artist.
Regarding free movie screenings, the films that interested us happened to of been at the CCCB museum. It was another venue to watch outside. The screen was enormous and the chairs were comfortable. Claudia, Miguel, Aldo, and I would leave early enought to grab some seats in the first row. We would have snacks in hand and talk until the movie played after sunset. The weather was great each time. These kinds of events are the ones that would be advertised on forfree.cat and we would go. Ironically, these screenings were run by Claudia's friend. The series of films were about expats or people running off to other countries/places (What we are doing).
Other things that have been advertised are the Catalan festivals. There seems to be one every few days in the summertime. I noticed a pattern of a band of pipers playing in a parade of giant wooden puppets dancing. Afterwards, there would be some different festivities, but we would always notie the pipers. They sounded sort of like bagpipes but without the drone....or bag.
Then, there would be other events that are not free. Like the Circuit Party event. Ciruit Party is a series of parties over the week with loud music, dancing, and drinking galore. It's advertised for the gay community and is a big thing, apparently. We did not go, but we wanted to go. It seemed to be bigger than Pride for Barcelona. We did notice when Circuit Party was happening because the streets had more gay men than usual. They were more "vultures" after my Miguel than usual. Annoying.
Another annoying thing to me was the lack of cats in Barcelona. Yes, I'm a cat guy, but I do love dogs....just not as much. Barcelona has plenty of dog owners walking in the streets. If you don't see them, you will definitely see their evidence on the ground. I told Miguel one time how I barely saw a cat in the streets or in windows. Then, suddenly, I had a cat day where I saw on eor two on each street coming from a hole. There was even a cat sanctuary I came across for lost cats. They were so cute. There was this one regular cat, though. It was owed by this homeless couple that stayed near La Rambla's Macdonald's. He would sleep away on one of their bags as tourists walked by. Hmm....interesting.
What I did love seeing were the bats. Bats are my favorite animal and I was overjoyed to see them flapping their cute wings in Barcelona. I can imagine they would have plenty of places to live in older buildings, under eves, and in some local trees. They would fly around streetlights where bugs would collect. I saw them at the beach and near our flat. One flew past Miguel's head behind him! They're cute, no matter what you try to say. If interested, look up a cutie called the Honduran White Bat.
Lastly, we explored the area one day to discover a basilica called Sant Just Basilica. We were able to go inside and I was struck by this older church. High ceilings, giant stone floors, different shrines to saints, confession booths, skulls on the floor, and this notion of.....It was over a year since I stepped inside a church.
I'm not religious, anymore. I used to be devout but began to think for myself. When I was in that church, I thought of how Miguel and I were not accepted into this place. If it was up to people, they'd kick us out. Well....an American church would. I'm not too sure about the Europeans. Continuing, I became sad as I walked around to view these elaborate shrines. They put so much money into revering a god instead of helping their own people with that money. I thought about how old the church was and remembered an exhibit in San Diego that we saw on old torture devices from the Spanish Inquisition. There were so many deviced aimed to torture the homosexual community and other sinners. I wept for those people. I was angry walking in this church. I was angry for the persecutions and pain that the church inflicted to unholy people. A year of not entering a church...a good year I'd say.
Anyways, there were so many little mometns in Barcelona that we enjoyed and I am happy to say we were there. I'll admit I wasn't happy for a time, but I shouldn't have been. It was an experience I needed to have. We created some lovely memories there.