Boo in Barcelona
For us Houstonians, where Madrid feels a bit like Houston, Barcelona felt a bit like Austin. It was a cooler, more hip city that’s easy to get to and just more fun! Not that Houston/Madrid is not fun of course but the vibe is just different.
In Barcelona we stayed in what was as close to a hostel Viv will probably ever stay in. Three individual bedrooms (ours had a bathroom and the others had to share a common one), a shared kitchen, and shared entrance area. Nobody used the kitchen while we were there and we never saw another person coming or going. It was perfect for what we needed and we prioritized location on this trip. (It was also coincidentally right above a McDonalds so we joked it was easy to find as it was above an American embassy.)
We picked traveling to Barcelona on this specific week because of Halloween. One of Viv’s favorite holidays, we did some research into where the best place to spend Halloween in the area might be, and the consensus was Barcelona. To be clear, Halloween definitely isn’t as widely celebrated in Europe as we are used to so we weren't sure what to expect…but more on that later.
Broadly speaking, so much of what Barcelona has to offer in the tourist realm revolves around architecture, and one architect in particular- Antoni Gaudi. We opted for the YouTube summary of Gaudi which you can learn about here.
Highlights
Sagrada Familia: This is not to be missed. Under construction for more than 100 years (and no actual completion date in sight). Right before we arrived, they had just completed the four pillars (only one part of the massive structure). Gaudi’s unique style is on full display in every corner of this cathedral and it is impossible to capture the designs, colors and feel you get walking through this building. You can catch some pics below but this is something you must see in person to fully appreciate.
Montjuic Park: We almost didn’t go here but a last minute decision led us to wandering the park with a bottle of wine. The park sits high above the rest of the city and offers impeccable views of the ocean and city. There is a funicular and gondola that can help you to the top, we only took the funicular half way and walked the rest… A great way to spend an afternoon as the park has a variety of beautiful spaces to explore and views to find.
Park Guell: This was THE place for sunset. The park felt like the embodiment of a Dr. Seuss book with Gaudi’s whimsical style on full display all around us. We caught a beautiful sunset and got to explore the grounds on what was a delightful evening. There was also an abundance of people watching that provided some entertainment as well. Watching countless people taking dozens to hundreds of pictures while looking anywhere but at the camera just to switch coats and hats and repeat the process has become its own form of entertainment.
Bars (obviously): In case you have never met us, or not read a single other story…we like our bars. 2 in particular are worth mentioning in Barcelona (there were so many though):
Mariposa Negra. Our first (and perfect) spot for Halloween night drinks. The inside looked straight outta beetlejuice which we had just completed our annual rewatch of a few days before. The drinks were packed with unique and delicious flavors and the presentation was stellar.
Floreria Atlántic. Not just a bar, this restaurant was our splurge date night outing and it was some of the best food and drinks we have ever had. Anywhere. Each of their drinks had a different flavor profile based on a different Country that inspired it. We tried: Greece, Spain, Turkey and Egypt. The best part though was the food. We came for dinner and the dinner we had was impeccable. Some of the best steak and fish either of us has ever eaten!
Halloween
In our research on where to spend Halloween we learned that neither Halloween or Dia de Muertos is widely celebrated in Europe (Dia de Muertos is largely Latin American). Barcelona seemed to have been the most adopting of Halloween within our vicinity which is why we landed there. So trick or treating isn’t really a thing and costumes and masks were few and far between. However as we wandered the narrow streets to find food and some spots that might be celebrating we came across a wholly new experience…
We didn’t know what was happening at first as we could hear a drumline getting ever closer in the narrow streets. As they approached we started to hear the cracks of fireworks as well and then what we saw was ever magical and a little startling. Ball de diables or Correfoc are basically troupes that dress as devils and run through the streets performing. We happened across two troupes at different times and by the end of the night witnessed to conversion of three troupes to perform a massive fire dancing show in the middle of one of the gothic quarter squares. We danced in the fire and had a wonderful and unforgettable time celebrating in a new way.
We learned this processional is not uniquely for Halloween but is performed at various holidays throughout the year. It is a celebration of good vs evil. What more could you want for halloween!
