Road Trip to Barcelona

After four weeks of games on weekends, Marty had a bye, which meant that we could go site-seeing beyond a day trip. So, we packed our small travel bags, put them in the back of our little European car and took off down the motorway for Spain.

To me Barcelona has always been a city that I knew of and people talked about, but I couldn't have named any attractions or told you what it was known for, other than having a successful football team and hosting an Olympic Games in our lifetime (trust us to know the city's sporting achievements). But, when you're living in the south of France and Barcelona is only a three hour drive south, the city is all of a sudden a must-see.

We were only in Barcelona for a brief but memorable 48 hours, but this was sufficient time for us to learn a thing or two about this amazing city. Here are the top five things we discovered about Barcelona...

The beautiful beach on the Mediterranean

One: Barcelona is a city of contrasts

With a population of just over 1.6 million people, we expected Barcelona to be big. Driving toward the city was like following a maze of highways and overpasses, with suburbs sprawled as far as you could see up to the mountains. But as we came into the centre of the city, the buildings became more condensed and the roads narrowed.

The old city or Gothic Quarter, with early ties to Roman colonisation, sits just a few hundred metres from the buildings constructed as the Olympic Village for the 1992 Games. The journey between the two areas is like a look through time, as buildings of varying age and style were built up.

Then there is the contrast between the city and the stunning Mediterranean beach and harbour that border one side. With original and ancient buildings constructed about one hundred metres back from the water's edge all the way along, the area in between has been put to great use and effectively developed for the enjoyment of locals and tourists alike.

Marty crusing around Barcelona on bike

Two: The best way to see Barcelona is by bicycle

We had discussed taking a touristic bus tour, or hiring Vespas and cruising around the streets, but it didn't take us long to see that the best way to explore Barcelona would be by bicycle. There were ramps and pathways made for bikes going in both directions; there were bike hire shops in the most convenient locations; and everyone was doing it!

We stopped into a bike hire shop and signed up for a bike each for four hours. At a cost of 9Euro each, we thought this was a bargain! We were given a map, and off we went. I have to admit that I hadn't ridden a bike in about 10 years, so the crowded, cobblestone footpaths of Barcelona was a challenging place to get back on a bike!

But the experience was worth it. We were able to ride around any and every part of the city that we wanted. We cruised along the beachfront, along the harbour, through the narrow streets of the old town and on the specially constructed bike pathways in the middle of the major roads.

The Arc de Trimof in Barcelona

We rode up to and through the Arc de Triomf, past Las Ramblas, and through el Gotic. We saw buildings that were hundreds of years old, and buildings that were new and modern. Barcelona on bike was an amazing experience.

Three: Spanish food is better in Spain

In the multicultural country that is Australia, we have all tried some form of Spanish food: various types of tapas, paella, churros, sangria. But to eat and drink these delights in their country of origin is a great experience.

After wandering the small but busy alleyways off the main strip, we came across a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that looked like a great place to get our Spanish on. We ordered up on the tapas and sangria, and enjoyed the most amazing flavours of the croquettes, chorizo, and various cooking styles of potato.

A busy cafe along the footpath

The next night I was determined to try some traditional paella, and I wasn't disappointed. I love the concept of paella, traditionally being a servants' or workers' dish made with varying ingredients; each dish is as different as the cook preparing it. I enjoyed a great big pot of seafood paella, with my only regret being that my stomach wasn't big enough to eat it all! Yum.

Four: A weekend in Barcelona can be as cheap as chips!

While we have come to terms with the exchange rate, and the general cost of things in France, we were pleasantly surprised to find that, while still in Euro, things seemed to be cheaper in Barcelona. I, of course, took full advantage of this, buying up on new jeans and long sleeve tops, scoring two complete outfits for around 50Euro. Food was very well priced, and our accommodation - a modern room in a lovely hotel in a big old building - cost us around 100Euro for two nights.

The one cost that we didn't anticipate was the cost to use a toilet in a shopping centre. With no other 'free' options in sight, we each paid 50Euro cents to use the cleanest, freshest, loveliest public toilets we have ever seen. We didn't complain, and agreed it was money well spent!

And Five: everyone is happy in Barcelona, and why wouldn't they be?

The final thing that we both noticed almost immediately, and for the duration of our stay, was that everyone in Barcelona was so happy and friendly. And why wouldn't they be, with the beautiful city that they live in, amazing food and great outdoor lifestyle?

Everyone that we came in contact with was cheerful; a waitress at a cafe was interested that we were Australian; the man at the bike hire shop chatted to us about living in France; and a street vendor gave me a free (and amazingly delicious) muffin because I bought a pastry from her, and returned later for more!

We were blown away by the hospitality of the city and the people who live there, and were certainly made to feel welcome.

The view from our hotel window

Even though we left feeling like we had seen and experienced a lot, at just a three hour drive south, I will keep Barcelona in mind for another weekend trip away.