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Sunday 8 November 2015

Barcelona

Barcelona 
 Sometimes I get a strong desire to just up and leave London not for good but for a bit. Escape the damp, drizzle, the grey and the rush. I usually run to somewhere sun soaked and calmer, yet never too calm, being a boy born in the city yet raised in the country only to return to a capital, I know too much serenity and stillness isn't for me. So ideally I look for a city that's not too hectic offering sun, sea and sand yet one with nightlife and happening happenings. So I ended up in Barcelona. I've been before and enjoyed it, yet feel I didn't fully explore it.

the beach, the warmth, the easy transport that's cheap and cheerful with ten rides on train or tram hitting the ten euro mark.

Accommodation


We stayed close to the Fontana station at the Residencia Erasmus Gracia. The hotel was clean with multiple services on offer from bike hiring to wifi in the foyer opposed to in the rooms, which allowed for a form of  escape for me giving the space to enjoy the holiday without being constantly connected to emails and social media. I found the communal kitchen quite nice, coming in hand when you want a chilled and cheap night in. Prices start at around 29 Euros per night.

Shop

My favorite shop overall was a charity/ thift store called Humana that had a cute selection of garments from old school Adidas and Nike sweaters to throw back 80's patterned jackets. Surprisingly there was a large range of clothes for men from sportswear to Lyle & Scott, Fred Perry & Lacoste,  they were in mostly small to medium sizes. It was refreshing to see a charity store that was aware of it's second hand/vintage status yet didn't reflect that in the price. Many of the clothes were €4 with tailored and leather jackets also on hand for around €15.

Eat



There was a few places around us from the ever present McDonald's if you're into food that you know. For me it was more about quality eats nice places and low prices, There was a few shops to be cautious of serving bland and tasteless food, they even went so far to cook a Ristorante pizza and serve it doing nothing but taking it out of the box and placing it in the oven. There was also good experiences with variety of restaurants serving  Spanish cuisine to Chinese and Thai and even a Wok to Walk. I highly enjoyed Macchina Pasta bar, that stayed open till late, it allowed you to choose the pasta of your choice and then add toppings and sauce, prices were cheap and cheerful and you could watch as it was made. I also enjoyed some of the many bakeries that even had the NYC started 2013 craze the Cronut.

Things to do

The Aquarium is a nice escape for a few hours and next to the beach front, so you can go for a stroll before or after and soak up the sun. I also found trawling the La Boqueria food market. The market stocks a wide range of food from meats to fresh fruit, sweets and smoothies. I found it fun trying the fresh fruits and vegetables and conversing with the stall keepers.

Verdict

We traveled with Easy Jet, which was a first for me, fast, cheap and reliable it won't be the last. Its great to have budget airlines that don't feel to budget and that's where Easy Jet excels.This is my second time in Barcelona, I've always found that it's a city but a calm one. There's not much to sight see in truth beyond Gaudi's buildings and park but that's not what I expect from Barcelona. With cheap drinks and a slower and more relaxed pace, I escape to the city to party at night usually at Arena, the poly sexual club with the latest pop and r&b music with sprinkling of Spanish hits. It's cheap and cheerful and always brings in a Jolly crowd. and relax in the day on the beach by soaking up the sun.



By Jaiden

1 comment:

Shilpa Malhotra said...

Barcelona cool place to hangout with friends.

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