Though I spent an entire week in Barcelona, it still wasn’t nearly enough time to do everything I wanted. A lot of people spend less time in the city (my parents were there for three days while on their Spain adventure), and I do recognize how much of a privilege it is to travel and see new places. It’s something that my grandmothers and my ancestors before them could not do, even after they were married. So, the premise of this blog post might come across as a little greedy, and I sincerely apologize for that, but I fell in love with Barcelona at first sight, and I would go back in a heartbeat.
And while we covered so much ground in one week, there are still a ton of things that I didn’t get to do that I wanted to. After all, how can you see any city in seven days? In a month, or in a year? I’ve lived next door to New York City my entire life, and now go there twice a week for my job, but I still have only barely scratched the surface. Truly, what a blessing it is to travel.
With that said, if I do ever find my way back to Barcelona, there are a few things I would like to do:
Play Tennis (and Visit Rafa’s Academy!)
Number one on my list: playing tennis on a clay court. I grew up watching and playing tennis my entire life, and I now work in sports marketing. I was (and still am) one of Rafael Nadal’s (the King of Clay) biggest fans. When I was doing my research prior to my trip, I found plenty of spaces and opportunities to play on clay courts, but I couldn’t fit them into my plan. Plus, it was November, and the weather wasn’t ideal. I would love the chance to hit on a clay court just once in my life, and also venture across the sea to Mallorca, and take a tour of Rafa’s academy.
Stay in Downtown Proper
This one might be a bit controversial, but Barcelona is such a walkable city, and everything in downtown Barcelona is so easy to get to and compact. This trip, we booked an apartment rental near Sant Pau, and either walked or took the Metro to get wherever we needed to go (you can learn more about how to get around Barcelona here). But there’s a beauty in staying close to where the action is, having lazy mornings, staying up late, being in the center of all the chaos. And while it will almost certainly be more expensive, it could be worth it.
Watch a Flamenco Show
This is something I was looking forward to, and I had found one I wanted to book, but I didn’t get to it this time. There is something about watching art in a foreign city, where anything is possible, where life feels like it’s worth living again, where art is at the front and center. I want to go just for the experience and the atmosphere, slipping into the streets afterward, late at night, riding on that high. I may even want to find a class?
Take a Casa Milà Tour
This is one of the things I regret most not doing. I should have booked it on my own and slipped off to do it alone, but I didn’t because I hate doing things alone. One of my goals for this year (and going forward) is to get comfortable being alone and doing things on my own. I want to start traveling solo because I don’t want to put my life on hold for other people, but I certainly don’t want my trips to be dictated by them (not that that’s been the case in the past). I also certainly don’t want other people to feel dictated by me, with the things I want to do, with my dietary habits, my chronic illness, et cetera. So, next time, I will be doing a tour of Casa Milà now that I’ve seen Batlló.
Visit More Museums
Barcelona has an abundance of museums; as it should, it’s an ancient city that fights hard to preserve its identity, culture, and history. There are museums for everyone, from art and history to chocolate and erotica. I put together a list of museums everyone should visit in Barcelona, but you may not want to spend your entire trip in museums. I didn’t, so we did a few of them, but I would certainly check out more of them on a future trip.
See More of Gaudí’s Architecture
Big fan of Gaudí and his work, and of the reasoning and purpose behind much of it. You can’t visit Barcelona without visiting the Basílica de la Sagrada Família, as it’s one of the most visited monuments in all of Europe (so you need to take a tour and book your tickets well in advance). But there are so many other works of Gaudí’s that you should also check out, which I’ve written more about here. I didn’t get a chance to see all of them, but I will definitely do so on a future trip, because the ones I did see were stunning.
Venture More Outside of the City
Because we were only in Barcelona for a week, we spent all of our time in the city, except for a day trip to Montserrat, which I highly recommend if you have the time and capability. But there’s just so much to see in the city itself that it felt futile to leave it behind. However, I would plan for a longer trip and leave the city proper for a bit, visit lesser-known towns and landmarks, and maybe hit a beach or two. And yet, there’s still so much I would do within Barcelona that maybe this is the plan for a third or a fourth trip.
Watch a Futbol Game at Camp Nou
One day, I will watch a futbol game at Camp Nou, and take a tour of the stadium and facilities. My friend was able to go this time, but I didn’t because I was busy dealing with my chronic illness, whose symptoms flared up while I was traveling, and I had a hard time dealing with them. Next trip, I would plan it around this and make sure I spend a day here. And have an opportunity to wear the custom FC Barcelona jersey my parents got for me when they went!
Learn More Catalan
Catalan, or català, is the language of Barcelona. While you can still manage in Spanish or English (I did!), it’s helpful to know some Catalan, even if it’s just to win brownie points with the local people. I was able to navigate my trip in mostly Spanish, and a lot of people assumed I spoke it already (my appearance, perhaps?), but it felt good to greet the cashier at the grocery store or the owner at a local cafe with a cheerful “bon dia!” and have them return it in kind. I really did feel less like a tourist, even though I was one, and I want to make sure I know how to speak well enough next time and hold a conversation without defaulting to Spanish or English.
Now, time for me to start planning my next trip to Barcelona!
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