Recently, my husband and I went on a trip to Barcelona. We decided to throw caution to the wind and book a last-minute trip. Usually, that isn’t something that we do because my OCD needs planning and months to prepare for something.
But in an attempt to gently push my boundaries, we chose to do something that I wasn’t that comfortable with. Barcelona itself was an amazing place and my anxiety aside, we had a fantastic time. In this post, I want to break down some of the things that I think you should know before heading out to beautiful Barcelona.
Language.
I am sure that most Spanish people see us travelling Brits and instantly think that we are uncultured because most of them will be able to spot an English speaker a thousand miles away. However, one thing that I have noticed is that in Barcelona, the Spanish people didn’t make as much effort to communicate in English with people. Which is naturally their right to do in their own country. However, it is wort mentioning because I don’t mind making myself look like a tit trying to speak Spanish. But I know if that was to happen to my sister for example, she would want to die on the spot.
Safety.
When we told people that we were heading to Barcelona, the only response that I got from people was that it was full of pickpockets. We took the warning seriously. I took with me my Louis Vuitton bumbag that I could wear across my chest, and we put in all of our valuables so that they weren’t in a ‘stealable’ location. However, we were around the La Ramblas for quite a long time and we didn’t see any trouble. Don’t get me wrong, I am not doubting that it happens, but we didn’t witness anything.
Siesta break.
We all know that Spain is famous for the siesta. However, one thing that neither my husband or I were prepared for was many of the backstreet bars and restaurants closing in the early afternoon. Siesta break is a genuine period of the day and we honestly struggled to find a drink in a good bar. Don’t get me wrong, the city doesn’t shut down and you can so to a more mainstream place. However, if you are a fan of finding a good hidden gem, you may struggle at certain periods of the day.
The local food.
Over the years, I have visited Spain more times than I can count. We are very lucky that here in the UK, Spain is just a quick flight away. However, after visiting most of the country, I have never been anywhere that has food that is comparable to Barcelona. The thing that I was most struck with was the amazing amounts of seafood that was readily available. Almost everywhere I want, there was an abundance of seafood paella, and I was in heaven. Even if it isn’t your normal cuisine that you would gravitate towards, I would recommend trying it. Just once!
Reservations.
One thing that my husband and I are rubbish at when we go abroad is forward planning and making reservations. To be honest, I think it is because many years ago, it was a completely foreign concept that you would need to make a reservation somewhere like Spain. However, things like that have seemed to change since COVID. We wanted to try a few restaurants, but when we went to enter, w was asked for reservations. Most of them tried to accommodate us but unless you wanted to wait hours or have the worse spot in the place, it was fruitless. Just forward plan!
