{"id":49,"date":"2013-06-13T01:33:28","date_gmt":"2013-06-13T01:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/a-barcelona-short-break\/"},"modified":"2022-08-08T23:18:15","modified_gmt":"2022-08-08T23:18:15","slug":"salud-barcelonas-best-spots-for-people-watching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com.au\/stories\/salud-barcelonas-best-spots-for-people-watching\/","title":{"rendered":"A Barcelona Short Break"},"content":{"rendered":"

I only spent one weekend in Barcelona. It felt like a few heartbeats, but unlike other whirlwind visits to big cities, I immediately felt at home.<\/p>\n

My two besties were flying in from London for a girls getaway. Three to four days is the average length Expedia travellers stay in town. We had no plans and wanted to see what Barcelona<\/a> would unveil. What we found was a fun-loving city with a rhythm that\u2019s hard not to get caught up in. To get your trip started, head to Expedia’s Barcelona Holidays<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One big street, the pedestrian-only Las Ramblas, is really all you need to know to get around. From there everything seems to flow. Tapas and sangria bars spill onto the footpath, there\u2019s too many to count, while buskers and street performers attract crowds under the leafy trees.<\/p>\n

Barcelona\u2019s big landmarks are great for getting orientated. At the turn of the 19th<\/sup> century famous architect Antoni Gaudi was let loose in Barcelona by the city planners. There don\u2019t seem to be any rules to his gravity-defying, whimsical designs, which are photogenic from any angle.<\/p>\n

Gaudi\u2019s most famous piece of work is the Sagrada Familia Catholic church, still unfinished and now classed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. His apartment blocks Casa Mila and Casa Batllo look like gingerbread houses with curving rooftops and twisted metal embellishments. Park Guell\u2019s curving mosaics and dramatic staircases are the perfect foreground to fantastic city views. You could easily spend your weekend on a photo shoot with the city playing willing model, showing her good side around every turn.<\/p>\n

Or you could get cultural and go to the\u00a0MNAC<\/a>\u00a0(Museum National Art de Catalunya) for your fill of Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance art. Happily, it\u2019s also home to a sought-after terrace bar with great views of the city.
\n
\nAnd since you\u2019re in Barcelona, you should visit the small\u00a0<\/span>Picasso Museum<\/a>. The famous artist moved here with his family in 1895, before his art became blockbuster stuff. You\u2019ll see his classic portraits and landscape work, as well as nudey-rudey sketches and ceramic \u2013 pick up a postcard or two to say\u00a0you’ve\u00a0been there\/done that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Head back to Las Ramblas for the night. This is where first-timers should have a few tapas to fuel the evening\u2019s fire. But for a more local experience, the Gothic Quarter (Barri G\u00f2tic Quarter), just off Las Ramblas, is where the hipsters hang. This is a labyrinth of narrow, winding streets where getting lost is part of the fun. Modern buildings share streets with Roman architecture, and there\u2019s plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs.<\/p>\n

The most popular times to travel are June and September but during October there\u2019s better deals and the weather is still warm enough to enjoy a late night amble along Las Ramblas. If you\u2019re after a hotel close to the action,\u00a0Barcel\u00f3 Raval<\/a>\u00a0is an uber cool designer hotel that\u2019s just a five minute walk from the main drag. It has awesome views out over the city from the rooftop terrace, where there\u2019s also a pool and a bar.<\/p>\n

To get you in the mood for your trip to Barcelona, here\u2019s a classic Sangria recipe:<\/p>\n

1 bottle dry red wine (doesn\u2019t have to be an expensive bottle)<\/p>\n

1 tablespoon sugar
\nJuice of 1 large orange
\nJuice of 1 large lemon
\n1 large orange, sliced
\n1 large lemon, sliced
\n2 medium peaches, peeled, cut into chunks
\n1 cup club soda<\/em><\/p>\n

If you want a stronger brew add gin and vodka. Or try white sangria by substituting the red wine for white.<\/p>\n

Salud!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I only spent one weekend in Barcelona. It felt like a few heartbeats, but unlike other whirlwind visits to big cities, I immediately felt at home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,6,28,2,3,39,14,18],"tags":[64,34,65,66],"authors":[],"class_list":["post-49","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","category-destination","category-europe","category-experiences","category-explore","category-food-and-wine","category-interests","category-relax","tag-barcelona","tag-culture","tag-sights","tag-spain","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Barcelona Short Break - Expedia AU Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I only spent one weekend in Barcelona. 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