The Best of Barcelona
- Jess Boehner
- Mar 6, 2023
- 4 min read
Barcelona, Spain (2/22-2/26)
Following a relaxing time off the coast of Barcelona, we headed to the city for a more lively few days. This time, we were on someone else’s turf. My friends Chloe, Keely, and Bailey are studying abroad in Barcelona so we got to crash at their apartment for a few days.
After dropping our stuff off, the eight of us hopped on the metro and headed down to the beach. It took me only ten minutes understand why so many people study here. Having access to a beach and a city is the best of both worlds. Students will often go on runs along the beach, play a game of volleyball, or enjoy some tapas. I have only heard good things from everyone who has studied there.
Here are some of the things I found. so special about the Spanish city:
Best of both worlds— The beach and the city. A simple metro ride can take you to and from the beach. After a long day of classes, I can only imagine how rewarding it must feel to spend the afternoon by the water.
Countless bars— Before heading out to the club, we stopped at a few bars along the way. The girls took us to Espit Chupitos— a common pregame bar in Barca. Espit Chupitos is known for its innovative drinks. With more than 600 original shots and 180 jugs and cocktail shakers, the bar is an entire experience in itself. The drinks include all different ingredients from hot sauce to pop rocks to oranges lit on fire.
Connections— The more friends you have the more things you experience. So basically the club life in Barca is just a trial run for the real world. A friend of a friend has ins at a lot of the popular clubs so he hooked us up at the club Sorren. We had free admission, our own table, and bottle service. Looking out upon the DJ and other clubbers, I felt like a celebrity as I sipped my Gray Goose and Red Bull…
Scenery— There are many reasons why my friend group gets along so well but the thing that binds us together most is a rooftop. As we worked our way across the city of Barcelona, we also moved upwards. Our first stop was Hotel Colon. We sat in the sun and looked out on the town. There were boys playing soccer in front of the Barcelona Cathedral and across from it, little street markets selling homemade goods.
Another one of the rooftops we hit was Ohla. We arrived at sunset and sat with the clouds as they turned pink. The Martini Frose I ordered was downed within minutes. I'm going to make it for all my friends when we get back to Boulder in August.
Along with the sunset and the panoramic view of Barcelona, we got to witness a proposal. I felt like I was behind the scenes of the Bachelor as I watched him stand there with a rose and ring.
Something else I made sure to see while I was there was the Sagrada Familia. I remember seeing it about ten years ago but the only thing I can recall was that it was under construction. This time I was able to spend time around the outside admiring the detail and effort of Gaudi's design. Since it is still being built, I have an excuse to return to Barcelona to see the finished product.
Food— The food in Barcelona did not disappoint. We ate a variety of dishes while there and each held its own. On Friday we had dinner at BoaBao (left). The ambiance was contemporary but remained true to Asian culture.
Honest Greens (right) was one of our lunch stops. My goat cheese salad hit the spot and everyone else loved their dishes as well. It has inspired me to go on the hunt for a reliable salad place in Florence.
On our final day, it was time to celebrate. Tay's 21st birthday was on Saturday and it was a time I’ll never forget.
Alexa had been in contact with her aunt Cathy for the past few days and was able to pull some strings to score us an insane day on the water. We boarded a 50-foot yacht around noon and set sea for a couple of hours. The boat, named the Sea Shell, had three bedrooms, a top deck, and even came with a captain. Captain Pol was a short, motorcycle-riding, twenty-something-year-old with the ultimate life and dream job.
The sunshine came to join in the party as well. We listened to music and drank mimosas as we anchored down in the ocean. I was smiling all day because I knew this was an opportunity that does not come around often. I know how lucky I am to have had an experience like this and I will always be grateful for these memories. Thank you, aunt Cathy!!
After returning to the marina, we said our goodbyes to Pol and goodbye to our Barca besties. Spring break had come to an end and it was time to return home to Florence.
I’ve now been back in Italy for a week or so. Our new session of classes started on Monday so the daily routine is starting to change. I have one class a day, Monday-Thursday, that is 3.5 hours long. The classes are interesting and I enjoy the content but I’m still adjusting to such lengthy lessons.
The past 10 days were amazing and I can gladly say that Spring Break 2023 was the best yet!
Hotel Colon: https://www.hotelcolonbarcelona.es/en/gastronomy/
BoaBao: https://www.boabao.es
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