Week 3 of Europe 2k17: Paris and Barcelona

Europe 2017 Trip: Looking Back

If you've ever visited my site before, you might remember my stories and tips from a European adventure. In summer of 2017, I took a fantastic 3-week trip with Mary Pat, Lindsey, and Paul to celebrate our college graduations.

    

              

Whether you have or haven't read any of my other posts, here's a little recap of the route we took.

Just us girls started in Madrid 3 days where I got to practice a lot of Spanish-speaking, and then we hopped over to Marrakesh, Morocco for the next 3 days— ask any of us and this was the most incredible part of our trip, which you can read about if you'd like!

After a short 12-hour stopover in Valencia, we met Paul and our mom in Palermo, Sicily A relaxing 5-day visit with our extended family was the perfect middle portion of our trip. We lounged on beaches across the island of Sicily, shopped a little, did some sight-seeing, and ate way too much delicious food.

I wrote a post about each place we visited, but I guess I was so relaxed in Sicily that I decided not to write any more Europe posts for... umm... about 2 years. What can I say— my job and social life in Connecticut and now Chicago have kept me busy!

 

  

                

Back in Italy, our next stops were Rome and Cinque Terre, which I finally wrote about last month. These 2 parts of western Italy were pleasant opposites from each other, with Rome super bustling, exhausting and entrancing, while Cinque Terre was stunning in a more colorful and natural way, with more opportunities to relax and take our time.

The end of our trip was also one of the best parts for me— 2 1/2 days in Paris and another 2 1/2 in Barcelona. I would've loved to finish this post two summers ago, but I'm sort of grateful I waited this long, because now I can look back and relive the memories. Conveniently, I'm going BACK to Barcelona tomorrow. It'll be my first time in Europe since 2017, and I'm so thrilled to go, especially because I'm traveling with 2 of my best gal pals. 

I'm also seeing my favorite American-turned-Parisian, a very close friend & wonderful role model, who I love dearly and haven't seen in over a year. 

If you're planning to explore Paris or Barcelona in the near future, or if you want to relive your own past adventures, keep reading for some of my favorite features and quick tips about these 2 fantastic cities.

As you read further, please excuse the mediocre formatting and awkward aesthetic here. I'm writing on my phone & want to finish this before I land in Barcelona tomorrow! 


PARIS

1. Favorite Food 

    Blueberry muffin (or any baked goods). We stayed in an adorable Airbnb on Rue du Teatre, a 15 min walk from Parc du Champs / the Eiffel Tower lawn. I don't remember the name of this specific bakery, but I remember eating the best blueberry muffin I've ever tasted and savoring every crumb as we rushed down the metro steps to catch the subway and start our day. That's part of why I loved Paris so much, was that every food shop, landmark, bakery, etc had its own style but was also so quentisentially Parisian.

2. Favorite Drink 

    Champagne mixed drink at Kong. Our most memorable and hilarious activity in Paris was spending a night out at a bar called Kong. This was nestled almost too quietly in the 1st Arrondissement between the Louvre and a Louis Vuitton building, but it was far less discreet than we thought. Taking in the view and feeling a weird sense of a de ja vu, we realized this club had been posted on more than 1 Kardashian's Instagram and was also featured in movies like Sex and the City.

After having a fancy drink at the bar amongst a 20s-themed dance party, we enjoyed an over-priced but extremely delicious spread of  Asian-inspired appetizers, followed by a few more cocktails. 

3. Favorite Attraction

    Sacre Couer. This famous basilica was not only gorgeous from the inside and outside, but the view from the top of the hill where it sat was the best view I could have hoped for in Paris— even better than what I imagine the view from the Eiffel Tower to be, although I've only seen pictures & would like to try it some day. 

Climbing the steps of Sacre Couer was exhausting, but I'll say without a doubt that living my Madeline dreams, gazing at the stunning architecture, and taking in Paris with my girls was worth that hike. 

4. Traveler's Tip 

    Take cabs when you're tired, stroll on the river when you're not. Get a giant hot dog from a street cart behind Notre Dame. Drink the fancy drink in a club and also the cheap champagne in a park. Soak it in and buy into all the cheesy movies and songs that show you Paris, and then make your own judgement. 

BARCELONA

1. Favorite Food 

    Tapas at Ciudad Condal. In the obnoxious, not fully-founded opinion of someone who spent less than 72 hours in Barcelona, I will confidently say I had the best tapas in the city. This cute bar-restaurant is in an awesome location that's just touristy enough but not too much, and hilariously sits next to a bar called Obama, which I'm choosing to believe is incidentally an easy way for Americans to spot their dinner destination. 

We all loved every plate we tried, and our bottle of red wine was cheap and delicious, which is a good assessment even coming from the lower standards of recent college grads at the time. The service was fantastic, the environment was just right, and the desserts were phenomenal. The only downside is they don't take reservations, which might make it that much more appealing.

2. Favorite Drink 

    Juice at La Boqueria. In the spirit of staying hydrated, being out-and-about all day, and trying local foods, my favorite drink in Barcelona was juice. La Boquería, a huge indoor-outdoor market that seemed just as touristy as it was popular with locals, had row after row of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and desserts. Naturally, it was heaven for all of us. 

I loved the juice stand so much and the bright colors kept luring me in, so Paul and I each tried 2 flavors. I  can't wait to try this again snd enjoy an expensive, fresh and healthy treat that just doesn't taste the same anywhere else.

4. Traveler's Tip 

    In any famous destination— especially a large European city like Barcelona, Paris or Rome— the natural inclination is to see as much as possible in the limited time you have. For me, I do have that nonstop, do-everything attitude, but Barcelona was one of the few places that forced me to be more at ease.

The best thing about Barcelona is the relaxed vibe, the beach environment, and the pedestrian-friendly districts like Las Ramblas. I hope you get a chance to visit this exciting Spanish hub and make your own decisions about your favorite things to do there and your impression of the culture. If you've been before, I hope you get to enjoy more of this city and take it all in at a slower pace from more of a local's perspective. 

Hasta luego.

Be Excellent to each other. 

xoxo Jo Jo