Grace's adventure to Barcelona, 2018.

Before I caught my flight to Barcelona (literally, I tweeted it from the airport gate where we passengers all sat for approximately 2.5 hours waiting for the damn plane to turn up) I asked friends and followers for suggestions of spots to look up over the 2 days I was there – I wanted vegan restaurants, good coffee, museums, nice wanders and quirky bars. 
I was so happy with the recs I got – the wonderful Stacey @theprettybooks sent me her brilliant Barcelona blog post, Isra @ivebeengilmored shouted out Veggie Garden (and I went there on my last night!) and Lydia @lydiaruffles (the utter babe who I spoke to on here recently) suggested Flax & Kale (where I had my breakfast on my last day!). Everyone seemed to rate Mount Tibidabo and MACBA, too. 

It’s safe to say I had a long To Do list. Here are some of the places I managed to get to while I stayed in the city... 

On my first full day in the city, we had coffee at Plaça Reial before hitting up Cat Bar for a magical lunch of their famous vegan burgers. I almost took a nap at the table after finishing mine (I had the lush Green Burger... with a side of patatas bravas, because Barcelona y'know?) as I was SO DAMN FULL and totally content. 

(Plaça Reial)

(Cat Bar)

… and there was a brilliant, feminist wall just outside, so obvs I had to take all the snaps. 

(Sophia, the gorgeous badass Barca babe I stayed with)

I really appreciated Sophia (pictured, looking sassy af, above) stopping regularly as we walked through the streets so I could grab my DSLR and take snaps of the sexiest buildings. 

On my second day, we had brunch at Vegetalia Raval. It was a teeny place on a super cute courtyard, and the food seemed modest but was fantastic. 

I had shiitake mushroom and tofu nuggets to start (not very brunchy, I know, but damn it I was curious) (they were delicious) and then a green salad with nuts. It didn’t seem that busy there when we arrived, but as we sat and ate (then sat some more, because we were tired and I was hungover) I saw more and more people coming in and out. I had to stop myself ordering vegan cake for dessert – and I was super proud of myself for not having a third coffee. That is, until…  

… Sophia took me to Two Schmucks, nearby in Raval. And yeah, a third coffee was had. No regrets, it was particularly delicious. This place was recently named a ‘5 Star Dive Bar’, and I totally got that vibe. It was really funky, and kinda felt like a Brighton cocktail/coffee place that all the tattooed beardy dudes and cool gals would hang at. 

We went around the shops on/near La Rambla after that because Barcelona has a heap of fab high street stores they only have in select locations in the UK, such as Bershka, PULL&BEAR and Stradivarius, all pretty much on the same street, and the prices are slightly better, imo. 

After shopping a bit, we set about finding the craft ale bar I’d had recommended to me by my beer-loving parents (who visited the city in October last year, stumbled upon this place, and have talked about almost nothing else for the past 11 months), Ølgod. This place is known for having 30 taps on its pristine, instagrammable white tiled wall, good snack options and a seemingly endless supply of indie beers. 

I’m not normally a beer/ale/anything like that gal, but I had a raspberry sour brew and it was delightful. Totally worth the trek through the back streets to find the place – and the 4,80 euro a half pint cost me. Yeah, the only downside to this place would be the prices. If you fancy going there, be sure to save some notes up or check your Caxton account beforehand. 

This guy above, El Gato de Botero, is maybe my favourite random landmark thing in the city. He’s such a menace – the lovely Sophia, my tour guide and bulletproof drinking buddy, damaged her coccyx when she attempted to jump over him while drunk before I came to visit her last year. I also sat beneath him for photos on my last visit, and hit my head as I came out from under his belly. See? He’s evil. Be warned.  

On my last morning in Barcelona, I took myself out for a walk (and a last minute souvenir shop) before having a final breakfast and getting the bus to the airport. As I rambled through the streets, most definitely not getting lost en route to the kick ass brunch spot Flax & Kale, I stumbled upon La Central, a beautiful bookshop that literally (hehehe) took my breath away. I won’t say much more on it; I think the photos show you how divine it was. Bloody peaceful in there too, and it went on forever! Like an Aladdin’s Cave full of bookish gems! 

Another couple of spots I’d rate if you get the chance to visit Barcelona: 

• The rooftop bar at the Barcélo Raval hotel (cool vibe, pool for feet-dipping, and FREE  5-star 360 views)

• Creps al Born (I went there last year and sadly didn’t get the chance to revisit; best cocktails and super fun atmosphere)

• Bar Celoneta sangria bar (best vegan paella I’ve ever had. Also the only vegan paella I’ve ever had, but yeah)

• The Sagrada Família (that gorgeous old drippy sandcastle-type building never gets old. I wish they’d leave it as is though, and not try to modernise it) 

• Kino café (the place I’ve had both a ‘just arrived’ coffee and an ‘about to leave’ coffee. Lovely little place, with a nice open terrace area)

(Fountains at Plaça Catalunya)

(Pretty windows, idk)

Well, that’s all from Travelling Grace, for now. Once I’m recovered from my next op (and probably when I’ve had enough time at a new job to squirrel some dolla) I’ll be off Somewhere Else again. Any suggestions where I should go next? Hit me up in comments or on Twitter, I’d love to know where you readers recommend. 

¡Hasta luego!