I had a great time in Barcelona. Not only did I get to explore a new city, but I did it with one of my favorite couples from California.

We stayed in the Pobleno area, which had great beach access, but was a long metro ride into the city. It was such a nice area to stay in because it’s very local (translation: excellent food and no crowds).

Aside from visiting La Sagrada Familia, we tried to avoid the tourist areas as much as possible—and there were a lot of tourists in Barcelona.

I think you could easily spend a week in Barcelona and not see everything it has to offer. We kept a good balance of taking in the culture but not stressing out about checking everything off a to-do list.

Gaudi’s modernism style architecture

We let ourselves get lost in the alleys of the old town, relaxed at the beach, ate our fill of fresh seafood and sangria, took in a little history, and marveled at the gorgeous architecture. It was a perfect vacation in a culture that is so different from Germany, yet is only a short flight away.