24 Hours in Barcelona

It's a typical day in Barcelona when you’re holidaying, the sun is dazzling bright, the temperature is soaring high and you are pondering where to start exploring the city?  No need to refer to a tourist guide, I give you a list of top eight things to do when in Barcelona from my recent trip to the spectacular city!

B&B’s - Beaches and Bikinis

The city offers a lot of possibilities to beat the heat, perhaps the most popular of them is to slip into your beachwear, and hit the Barcelona beach, the most popular stretch of sand in the city. It hosts a vibrant mix of people, from gorgeous locals to energetic tourists from all over the world.

Beaching here is a zestful affair. Tourists tanning on the hot stretch of sand. Swimmers and surfers riding high rise waves. Entertainers playing their instruments and charming dancers bewitching the crowd with their graceful whirls. Challenges of water football being won and lost. Mysterious fortune tellers describing an exciting future. Vendors selling things as well as pouring local legends into curious souls, obscuring the lines between business and socialising. Lovers holding hands and walking by the shore and children learning their first water ski lesson. You get the drift.

Chiringuito Bars!

As the heat rises, so does the number of beer bottles popping open. The beach is lined with bars, from the popular 'chiringuito' bars to fancy clubs. Chiringuitos are open shacks erected right on the golden sand offering a beguiling view of the romantic waterfront. Picture this. Loud music, youngsters chattering and laughing. A group of old men narrating their young days. A charming local boy offering to show the city to a beautiful tourist girl. A group of girls flirting with the bartender.People smiling at strangers and subsequently sharing their adventures over sangria.

You could simply watch their stories from a distance or you could be a part of them. No matter what you choose, their stories will inevitably become your story. Icebarcelona, Princesa 23, Mochima Bar and Shoko Restaurant and Club are amongst the renowned summer hotspots of the city.

The Soothing Sunset

Slowly, as you see the Mediterranean sun sink to kiss the turquoise water, you will feel your heart unwinding, setting your soul free; for that is what Barcelona does to its people, it takes them deep into their invisible, innermost self, and sets it free. 

Romance the Barcelonese Streets – Las Ramblas

While a part of the city is floating on the youthful blue waves, the streets of the city weave their own magic of urban fabric. The street culture of Barcelona envelopes markets, restaurants and shopping areas within it,captivating people in the enchant of a fascinating social culture. Las Ramblas is the most famous and exciting street of Barcelona.You could stroll on this animated street browsing the book stalls and smelling the scented flowers, listening to the euphonious tunes of guitarists.This lively street is huddled with activities for kids and families, and you could maybe stop to cheer with the crowd, or offer to be cheered for. Yet another prominent street is the elegant boulevard Passeig de Gracias, with the highest concentration of premier shopping brands. This street also houses prime modernist buildings such as Casa Mila and Casa Batllo by Antonio Gaudi.

Picasso’s Barcelona

If you are one of those rare minds that long to soar into other worlds through art, then Avineda Parallel is the place for you. You could watch street theatre, enter a concert, see music and dance performances at the famous venues Palau de la Música Catalana and Gran Teatre del Liceu or visit the countless museums and art galleries, including the Museu Picasso itself, a gallery that houses Picasso’s earliest works. As you lose yourself into this universe of imagination, you could perhaps stumble and connect with another wandering soul!   The streets of Barcelona work in mysterious ways, all you have to do is to open your heart, to its possibilities.

Street Cafes and Restaurants

The streets are bordered with open cafes and restaurants, and as the savour of the rich cuisine fluently sail towards you, you would follow it like a lost lover in search of his one true love. Barcelonese are passionate about their food, they cook with love and patience, fearlessly mixing sweetened and salty, sweetening with honey and scenting with lemon peel and cinnamon. As you walk into one of the cosy restaurants, you would be given the option for indoor or outdoor seating. But by this time you will be captivated by the spell of Barcelona, and you would invariably choose a table outside overlooking the vibrant street. You could now lay back and sip one of their famous collections of enriching red wines while you wait for your food. As you continue to gaze at the sprightly affair on the streets from your restaurant table, you will loose yourself in the zestful play of Barcelona's social life.

Wine and Dine

The sun begins its long journey to set in the evening, and the city lights begin to sparkle beneath the twilight sky. The early evenings for Barcelonese begin with a promenade at the squares and plazas, for instance Placa Reial, usually with a glass of cava, Barcelona's well known sparkling wine. Barcelona's famous 'magic fountains' spring euphorically on the main plazas, and give their beautiful dance performance. Slowly, a waiter starts to light the lanterns lined over the tables. Lovers and strangers begin to dine, enjoying the soft music and the soothing ambience.

Party Till You Drop

Dining closes at 11 pm in Barcelona and by midnight the pubs start to use their alcohol openers. Spanish pop music enlivens the nightspots. Slowly, Barcelona starts to drown in a memorable night of spontaneous love, careless laughter and dynamic energy. And at that moment, probably in the time gap between the end and the start of a new song, or in the smile of a stranger, or in the kiss of a lover, or as you gulp the last sip of your drink, you will realise you are in love with the city.