Capital of Catalonia

It's been a long time since I'd wanted to visit Barcelona. It finally happened — we decided to spend a few days seeing the highlights. We got a Barcelona Card and it was a great choice! We were staying almost next to the famous La Rambla, so everything was within walking distance. That street is incredible — so wide.

A big part of our trip was focused on architecture. From the Olympic Stadium to Casa Milà, Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família. We didn't skip art either — we saw Picasso as well as Banksy. Personally, in port cities I'm always most drawn to maritime history. Barcelona was historically a major hub, and the local shipyard is enormous! History is very much tied to maritime trade there.

Another highlight was the history museum. Finally you understand what happened in Catalonia and when. Why their flag looks the way it does and what went on in Spain in the twentieth century. You leave the museum with a slightly different perspective than when you see reports in the news about Catalonia wanting independence.