Why You Should Visit Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona is a modern day metropolis juxtaposed by ancient architectural beauty, traditional markets and religious symbolism. I was fortunate enough to experience the city with the guidance of a native Catalonian. A friend of mine, native to Barcelona, gave me a two-day whirlwind tour of her city that left me both satisfied and thirsty for more.

The first thing I loved about the city was the language. Coming from New York City, and being an ESL teacher, I tend to hear just about every language from Icelandic to Turkish to Spanish. Rarely however, do I come across a native Catalan speaker. The language is similar to Italian, so I enjoyed understanding the occasional word or phrase. At first I had to ask my friend if someone was speaking Spanish or Catalan, but when I paid close attention, I could hear the unique rhythm and beauty of Catalan.

Barcelona is a great city for walking. We relied on public transportation just to get from one point to another, but then spent hours walking through the streets. There are many "famous" things to see, like Cathedrals, the main shopping street and the Olympic village, but my favorite part was just waking through the narrow streets and absorbing the culture around me. The architecture is so intricate that every single building is worth looking at. Though I can be quite chatty, contrary to my friend, I found myself enjoying her silence. Every corner we turned offered something aesthetically pleasing, but if distracted, you could easily miss the nuances.

Another highlight was the food. We never ate out, because I was lucky enough to eat home cooked meals prepared by my friend's mother. Her mother alternated from traditional Spanish dishes to traditional Catalan dishes. Some highlights were the Spanish omelet, containing runny eggs (contrary to the harder eggs I recently ate in France), potatoes and onions. A Catalan highlight was the bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil. If left alone with that basket of bread, I could have easily eaten the whole loaf!

Mealtime, in general, was a true "slice of life" experience. My friend is on the quiet side, and her mother doesn't speak English. The three of us would eat, and I would listen to the two of them chatting in Catalan. My instincts are normally to jump in, try the language or talk through my friend, who is fluent in Spanish, Catalan and English. But instead of talking, I found myself watching. The tv was blaring in Spanish, they were chatting in Catalan, the dogs were barking, the phone was ringing and the food was amazing. Mealtimes became my favorite part of the day, because I really had a "day in the life of" experience. They didn't go out of their way to put on a show for their New York guest, rather, they opened up their home to me and gave me the authentic experience!

As always I recommend seeing a city through the eyes of its locals. I know this isn't always possible, but even if you don't have a friend to stay with, there are ways to get the real experience. Talking to the locals is always best. I've traveled alone to foreign countries before, and I've always met the most interesting and kind people. Secondly, always practice the language. Even if you are just saying "please" and "thank you" it will not only show respect to the locals, but it will keep you fully engaged in your surroundings. Another tip is not to be so hung up on seeing the tourist attractions. Of course I couldn't be in Barcelona and not see the main shopping street or Sagrada Familia, but I didn't spend an abundance of time there. Just being a sponge to my surroundings is what helped me maximize my two short days in Barcelona.

Barcelona has an international airport, major hub train station and seaport, so it is accessible through just about any means of transportation. It is serviced by several European discount airlines, so travel from the United States is oftentimes cheaper via international flight to London, then discount flight to Barcelona.