Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

A WEEK IN CROATIA

Wednesday

I think Split and Hvar in Croatia are two of my new favourite places. I feel like I say this every time I get back from travelling somewhere but it's happened yet again! I'm writing this with severe holiday blues.


I recently went on a week-long holiday to Split in Croatia with five of my friends and we had such an amazing time. We stayed in an Airbnb villa a short taxi ride away from Split with a pool.


We flew from Gatwick to Split and the flight was only around two and a half hours which went really quickly.



What we got up to


Instead of writing the details day by day like I usually do, I thought I'd just write the highlights of what we got up to under one heading and food under another. Spoiler alert: the food was so amazing it deserves its own spot in this post.


Exploring Split



So aside from chilling by the pool in the villa, our first activity was exploring the town of Split. Split is a very historical place with beauty around each corner. Cars and taxis can only reach certain areas of Split, because when you go into the city centre, it is walking only which is one of the things that made it so unique. 

The centre of Split is a bit like a maze and I would still find it difficult to find my way around without maps even after staying there for a week.

For me, our holiday was a perfect mix of everything because we stayed in a villa with a pool, but you could actually travel to Split as a city break as well. It has great nightlife and lots of amazing restaurants.

Krka National Park



Before travelling to Split, we had pre-booked a trip to Krka National Park which is about 1 hour - 1:30 hours drive away. The park is known for its waterfalls and it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. I'd definitely recommend visiting. There was a lot of walking up and down steep hills which I wasn't totally aware of before the trip so wear comfy shoes and pack lots of water!

On our trip, we got to visit the waterfalls, go to a nearby town for a dip in the lakes and finish off the day with wine tasting at a local, family-run winery. All of this cost just short of £35 which I think was definitely worth it.


Unfortunately, the usual part of Krka that you go to on the tour was closed due to flooding so we had to go to another part of the park. But it was still just as beautiful and didn't ruin the trip at all.

Hvar for the day




Hvar is an island about 1 hour away from Split by boat. For a return ferry, it was a little expensive - around the £40-£45 mark, but it was so worth it.

I feel like Hvar is quite a luxury place. One, because they go there on Made in Chelsea, and two, because there are lots of exclusive beach clubs where you have to pay for entry. You could easily spend a lot here but there are still lots of bars and restaurants that are a similar price to Split and there are areas of the beach where it is free to go and sit.

Hvar is one of the most stunning places I've ever been to and I would 100% recommend visiting there if you travel to Split. You can, of course, stay in Hvar too but it would cost you a pretty penny. Also, I felt like there was less to do there than in Split.

Boat Party Split



Around Split, there were lots of people selling tickets to boat parties and in principle, it sounded like a lot of fun so we went. It cost around 40 euros and you are pretty much out all day. The ticket also gets you free entry to a club later on.

Now I did have fun, but the weather turned really bad while we were on the boat and it got quite choppy which wasn't as enjoyable. Especially with drunk people slipping around and drinks flying everywhere. I never thought I got seasick until going on this boat.

I'm sure it's usually fine when the weather is good but I'd recommend checking the weather and booking it for a sunny calm day. Other than that, it was quite fun and we made friends with other people who had travelled to Split. This is probably the activity I'd recommend the least but if it's your thing and a clear day, you will probably enjoy it.

Talent Show


One good thing about staying in a villa with friends is that you can be as weird as you want because it's just you. In light of that, we decided to do a talent show one night before dinner which went down a treat. If you are planning on going away to a villa with friends or family I'd definitely recommend organising one, I've never laughed so much.

My talent was a roast and we had a good range of others like the recorder and a magic mike number.

The Food


Now for the bit you've been waiting for ... I didn't realise that Split was going to be such a foodie destination but every meal we had was 10/10. Usually, when you go away you get at least one kind of below-average meal but each meal we had was stunning, it was just so easy to find amazing restaurants.

Here are some of the amazing meals I had and where to find them




... but not your ordinary burger and chips. I don't know how they did it but it was just so elevated and the location was amazing. The owner was very chatty and enthusiastic about the restaurant and he told us about the history of the building. It's mainly Mexican food and I'm fussy so of course, I ordered the burger but we all equally enjoyed our meals. The burger cost me 15 euros.

The Second Best Sandwich of my Life


The first best sandwich I've had was in Milan, but this proscuitto, mozzarella and tomato masterpiece was a close second. Annoyingly, I can't remember the name of the place where we got it but it was along the front of the harbour where the palm trees are and it cost around 10 euros. Go along that row and look for a place that does both pizza slices and sandwiches. Perfect for lunch.




Cuttlefish Risotto is something I saw on quite a few menus while we were in Split so it must be a pretty popular dish and the one I had at this restaurant was stunning. I was a little put off at first by the ink making it black but it was so delicious.

The restaurant is really cute too, you go through a little cove to get to it (great for pictures if you are a little early to dinner). They also had lots of other nice dishes on the menu. I'd recommend it here if you want food that you can't really get anywhere else.



I am a big pizza lover and this was one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Perfect Italian base and the fact that we were on a rooftop just made the whole thing even more special. They also had blankets for if it was cold. Comfort food at its finest.

Fritto Misto in Hvar


Once again I can't remember the name of the restaurant (I'm a terrible blogger when I go on holiday and I was too hungry to think when I arrived here) but it was on the main square by the ferry port in Hvar. We were enticed in by being offered 15% discount because we were in a group, RESULT!

Due to the area we were eating in, this could have easily been a tourist trap but we ended up having a lovely meal and we were given free Limoncello shots and a free bottle of wine to share. Also, I loved my squid and prawns. All of the chips I had in Croatia were unreal too, they just know how to do dining over there.



Once again, another amazing dish in Split. By this point, I was comfortable knowing that everything I had was going to be delicious and my proscuitto gnocchi was no exception.






I would come to this restaurant just for the views, honestly someone could propose there it was so nice, especially if you go when the sun is setting. The food being stunning was just a plus. It was right on the seafront and you can watch boats going by.

Maddie and I couldn't decide whether to get the Adriatic steak dish or the monkfish so we had half of each which was the best decision ever. We also got complimentary bread before our meal and we Brits love free stuff.

It was the perfect restaurant for our final night and because I hadn't actually spent all my euros (don't know how) I got a pudding - Snickers Bomb, which was amazing but so so sweet.

Would I recommend travelling to Croatia?


Yes yes yes! I can only comment on Split, Hvar and Krka and I would definitely recommend visiting all three. As soon as I left I wanted to go back and I don't get that with every place that I go to (albeit most). It's also made me want to explore more of Croatia like Dubrovnik and Zadar. 

We all had the best time and it was amazing to go away with my friends and just have so much fun together.
Have you ever been to Croatia?

3 DAYS IN LISBON

Thursday

Earlier this year I had a fabulous city break in Lisbon, Portugal's capital so I had to write about it and tell you what we got up to. I went with Joe and our friends Maddie and Cormac and this is how it went ... SPOILER ALERT: we had an amazing time.


Tram 28 lisbon


Day 1


Day 1 consisted of traveling early in the morning from Luton to Lisbon Airport and we arrived at around 11am. The flight lasted around 2 hours and 45 minutes which would have gone quite quickly had we not sat on the plane for an hour before taking off.


Upon arrival at Lisbon, we checked out the location of our Airbnb and realised we could go there on the metro from the airport, so we bought our travel cards at the airport metro station and went on our way.


The travel cards are quite good as you can put as much money as you want on them and use them on most of the types of transport around Lisbon such as buses, trams, and metro.


We then checked into our Airbnb which was in the perfect location. Lisbon is known for being quite hilly and steep but we managed to stay in a relatively flat area right by the sea and we were within walking distance of the main tourist attractions.


After checking in and a quick change, we headed out for some lunch and ended up picking somewhere by the sea, in the sun, and shared a few jugs of sangria. It was actually the first time I'd seen the sun in ages as we went in March and the UK had been freezing for months, so it was just perfect.


Sangria jug and glass


After a few drinks and a wander around our area of Lisbon, we went back to our Airbnb for some chill time as we had a VERY early start and chilled out for a bit before dinner.


For dinner, we went to a restaurant quite near to our Airbnb called Lugar Marcado where we were greeted with great service and enjoyed some lovely wine and seafood. I had the cod which was unlike any cod I'd had before. I enjoyed the taste but just couldn't eat a lot of it, I think because I was so tired from getting up early and traveling.



Cod at lugar marcada


Day 2


After a good night's sleep in our Airbnb, we went for an alfresco breakfast ready for a day of exploring.


We got the train to Belem, where you can find the Belem Tower (Torre de Belem) and the famous home of the Pastel de Nata at Pasteis de Belem. This is a foodie must for Lisbon!


Pastel de natas at pasteis de belem


After that, we took the train again further away from Lisbon and went to the beautiful seaside town of Cascais. I'd really recommend giving yourself a day to explore this town if you are planning to visit Lisbon as it was so beautiful and had much more of a quiet vibe than Lisbon, so you get the best of the city and somewhere quieter.

Related: 3 nights in Barcelona

Cascais also has beaches where you can swim in the sea, whereas there isn't really a beach in the centre of Lisbon although it is on the sea.





When we arrived at Cascais we found a nice outdoor bar right by the beach and of course, had a couple of glasses of sangria. The sun was shining and it was one of those moments where you think "ah, life is good."


We then had a wander around Cascais, followed by some Portuguese sparkling wine and some tapas at a wine bar. The name of the bar escapes me now which is a shame because it was amazing and you need to go there! It was on a road called Rua Frederico Arouca and the tapas was 10/10. Foodie pictures below if you don't believe me...




We then headed back to Lisbon and went out for the evening in the Bairro Alto area. There were a lot of stag and hen parties around there and seemed to be where the main clubs and bars were, so head there if you want a piece of the Lisbon nightlife.


My advice to you would be if you are a heel-wearer, forget them in Lisbon, don't even pack them. There are so many hills and everywhere you walked was cobbled. The cobbles are also quite slippy too so comfortable shoes only. I was wearing my comfiest trainers and nearly stacked it a couple of times in the rain.


Day 3


On our final day in Lisbon, we headed for another alfresco breakfast (great way to start a day, especially if it includes a pastel de nata).


The main thing we wanted to do on the last day was to go to Timeout market, a world-famous food market in the centre of Lisbon. It was too close after having breakfast though when we went there, so we decided to go on the iconic 28 tram to see the city that way.


We traveled a little bit to ensure we got on the tram at the start of the line instead of getting on somewhere central which would have been super busy. I'd recommend doing this because it means you'll definitely get a seat.


After seeing the city by tram, it made me so thankful I wasn't walking up and down all those hills and that we were staying in a flat area!


We got off the tram back at the Timeout market for some lunch and I was overwhelmed by choice. I tend to go into sensory overload at foodie markets like this as there are so many people, and there's so much choice of food so I quite often end up making rash decisions so I can get it over and done with.



I had a surf and turf ciabatta sandwich with steak and prawns which was good but a little small for the price. One thing I will say about the Timeout market is that you have to go but be prepared to spend a lot. I don't think it was a bad thing that the portions were a little small because it meant I could try a few things, but you have to be prepared for the cost.


My steak sandwich was 12 Euros so not too bad but it is quite a lot for a small sandwich. When in Rome...


I then had some fried squid and an Aperol Spritz; they had a whole stand dedicated to it so it would have been rude not to! Then, I had a pastel de nata and I have to say, I actually preferred the one at the Timeout Market to the one I had as Pasteis de Belem which is controversial.


We then had a bit of a chill before heading out again in the evening for some drinks. As we had quite a late lunch, we got ready and had a few drinks first before dinner.


For dinner, we went to a tapas restaurant we'd been eyeing up the whole time called Tapas n' Friends. It was fitting because we were indeed wanting to eat tapas with friends. There are a few of these restaurants in Lisbon but the one we went to was kind of like a rooftop bar, although it wasn't on a roof, you did have to go up some stairs to sit there.

 

We ordered quite a lot of different tapas dishes to try and everything was amazing. It was giving me a kind of last supper vibe because we had such a lovely couple of days and it was being finished off with great food, drinks, and of course company. Both my heart and belly were full once we'd left there.



Do you need to add Lisbon to your travel list?


Absolutely. There's no doubt about it. You can quite often bag cheap flights to Lisbon and the weather is beautiful for most of the year, starting in March. We paid around £220 for flights and our AirBnB all in which is an absolute bargain.


I also think it's up there in my top 3 favourite European cities that I've traveled to so far. There's so much to do and although we did a lot, I feel like we could go again and still have more to see and do.

Related: 4 nights in Milan

Have you visited Lisbon before? If not, are you adding it to your travel list?

4 NIGHTS IN MILAN

Sunday

I feel like I am now living my travel blogger fantasy with all these trips I've been going on lately. I remember in lockdown scraping the barrel for random subjects to blog about when I mainly love to write about travel and trips out I have been on.


I have recently just got back from Milan and I am so happy to share another fantastic experience with you. I love Italy and have been to Sorrento in the south with my family, but had never been to the north so we decided to give Milan a go. Another reason for going is that it is a short train ride from Lake Como which is so beautiful so we were able to visit these two places in one trip.


Duomo di milano


Travelling to Milan


This time we travelled from London Heathrow to Milan Linate airport. There are a few airports in Milan, I think Malpensa is the main one but we discovered Linate was closer to the centre of Milan.


Of course, we started the trip with an airport breakfast and an Aperol spritz (the drink of choice for the whole trip).


The flight was set to be 2 hours but the total air time was around 1 hour and a half there and back which was great for me because I am not a big fan of flying.


We then travelled by bus to our Air BnB in the Navigli area near the canals which was pretty easy.


Day 1


We arrived at our Air BnB around 3pm so after unpacking and getting changed, we headed out to the Navigli canals and had some pre-dinner Aperols. I really loved the area of Navigli, the nightlife was great and they had a happy hour where Aperol spritz was 5 euros. Did you know the happy hour was invented in Milan?


Aperol selfie


There were also some amazing restaurants with al fresco dining on the canal too. We ended up eating at one of these restaurants and I tried the Ossobucco which is a traditional Milanese dish that consisted of slow-cooked beef on a bed of saffron risotto. The meal was fab and it was great to be able to try one of their traditional dishes.


Ossobucco milan

Navigli milan


Day 2


The first full day was dedicated to sightseeing around Milan and we ended up walking around 7 and a half miles. There was public transport from our Air BnB in Navigli into the centre of Milan, or it was about half an hour's walk so we ended up walking instead.


First of all, we headed to the Duomo di Milano which is the cathedral in the centre of Milan. It was as stunning and picturesque as expected. I felt like I was walking through an Instagram picture.


Right next to the cathedral is the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping centre, the iconic designer shopping centre in Milan. We did have a look in a few shops like Prada and Armani but just looked, nothing designer was bought, unfortunately.


Galleria vittorio emanuele II


After that, we started walking and found the Sforzesco Castle, which we walked through into Sempione Park. One thing I will say about Milan is that there are loads of cute small dogs and we found a lot of these walking through the park.


Focaccia sandwiches


This took us to lunchtime and we found a cafe that had huge focaccia sandwiches and I'm telling you, it was one of the best sandwiches of my entire life. I wish I could remember what the cafe was called but there are a lot of places like this in Milan and most of them seem to be top quality.

Related: 3 nights in Barcelona

We then took a walk back up to our Air BnB, had a nap and then went back out to the Navigli canals for dinner and drinks. Round the corner from our Air BnB was a gelato place that smelled amazing every time we walked past so we had to try! I had 3 scoops and these were LOADED scoops so I ended up feeling a bit sick after but it was 10/10.


Gelato in milan


As we were in Italy, I needed to eat a pizza so I was desperately looking for pizza restaurants and we found one alongside the canal! Although Milan is not typically famous for its pizza, it is still in Italy so the pizza was 10/10.


Pizza in milan


Day 3 - Travelling to Lake Como


On day 3 we went on a trip to Lake Como. We got the train from Milan Cadorna Station to Como Lago and it took about an hour. I think the train tickets were about 5 euros for a single ticket too which was pretty good. This was actually the worst day for weather which was a shame but the lake was still stunning.


Lake como


Once we got to Como, we got the ferry to Bellagio which was such a stunning place. We walked round Bellagio and there were so many stunning views of the lake. I had heard that Bellagio was quite expensive as it's quite a touristy holiday destination and a lot of the restaurants there were.


Bellagio


While walking up the stairs to get a better view of the lake, we stumbled across a wine bar called Cava Turacciolo which served food so, of course, we had to go in. It was quite hidden away but one of the best places I have been. We had a cheese and cold cuts sharing platter which was all from local produce, and we sampled the local sparkling wine which was more like champagne than prosecco. My dad had a glass of local red wine which he loved too.





Although we were in quite an expensive area and the wine bar was outstanding, the price was actually quite reasonable. You could get a glass of prosecco for as little as 4 euros which I thought was fab.


After more walking, we got the ferry back to Como. You should definitely check the ferry timings before travelling to Como because there is a slow boat and a fast boat and they didn't seem to run that often. Also, there can be big queues for the ferries too.


Como town


We walked around Como a little before getting the train back to Milan and I didn't realise how close to the border of Switzerland we were. Como town reminded me more of a town in Austria or somewhere close rather than Italy. It was giving me Christmas vibes, could have been the grey weather as well.


I just wish I could have gotten better photos with blue skies but we were still blown away by Como.


We got the train back to Milan at around 4 and went back to the Air BnB to get changed, before heading back out to Navigli for dinner and drinks.


We did make a slight mistake with dinner and ended up going to a tourist trap restaurant that had 1,000 things on the menu and had pictures on the menu - big no no! I had the carbonara there because I hadn't had pasta yet and it was alright, but my mum hated her meal. Note to self - Google restaurants before you go to them and DO judge a menu by its cover.


Day 4


As we had seen most of the sights of Milan on day 2, we had a lie-in and dedicated day 4 as our shopping day. We attempted shopping in the centre of Milan but it was a Saturday and it was just a bit too busy to be able to look at anything properly.


Mum was on the hunt for panettone which, since trying last year, we are obsessed with. There was a place near where we were staying that we walked past each day and saw they had panettone so we got some on the last day. I have since tried the panettone from that shop and can confirm it is the best ever. Panettone is for all year round in my mind - not just Christmas!


Again, we got our steps up with lots of walking and I had another focaccia sandwich for lunch because I loved the first one so much.


And again, more Aperol Spritz and prosecco was drunk next to the Navigli canals and we ended up going to the best restaurant we had been to on the last evening.


We were all torn between the pumpkin ravioli that was on the menu and a Milanese meat dish so we ordered the ravioli as a first course to share as it was quite small and it was insane, way better than the carbonara I had the day before.



Then for a main, I had veal in red wine with potatoes and I can't explain to you how nice it was. Simple flavours but so tasty. I can't stop thinking about the potatoes in the gravy.



It was great to be able to eat pizza and pasta, but also to try Milanese dishes like the Ossobucco and the veal that they don't have in the other regions of Italy.



Travelling home


For our flight home, we travelled by tram and bus to the airport which again, was really simple and took about 40 minutes altogether.


After having my flight cancelled on the way back from Barcelona and waiting 9 hours for a new one, I was delighted that travelling home was smooth and easy and we got home at around 3:30pm - enough time to unpack, chill and watch the Strictly results.


If you are planning on going to Milan then you should definitely visit Lake Como on one of your days there! I'd also recommend going to the Navigli area for dinner and drinks as I enjoyed it there so much.

Related: 3 nights in Corfu, Greece

Have you been to Milan?

3 NIGHTS IN BARCELONA

Saturday

Can I just start by saying Barcelona is one of my favourite cities now if not my number one favourite? It really has it all!

I'd wanted to visit Barcelona for a long time so since this year I am making up for lost travelling time during Covid, it was the perfect time to book. I loved the trip so much that I am over-excited writing this and don't know what to tell you first but I will try to organise my thoughts clearly.

We went in September which is supposed to be their rainy season but luckily we had no rain, and it was a great temperature for walking around and sightseeing.

Park guell gaudi house

Travelling to Barcelona


We had an early start on the first day as our flight was at 9am from Gatwick and I like to be there super early (you never know how long the queues will be these days and I wanted breakfast and a glass of fizz).

The flight was only about 1 hour and 40 minutes on the way there and we had a pretty easy time going through both airports (we did NOT on the way back - more to come on this later).

Once we'd landed at terminal 1 in Barcelona, we got the airport bus which was the A1 (it's A1 for terminal 1 and A2 if you're at terminal 2) and it was only 4 stops into the centre of Barcelona. I think the bus took just over half an hour. They run every 5 minutes and are only 5.90 euros for a single journey so definitely worth doing if you are staying in the centre like we did.

Our hotel was then a 10-minute walk from that bus stop which we found using Citymapper. We stayed at the Ilunion Almirante which was a reasonable price and great location. Perfect for what we needed it for although we barely spent any time there.

Day 1


Once we'd checked in we had a little siesta and then got ready for our first afternoon. By the time we went out, it was about 4pm and we didn't really plan anything except dinner on day 1 so we went to the aquarium. 

I did really enjoy it because I love animals and sealife but it wasn't really any different to any aquarium I'd been to before so go if you have time, but if you only have time to see Barcelona-exclusive sights then you won't miss too much

The aquarium was right next to the harbour which by the way, had so many mega yachts in it I can't even imagine who is rich enough to own them. When we left the aquarium and came back to the harbour, we heard music so we followed it to see what was happening.

It turns out there was a free jazz and food festival which was perfect! We had a few drinks there and listened to the live bands for a while before heading to dinner at a restaurant overlooking the harbour. I love dining al fresco - that's when you know you're on holiday.

jazz and food festival barcelona

jazz and food drinks barcelona

It was a little disappointing though because I accidentally ended up eating Italian food when I wanted to try Spanish food but there was plenty of opportunity on the other days. 

As if our first day wasn't exciting enough, halfway through dinner there were fireworks in the distance - it was like something out of a rom-com I swear.

We later found out that it was a special holiday in Spain which is why they had a lot on. Our first day was a Monday so we were a bit like wow are the people of Barcelona this fun every Monday?

Day 2


The second day was reserved for sightseeing the main attractions so we got up and walked to La Sagrada Familia (with a pit stop for breakfast). The outside of La Sagrada Familia was so impressive, everywhere you look there is something different and there is just so much detail. Sadly we didn't get to go in as there weren't tickets available until the evening.

la sagrada familia barcelona

After that, we walked to Park Guell where all of the Gaudi houses are. I think it was 10 euros for entry but it was so worth it, the park was beautiful. There are lots of different ways you can go at the park and I feel like we probably missed some of it but you end up being quite high up after going up the stairs and you can see the whole of Barcelona from the top.

park guell barcelona

We could see the Sagrada Familia which looked so far away then we realised how much walking we'd actually done. I think by the end of day 2 we'd walked 6 and a half miles. Which is nothing compared to day 3 where we walked for 8 and a half.

After all the walking and sightseeing we went back to the hotel for another siesta, these were needed every day because of the amount of walking.

Then, we got ready for dinner and finally ate some Spanish food! We went to a tapas restaurant called Tosca which was round the corner from our hotel and I am telling you, this was one of the best meals of my life.

Joe and I ordered a lot of food, we are foodies and everything on the menu just sounded so nice that we had to try as much as we can.

We had a sharing platter of cheeses, meats and bread as the bulk of the meal. Then we ordered small plates of shell-on prawns, fried baby squid and a tiny plate of sirloin steak. Of course, this was accompanied by a jug (ok 3 jugs) of sangria.

fried baby squid

gambas on las ramblas

charcuterie board

This was my first proper tapas experience if you don't count the 3 for £10 small plates in Wetherspoons. 

Everything was top quality and not too expensive either. It wasn't majorly cheap but it was worth every penny.

Day 3


On the third day, we went to Camp Nou in the morning, the Barcelona football stadium. I know Joe wanted to go so I got us tickets for his birthday and he loved it. I enjoyed it too even though I'm not a massive football fan.

camp nou stadium barcelona

We got the metro there, and once we had spent the morning at Camp Nou, we got the metro back to the top of Las Ramblas, and walked to the bottom.

Las Ramblas is the main tourist street of Barcelona with lots of shops, food and tourist attractions on either side of the street. Just off Las Ramblas, there is a food market called Mercado de la Boqueria. Here, they had fresh ingredients to buy and cook with as well as food that was ready to eat. There were also tapas bars within the market but they were a little more expensive than the ones in less touristy areas.

adult lunchable

Walking down Las Ramblas takes you to the beach which is something we hadn't done yet. We had been to the harbour but not the beach so we went there and had some sangria at a beach bar.

sangria jug

What I love most about Barcelona is that it's a city that has it all. A top-tier city break destination but it also has a beach so you have the best of both.

We went back to the hotel after that to get ready for the evening and we found a random restaurant down a side street not far from Las Ramblas with outdoor dining. Sadly, I can't remember what it's called but it was a lovely place to sit.

All across Barcelona they have al fresco dining and it's not difficult to find a restaurant that is going to have good food and good sangria.

We ended up walking 8 and a half miles on day three! I'd definitely say take some comfy walking shoes when visiting Barcelona. There is so much to see on foot.

Travelling home


Now it's disappointing that I have to write about this because we had the perfect trip apart from the travelling home.

Our flight back to Gatwick was at 10:50am so we got up nice and early to get to the airport for 8:30am so we had time for breakfast, and queues if there were any.

Once we'd gotten past security and passport control, we saw that our flight that was on the board previously, had been removed from the board.

I checked my Vueling app, as that's who we flew with and there was a notification saying "new flight time - 7pm." It was about 10am at this point so we were mortified when we realised we had to wait 9 hours, past passport control by the gates.

That flight was then delayed until 8pm and Joe and I couldn't sit together either because they'd squeezed us onto a flight that was full.

The reason for the delays was that air traffic control staff members were on strike so for this reason, Vueling refused to give us any compensation. I am still in the process of trying to get compensation so if anyone has any experience with this or knows their legal rights when flying, any advice would be great.

The flight over to Barcelona was fine, but if you are planning to fly with Vueling, take into account that there is a chance your flight may be cancelled with little to no warning at the last minute. It is an affordable airline but not necessarily the most reliable.

Overall


Let's end on a positive note. I genuinely think Barcelona is my favourite place I have visited so far. There's genuinely nothing I would fault about it. If you have been considering going then book it!