BARCELONA | AUGUST 2016

As Barcelona is one of the top most visited cities in the world, visiting the city was definitely on my list of places to go. Our hotel was situated near Las Ramblas, which is a main street in central Barcelona, popular with tourists and locals. At one end of the vast stretch of Las Ramblas there is the Placa de Catalunya, with a walk to the other end, you'll find the Columbus Monument. The Columbus Monument looks very similar to Nelsons Column in London's Trafagar Square. But obviously the have completely different purposes to both countries. 

On the first day, we took a walk to Port Vell, where an array of restaurants and shops are found. Whereas most of the restaurants are quite expensive, the environment represents the whole Catalonia lifestyle: relaxed but sophisticated. The next day we took the Barcelona Bus Tour around the city, where it opened up the culture of the city. The buildings are stereotypical to the Spanish culture: looking elegant with traditional wooden doors with thin railing balconies, shows off the laid back atmosphere of the city. The Antoni Gaudi buildings of Casa Bastllo and Casa Mila, outshone the rest of the buildings, by the clever, architectural design that makes the city stand out, internationally, not just in Europe. The unfinished Sagrada Familia is so unique to the city. Even now when it is unfinished, you can see why its taking a long time to complete; the immediate details on the cathedral are so distinctive. 

 On the final day, we walked to the Gothic quarter of Barcelona, visiting the Basilica Santa Maria del Mar and the Palau de la Musica Catalana. The Gothic Quarter was definitely my favourite, I think it was the place you could really experience the culture and architectural, by walking through streets with washing hanging down and little shops around where you could buy souvenirs and postcards. As you visit the Basilica Santa Maria del Mar, you are immediately astounded by the sheer spectacular design of the interior of the church, it is a definite visit if you want to see the architectural aspect of the city. Barcelona is must-see city, if you want to have a tourist aspect as well as a beach, with the relaxing aspect as well. There are good and bad parts of every city, but the highlight of my visit was the Gothic Quarter, as it was more relaxed and laid back atmosphere, compared to Place de Catalunya and Las Ramblas.