I arrived in Barcelona on a beautiful (but hot and humid!) August afternoon.

I checked into my first hostel (“The Living Room”) which…well it left a little something to be desired, but hey it was definitely cheap and it had been a very long day. If the hostel is the living room then my room was the closet with no windows and doors that had too much stuff in it but you never quite get around to cleaning it out.  Besides being quite hot (there’s virtually no air conditioning in Spain, anywhere) it wasn’t bad for the first night. Out of everywhere we stayed, this place had more of a homey feel to it (probably because it was) which seemed to make everyone staying there much more outgoing and friendly.

The views from the hostel were beautiful. Through antique floor to ceiling windows I looked out over the amazing architecture of Barcelona.

One of my favorite things is, unlike in America where hotels are often relegated to “business areas”, each hostel seems to be in and part of a neighborhood…teaming with local life and flavor. I spent a good portion of my trip sitting on balconies watching a world different from my own as it went by.

So it was time to get out and explore Barcelona.  I recommend if you’re ever there to spend a day leisurely strolling up and back down la rambla, a street in Barcelona where all the action seems to be. If you can time your walk so that you’re walking in one direction before sunset and walking back the other direction after sunset you’ll see two very different streets (just make sure no matter what time, you hold tightly to your purse or wallet, pick pockets and con artists abound!)  Walking up and down La Rambla it’s easy to appriciate the history, beauty and culture, it’s present in each intricately carved statue, each flowing fountain, each street performer.

Well it’s definitely been a long day of walking at this point and now it’s time for a stop at the Pub. This “obama cafe” is definitely the oddest place I’ve seen to grab a beer so why not:?

So after a lovely drink and an odd pub, I’m definitely gonna grab the Metro down to the beach for a dip in the Mediterranean Sea.

Ahhh yeah, spending the end of a long day hanging out at the beach. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Popularity: 23% [?]