This morning we left Barcelona with a flourish – rooms and bags all packed up (with what seemed like more space than when we had the initial debacle of packing our bags), checked out of our hostel and wandered up to the common room with the intention of leaving our bags and going to find a final bite to eat. Unfortunately when we got there we discovered that some of our bags wouldn’t fit in the lockers and you could not leave your bags in the locker room without them being in a locker and you had to pay for s minimum of 6 hours (we only wanted an hour and a half). Given that it was only 11 we decided to just stay with our bags and grab some grub when we got to the airport (perhaps only half aware that often the level of deliciousness decreases as well as the price increasing). We made good use of our time by assisting other travelers with the lockers and helping a lovely British girl get her money back from a greedy machine and a grumpy attendant. 

Despite the fight being more than a little bit bumpy and the plane seeming somewhat rickety, we landed in Ibiza to applause from the passengers (much to Rosh and Max’s surprise and enjoyment)! We got a taxi to our hostel, which was much simpler than the bus, and we were greeted by our lovely front desk clerk (I used this phrase lightly, he was really a cheery hippy-beach-bumb with dread locks who appeared to take frequent naps but really was happy to help). He ran us up to our rooms and showed as they lay of the land. Our room was called Morocco and was decorated as such, the walls had paintings of deserts and camels and there was even a shisha atop our lockers. Safe to say the hostel was as wonderfully quirky as the desk clerk, the hostel itself was a bright blue, the rooms all had different names and decorations, the corridor had glow in the dark paint, there was fake grass on an elevated platform where you could enjoy meals and beanbags around the place to sit on. It had spirit and a great energy!! We loved our stay there, it was in a terrific spot and would certainly recommend! 

Once settled, we decided to head straight to the beach to cool off! After first trying the rocky, small and drab one directly in front of our hostel we wandered 7 minutes further down the beach and found this lush stretch of sand where we swam and stretched out on the sand until the sun started to set. Two hours later as we were walking back to our hostel, gushing over how lovely our holiday had been so far, a sign for €5 cocktails caught our eyes. This is probably the moment where things started to go wrong, although we would not fully know that until tomorrow afternoon. 

 

There is nothing quite like sitting outside at a restaurant, shoes off, over-looking the water, watching the sunset and drinking cocktails with your friends. We chatted about everything and yet nothing in particular, played a million rounds of “would you rather”, were entertained by the charming and hilarious waiters (who, for some reason, all came from Italy) and enjoyed copious amounts of tapas and cocktails. While trying to decipher what some of the tapas was made of, we struck up a conversation with a British couple at the table next to ours. They had moved to Australia many years ago and gave us some tips on things to do in Ibiza as well as working in the UK. They were very happy for us that we all had “real” jobs and had very strong opinions “Geordie Shore” and “Ex On The Beach” (which we loved). Before we knew it we had been there 4 hours. Thinking it would be a brilliant idea to try out the Ibiza nightlife we had heard so much about, we headed back to our hostel, got ready, made a friend in the common room and together headed out on the town (at 1am obviously because we had read that one simply does not go out before 12am here). We asked the taxi driver to take us somewhere we could dance. He delivered. We boogied away, making new friends and eating lollipops from the bathroom (yes – apparently it’s a thing) until we made it back to our room about 4am and crashed, but not before telling our new, and not yet introduced, room mate “sweet dreams, love you”. Ahh. I’m sure we will laugh about that later.

Dread. I think this is probably the word that best describes all of our feelings as we attempted to get ready for our pre-arranged boat party that started at 1. We attempted to rectify this by going for a dip in the ocean, which worked for maybe 10 minutes? We tried to eat food, get dressed, play music, all of which had the above result. Mustering as much enthusiasm as possible, we headed of to the “Beautiful People Boat Party” meeting point, joining up with a friend from home along the way. Initially things seemed okay, we had our welcome punch, the boat started sailing and the music started playing, surrounded by a majority of uber keen British and American people. Before too long regret set in. Seasickness mixer with hangover mixed with hot weather. Things looked up on two occasions – when the banana boat came out and when lunch arrived, both short lived. Max was the only one gutsy enough to go on the banana boat, which reinvigorated her for all of 20 minutes and lunch was a pasta salad filled with disappointment. Initially we were scoffing at a few of the passengers who were taking naps on the benches in the boat, but soon we were just as bad. Sitting on the deck with our heads between our knees was how we spent the first 4 hours of our €80 boat trip. Success. Thankfully we had a pause from the excitement of sailing on the smallest of Spain’s Balearic Islands – Formentera.

 Formentera – often called Ibiza’s ‘sister island’ – is something we wish we had been able to properly enjoy. We would have loved to rent a scooter or bike and explore the island (it is just 22km long and in its thin central section is just a couple of kilometers wide), appreciate its beautiful beaches and take in the serenity. However, we felt plain old cruddy. The ferry docked in the little harbour at La Savina, down the road from Formentera’s diminutive capital, Sant Francesc Xavier. We stumbled off the boat, not as bad as one chap who slid his way down the stairs with a thud (don’t worry he was fine), grabbed an ice cream and started walking towards the famous beach Platja de see Illetes, describe in our guide as “bordering the world of dreams”. Now I don’t know about that, but in any listing of the best beaches in the Mediterranean, it always come somewhere near the top. Along our walk we tried to help someone learn to ride a bike. She was an adult. Who we later found out did actually know how to ride a bike, just that the pedals were sticking weirdly. Making us look like the idiots. Once we arrived at the beach we had the realisation that in our wonderfully brainy state this morning we had decided to not bring towels. So there we were, after enjoying the beautiful water and beach (though not nearly as much as we should have/wanted to with its creamy white sand and water that dazzles with perfect clarity), sitting/lying on our dresses, trying to not be totally covered in sand. 

Back in the boat things started to look up (well for a few of us). We managed to have a bit of a seated jive to the beats and a few of our pre-paid drinks as the sea-sickness seemed to have resolved for the most part. We enjoyed watching people struggle to walk from one side of the boat to the other as they tried to avoid the poles, benches and other passengers. Needless to say this was a very difficult task as the boat hurtled back towards Ibiza and we all came off with a few bruises of our own. Now I know that €80 is clearly a lot of money for the type of day we had, but I will say that we did expect the lunch to be a bit better/exciting at least, and I heard more than one other person complain about the quality of lunch and activities provided. Next time/if anyone else is planning on doing a boat party in Ibiza, I would suggest do a night one. Hands down. 

Once back on dry land Max returned to the hostel and Rosh and I went on a search for dinner. We found this delicious little place, not 3 minutes from us, called Superbuono. All their meals/products were home made and ingredients sourced locally. Despite the fact that we had to wait an hour for a meal, it was delicious!! We were lucky enough to move to a waterfront table during our wait and the nighttime city views across the water were to die for. Most entertaining of all was who happened to be sitting next to us – the British couple from last night!! We filled them in on our boat party antics and they told us about the famous San Antonio de Portmany’s sunset which we filed away for our agenda tomorrow. After what was supposed to be our “wild day” in Ibiza we trotted off to bed to nurse our heads, stomachs and hearts. 

Hopefully tomorrow will be more like the day we had imagined for today – sun-kissed, beach-bejewelled, pine-clad and all-night raver. 

Now that we knew the secrect to access the Picasso museum (buying your tickets online to avoid the BIGGEST lines in the world) we packed our bags and off we went to be inspired by one of the masters of art and Impressionism. 

“Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist” – Picasso 

Now I am not sure what you think of Picasso, but to be honest I never really understood the style of art he is famous for, so let me explain the heading of this post for a moment. On our walking tour we talked a bit about Picasso and how he trained to be a classic artist, but quickly became bored with that “style” of art and wanted to express himself in different ways. However, in this exhibition you also get to see some of his earlier works of art and our guide from the free walking tour said her favorite part of the museum was hearing people exclaim as they exit “I didn’t realize that Picasso could actually paint!!”. I am saying here and now they are 100% right! Even from the age of 9 he was an impressive artist (miles better than I will ever be!). I will still probably always be more of a fan of traditional artwork, but I must say I am certainly more of a Picasso groupie after today! (And from some of the photos he seemed like a fun and cheeky chap)

 

After soaking up some art and culture we went to soak up some sun! This time we headed to a stretch of beach a little further away and we were pleasantly surprised! With a bit more space to stretch out on and less touirsts mulling around we were almost like true Spaniards (although we chose to leave our tops on). We spent a few lazy hours relaxing, swimming and people watching in a blissful haze… Until we got hungry. We found a lovely restaurant on the water where we ate and drank our fill of paella and sangria (and I mean a tower of sangria – could anyone complain about this lifestyle?) and then wandered home for a siesta. 

On recommendations from a wonderful human we roused ourselves, strolled down to a local supermarket (which was a madhouse) and grabbed some cheese, ham/salmon, fruit and champagne and headed off to Búnquers del Carmel (Turó de la Rovira) in the district of ‘El Carmel’. Taking bus 24 and then a tiny walk, we happened upon what can only be described as one of the best panoramic views of the city. A picnic dinner and sublime picturesque views of Barcelona – what better way to spend our last night in this unique city! 

“Computers are useless, they can only give you answers” – Picasso 

Did I know much about Antoni Gaudí before today? No. Am I glad I know more about him now? Undoubtably. 

Before we go more into Gaudí, let me tell you about our lovely morning which consisted primarily of the beach (yay!). All 3 of us woke up this morning and excitedly packed our little bags for an excursion we had all been waiting for – Barceloneta Beach! We jumped on then metro (with potentially 1,000 others) and towards the salt and sand. Wow. Umbrellas and people as far as the eye could see! We stoll ourselves a patch of sand and enjoyed some quality downtime (although it was interrupted every now and then by offers for towels, massages, water, alcohol, warnings and jellyfish sightings and a “party” or two). As beautiful as it was to lay on the beach, one can’t help but notice how incredibly beautiful the Australian beaches are, and appreciate what you had growing up at home!



After a quick stop back at the hostel to freshen up we made our way to the Mercado de la Boqueria for lunch-on-the go. If you ever go to Barcelona you should check this place out! It is a hustle and bustle of people, food, colour, sound and smells that you wouldn’t want to miss! Not to mention all the tasty treats you can grab! 

Ah – now we can focus on the main event, Antoni Gaudí!! Another Sandermans Tour, this time with Macu, another terrific guide! He showed us around the beautiful Eixample district where the best examples of Gaudí can be easily discovered on foot, and ended at the unfinished masterpiece of Sagrada Família. Here is a little bit about what I learnt about Gaudí and his work – 
He is crazy, creative and has talent falling off him – I mean his work speaks for itself, each building is incredible and hard to explain

He had not a care for rules or regulations – for one of his building, 1/3 of the cost of construction went to paying fines because he didn’t want to abide by the city’s “constraints”

He loved nature – one can see nature in all his projects, some looking like the sea, some like sand, and some like a forest, never a straight line to be found. You can even find a cheeky dragon or two!

He may have never known how talented or loved he was (or perhaps he was just a mad-man) – Gaudí was killed when hit by a trolley car (not wearing his glasses), and after he was found in the poorest hospital in Barcelona by his friends, refused to go to a better hospital to save his life as he believed he was born poor, and should die poor. 15,000 people followed his coffin. Poor he was not.

Gaudí’s incredible buildings are a monument not just to his distinctive genius but to the spirit of a generation. The 19th-century Catalan Renaissance saw the cultural rebirth of a nation that reached its peak with the Modernisme movement. Gaudí and his contemporaries took the spirit of the times and mixed modern techniques with traditional craftsmanship to enrich Barcelona.

After being blown away by his “smaller projects” we were taken to see Sagrada Família which is nothing short of breath-taking. No photo does it justice. Every inch of this building tells a story, every inch of it is dedicated to Catalonia. Now when we heard that he had taken casts of people’s faces for the moulds of the statues, including a donkey and a deceased baby, we did think he may have taken it a bit too far, but you cannot say that the city and its people was not represented in this masterpiece. All of this before you even step inside!! (Again I would highly recommend getting a ticket online to avoid a horrendous wait time, or worse still not being able to see inside)

Inside Sagrada Família is a world unto its own. The inside is designed to look like a forest, and with the positioning of the pillars and the formation of the stain glass windows, the light in the church looks like beams of light streaming through a forest. We were told that the church looks different at each time of day because of this. It is …. Indescribable. Go see for yourselves. It’s worth it! And who knows, you will probably still have another 150 years until it is finished anyway! How many times can you say you visited a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while still under construction? 

As we had enjoyed some not-so-delicious tapas (awful prawns and everything else was a bit odd too) near the Sagrada Família while we waited for our entrance time, we grabbed a bite for dinner at our hostel and then headed out for one more destination – the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc. It was a spectacular display of colour, light, motion, music and water acrobatics – magic! I would highly recommend this for any trip to Barcelona, it was such a pleasure to sit with two friends, and watch some magic, the world and a whole bunch of people go by. 

“If Paris is the wife, then Barcelona is the mistress” 

This is how Barcelona was introduced to us by our tour guide.

Today being our first “official” day in Barcelona, we thought we would go on a free Sandermans NewBarcelona walking tour. It’s safe to say we are glad we did! Our wonderful tour guide told us tales about the incredibly rich history and culture of Barcelona as we wandered mainly around the Gothic Quarter of town. We were captivated by the “mistakes” (including turning down Christopher Columbus) that were made throughout Barcelona’s past making it the cosmopolitan, constantly changing city that it is today! 

We wandered past the Barcelona Cathedral, King Martin’s Watchtower, the El Born District, Santa María del Mar, the Roman Necropolis, Plaça Nova, the Roman ruins and the oldest (non-operational) Jewish synagogue – just to name a few! Along the way we learnt about Wilfred the Hairy – a heroic Catalan knight, Saint George and his dragon slaying ways, the 13 (church girl), Picasso in Barcelona (and his many ladies), George Orwell square,  The Council of One Hundred, Catalan national identity, The Olympic legacy, The Spanish Civil War and much much more! Perhaps not-so-surprisingly we discovered just how important the Barcelona football team is and gained a bit more knowledge into their slogan “More than just a club”. During the reign in Francisco Franco, football matches was one of the only times the people of Barcelona could freely rebel as Franco supporter Madrid. The Barcelona football team also helped to pay for the reconstruction on the stain glass windows in Stana Maria deal Mar, and as thanks, have their logo in one of the stain glass windows! Brings a whole new means to “football is religion”!

After the tour concluded our guide Filipa was lovely enough to take us and a few other members of our tour to Tapas Bar Pulperia for el menu del dia i.e. “menu of the day” – pretty much a menu from 12-3 where you get 2 main courses, a drink and a desert for ~10-25 euros (and it was delicious). It was nice to sit, chat, have banter with the waiters as we all tried to figure out exactly what some translations would be and enjoy some good food! After attempting (and failing due to the insane lines) to go to the Picasso museum, we tried to find where we had to go to ride the cable car which offered resplendent views of Barcelona and the harbor. Tried being the key word. Unfortunately when trying to ask for directions we were misunderstood and ended up at a apparently the second cable car in Barcelona. Luckily for us it just so happened to be at Parc de Montjuïc. We emerged for the metro (incredibly confused as to our location) to a beautiful view of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya-MNAC. After running around and taking a million photos, re-orientating ourselves and finding some shade (man it can be hot!) we headed off through the park to do some exploring. We found lush greenery, cute little ponds, were senenaded with some jazz tunes and a guy dancing alone to …. I think only he knew what. When we did ACTUALLY find the cable car there was a super long wait (anyone sensing a pattern here about Barcelona and their lines???) so we sat for a while and enjoyed the beautiful view before making our decent down through the park for our next adventure – tapas and flamenco!

We jumped on board the suggestion of the Sandermans Tapas Experience – ¡¿Vamos de tapas?! With the charming Eric at our side, we walked to three bars in the Barceloneta and El Born districts, the heart of the city, and enjoyed a selection of the most popular tapas in the country: patatas bravas, chorizo criollo, pan amb tomaquet, pintxos and croquetas de jamón (nomnomnom). Not only that, we mastered the art of drinking as Catalans do using a porrón (a traditional wine pitcher)! After eating (and drinking) our fill we rushed in the rain (I mean really weather – pick one and stick to it) to our flamenco show. We attended “Tarantos – the oldest flamenco tabla on in Barcelona”. Now as none of us had seen a flamenco show before, we were not exactly sure what to expect. To summarise it in two words, I would say it’s is both beautiful and aggressive. They had incredible, lighting-fast footwork; the cante (singing) and toque (guitar playing) was sensual; and the jaleo (vocalizations), palmas (handclapping) and pitos (finger snapping) all added to the terrific atmosphere! I would recommend a show to anyone! If only I didn’t get a blood nose half way through the night would have been perfect! Until tomorrow Barcelona…