Spain Pictures!

Here are my pictures from this wonderful first trip to Spain:

• Summary - 78 Photos
• All Photos - 1,522 Photos

Also some videos on the right of Atlético Madrid fans celebrating!

Hasta La Próxima

Until next time! I know I'll return to Spain as there is still so much to see. I would love to go to the north and see San Sebastián and further south to Marbella and a few places in between!

I also loved practicing my Spanish, but of course I wished it was better and I made less mistakes. 

I got up too early this morning. I think I was afraid to oversleep and am now so exhausted. I caught my taxi and did various shopping at the airport before my flight back to New York. My flight was uneventful and watched three movies. There were massive lines at immigration, customs, and taxistand. But it's good to be back! I'm currently eating takeout Thai while doing my laundry, trying not to fall asleep!

Truly grateful for a safe trip! I never felt unsafe once and was very careful. I was never affected by pickpockets or anything else. And I got to see so much and spend quality time with Nakia!

So, hasta la próxima España! Pictures to be uploaded soon!

Happy Birthday Nakia!

Last night, we celebrated Nakia's birthday at Double Zer00 for some Japanese food. It really hit the spot after two weeks of tapas. We ate outside and enjoyed the lovely high-pitched voice of our Moroccan waiter. Here's a photo of Nakia with our desserts:



We then returned to the hotel to get ready to go out. We went to a bar on Born street and had Mojitos. Here's a photo of us before going out / Benetton Ad:



But who knew last call was only 3 am! So we headed to a club called Razzmatazz - supposedly the largest club in Barcelona. This was only after we passed unsavory characters on the street and had to deal with a few at the club.

Despite Nakia's preconceived notion I would tap out early, I danced the night away (my pedometer has me at over 26,000 steps) and I enjoyed the European club setting. It reminded me of DC when I was 18. All DC friends, you remember the Spot (where Amanda and I met the first time), Babylon, 18th Street Lounge, and so forth. Here's a photo collage of us at the club including a photobomb:



We tried to get a taxi to go back to the hotel, but were refused because of the protests in the Plaza Jaume which is close to our hotel. So we took the metro after picking up some Churros. So Spanish!

We finally got up around 2 pm and went down to the marina and had lunch. Nakia and I had pasta while Sophia had a salad. We then tried to go to the Picasso museum again, but the line was too long. Something I'll have to budget for the next time I'm in Spain!

So we headed down to Barceloneta beach and enjoyed the sun, sangrias, and more tapas. On our walk back we picked up ice cream. Here's a photo of Nakia and Sophia on the beach:



Then we rested at the hotel and went back out. Nakia and I had Greek gyros and we drank wine in a nearby plaza and then Mojitos at a local bar. We then came to the hotel and rocked out to 80s and 90s music. Throwback!

Thanks to Sophia for leaving London and spending the weekend with us! With the many life obligations and travels, we feel blessed that she decided to spend time with us in Barcelona where she has been many times! She took a chance in getting to know this crazy Korean! Thank you for the many cool conversations, openness, and kindness. I look forward to seeing you again, keeping in touch, and hearing about your travels. When you come to New York, I'm taking you to SoulCycle!

So this is where I'll get a bit mushy. Nakia is a recent friend relatively. I first met her in 2007-ish through my MBA friend Lauren. Lauren and Nakia were colleagues. Since then, we've hung out off and on and she has always opened her doors to me as she is an excellent host - Harlem brunches, Terrace parties, and enchilada dinners! We randomly decided to make this trip happen. I was planning a trip to Spain and she wanted to come and celebrate her birthday. Having spent 24 hours a day with her practically, you learn so much. The onion gets peeled and the conversations become more amazing. In addition to her hospitality, she has been a shoulder for me to lean on. Her strength, independence, and success, all things that I admire and respect her for. We are so similar yet so different, but our bond will be stronger because of Barcelona! Happy birthday love!

With that being said, she has entered the inner circle and therefore I shared the priceless advice of Mama Kim to "not make the lines" as pictured below:



I pack tonight for my trip home tomorrow and Sophia returns to London and Nakia will head to Madrid for a few days. The Bennetton Ad is being decommissioned!

Saturday in Spain

To be honest, we didn't do much today. Nursed hangovers and finally got up around 1 pm. Somewhere in between Nakia went to the local bakery and got croissants and hand squeezed orange juice for everyone. 

Around 3:30 pm, we made our way out of the hotel. We tried to go to Cal Pep again, but they were closing. They are closed Saturday nights and Sunday. Not something we're used to! We ended up ordering an array of tapas at a restaurant in the same plaza. 

After our meal, we tried to go to the Picasso Museum, but there was a long line and closing soon. So we meandered the streets of the Barrio Gothic and headed back to our hotel to rest and nap. 

At midnight, it's Nakia's birthday! We have reservations at a Japanese restaurant and going out dancing. More to follow tomorrow! 

It Rains in Spain

I have officially been in Spain for two weeks! Cannot believe it! Today we switched our hotel from the Melia Barcelona Sky as Nakia's friend Sophia was coming from London. We switched to Arai Apartment Hotels which is in the center of the city in the Barrio Gothic.  

It was a bit of an adventure getting to our hotel. First off, it was raining. Then there was a protest in Plaza Jaume so we couldn't get to our hotel.  Our taxi driver didn't give us very good directions and therefore we wandered in circles, with our luggage, and in the rain. And then a guy tried to sell us pot. Don't worry, we didn't buy any, but it was definitely an aggravating adventure. 

We finally found our hotel and we have a cute suite, balcony, and kitchenette. As our room wasn't ready, we went next door to Palosanto where I had poached eggs with bacon and a glass of their house red. Nakia had a Spanish omelette, croquettes, and bread with tomato. We then shared a chocolate ganache with salt and olive oil that was super tasty and polished it all off with cappuccinos. 

After settling in, the rain had stopped so I decided to try again to see Parc Güell while Nakia rested in the hotel. 

At this point, it was super sunny, so I took the metro to see the Parc. It was easy to get to as we were on the same line and had already been there before. I purchased my entry ticket and walked around in the free area of the park. First I went to the "Monument" which has a view of the city:

Then I walked over to the Aqueducts:

As I still had an hour before my entry, I visited the Museum which is where Gaudí lived with furniture that he had designed. A photo collage below:

In Barcelona, there are 16 Gaudí designed buildings, fountains, lampposts, and etc:

Then my time had come to go into the Monumental Zone of the park. Here are some classic touristy photos:

And then it began to thunder and downpour again! I headed back to the metro and back to the hotel. Nakia and I ventured out to Cal Pep which was recommended by her friend and my guidebook. The reservations were all booked, but we waited an hour for a seat at the bar. The food was so good! Bread with tomato, Spanish omelette, tuna tartare, clams, calamari, and monkfish! Here are a few photos:

This is now Nakia's Facebook profile picture which is a selfie at the bar:

We then met Sophia, Nakia's former colleague who came from London. We spent hours enjoying wine and sangria across the street from our hotel. Despite having just met her, we had amazing conversations before we finally went to bed! I mean, the bar had to tell us to leave because they were closing! 

Dalí

Our plan for today was to go to the Dalí museum in Figueres which is two hours away on the regional rail and one hour on the high speed Ave train. But first, we took the metro to explore La Ramblas, a shopping area and where La Boqueria is - the largest market in Barcelona. There are 40 markets in the city and here's a picture collage of some of the food on display:

We wandered the market buying fruit juice and breads for breakfast and taking in the myriad of food and colors. I stopped by Pinotxo which is where the Peruvian family in Granada recommended as well as my guidebook. I had a plate of chickpeas, supposedly their specialty. Also, as it was the morning, we were still in breakfast mode and not ready for all the seafood tapas which looked appetizing. 

We then made our way to the Sants train station. After a few tries on the kiosk not taking my credit card, we finally got our tickets to Figueres-Vilafant, the high speed train station near the museum. The train ride took less than an hour and after a ten minute taxi ride, we were at the museum called Teatre Museu Gala Salvador Dalí. Dalí designed and lived in it and is the site of an old vacant theater. His tomb is also here in the middle of the museum. Here's a photo collage of the building exterior:

Several of the pieces are coin operated. For instance, this Cadillac begins to rain inside once you put in 1€:

For this one, the picture collapses and opens when you put in 1€:

Here's also a collage where from afar, this picture looks like Abraham Lincoln:

Here's a photo of some random objects:

But after waiting in line, climbing some steps, and looking through a lens, it looks like a face:

Here's a very detailed and very small oil painting that I liked with a fun frame:

After the museum, we were a bit hungry, so we went to a nearby restaurant and had sangrias. I had stuffed tomatoes, while Nakia ordered empanadas and a salad. 

After relaxing and eating, we went back for the second part of the museum, Dalí's Jewels. Unbeknownst to us, Dalí had designed jewelry with many of the visuals from his works. The Royal Heart that could pump was amazing. Nakia got a great video of it (check it out on Facebook). Here are a few visuals that you might recognize (my melting clock photo unfortunately came out fuzzy):

Many of the jewels had his original sketches next to them like the one below:

We both enjoyed the museum very much and decided to walk around Figueres. We walked down to the Main Street of La Ramblas and saw a stretched face of Dalí on the ground. Supposedly the town put it there to honor him. When you look at a reflection of the face in a silver pole, the face looks normal. Nakia bought a few hand made bowls and then we got a taxi to return to our train station to head back to Barcelona. 

The train ride was quick and we came back to the hotel to rest. Then we were off to Espai Sucre for dinner - this restaurant only served desserts and was on Anthony Bourdain's show. At first, I got cold feet as I wasn't sure there would be enough sustenance, but every dish was delicious and the wine pairing was well done. Here's a collage of the dishes:

We then walked around to help digest all the food and headed back to the hotel. We were so full from all the sweet and savory dishes!

  

La Sagrada Familia

Today we had 11 am entry tickets to La Sagrada Familia, the Magnus opus of Antoni Gaudi. The cathedral-sized building's construction began in 1882 and is still a work in progress even after Gaudi's death. At this point, the church only has a basilica status as it is not yet the seat of a bishop. 

Gaudi's unique style is evident throughout this relatively modern cathedral in the making. Nakia observed it could be a building in Game of Thrones, because it was so fantastical. Here are some pictures of the facades one of which is the Nativity and the other, the Passion:

He wanted to incorporate nature into the building, so the columns look like trees and parts of the church tried to look organic with branches. Here are some photos including Jesus hanging over the main altar:

Also there are different languages represented. Prayers would be listed in Catalan, Spanish, and English. Here's the Apostles' Creed in Catalan:

I prayed in a chapel area for a bit, but it wasn't all that peaceful as you could hear the drilling and the hammers of the ongoing work. Even the Confessional was funky: 

On one of the bronze doors, the plan is to have the "Our Father" in Catalan and they have different languages saying "Give us our daily bread" which I took a shot of in Korean:

Here's a photo of the organ pipes that glistens from the reflection of the stained glass: 

We went up to the Nativity Tower via an elevator and walked down a spiraling staircase. We explored the heights of the massive church of this architectural genius. You can see the representation of the Bread and Wine close up amidst the construction:

After hitting up the gift shop, we came back to the hotel where I hung out by the pool. Although not super sunny, I was glad it didn't rain today while we were out  walking around. 

After reading by the pool a bit, it started to rain, so I met Nakia back in the room as she was jet lagged and taking a siesta. 

Tonight, we had reservations at 41 Degrees, another Adrià brothers' restaurant. This is supposed to be closest to the elBulli experience of molecular gastronomy with 41 dishes served. We had to make a nonrefundable 50€ deposit each just to secure the reservation two months ago!

The food was so unique that words cannot describe. Entire bites would represent the flavors of a country, such as Mexico, Vietnam, and Peru. Here's a photo collage from Nakia:

Here's another one from Nakia from our cute server making a deconstructed Bloody Mary:

And then two collages from me which includes a photo of the projections in the restaurant which was coordinated with music. Also, a personalized menu signed by our servers:

A once in a lifetime foodie experience!