After we returned from Tunisia last year, Jon and I started thinking about a city break that we could plan for October half-term. Our travel agent suggested Barcelona… ‘it’s sooooo child-friendly’, she said. I have to say that I was sceptical right up until the end of our first day in this amazing city, but she was bang on. The Spanish were incredible with Abbie; making her laugh on the metro, feeding her new bites in the market or in the delis and letting her climb all over some amazingly creative Gaudi architecture…. Add to this an open-top bus, parks wanders full of musical play equipment, a dragon sculpture which is also a slide and a sandy beach. A family dream holiday – now all we needed was good weather!!
Sitting on Gaudi's reptile
Day 1 highlights and lowlights!! – La Ramblas – a compulsory experience… baby animals, fantastic gelato and the tackiest touristy fare – watch your bag, but a wonderful, colourful boulevard. It rained like I’ve not experienced since crazy Houston weather. We were in Barcelon cathedral (amazing – a garden with wild geese in the quadrangle!!) when the thunder and lightning started – I actually thought the whole place was going to fall on us…. but how atmospheric. Unfortunately we then verntured outside as Abs was tiring and got absolutely soaked – I couldn’t get any wetter. We squelched our way back to our hotel (more of that later) and our consiege just looked at us with great amusement…. bless him, he offered up an extra hairdryer and gave us a recommendation of the Catalan restaurant where he used to work. We were sceptical until the moment our food arrived, first baccalau balls and tomato toast – we all scoffed the lot down as we were so hungry and all were delicious: Abbie had scrambled egg with smoked salmon and wild garlic (honestly the best scrambled egg I’ve ever tasted).. she loved it, Jon and I shared ‘baked cod and potatoes in a tomato and cream sauce’ and ‘baby broad beans, baked with baby squid’. Amazing Catalan food… we had arrived!
Please can I have a baby bunny, Mummy... pleeeease!
Candlelight in a thunder storm...
Smoked salmon, scrambled egg, wild garlic, one happy girl...
Broad beans and baby squid
Salt cod baked with potatoes, tomatoes and cream... amazing!
Highlights of Day 2: Bocqueria market – awesome is the only word! We bought olives and an amazing pinenut pastry – pinenut things are traditionally given on the 1st Nov so they were everywhere. Amazing hot chocolate and churros in the Hotel d’Opera. The open top Tourist bus – 2 routes (blue and red).. we bought tickets from our hotel as it was cheaper than from the bus itself, great for children but you have to be pushy to get to the front seats (luckily I am!), Monjuic – we found a fantastic little restaurant down the steps from the bubble cable car ride – Les Tomaquets although not having the snails was a big regret.. we just didn’t have time to work out what was the best dish to have before ordering. Top tip, go to the toilet as soon as you get in and look at what everyone else is having! Great ride on the cable car, but castle is a bit unexciting. Much better is the walk down again through the parks – where you have to ride slides and jump on chimes and musical seesaws to make your way down to the Tourist bus at the bottom – fun for all the family!
Hot chocolate in the Hotel d'Opera
on the bus....
Some of the amazing sights en route.. La Pedrera
Riding high....
Jon's fave beer... Xibeca
Abbie's fave cheese - Queso de Cabra
Part 2 coming tomorrow……..
kidandkitchen 