Holidays in Spain I: Catalonia
I’m back! I just spent two weeks of holidays in Spain, visiting my friends and family. C. also came, it was his second time in Spain so we went to visit some new places. He also started studying Spanish with an app called Duolingo and he made some quick progress, but I am not sure he is still studying now that we are back in China!
The first week of our holidays was spent in Catalonia, in the north east of Spain. My mum’s side of the family lives there so we had a reunion with around 30 relatives between uncles, aunts and cousins! We were welcomed by a homemade paella and we took pictures with one of the gifts I brought from China: the latest trend on the streets, sprouts growing on your head! The sprouts are supposed to be put on your hair with a hairclip, but that didn’t discourage some of my uncles who are more in the balding department and they used adhesive tape to wear them!
I also completed the first “to do” on my list: eating a Frigopie!
C. tried it for the first time.
The second day after arriving, my aunt took us to a very nice road trip around the Priorat region. It is a hilly area dotted with secluded, gorgeous tiny villages that used to be quite poor but now are booming thanks to their wine (there are lots of vineyards and wineries around). If you are into rock climbing, there are also some awesome places to climb.
The beautiful village of Siurana, on the top of a mountain and with amazing views.
A lot of people practise rock climbing here.
On the following couple of days we also went to Tarragona, Reus and Sitges. I had even brought my bikini but it was raining all the time! It was also colder than in Shanghai.
The courtyard in Tarragona’s cathedral. It was raining.
Then we spent 3 days in Barcelona. I though C. was going to love it, and he did like it, but… it was too crowded! There are so many tourists there! It’s crazy! C. felt it was similar to being in China, with so many people around. Anyway, we visited many of the famous sites: Park Güell, Sagrada Familia, paseo de Gracia, the Gothic Quarter, the Cathedral, the port… we even sailed on my uncle’s boat and C. drove it!
The entrance to Park Güell.
Sagrada Familia church. More than 100 years after it was started, it is still under construction. Yeah! That’s how we roll in Spain :P
The inside of Sagrada Familia (the construction works are quite fast now, with so many tourists pouring money!).
We didn’t visit Casa Batlló and La Pedrera (beautiful buildings designed by Gaudí) because the entry fee is ridiculous… 20 euros!! I visited them a few years ago and I don’t remember buying any ticket, but if I did, for sure it was way cheaper than that. And, I can understand that the tickets to Sagrada Familia are 15 euros, because that is the money they use to finish the construction works, but the other buildings are already finished, how can they be more expensive??
Casa Batlló. It is beautiful, but 20 euros to get in seems too much.
In Paseo de Gracia you can find all the luxury brands. We went to the Louis Vuitton store because C.’s colleague wanted a bag from there. I can’t understand why someone would spend almost 4,000 euros on a bag, but hey, this is a free country. We also went to the Loewe store because one of my friends works there and I wanted to say hi. In both stores, more than half of the customers were Chinese and Russian. Did these brands sell much before Chinese and Russian people got rich?
In the Gothic Quarter there were a lot of foreign tourists and the bars with tables outside were doing a good business. The window of a bakery caught my eye.
Yummy!
On Saturday morning we went to sail on my uncle’s boat, even though the sea was kind of rough. C. was the captain for a while!
Ahoy, captain!
And this is a brief summary of the first week of our holidays! Stay tuned to read about week 2: Extremadura and Portugal!
Looks like a great holiday you had there, Marta! That is quite amazing that the Sagrada Familia church is still under construction for so long. At the rate, it will always be under construction and improving itself :D Maybe Chinese and Russian people like branded goods more than other people. Or maybe it is the style of bags. Or maybe they know they will be able to get an authentic Louis Vuitton bag from an LV store in Spain.
I thin it is taking such a long time because Gaudi decided that no government money could be used to complete the church, only donations from the believers would be accepted. Now the ticket price is considered to be a donation, haha.
Chinese people love buying branded things when they are abroad because it is way cheaper than in China! Too many taxes to foreign brands in here.
Love the photos of the architecture! Thanks for sharing. Did your uncle REALLY let C drive or was that a ten second pose?
He drove for quite a long time, at least 15 minutes, and the waves were quite big!! But not many places to crash into in the middle of the sea :D For a moment I was worried we would capsize though…
Me encanta!! Amo a Gaudí <3 es mi sueño algún día ir a ver todo ese estilo de construcciones.
Que rico que hayas podido ir junto con C y ver a tu familia :)
¡Tendrás que ir a España de viaje algún día! Mejor con el pololo ;) (me encanta esa palabra, jajaja).
Hahaha si? aquí casi no usamos novio, es más que nada pololo :P
Sí! iré si o si a Europa en general <3
Looks like you had a great time there :)
We also got one of the sprouts for Nathan and I must say he got a bit more hairs now than your uncle :P
Well that is not difficult hahaha.
Don’t be so mean to that poor uncle :p
Maybe their idea was to charge cheaper for an incomplete building and charge more for a completed building. That’s why Sagrada Familia is cheaper.
When I go next year, I will also probably pay for that famous incomplete church, but not for the others. I am supposed to spend a week in Barcelona, but I think if I don’t like it, I will probably spend a few days wandering outside that city.
Haha, I’m sure you will like it, it is a lovely city, but one week is a long time and I’m sure you will have time to go around also :) Let me know if you need any planning help!
I guess you, both, enjoyed those days! Feeling happy for my contribution. Tita Núria :-)
Thanks a lot for your contribution, tita Núria! :D
Sprouts on the head and frigopie! So funny!
It sounds like you had a great vacation. I like the arches in Tarragona’s cathedral courtyard. For my taste, I prefer Sagrada Familia from the inside with the light from the stained glass shining through.
I’m with C. I prefer being away from the crowds, even on vacation.
I also liked Sagrada Familia on the inside! The colored glass made for a great illumination. Gaudi designed that on purpose and every window has its own meaning and purpose :)
I don’t understand the sprouts. When did this fad begin? What does it mean?
It started last month, I think,or maybe at the end of August. I am not sure why, though. There are several cartoons that have a sprout on their head but not sure if it is related…
The sprout on your uncle’s head is very, very funny!!
Looks like you had a great first week in Spain. And I am with you – I wouldn’t pay 20 euros either.
It wasn’t even my idea to use the adhesive tape, one of my aunts came up with it haha!
Happy you had a great time here! Pity the weather wasn’t bikini swimming! It did get hot last week, but it’s finally chilly now. I’ll definitely have to make a trip up to the mountains and I wouldn’t pay €20 entry fee either or have the patience for the queue that’s always outside!
When I moved back here a year ago, one of the first things I noticed were double the number of tourists and a lot more Asians and Russians here!
You totally have to go to Priorat! It is absolutely stunning! Save a weekend and drive there :)
Nice sprouts! Looks like you had a great time. Please tell me you went into that bakery. I don’t think I could have made out that bakery with a euro left in my pockets.
Er… I didn’t went into the bakery :( On that moment I was in the mood for ice cream and that was what I was after, haha.
Looks like a fab trip!!! Seeing live in person some of Gaudi’s architecture remains on my bucket list… wonderful you had such a fab family time. :-)
Thanks Carissa! For your next trip you should consider Spain :P
If only… these days it’s all about the money honey… travel only for work (India and some SE Asia) or the occasional family excuse.
As the moment, we are saving our shekels for Mombasa – either Christmas for a family gathering or March for a wedding.
Spain will simply have to wait a wee bit longer… much as it is a place I do hope to get too!!
Pingback: Holidays in Spain II | Marta lives in China
Ha, those sprouts are great!
Hope C. enjoys Spain :)
How easy or difficult is it to travel in Spain if one doesn’t know habla espanol? I’m curious if a phrasebook is probably fine (I only picked up a bit living in California, and visited Mexico but very English-friendly for tourists)
One day I’ll have to go…
I don’t have personal experience, obviously (xD), but I think it should be fine. Spain receives lots of tourists and all of them survive! (well, except when they run drunk in front of the bulls or they jump to the pool from the hotel balcony :P). However, I don’t think most Spanish people are fluent in English. Smile and be patient and it should be fine, haha! A phrasebook would definitely help.
Wowww that vacation looks amazing! I love the photos! Spain looks soooo wonderful!
Pingback: Itinerary – RealGunners @ Blog