Hola Barcelona!

We traveled to Barcelona for our Easter holiday this year.  We wanted a city destination since we went to Mauritius for Christmas and we wanted to go someplace with relatively mild weather.  It didn't hurt that an El Clasico game (name given to football games between rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid) was happening there at that time, so it was easy to sell the idea to the Mr.

So here goes, my tips for things to do with the kids in this beautiful bustling city.

Cultural Activities

1. Walk around the Sagrada Familia.  Considered the city's greatest building, this master piece by Gaudi is a must.  To be honest, we didn't attempt to go inside as the queue for the tickets was just too long.  But what made the experience even better was the playground right in front of it.  Kids got to let loose while we got to take in all the details.

 2. Picasso Museum - We decided on this museum because Yousef learnt a little about Picasso in school, so it was a great opportunity to show him some of the art up close (I won't lie, sometimes he got too close and I had to grab his hand before security kicked us all out!).  Also, the exhibition is in a relatively small space, so it's not too overwhelming for the kids and we knew they wouldn't get restless.  One thing that did help keep them quiet was the audio guide that we gave them, which they enjoyed listening to.

This is the only picture I have as we weren't allowed to take photos inside.

3. Montjuic Castle - Getting there was half the fun.  We took two Teleferics to get to this 18th century castle.  The 360° view of the city and the Mediterranean sea is jaw dropping.  And the kids loved the cannons and towers on the premises. The surrounding Montjuic park is a nice way to spend the day out. There are playgrounds with slides going down the side of a hill and plenty of picnic spots.  

Tibidabo Amusement Park

This is a must.  Anyone who knows my family knows we love theme parks, but even if you aren't really into them, this is a must.  If for no other reason, just to check out the insane view.  Tibidabo is great as it's not very far from the city centre, I think it took us 20 minutes in a taxi to get there.  And it's not very big, so you can do most of the park in 5 or 6 hours.  There aren't many thrilling rides so it's more of a family attraction (there are a few cool rides for the thrill seekers don't worry).  And even though we went on a Sunday, the queues weren't bad at all.

Getting Around Town

Barcelona is a walking city.  We walked a lot.  Coming from Dubai, this alone was an experience for the kids. It was great for them to see the city and its people this way.  They also got to meet a few smaller friends.

Although a little pricey, the hop on hop off buses are a great way to check out different sites and neighbourhoods with little ones in tow.

I highly recommend taking the Teleferic (cable car) over Port Vell to Montjuic mountain.

Other Points of Interest

1. The Chocolate Museum of Barcelona - if you happen to be in the El Born area, you should check this out.  Even the ticket is chocolate.  It's also less than a 5 minute walk from the Picasso Museum.

 2. L'Aquarium Barcelona - even though we have a pretty cool aquarium in Dubai Mall, this was quite impressive.  It was a good way to spend a rainy afternoon.

3. The Markets - We took the kids to the famous Mercado de la Boqueria as well as the smaller, less touristy Mercat de Santa Caterina.  There are all types of stalls, from fish mongers, to butchers and yes also those that sold chocolate and candy.

4. Park Guell - Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to go this time, but I remember it from my last visit.  It's a beautiful park. The kids will think they fell down the rabbit hole. 

 Images from Parkguell.cat

5. Camp Nou - A visit to FC Barcelona's home is a must, especially if you have boys.  You can do a tour and visit the museum, or if you're lucky catch a game and as my husband would say "watch the magic".

xx
D

Fancy a good bite?

I've recently come across this site which is super helpful for any foodie who loves to travel.  The World's 50 Best Restaurants (there's actually top 100) is organised by Restaurant Magazine and is a list that's been compiled by over 800 industry experts including chefs and food critics.  So basically this is THE list.  The site also has regional spotlights, most recently on Peru and Singapore, where they dive into the culinary scene in those countries.  And you can also access past years' winners.  So next time you're about to jet off, check this out.  

The 2012 list should be out in April 2012.

My holiday so far

I'm still in the U.S., at the moment in Vegas and thought I would share some photos of our trip so far...

 Venice Beach

 American Portions

 Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Beach

Me and the little one at the pier

 Colorful California

 Looking up

 The view from the wheel

 Smoking - prohibited even outdoors!

 Our lovely L.A. hotel - The W in Westwood

Melrose!

 Laid back palm trees

 Oh Malibu

 Very cool restaurant by Top Chef Masters winner

 I had to put this one - Yousef enjoying a crepe at the L.A. farmer's market

Welcome to Hollywood!

 YUMMMM!!!!

 Palm trees and snow capped peaks

En route to the city of sin

Our hotel (Encore)

Making eye contact with a white tiger

View from our room

I wanna get away

Summers in Dubai are not very pleasant.  The hot, humid, sticky days drag on and on, with no end in sight.  You forget what it's like to step outside and want to take a deep breath of fresh air. The sun is out, but the skies are this murky, hazy shade of light grey.  That's if you even bother to go outdoors to see the sky in the first place.  If I'm not making myself clear, I wanna get out of here, pronto.  I have to wait another month for my next holiday, so I guess I will let my mind do the wandering for now.   Here are some of the places I wish I could teleport to.

North Island - Seychelles. Seriously don't you just want to be reading a book on that couch?

Amalfi Coast - Italy. Cruising on a Vespa perhaps.

This wouldn't be a real list without my favorite city included - London, anytime.

The Jalousie Plantation - Saint Lucia. One Pina Colada please!

Hale Malia Villa, Phuket - Thailand.  Yes I don't mind going to Phuket again right now.

Be Tulum Hotel, Tulum - Mexico. I would love my patio to look like this.

Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur - California.  Amazing view and amazing architecture.

View from Villa Sassolini, Tuscany - Italy.  I'd love to take a cooking class in Tuscany.

Amangiri, Canyon Point - Utah.  Talk about total escape.

Where would you like to go today?

Images: North Island, Conde Nast Traveller, Photograph London, Hip Hotels, Luxury Retreats, Design Hotels, Post Ranch Inn, Villa Sassolini, Aman Resorts