29 July 2015

#WheresNiaNow: Barcelona

Travel

I’d been longing to visit Barcelona since The Cheetah Girls 2; and nine years later, I finally arrived! My summer travel Instagram hashtag, #WheresNiaNow, continued with a flight from Paris to Barcelona; and I ended my 12 day European trip with four beautiful days in the City of Gaudí! I was live. I sang “Strut” as soon as I reached the city.

I took the above selfie in my room at the Generator Hostel. The Generator was the first and coolest hostel I’ve ever been in. Inside were a restaurant, bar, game room, and more. Including my sister, I had five roommates, and the six of us became friends instantly. The Generator hosted a bunch of other young travelers, so it was also a great environment to meet people from around the world.
Our group of 43 walked around to get to know the area. One of the streets we walked down was Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona’s most expensive street. There were stores like Chanel, Burberry, Cartier, Loewe, Louis Vuitton, Zara, YSL, Tiffany, and more. I could hardly handle it. Another street we visited and continued to visit throughout our stay was La Rambla, a very popular street with great shopping.
Antoni Gaudí is all over Barcelona. The Spanish architect’s work is almost everywhere.
Benches like these, designed by Gaudí, were scattered around the city
Mid-exploring, my phone sadly decided to restart on its own, and I lost all of my phone’s photos from France and my first hours in Barcelona; but The next morning, a group of us did a bike tour around Barcelona. Not only was biking a light cardio workout, but it was great, different way to see the city.
Beach Volleyball Tournaments
Castell
Later that day, we went to Barceloneta Beach and soaked up the sun by the Mediterranean Sea. When at the beach, I finally felt like I was on vacation. Our trip had been so fast-paced and event-filled that it was nice to relax in the sand for a few hours.
The water was cold.
The next day, we took a bus tour around Barcelona. We stopped by Park Güell, built by Gaudí himself.
We also saw the famous Sagrada Familia, the glorious church designed by -you guessed it- Gaudí. The church is still expected to be built for another 13 years, finishing in 2028, 140 years after it was started.

Our last day in Barcelona consisted of more roaming, shopping, and eating, and our group of 43 ended the night with a farewell dinner. The next morning, I flew back to the United States.

Barcelona is rich in life, intensity, art, and history. You’re aware of the history just by walking around. I truly love it there, and I want to return as soon as possible.

My entire European trip was incredible and enlightening. I saw and did so much, and I am so grateful I was able to share those moments with a great group of people. I will never forget that trip, and I am forever grateful for the experiences I’ve had and friendships I’ve made. Thank you, Mom and Father for the amazing gift!

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A girl trying to make it in the future's history books.

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