36 hours in Barcelona..

After arriving in Barcelona I checked in to my hostel – Hostel One Paralello and was given a map with the key things to do. The friendly staff showed me around the hostel and to my room. As I only had a day and a half in Barcelona I dropped off my bag and started sightseeing.

The first stop was La Sagrada Familia – I didn’t have a ticket to go inside, so looked on in awe of the stunning architecture.

To get inside you need to buy a ticket online beforehand or join the long long que to get a ticket there.

Once I had walked around the entire building and weaved my way through the hoards of tourists I headed off for Parc Guell. Taking the metro there and walking through the park I eventually made it to the famous tiled walls. I had bought the tickets the day before so didn't have to que. The views were spectacular..

Up next on my list was the Gothic quarter. The Gothic Quarter is so pretty, it was raining which somehow made it even prettier – the lights reflecting on the wet walkways were just beautiful.

To escape the rain I popped into the European Museum of Modern Art. It was well worth the 9 Euro entry fee. Walking around in silence admiring the eclectic pieces of art work was just what I needed after a day of the hustle and bustle in Barcelona. To make it even better about 45 minutes after I arrived a concert started in the central room of the museum. It was fabulous. A wonderful pianist and Spanish blues singer came on. An hour later, feeling totally satisfied, relaxed and content I headed back to Hostel One Paralello.

I made it just in time for the free dinner – a delicious spicy noodle dish. Being a solo traveler I found the hostel was super friendly, for the dinner everyone gathered around the big tables and was served yummy noodles, everyone went up for seconds! Before long the drinking games started and by 11pm everyone was out and heading for a bar. Teaming up with the 2 other Hostel One hostels a group of about 20 descended on a beer bar and with Jenga on the tables everyone was having the best time.

The following day I headed to the Bunkers to get the morning view of Barcelona. climbing over a small fence allows you to chill out on a large concrete roof, where you can relax and take in what is quite possibly one of the best views of Barcelona. A free beautiful activity that is well worth it.

Barcelona is a beautiful city with so much to see and do, from the people to the food to the sights, this city has it all and is well worth a visit!