Lifestyle
Out of Office: Barcelona
Whitney Mayfield, NM site manager for jewelry, in Barcelona, with the Mediterranean on the horizon.
I went to Barcelona with my mother for her “big” birthday. We soaked up the sun, midday siestas and 10 pm dinners!
TO EAT: Even if you show up at 9 pm the restaurants are virtually empty. Tapas restaurants abound; it’s just a matter of finding a favorite. There are a lot of lounges off of La Rambla – a centrally located street featuring many kiosks and street performers. I did some extensive tapas research before I left home, and polled our hotel staff. There was an amazing restaurant right down the street from our hotel. I developed a habit of shoestring potatoes with hot sauce and an egg over-easy. (Good for soaking up the sangria.)
Sangria and olives are a must.
For a quick empanada or to pick up tonight’s dinner locals and tourists alike venture to Mercat de la Boqueria. A massive indoor food market where you can buy anything — fresh fish, candy, empanadas, fruit smoothies…
Mercat de la Boqueria
TO DO: Antoni Gaudi is Barcelona’s most famous architect, with many works scattered throughout the city. However, if you only have time for one, the Sagrada Familia is essential. The church is in the symbol of the city and is one of the most visited monuments in Spain. It’s surrounded by scaffolding as it is still not completed. The goal is to have the building finished by 2026, the centennial of Gaudi’s death.
Park Guell, an architectural garden complex also designed by Gaudi, is situated high atop one of Barcelona’s many hills, providing a gorgeous view over the city and the Mediterranean.
Sagrada Familia
Barcelona is flanked by the Mediterranean Sea and there are many gorgeous beaches to go to, however, for a “less touristy” beach we took the train 30 minutes to a quaint beach town, Sitges.
Sitges
TO STAY: We stayed at the Hotel Murmuri, an upscale boutique hotel in the Eixample district. It was only a 15 minute walk from Sagrada Familia and one block over from Passeig de Gracia, regarded as the most expensive street in Barcelona (Burberry, Carolina Herrera, and Louis Vuitton can all be found here). Two of Gaudi’s works can also be found on this street: Casa Mila and Casa Batllo.
Hotel Murmuri
TO PACK: Average temperatures in September/October in Barcelona are around 75 degrees, but can dip at night, so it’s good to pack versatile pieces that can make the temperature transition with ease. The Spanish are all about pops of color, whether this be a statement earring, oversized scarf, or floral top. A smoking slipper is a great shoe to go from day to night.
Say Olé! for Oscar de la Renta earrings.
