A long weekend in Barcelona

I had been craving some sunshine and a weekend away, so when I was invited to travel with JetBlue on the company's first non-stop flight to Barcelona out of Boston's Logan Airport, I jumped at the chance.

When I arrived in the premium Mint seat, I had my own water bottle and a convenience pouch containing an eye mask and some Dr. Dennis Gross products, among other items for the flight. Feet out in front of me, the sun setting just over my shoulder, and a good 4 inches on either side of my hips, it became immediately clear that this was going to be unlike any long-haul flight I’d ever taken. 

Preparing myself to be a first-timer in Spain, I had our Barcelona Pocket guide to poke through at my seat. Our flight attendants (a birthday shout out to Kira!) were courteous and thoughtful with both food and drinks. This was my first time receiving complimentary champagne on a flight, and as a lover of bubbles in all forms, it underscored a happy and celebratory tone. Waking over the mountains of northern Spain was a treat, and only a short time later, it felt incredible to descend over the jewel-blue water of the Mediterranean. 

Day 1: Coffee, lunch and parks in Les Corts  

Morning

Welcomed to Barcelona by the incredible Joan Miró and Joan Gardy Artigas mural outside Terminal 2, we wasted no time getting to our hotel at the NH Collection Barcelona Constanza, located in the city's Les Corts neighborhood. As many cities in Europe struggle with overtourism and people intending to visit the city work to balance a memorable trip with respect for locals, Les Corts was a perfect entry point. A business district with lots of young families, and walkable to most of the main attractions, it was quiet and fun. I got a cortado at Hidden Coffee Roasters, picked up my Europe cigarettes (iykyk) at a small bar along the Carrer de Déu i Mata, and headed to Don Giovanni for a memorable first meal in the city. 

Lunch

At Don Giovanni, Sicilian chef Andrea Tumbarello takes advantage of Spain’s incredible truffles, olive oil and his own background to cook fresh, local food that highlights so much of what Barcelona has to offer. My favorites were the burrata pugliese con tartufo, the excellent carpaccio di gamberi rossi con lardo di colonnata e limoncello and the branzino. 

Afternoon and Evening

After the meal, we walked to Parc del Turó and watched excited school children at dismissal, families playing on the gigantic slide at the Jardin de Sant Joan de Déu and elderly Barcelonans taking afternoon walks in the April sunshine. I explored the local mall, L’Illa, where I could access brands for which we’d pay a premium in New York, before grabbing a beer and a snack while people-watching at the Jardin. I ended the day with a massage and cold plunge/sauna at Spaxion in the hotel. 

Day 2: Culinary Adventures and Gaudí in Gràcia

Breakfast and Cooking Class

It was time to dive further into the city. Following a breakfast of tortilla and coffee, we headed to the Gràcia neighborhood for a private cooking class with chef Marta. Originally from Valencia, Marta now lives just 20 minutes outside Barcelona and told us all about her upbringing while she made us vino tinto (equal parts red wine and lemon soda) and instructed us on how to trim artichokes, clean prawns and distribute rice in the paella pan. 

How to spend an afternoon in Gràcia 

After wandering around Gràcia, I stopped at News and Coffee at the Plaza Gràcia to browse their incredible selection of magazines from around the world, and of course, check the day's headlines in El País, which has been Spain’s most read and distributed paper for almost 50 years, since the fall of Generál Franco. I also picked up some smoked paprika and other spices at a local market. 

From there, it was up the hill to Casa Vicens, Antoni Gaudí’s first residential commission and a fantastically elaborate one-time summer home that is now a charming and not particularly crowded museum. Back outside, the music and drums of a Bolivian Carnival parade on Gran de Gràcia called to us. It was empowering just to witness the incredible dancers and musicians in traditional dress, in an annual event put on by the Federation of Bolivian Entities of Catalonia and the Union of Bolivian Folklorists of Barcelona. 

Dinner

After another cortadito, we had dinner at Jaiba MX, a Mexican restaurant in Les Corts, where chef Roberto Ruiz uses seasonal Catalan ingredients to prepare fresh, unreal Mexican cuisine. 

Day 3: The full Catalan experience and La Sagrada Familia

A morning walking around Eixample

On Sunday, many businesses are closed, and the heat seems to rise off the empty pavement as the city slows down. It’s the perfect time to take a step away from window shopping and look up at the architectural marvels by Antoni Gaudí dotting the city. We took a four-hour tour that began early in the morning at Park Güell, and allowed for a wander through both the busy plazas and the serene offshoot trails in the park. We also toured his masterpiece La Sagrada Familia. While we approach the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death and there is still no end date in sight on the cathedral's construction, the space holds regular services and remains a stunning monument anchoring the city. 

Lunch and drinks

Having worked up an appetite during the tour paid off at L’Olivé, a Catalan restaurant in L’Eixemple, where you can, as they put it on their site, “breathe the cod.” The Galicia-focused seafood was incredible; From the cod croquette to the codfish "a la llauna" (in a tin) or the generous salmon and tuna tartar, it was a memorable meal in a beautiful, lush, green-tiled corner of the city. 

We rounded out the day with a trip down to the Gothic Quarter for a quiet walk, and ended at specialty cocktail bar Paradiso, where you can avoid the line if you show up on the earlier side and sample cocktails such as “The Cloud” (yes, it’s as vaporous as it sounds) or have an olive for your martini flash-frozen tableside. Slightly tipsy, warm spring weather and tapas? It’s a godlike experience in the city of Gaudí. 

Pia traveled to Barcelona at the invitation of Jet Blue and NH Collection. Lonely Planet does not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.