It’s been six years since I last visited Barcelona with my friend, Ken. To be quite honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect given Spain’s recession. Has the city’s vibrant mood changed since then? Are the restaurants and shops I once visited still there? These questions ran through my mind as Michael and I sat on a red-eye flight to Barcelona.

We were extremely excited about our trip. Although we have both been to Barcelona, we have never gone together. Michael is very familiar with the city as he lived there for a period of time during his college years (we know that was back in 1965, just kidding lol). Since we’ve both visited all the “must-see”  historical sites, we were looking forward to just exploring the city with no itinerary. Michael was especially excited to visit his old neighborhood and favorite spots.

All of my concerns were put to rest as we strolled along the beach. Michael was in shock. The once known “city-beach” of Barcelona was now a major attraction. This beach was hardly visited by locals or tourists 20 years ago because it was somewhat dodgy and unattractive (similar to Coney Island). But there was literally no space left on the sand now to spread out your beach towel. It was clearly one of the main attractions of the city. The water was such a pretty clear blue and the waves were so calm. Waiters walked along the beach selling ice-cold mojitos and sangria. A new boardwalk was built and so many restaurants and shops were now open.  Continue reading →