My Favorite Churches in Barcelona 

La Sagrada Familia 

The following churches encapsulate many parts of Barcelona, from the Gaudi architectural design to being some of the most famous churches in the world. These churches are the pride and joy of Barcelona. With over 50% of the city following Catholicism, there are many beautiful churches and landmarks that represent this. The park where I took the photo of LA Sagrada Familia became a safe place for me. As I practice Christianity, I would go to the park whenever I needed a moment to myself in faith or in life. La Sagrada Familia has been under construction since 1882 and continues to be in the process of being built to this day. 

Being able to experience such amazing sights whenever I wanted to was something truly amazing. Barcelona Cathedral is another amazing church where many people gather on any given day, whether for a celebration or just to be together. Being able to see so many locals around the church was truly beautiful.  

Cathedral of Barcelona 

The last photo of the Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was taken on a day when I went up to the top of mount Tibidabo by myself which was one of my favorite days I had abroad. I was able to find my way to the top of the mountain traveling by 2 trains, a funicular, and finally a bus to get to the top of the most beautiful mountain I have seen. Overlooking the entire city of Barcelona, I was able to point out all of the sites I had been to and wanted to visit.  

Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 

My goal is that when La Sagrada Familia is completely finished, I will go back to Barcelona and attend a service to see the church in its full beauty. These churches are something that many Barcelona residents take pride in as it represents the beauty in their city, as well as the deeply rooted catholic religion. 

Barcelona’s Food Culture

The food scene is something that Barcelona is also very proud of. Tapas are the typical way to enjoy meals around Barcelona, and it makes it very easy to try many different types of food in one meal. Tapas are small plates that are typically shared with the table and ordered for at any time of the day. Exploring the food scene in Barcelona was one of the things I was most excited for when I first decided to study abroad, and it definitely did not let me down.  

Tapas cooking class 

Bar La Principal was the first Tapas restaurant I went to, and it quickly became a local hangout spot for my roommates and me. It was a restaurant right across the street from us, and we became locals very quickly and tried almost all of the tapas on the menu. Exploring restaurants has become one of our favorite things to do in Barcelona to try to find the best tapas.  

Bar La Principal 

Mercat De la Boqueria became another one of my favorite spots, from sea urchin to venison sausage, the market truly has it all. Being able to try many different types of food from all around Spain makes this market a perfect location to visit to experience the Barcelona food culture.  

Mercat de la Boqueria 

I then did a paella cooking class with my family, which was another great experience. Learning how to cook the paella and how it originated is something that I recommend to anyone wanting to travel to Barcelona or Spain in general. The class allowed us to learn about native flavors that they use, as well as the expansive seafood scene that Spain has on the Mediterranean Sea. 

Paella Cooking Class 

Finished Paella

Finally, you can’t talk about Barcelona’s food scene without mentioning Iberian Ham. This ham is a staple of Spanish cuisine and one of the most delicious things I have ever tried. Many restaurants around Barcelona have pork legs hanging from the ceiling ready to be cut at a moment's notice to experience the different flavors of the Ham. Barcelona residents have a lot of pride in their food as they should because there are so many delicious restaurants around the city, and going to each one tells a different story of the city. 

Ibeian Ham 

Steak grilled on Salt Block