Herself in the Wild: Barcelona

Journey with us to the enchanting capital of Catalonia.

Where to Stay: Primero Primera Hotel

One reason we loved the Primero Primera hotel so much might be a turn off to others - its seclusion and distance from the chaos of the most popular areas of Barcelona. For those that prefer to be closer to the action, I recommend looking at the property's sister hotel, Casa Sagnier.

We personally loved being able to retreat to a calm, non-touristy neighborhood at the end of a long day of sight-seeing. The common areas of the hotel are especially inviting from the cozy, living room vibe indoors to the fresh garden and pool outdoors. The living room had lots of quiet corners to nestle up in with a good book, and since the hotel is relatively small, we felt like we had the garden and pool to ourselves much of the time. The reason the place felt like home is because it was renovated from a private residence in 2011 from the family that lived there since the 1950's.

Must See: Hospital de Sant Pau

A historic complex of buildings that once functioned as a hospital up until 2009. Sant Pau re-opened as a cultural center and museum in 2014. I was amazed at both the interior and exterior design, considering this complex functioned as a hospital. So many hospitals today are designed to be utilitarian and sterile, but this place was a thing of artistic wonder. It was relatively uncrowded given the beauty of the place, not to mention the proximity to the Sagrada Familia cathedral.

We also got to walk through the underground tunnels that served as transportation routes for medical supplies, equipment and even as a way to transfer patients to the various buildings.

Of course I highly recommend seeing all the classic Gaudi buildings in Barcelona and Placa Catalunya as well, but Sant Pau was my favorite of the trip.

Where to Eat: As many places as possible

Food often is the center of our travels, and this was certainly true for Barcelona as well. We enjoyed almost every bite we tried, from the restaurant in our hotel, to the tapas bar in the gothic quarter, to the bakery around the corner from where we stayed. And wherever you are, always order the olives.