Earlier this year I visited Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain. Join me in reliving the trip, recapping the very best parts, and how I'd do things differently if I ever visit again. This Barcelona {Overview} is the first in a series of four posts. Related posts include Barcelona {The Sights}, Barcelona {via Gaudi}, and Barcelona {The Food}. I hope these posts will serve as a mini getaway for you and a useful guide if you'll soon be visiting Barcelona. Barcelona BasicsBarcelona is a huge city in Spain and a very popular tourist destination. While technically located in Spain, Barcelona is loyal to Catalonia. Catalonia was once separate from Spain and Barcelona was its capitol and largest city. While Catalonia and Barcelona are both folded into Spain now, you'll see signs of loyalty to Catalonia all over the city in the form of yellow ribbons. There are separate flags for Catalonia and Spain which often fly next to one another. I'm reminded most of Sicily where residents don't focus on being part of the larger Italian community.
That all being said, I was warned that Catalan is the primary language and that folks in Barcelona prefer to speak it over Spanish. Since I don't speak either, I was relieved that nearly everyone we encountered in Barcelona spoke or understood English to some extent. Barcelona is located on the water and has all of the charm of an old European city. It underwent a major makeover in advance of the 1992 Olympics which were held there. We learned that the sand and palm trees at the Barceloneta beach were all brought in from Egypt and other various locations around the world! I didn't know much about Barcelona before this trip except that it's got a famous and expensive cured ham called jamon iberico and that the masterpiece of the city is "the church of our generation" called Sagrada Familia that's been under construction for decades and is still not finished! It was thrilling and satisfying to explore and get to know a place that was never before on my radar. Come along with me to Barcelona!
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Fav 5 Travel Guides are a short list of the best things I've found to do, see, eat, or drink in a particular location. This guide is for Dublin, the city in Ireland. Last week I did a Fav 5 {Travel Guide} for several other parts of Ireland which is useful if you're exploring around the island/country. Look no further for more on International Travel or Fav 5 Travel Guides within the US. After spending several days road tripping around Ireland we returned the rental car (gladly, AMEN!) and settled into Dublin for the weekend. Ireland's capitol is a wonderful place to visit. We were in town specifically for a Penn State football game so the city was overrun by Nittany Lions, our schools' mascot and my specific breed of human! While the bars were FILLED with Penn Staters we managed to get some proper Irish adventures in between the pep rally, American football game, and visits to the pubs amongst other alumni at Temple Bar. Ireland is the inspiration for the second Figs and Flights {event}. The celebration of Irish Hospitality will take place on Friday, May 17 at our favorite Irish pub in Seattle, Shawn O'Donnell's.
Fav 5 Travel Guides are a short list of the best things I've found to do, see, eat, or drink in a particular location. This guide is for Ireland. There is another Fav 5 {Travel Guide} just for the city of Dublin so you won't see anything from Ireland's Capital and it's largest city included in this guide. Look no further for more on International Travel or Fav 5 Travel Guides within the US. Ireland was the second and final country of my first International Trip. My husband and I went to Italy and Ireland in 2014 on our honeymoon.
Bryce and I are both part Irish and we first met in an Irish pub in Honolulu, Hawaii, so visiting Ireland was a must for us. If that weren't enough reason for us to go, Penn State, my Alma Mater, was playing (American) football there! Our whole trip revolved around that game which we ended up winning in double overtime. We spent several days touring around the Emerald Isle before settling into Dublin for the weekend and football game. This adventure took us to several cities, towns, and landmarks and all over the roads, via the left side of the road and right side of the car (for me, the driver). Ireland is the inspiration for the second Figs and Flights {event}. The celebration of Irish Hospitality will take place on Friday, May 17 at our favorite Irish pub in Seattle, Shawn O'Donnell's. This is part of a series on our days at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I've recapped each day, the park we visited, where and what we ate and drank, the very best parts of each, and what we'd do differently or skip altogether for next time. Here's What's Been Covered:
Now, the last one! Day 5 at Hollywood Studios and the new Toy Story Land If you're visiting Figs and Flights for the first time, please stay a while and take a look around. Start here if you're looking for all things Disney. Our fifth and final day brought us, happy yet tired, to Hollywood Studios. You may remember this park, from your childhood, as MGM!
You also may remember the amazing Honey I Shrunk the Kids area where you could slide down blades of grass and climb up a GIANT oatmeal cream pie. That area is now gone and turned into the brand new Toy Story Land. This is part of a series on our visit to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I recap each day, the park we visited, where and what we ate and drank, the very best parts of each, and what we'd do differently or skip altogether for next time. Here's What's Been Covered: The overview of this trip to Orlando A Decoding Disney Guide that helps you understand the many terms and features Day 1: a little warm up at the Magic Kingdom, at night, just for a few hours, and just for the girls Day 2: a full day at Universal Studios, which was the highlight of the trip for the guys - my husband and his brother Now: Here were are now, at Day 3. It's our full day at the Magic Kingdom, the best day for me, my sister-in-law, and my niece! Next: Day 4 will be Epcot and the Best Food Day 5 is Hollywood Studios and the new Toy Story Land If you're visiting Figs and Flights for the first time, please stay a while and take a look around. Start here if you're looking for all things Disney. This is THE Disney day of my dreams - a full day at the Magic Kingdom. Tighten your Magic Band and get ready for the fun. This recap is broken up first by land, then by ride, restaurant, or whatever! Early Magic Hours and First RidesThanks to Magic Hours we were able to get into the Magic Kingdom at 8:00 am. We giddily bounced down Main Street USA and promptly had a family photo shoot in front of Cinderella's Castle. This was a specific request of mine, to get our pictures at the castle in while we were still bright eyed and bushy tailed and before the crowds arrived.
For a few hours hopped around the Magic Kingdom without a care in the world, popping on rides with short wait times. |
What is Figs and Flights?A blog fueled by food and travel, Figs and Flights is a resource for curious travelers, foodies, yogis & book worms
Hello, I'm AngelaI'm a food obsessed blogger and world traveler Let's Connect.Search Here:Most Popular PostsMost Popular VideosMost Popular Recipes
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