Before we flew out, we spent a few hours in New York City, where we had a delicious lunch before going on a bus tour of some amazing locations and getting a glimpse of the vast history behind the Big Apple. Then it was off to the airport for a 9 hour flight to Barcelona!
Day 1
After arriving in Barcelona at 9 am we took our bus directly to our hotel, The Abbot, to drop off our bags and change clothes before a busy day in the city. From the hotel, we took the Metro to the Liceu stop, which took us straight to Las Ramblas. There, we had lunch around La Boqueria and ate a variety of different food including seafood salad, spanish pizza, and jamon (ham) crepes. We also saw different kinds of fresh meats, seafood, and colorful desserts and fresh fruits.
We walked towards the Gothic Quarter and saw many sights, including Plaza Cataluna, Puerto del Angel, Plaza de la Cathedral, and the Temple of Augusto. We had a bit of free time in the Gothic quarter where we let the students get a small bite to eat, shop, explore and take photos. When we all met up again, we walked to Piscolabis at Rambla de Catalina and had delicious croquetas, seafood paella, and a delicious creme caramel dessert with strawberries and ice cream.
During Day 1, we walked more than 12,770 steps which equals a total of 5.41 miles.
Day 2
We began the second day with another tour of the Gothic Quarter. We walked the narrow streets of Barcelona and saw more local monuments and historic areas. We then met up with a local tour guide who took us on a bus tour and explained the construction of the streets Barcelona.
She then led us on a tour of the famed Sagrada Familia, still under construction, but which will eventually be finished in 2026. After Sagrada Familia, we walked around Park Guell and ended up at the scenic overlook, taking photos of the Mediterranean and the 4th largest shipping port in the world. We then drove up to the Olympic park for more scenic photos and another great overlook of the city of Barcelona.
New Year's Eve
At the end of our second day, we had time to go back to the hotel and get ready for our New Year's Eve celebrations. We walked to the Arenas de Barcelona, a former bullring which was converted into a mall in 2009. The restaurant, Mussol, was located on the rooftop and had amazing views of Spain Square, where thousands of people were gathering, ready to party.
For dinner, we enjoyed a menu that included Iberian acorn-fed ham, grilled octopus, mini cannelloni, buffalo mozzarella and truffles (and more), and a main course of duck magret with mango chutney and potato confit.
During Day 2 we walked more than 17,500 steps, which equals almost 7.5 miles, and burned more than 2,500 calories.
Day 3
It might have been January 1st, but that didn't stop us from having another jam-packed day, even if we got started a little later in the morning. After breakfast, we walked back to the metro and rode it to the Modernist district, where we got an unexpected opportunity to take a virtual tour Casa Batllo, designed by Antonio Gaudi, for free. A few of us also enjoyed churros covered in chocolate, which is a traditional local treat enjoyed on New Year's Day.
After Casa Batllo, we met our local tour guide, Ana, who led us on a walking tour of Paseo de Gracia, then took us to La Pedrera, another one of Antonio Gaudi's creations. The rooftop of this amazing structure showed us another fantastic view of the city of Barcelona.
Finally, we took the metro to the Plaza de Odessa (background photo), a beautiful port on the Mediterranean, where we watched the sunset, and where the students were able to explore different types of food options.
At the end of Day 3, we clocked in 6.7 miles (15,809 steps) and burned almost 2400 calories.
Day 4
The main part of our fourth day in Barcelona was spent at a cooking class at a restaurant called Mercat Princesa. We had two fantastic teachers named Maria and Andrea who were great with the students and showed them exactly what to do. Our menu consisted of:
- Montadito de atún con mayonesa y cebolla dulce (Montadito with tuna, mayonnaise and sweet onion)
- Pan de coca con tomate (bread with tomato and olive oil)
- “Cucurucho” de tiras de pollo crujiente (crunchy chicken)
- Escalibada con queso de cabra y reducción de vinagre de Módena (baked vegetables with goat cheese and balsamic vinegar)
- Montadito Arantxa: Bacon, gambas y champiñones (montadito "Arantxa" with bacon, prawn and mushrooms)
- Huevos estrellados con jamón ibérico y patatas fritas (scrambled eggs with jamón ibérico and fries)
- For dessert, we had fresas bañadas en duo de chocolates (strawberries with white and dark chocolate)
- And to top off the meal, the students all made virgin pink mojitos.
After the cooking class, the students were able to have some free time on their own around the Las Ramblas area. A majority of them opted to explore the shops that lined Las Ramblas, a few went back to the port area we visited on Day 3 and had dinner overlooking the water, and a few even managed to take the metro on their own and visit the beach and FC Barcelona's soccer stadium.
During Day 4, we walked almost 10 miles (23,500 steps) and burned 2517 calories.
Day 5
Our final day in Barcelona started off with a scavenger hunt inside La Boqueria. Ana, our tour guide from La Pedrera, sent us hunting for the Spanish names of familiar fruits, vegetables, and meats. That was the first part of the scavenger hunt. The second part led us to a different section of Barcelona, at an indoor market, where we had to look at the prices of local food. Congratulations to our winners who received some delicious spanish chocolates.
In between the scavenger hunts, we went to an olive oil tasting where we learned a little bit about Spanish olive oil, and got to taste a variety of olive oil infused with different flavors.
After lunch, we took a bus on a two hour ride to Figueres, the site of the Salvador Dali museum. There, we met local tour guide Manel who showed us some of the highlights of the museum, including Dali's most famous pieces, as well as some of his most favorite and valued pieces.
Even with the two hour bus ride both ways, we still managed to clock in 10,700 steps (4.50 miles) and burned 2,100 calories.
"Thank you so much for your hard work and leadership in pulling off another great winter trip!" - CIP Berkshire Parent