When making our decision to head to London one of the biggest draws was its proximity to the rest of Europe. Round trip flights to Germany for $30? I can deal. So in September we booked our first Easy Jet tickets to Barcelona and packed our bags! I’d never been to Spain and to be honest didn’t really know what to expect. It doesn’t have the romance I often associate with Italy or the classic glamour of France but what it does have is an effortlessly hip vibe that resonates with my PNW soul. Walking around Barcelona felt like when you hang out with someone so secure in themselves that it draws out your own best qualities and you’re left feeling more sure of who you are just by being around them. I kept looking for a Gaudi building that had been spray painted by Picasso saying, keep Barca weird but it never appeared.

We had the best time wandering the streets of Barcelona and ate some incredible seafood. Luckily we were able to meet up with old friends and they showed us the boardwalk from the top of the city and took us to Sitges for the best papas bravas in Spain. While on the topic of food I’m pretty sure Spanish tapas might be the only way to eat meals from now on. If I took one thing away from the laid back country it was to order shared food for a group anytime you go out. It made the act of eating so much more communal and messy. It’s hard to have stiff conversation when you’re fighting over who eats the last piece of tomato toast.

After getting our culture on in Barcelona we zipped up the Costa Brava and saw the rural cliffsides of Catalonia. If you’re in Barcelona in the summer be sure to add time to your itinerary so you don’t miss the sleepy fishing towns lining the coast. We spent most our time in Llfranc but the whole region is scattered with seafront villages nestled between green cliffs and the Mediterranean sea.

We did hear that in the summer these seaside villages become packed with sunbathers escaping the heat of Barcelona but September proved a perfect time to go with plenty of sun and swimming and none of the crowds. One day it was too cold to beach so we ventured to the medieval town of Begur and explored a castle from the 15th century. The Monty Python vibe was too real in this town so I couldn’t hold myself back from asking a few strangers to bring out their dead. Conveniently, they didn’t seem to speak great English, or so they pretended.

Spain was the perfect close to a manic summer where we were able to balance adventure with relaxation, culture with country bumpkin, and sunbathing with sunscreen. We can’t wait to explore Seville and San Sebastian on our next venture back!

Have you spent time in Spain? Do you have any places you specifically love? Tapas, yay or nay? Cava or cocktail? I’d love to get your thoughts in the comments below or tag your adventures with #rootandroam so we can see your recommendations.

XOXO

S.

Image source: Smoda

Spanish Summer