The beach where the swim portion of the Barcelona Ironman 70.3 took place.
Calella was asleep when I arrived at dawn, but the town transformed overnight into an enthusiastic crowd for the Ironman 70.3 Barcelona. I had come to this beachside barrio to experience the race atmosphere, and watch one of my favorite humans, Ricky McCreadie, and his friends take on the epic competition. The race had a cut-off time of eight hours (a logical deadline for a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run), so spectators had some time to kill to say the least. I did not rise in time for the 7am start, but I eventually joined the rest of the Ironman spectators on the beach to pass the hours under the Spanish sun.
Ricky finishing the race!
By sunset I had found everyone in our friend group, and we explored Calella a bit via foot. Eventually, Ricky and I settled on a mom and pop style restaurant for dinner. A soccer game featuring the home team, FC Barcelona, was playing on the tv screen, and when a goal was scored, the entire restaurant erupted in unison with cheers and exclaimed “GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!!"
It was impossible to be unhappy in such a friendly atmosphere.
Calella street scenes; a young boy practices his football footwork.
The following day we arrived in Barcelona. Although there is a train system that runs from Calella into the city center, Zach, a friend and Ironman participant, drove us through the hills, retracing the path of the cycling portion of the Ironman that competitors had sped down at approximately sixty miles per hour the day before. The road led us through small vineyards, sharp, but picturesque, cliff edges, and even a dormant volcano, before we arrived in the metropolis of Barcelona.
Once we had settled into our respective accommodations, we parted into pairs to explore the city on our own. This led us to Camp Nou, the historic stadium and home of FC Barcelona. An old friend had first introduced me to the team years ago, when I was a foolish Manchester United fan, and I couldn’t be more thankful! Every player on this team is talented, and there’s obvious proof with dozens of gleaming trophies on display in their showroom. The stadium itself is a wonder to behold. It was a quiet day at Camp Nou, which allowed us space to roam aimlessly in awe. Although the covered VIP seating area edging the grass was luxurious, my favorite viewing point of the field was from the announcer’s booth, overlooking the stadium. A recording of a game played decades ago was on repeat adding an air of excitement to the vacant field. We left the stadium that day near dusk, and after a long walk towards Las Ramblas, retired for the day.
FC Barcelona's stadium.
That Tuesday in Barcelona was filled with art and cuisine. Casa Batlló was our first stop. This surrealist house was designed by Antoni Gaudi in 1904. Though it has been refurbished many times since, the house still upholds a sense of creative wonder to all that encounter it. To say Gaudi has a specific style to his art is an understatement. This building is a prime example of grand surrealism. Around almost every corner one can find a secret door or a reference to nature or the mythical realm. The guided, augmented reality audio tour only adds to this experience. A location-sensitive recording in one’s vernacular speaks about the history, building process, and idea formation of each room, so that by the time you end up on the colorful ‘dragon scale’ roof, you’re practically a Gaudi expert!
A sunlit passageway in Casa Batlló.
It was nearly lunch time when we finished exploring the architectural monument, so we headed into Ciutat Vella, the old city on the edge of the Gothic Quarter to visit Cal Pep, a famous tapas bar and restaurant. Here we joined the rest of our friends for a traditional Spanish lunch. Though the eatery is known for their fresh seafood, they were kindly able to whip up some delicious vegetarian dishes for me while the rest of the party feasted on white fish, octopus, and steak. Dessert was the most memorable part of the meal in my opinion; Crema Catalana! Imprinted with their namesake, this decadent Spanish version of creme brûlée was the perfect ending to the fresh, locally-sourced lunch.
Crema Catalana by Cal Pep!
Afterwards our group wandered to the Picasso Museum. Though the famed painter is known for his cubic designs, it was interesting to see his earlier work which includes a number of impressionist pieces and realistic sketches that contrasted his more famous paintings and sculptures that are usually up for interpretation. I am all about examining well known artists’ less famous pieces because I often end up liking them more, but seeing some of Picasso’s blue period in person was well worth the trip. The museum itself is also a piece of architectural art. It is placed in a building in the Gothic Quarter and has a fairytale atmosphere to it. Even the waiting area by the restrooms is a greenery filled courtyard with a balcony overlooking another floor!
Following the museum, we started on one of our urban hikes to kill time before dinner. Shortly before golden hour, we found ourselves in the picturesque Ciutadella Park. It was the scene of a perfect spring day within the borders of this greenspace. Packs of runners, street musicians, pairs of aerial yogis, picnickers, and more were all coexisting while the sun gleamed off the golden roofs of the monuments within the space. Ricky and I made our way to the large fountain in the heart of the park, co-designed by Josep Fontsère and Antoni Gaudí. Once we climbed the stairs to the top of the structure, we were able to relax on the balcony viewing point, overlooking the entire park. It was nearly sunset when we headed back to our hotels to get ready for dinner.
The large structure in the heart of the park, designed by Gaudí and Fontsère.
I was incredibly excited to visit our dinner venue of the night: Sésamo. It’s definitely not a challenge to be a vegetarian in Barcelona, but it is also a rarity to find entirely vegetarian fine dining. Sésamo makes vegetarian cuisine look elegant and luxurious, while staying completely on foodie trend. Everything on the menu looked delicious, so we ended up letting our chef decide what to serve and opted for the surprise tasting menu. There ended up being so many delicious courses, and a wine pairing with the meal wasn’t that much extra, so it was definitely worth every penny! Some standouts were the strawberry gazpacho, beet gnocchi, and cauliflower steak with tahini. These wonderful dishes are served up in a small, but cozy space off a side street near the Las Ramblas area. While it may not be the most glamorous of settings, I would honestly say it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had!
The following morning we continued our lush Spanish food experience at the iconic Boqueria market. Food markets have always fascinated me, but I’ve never been to one quite as expansive as this one. From Spanish specialties like fresh jamón ibérico to well known favorites such as chocolate covered strawberries and everyday groceries, there is something for everyone. As touristic as it is, I’m sure this will be a place I will want to return to every time I visit Barcelona. I grabbed a guava juice as a morning pick-me-up, and Ricky chose an interesting mint juice concoction. We also picked up a skewer full of the aforementioned chocolate covered strawberries to round out our well balanced breakfasts. It was definitely tough to make a decision what to get since there were so many stands. The array of fresh produce is enough to make a trip, but the restaurant stands are also a wonderful reason to visit. It was a great decision to go in the morning as well, since the market is known for heavy foot traffic around midday.
Just some of the vibrant offerings of the market.
With the itinerary we had planned for our last full day in Barcelona, we were bound to get some serious step tracker points. Our plans took us to Montjuïc park. Getting there was half the fun - it’s accessible via cable car! The route began from the port side of the city (where you could easily sit and watch the docked sailboats bobbing in the turquoise waters for hours), and takes you high above Barcelona’s grid system. As our altitude increased, we could easily see the beautiful grid system of the city, and the Sagrada Familia’s pointed spires jutting out into the sky. Once we found ourselves on solid ground on the other side of the cable line, we started roaming the park, which turned into a mini hike! It was well worth it though because along the way we found cooling breezes and, the best surprise of all, a cacti garden! Anyone who knows me well is aware that I am obsessed with these prickly plants, so finding this little slice of desert heaven in the middle of metropolis Barcelona was a dream!
Our journey to Montjuïc Park!
The cacti forest!
We continued to stroll through the peaceful park overlooking the city till the sun began to make it’s way below the horizon. On our way back to the hotels to get ready for our last night in Barcelona, we decided to take a detour to view the famed Sagrada Familia up close. The gothic architectural detail on the building is almost too intricate to believe that humans created each carving by hand. Restorations were still being done so most of the building was covered in scaffolding, but it was still a stop we couldn’t miss.
The exquisite Sagrada Familia!
On our final evening in Barcelona, Ricky and I attended a traditional flamenco show at Paleu de Música. I have attended many theater and dance performances in my life, but never have I seen one with such passion from every single member of the performance team. I have nothing but appreciation for flamenco dancing as an art after this show! It was seductive, emotional, and expertly executed. The small group of musicians that were accompanying the show were also jaw dropping; I’d even say they made the experience. The cultural dresses that the dancers were wearing were beautiful as well; having not had a hand in a production for the past three years myself, I had forgotten how much a costume can add to a dancers movement. All together it made for the perfect end to our time in the gorgeous city!
The Paleu de Música where the flamenco performance was held was a work of art itself!
We had drinks with our friends after the show and all reminisced about our last few days in Barcelona. One thing we could all agree on was that it shouldn’t be long before we make our return. Hasta luego Barcelona!