update #15 - travel: Barcelona & Girona

"travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of the experience" -- Francis Bacon

Wine & tapas in Barcelona

Travel does wonders for the soul. It doesn't have to be far. But going somewhere that's outside of your daily (or weekly) "normal" gives a refreshing perspective. 


It has helped me appreciate the many things I have here at home - community, familiarity, routine, constant sunshine (even though I'd be fine with some change in the weather every now and then ;) haha) - while satisfying my desire for adventure, change, exploration, learning something new.

Finally got to see Ally IN SPAIN!

A couple of weeks ago, I got to spend a weekend up in Barcelona, visiting a few friends, seeing a bunch of sights, relaxing, enjoying some good wine, exploring the city - and even going up to Girona for a day. It was a wonderful weekend away, a nice change of pace, a breath of fresh air, and a fun adventure!

Sagrada Familia

Exploring Parc Guell - Gaudi's house!

With just 62 hours in the area, we made the most of our time: going to the Sagrada Familia, getting a 2.5-hour (FREE!) walking tour of the Gothic Quarter, hiking up to Parc Guell (where Gaudi's house and quite a bit of his other works are), walking Las Ramblas, and even taking time to relax and enjoy some wine and tapas. 

It was an ideal time of year to go - not quite peak tourist season yet, so there weren't too many people, and the weather was great (aside from the rain our first day there)! If you have the chance to go to Barcelona, I'd definitely recommend going in late Spring or early Fall if you can. :)

Sitting outside my new favorite cafe

Our last day in Barcelona, we decided to take a 40-minute train ride north to Girona. We walked the old city wall (which provided amazing views, including the one in the photo below), went to the cathedral but had just barely missed the cutoff for the free entry, so we decided to go to a cafe my friend had recommended (La Fabrica) and fell in love with the city a little more. The cafe is in this tiny little plaza between several buildings and at the base of some ancient stairs; it was surreal and awesome all at once. The best part of Girona: everything in the old part of town is walkable from the train station! I would highly recommend taking a day to go explore Girona if you ever find yourself in Catalunya.

View of Girona from the old city wall

There will probably always be a thousand reasons not to travel

- even for a quick weekend trip -

but it's completely worth it. Vale la pena! 

Take advantage of flight deals,

find a cheap train ticket,

plan a short road trip with someone...

go on an adventure.

Your soul will thank you.

♥ mk

eat like the locals

"you have to taste a culture to understand it" -- Deborah Cater

Wine & olives

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles for a week of training meetings at CRM's main offices. It was a great time - I loved connecting with other people in this organization, hearing their stories, and learning about all that God is doing in the U.S. and across the world! So, while I was in the area, I had a few free evenings and seized the opportunity to get together with a couple of friends I'd met in Spain earlier this year.

We ended up going to a Spanish tapas restaurant (called Phlight in Whittier, CA) and

OH...

MY...

GOODNESS...

I instantly missed Spain.

No offense to Spanish food, but moving to Spain from San Diego can be a little rough on the taste buds. Going from spicy, flavor-filled foods to... well... a lack of spice... made it a little difficult for me to really love the food in Spain. But I grew to like a variety of foods while I was there. And visiting Phlight made me realize that I had actually come to LOVE - and truly miss - Spanish food.

As soon as my friends and I sat down, the servers gave us a small bowl of olives - quite possibly my favorite thing about getting wine & tapas in Spain is all the fresh (and free!) olives you get.

So delicious.

My eyes poured over the menu, unable to pick just one item - or even just a few. Thankfully I was there with friends and tapas are small enough that we could order a bunch and share. :) 

Patatas Bravas w/ Aioli sauce

I ordered patatas bravas - roasted potatoes accompanied by a spicy sauce (at Phlight it was served with a spicy aioli sauce) - which is one of the spiciest dishes in Spain. I was not disappointed - they were just as flavorful and delicious as I'd remembered!

Bacon-wrapped dates
stuffed w/ Manchego cheese

But it wasn't until I tried Phlight's Manchego cheese-stuffed bacon-wrapped dates that I realized just how much I missed Spanish food.

Oh.

So.

Good. 

Ground beef & pickle tacos

Finally, a surprising(ly delicious) item on the menu: ground beef and pickle tacos with spicy sauce. I was a little skeptical of the combination, but those chefs know what they're doing. 

Seriously.

You should try it. 

So, if you live near - or are visiting - Whittier, I would highly recommend trying this restaurant. Until then, go see what tapas restaurants are in/near your neighborhood and let me know what you find. If you have any recommendations, please leave a comment - I'd love to check them out if my travels take me that way!

♥

mk