Trip Log: Spain Edition

Hola!! As promised here is the continuation of the trip log. I recommend reading the Portugal edition first and then read this one.

Day 9 continued:

I’m not going to sugar coat it, we literally thought we were going to die on the last leg of the flight. The first flight from Porto to Lisbon went very smoothly, then we got to the Lisbon airport and there wasn’t a lot of information about our flight. After around 20 minutes we were able to figure it out, and we went to our gate. We were just sitting at our gate and no one was being told anything so we went up to ask. Even the worker had no real clue what was going on and why our flight was being delayed. Anyways, eventually we got on the flight after a few weird circumstances. It was a good thing I was exhausted because if I wasn’t, I would have been terrified on that flight. The plane squealed and made disconcerting noises, it kept moving high and low and all around, it seemed as if they didn’t have control of the plane. My sister and I had excepted our fate… this would be the end. Ok, it wasn’t that dramatic, but it wasn’t off by much. Somehow, we landed safely. We then made our way to get our bags. We look, the first bag comes, then no more. We keep looking, still no bags. About 1/3 of the people on our flight had no bags, so I figured we just had to wait a little while longer. No. This was not the case. We were told to visit the office of our airline which was upstairs. We waited and waited until it was our turn. They told us our luggage would arrive late that night or the next day and that they would deliver it. It was unfortunate, but we would deal with it. We got in the car and drove to our hotel. The village was the cutest thing you have ever seen. Immediately when we drove further in and I saw what Seville was really about, I feel in love. The cute streets, the adorable cafes, the quaintness of the whole place melted my heart. We had our own condo (ironically enough my mom did this so we could do our laundry here, yet we didn’t have our luggage) that was in the perfect location. We had my moms bag and a duffle bag that we carried on, so my mom was set but the rest of us were screwed. Luckily I had put two dresses in the duffle bag so I changed into one of those and the rest of us got ready with what we had. We walked to dinner, exploring seville along the way. We ate at a place called Contendedor which was colorful and fun and had great food. We ordered things like a salad (which I was so happy to find because there hadn’t been many veggies in Portugal), a salmon dish (I’m allergic so I can’t give you any scoop on that), and pate. I had been craving pate and it definitely hit the spot, but let me tell you there was so much pate. We then had main dishes of duck with crispy rice which was to die for, Iberian pork, and tuna cheek. This dinner was a great way to ring in Spain and divert our attention from the missing bags. We took a walk after dinner and enjoyed the scenery, feeling completely content with life.

Day 10: 

The morning came and still no luggage which meant we got returned to our same outfits to look around the town. We ate breakfast at the hotel and then made our way to the royal alcazar in which we had a scheduled visiting time. It was a bit hard to find where the entrance was, but we made our way there. We first went in a room to explore the pottery which was so ornate and intriguing to see how it has adapted over time. Then, we got ready for our tour through the royal palace. It was audio guided which was great because we got a good sense of what each room would have bene used for. After the tour had finished, we made our way through the rest of the alcazar. We went through the garden, the maze, and each little crevice to make sure we didn’t miss a thing. We went back to our condo to throw in the little laundry we did have and to purchase tickets to the cathedral which was in the same area as the alcazar. We tried to find a place to have lunch as well, but this proved harder than anticipated. We decided to head out and see what we stumbled upon. Unfortunately I do not recall the restaurant we ended up going to but what I do know is we had a delicious ceviche along with a few other dishes to split for the table. I like that Spain and Portugal have a pinchos and tapas culture in which you order a bunch of small dishes for everyone to share. This way, you get to try tons of different things and you don’t get stuck with just one flavor. Our hanger was finally cured after we bought a gigantic custard pastry from the pasteleria next to our condo. We made our way to the gorgeous cathedral. It truly was magnificent and one of the biggest churches I had ever seen. We saw a sign to go up to the top and we were interested. We went up the ramp and up and up and soon realized what we had gotten ourselves into. 35 floors later, we made it to the top. The view of the whole city made the whole trek worth it. After this, we knew we had a super nice dinner and my brother had absolutely nothing to wear. To the store we went. My mom, sister, and I headed to Sephora because our natural beauty needed a little bit of help. My dad and brother went to pick up some clothes for dinner tonight. We made a few successful purchases and continued walking through the city. One of my absolute favorite things about European travel is walking. Whenever I am in Europe I try to walk around as much as possible. In fact, most days I am getting 20,000+ steps. I feel like the best and easiest way to get to know the area you are in and immerse yourself in the culture is simply walking around. It doesn’t cost money and doesn’t require much of anything. It is also a great way to bond with family members or get some alone time. We came back and took a nap per usual. Although I like to constantly be exploring and on the move, it is so nice to come back, chill, and close my eyes for a while. Vacation is about relaxing and replenishing your energy, not about trying to fit the most in all the time. We got ready for dinner at Abantal and headed that way. This dinner was a Michelin star tasting menu so I had high expectations, but it actually blew me away. Each bite tasted like it had been thoughtfully crafted and the menu had been chosen carefully. I have become very into food and exploring different creative ways to make food so this dinner was very entertaining for me. We started with aperitifs, in fact a whole tray full (I will explain each left to right). Our first bite had an uncomfortable texture and was overall unidentifiable. To say the least, none of us were a fan, but little did we know this would be the only thing we were not absolutely obsessed with. Next was a beet puree with swordfish, so refreshing and the flavors mixed wonderfully. A leek puree with leek shortbread was next, a great bite and delicious flavor. Lastly my favorite was the foie gras sandwiched in between a little piece of bread with a fruity jam on top, incredible. For your sake, I won’t go through each and every course (because I could talk about food and this dinner in particular forever), but I will include the menu down below. One of the best dinners and experiences ever, a great place to people watch, and perfect for foodies. Meals with my family are one of my most favorite things in the world because we always come across a multitude of interesting, engaging, and or hilarious topics. There is always plenty of laughs, smiles, and good food. 

Day 11:

After that delicious, filling, rich dinner we decided to sleep in a bit and when we woke we weren’t ready for a meal. Those of us that were hungry grabbed a bar and we made our plan of action, oh yeah and still no luggage. My mom had put together ideas on an itinerary so I took some of those and figured out what we would do that day. We first made our way to the Metropol Parasol and looked around, but found out that it lit up at night which immediately excited us. We decided we would come back later, so we made our way to Plaza de España. Heat blaring, sun striking, we were hot. Walking and walking all around, popping into shops, looking around. We started to feel a grumble in our stomachs, but we figured we should get to our destination and then look for food near there. Bad idea. I encouraged everyone to just keep on walking, I was enjoying my time. I love to walk and explore no matter the temperature or hunger level, I am adventurer through and through. On the other hand, the rest of my family not so much. After hours of walking we arrived and found that the closest lunch spots were 15 more minutes away by walking. At this moment my family hated me. They were starving and tired and overheated. I was still in my own little dream land, loving Seville in every way. Don’t get me wrong, I was way past ready to eat so I was less than thrilled to learn we had just walked away from where all the food was. We quickly found and place and practically sprinted there. Not as much AC as we would have liked, but it would have to do. It was a cute restaurant with great food. The most notable being what my brother ordered, “scrambled eggs with French fries.” This turned out to actually be a Spanish tortilla which is eggs with fried potato. It was incredible, each bite melted in our mouthes and created a harmony of flavors. Once steam stopped coming out of my siblings ears due to rage, we decided to go back to Plaza de España and look around. It was magnificent. I will say, it is more of a quick walk around and not something you would spend a lot of time doing. I enjoyed the long, long walk around the town of Seville because I felt like I got a great understanding of where I was, but I know this is certainly not for everyone, especially with 100 degree heat. We walked home but realized we were parched and would really enjoy a nice glass of iced tea or kombucha. Lucky for us, their was a healthy cafe right across the street which had both! My mom and I sat down and enjoyed our beverages while my sister headed back up for some AC and my brother and dad went to check on our luggage. They came back empty handed, but not 5 minutes later we got a call saying our bags had arrived. It was an utter miracle. Our luggage had all the clothes we actually like, so if it got lost we would be left with the clothes that sit in the closet untouched hoping one day to be chosen, but are really there for decoration. We got our luggage and came back with an appetite for ice cream. My brother and I went down the street and I got Biscoff gelato, which if you know anything about me you know I love Biscoff. I took a quick nap and then got ready for dinner. We didn’t have reservations on this night so we took to googling and reserved a spot at Tropiko Gastrobar. It was adorable. The perfect vibe. The owner was the sweetest man and the food was exactly what we were looking for. We made the trek back to Metropol Parasol because we figured we made our way to Seville, we might as well make the most of it. When we got there it wasn’t quite dark enough, but the lights were still cool. I would recommend visiting quite late at night. I also can’t emphasize enough the fact that you should take advantage of the things around you. Take a leap of faith. Do something out of your comfort zone. 

Day 12:

Travel day. We woke up at around 6 a.m. for our flight to Bilbao. Although this was early, we could sleep on the plane and I would highly recommend it so that you can enjoy the rest of your day. When we landed we had a driver pick us up and take us to the Gugenheim museum. We explored the museum for a couple of hours and it was well worth it. We saw all sorts of cars, crazy sculptures, and other exhibits. Unpopular opinion, I love a good museum. Some museums can be boring, but if you find the right ones they are so intriguing and pull you in. We ate lunch right around the museum and got picked up by our driver who brought us to San Sebastian where we would be staying. It was about an hour car ride and I feel right to sleep. We I woke up we were rounding the corner of one of the most breath taking places I had ever viewed. We were right on the coast. Surrounded by a cute town, sailboats, mountains, forest, and city. It was like a mixture of California, Italy, and Spain. Too good to be true, but it was. We checked in and while the other members of my family decided to chill in the hotel, my mom and I took a long walk on the beach and through the city. So much to see and we just kept saying, “this is amazing, this is incredible, omg I love this place.” My mom went back to the hotel and I kept walking, never wanting my exploration to end. The weather couldn’t be more perfect. The sun was warming you, but the wind offered a bit of chilliness. For dinner we decided to embrace the culture and have tapas from a couple different restaurants. I researched and walked around keeping a list of ideas. The first place we went to was called La Cuchara de San Telmo. This was probably the best tapas/ pintxos of the whole trip. We had suckling pig, octopus, veal cheek, and pig ear. We then went to a place that was so forgettable that I forgot its name. This was good, but not worth going to. If you order pintxos you have to be prepared to be standing and except the chill but crowded vibe. We did a family walk around the town and headed back to go to bed. 

Day 13:

What I love about San Sebastian is there are so many places to go on a long walk. The amount of walks and runs on went on here was insane and the view never got old. I went on a walk through the forest area with my dad before breakfast, had breakfast, then went on a walk with my mom to the beach, this time not on the actual beach but right alongside it and through the town. We came back to the hotel and grabbed the rest of the family to then continue our walk in the other direction. We got lunch at a healthy cafe called Tedone Jatetxea because we wanted something a little lighter and we were getting a bit tired of the Spanish/ Portuguese food. I had a fabulous orange lentil burger. On to more walking! For dinner we went to Narru. One of the best steaks of my whole life. There have been two steaks on this trip that have been my favorite steaks throughout my existence and this was one of them. We also had dishes such as oxtail ravioli, the greatest tuna (it was exactly like tuna straight from Japan, a perfect balance of fat and meat), fish, salad, and French fries. We met these super fun Australian and British guys who were enjoying a bachelor party and were seated at the table right behind us. I love meeting new people in different countries and finding out what they are all about. We took our nightly walk and my sister, dad, and I prepared ourselves for the long night ahead. We had decided we would watch the lightning game because this was the game in which they could seal the deal. We slept for around 2 hours and then woke up to watch the game. It was such a fun game and great hockey. This night was full sleepy jokes and tired laughs, but it was more than worth it. We won the game and made so many memories. 

Day 14:

I woke up at around 10 and I really wanted to go for a run all around and so I did. I ran/walked for around 4.5+ miles. More family walking followed and we then decided to check out the surfing beach. It was so much fun and we watched a few matches of beach volleyball which proved to be even more entertaining than I had thought it would be. We went to a place called the Yellow Deli for lunch because it had a light menu and healthy options. It was definitely a strange atmosphere, the inside was almost barn like and it smelled a bit musty, but it adds to the plot! Although it was interesting… the food was yummy. When in doubt, especially in San Sebastian, we are walking. Finding new nooks and crannies. Dinner was at Alejandro Restaurante where I had grilled hake with citrus vinaigrette.

Day 15: 

On this day, we were leaving to head to our last destination, Barcelona. We had multiple hours in the morning to do anything (probably walk hahaha!!). One walk that was a stand out was when my brother and I took the trek up a mountain/hill to reach Cristo de la Mota. It was a great brother, sister bonding moment and fun to talk just my bro and I. The view was stunning, you could see the water through the forest. Up until today we had not had even an ok meal. Every meal by this point was insane (maybe, maybe there was one other I honestly cannot recall). Lunch has proven a difficult meal to track down. With five people it is difficult to find something that everyone wants that also has enough room to seat us. We looked and looked and kept going back and forth between different places. Since we couldn’t find anything and we were running out of time we went back to the hotel. Unfortunately, the couldn’t seat us in the actual restaurant but we could have pintxos ( small plates). At this point, this was the only option so we agreed (spoiler alert we shouldn’t have agreed). We ordered a few dishes, none of which sounded appealing to me lol. Not going to lie I was in a bad mood and was totally over it. My mom and I got a salad, or so we thought. What was first brought to the table was a pile of pinkish, grayish mush with chopped pieces of shrimp, sprinkly cheese, and slivers of olive on top. I am trying to be polite, but I am not going to sugar coat it, it was the grossest thing I have ever seen… ever. I was trying not to show my disgust, but my dad immediately knew this wasn’t going to work. The waiter had brought us the wrong salad so we had him bring out what was labeled “spring salad” on the menu. This was no spring salad I have ever viewed. It looked like egg salad that had been thrown up on a crostini. At this point my appetite was completely lost. Although I was cranky then, throughout the rest of the trip we kept going back to this moment and crying laughing. Once again, good for the plot and the stories. It was time to go to the airport so I had a bar and hoped in. When we arrived in Barcelona we were all starving as it was around 7-7:30. I did some research and found Sumac and mambo which had a fun DJ and a fusion of Spanish, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean. Totally recommend, it was great food and a great atmosphere. We ate at around 9-9:30 because this was the only available time, but it was worth it. We also had the best waiter, he was so cute and gave us great recommendations. 

Day 16: 

Yay! Today is the day Betsy’s boyfriend, Michael, flew to Barcelona to meet us. Michael has come on a few of our trips to North Carolina, but it was so fun to have him on one of our European extravaganzas. He came in the morning and we all ate breakfast at the hotel together. This hotel breakfast was so tasty and had so many options. There were eggs say way you wanted them, tons of charcuterie, honey comb, a salad bar, any bread you wanted, so many desserts, yogurt, etc. I love that in Europe there are pastries and cookies for breakfast! Who doesn’t love a good sweet treat to start the day off when on vacay. Then, it was time to explore the city. We walked on the famous street called La Rambla and into the Gothic Quarter to view one of the magnificent cathedrals. What I would recommend now that the trip is done is to visit La Boqueria on the first day, but I will touch on that later. We then went to the Picasso museum and viewed tons of his work. We were all exhausted, especially Michael who had just gotten in from the US. We took naps and then time for bar and dinner. Before dinner at Speakeasy which seriously is like a speakeasy with a secret entrance and passcode, we went to a bar called Dry Martini. Super fun, service was slow, but overall good. Dinner left me speechless. We ordered a few appetizers for the table like the foie gras and truffle ravioli and then my mom and I split the suckling pig with grilled pineapple and the star of the night which was crispy duck rice. More walking the streets! 

Day 17:

Another day another delicious breakfast. We got up earlier because we had to leave the hotel at 9:30 for our tour. We toured La Sagrada Familia. No words. Absolutely no words. One of the best things I have ever viewed. I will let the pictures speak for themselves because I truly cannot express its utter beauty and magnificence. Wow, still in awe. However, what I didn’t know was that La Sagrada it not done. Gaudi had a vision and the architects after him continued it. The tour was four hours long which is our family typical maximum. By the fourth hour, everyone is ready to be done. We spent about 2 hours looking through each part of La Sagrada and the museum and other buildings attached. We then went to another one of Gaudi’s masterpieces, La Pedrera. It had a perfect view of La Sagrada Familia and all of Barcelona, and just like all of Gaudi’s other works, the architecture is impeccable. Lastly we visited Gaudi’s Casa Batlló, which is a house with a dragon on it. Lunch was at a tapas place called Vinitus, I wouldn’t go back but it wasn’t bad. We walked around, like usual. For dinner we went to bar Cañete which had been recommend on several accounts to us. The restaurant itself was super cool, our waiter put a bit of a damper on the experience because he was odd, but the food was good. My family loved it, I liked it, I think there are better places to eat but take that as you will. After we went to a bar called Sips which I could not recommend more. We got this recommendation from our waiter the first night. The drinks were inventive and interactive, and the place itself was dark and intriguing. 

Day 18: 

Last day, what?! We booked a cooking class which we thought was at 10, but it was actually at 11 so in the meantime we took a deeper look in the cathedral and Gothic Quarter, which I am really glad we got to do. We did a cooking class through Cook and Taste and had the best time. In my opinion, when in doubt do a cooking class. I think it is always worth it. Not only do you get to cook and enjoy food, but you make memories that will last a lifetime. We started by making the dessert because it needed time to cool and set. It was a Cream Catalana which is like creme brûlée. We then made the gazpacho which had the typical ingredients like garlic, onion, tomato, pepper, but also had beet and watermelon. Next up, the Spanish tortilla I referred to earlier (egg frittata with onions and potatoes). For the main course seafood paella. Yum, yum, yum. Best paella of life, and everything else was chefs kiss as well. We did the class with our family, Michael, and my sister’s friend Sofia which made it even more fun. We thought the class included a tour of La Boqueria, the market, but things got mixed up so we decided to head over there after the class. That ended up being even better because I liked being able to take my time, although I could have spent a whole day just looking around. This market was spectacular. Everything and anything you wanted was there. Fresh meats and cheeses, candy, pastries, gelato, fruit, salads, empanadas, smoothies, literally anything. I was sad that we saved it for the last day because I would have loved to enjoy some of the food from this wonderful place, but it’s just a reason to come back! I’m still dreaming about the piles of gelato and empanadas, but I seriously couldn’t have another ounce of food after the cooking class. What I would suggest is leaving a day to grab food from la Boqueria and either bring your food or go after to the beach. Anyways, we walked around and popped in a few stores before heading back for naps and chill time. I was hesitant about the dinner we had planned. Although I love tapas, I was getting sick of the same food over and over again. I began to look for a different restaurant, but everyone else wanted the tapas so I stuck with it. The restaurant was called Bar Brutal and it was the perfect amount of the same yet so different. I love a good fusion and when restaurants put a spin on the typical cuisine and that is exactly what this restaurant did. We had labneh with sukkah and mint, burrata with tomato and nectarine, jamón iberico, pork loin, steak, octopus, veggies, scallops, etc. We split everything and it worked out great. To end the night we went to a bar called Dux, so fun. 

Day 19:

Travel day. As soon as we woke up our flight was delayed 45 minutes so we went back to sleep for a bit. We got ready, grabbed breakfast, and left for our flight at around 11. Around 26 hours of travel later and we finally made it home at 3:30 a.m. Whew! Note to self, no 7 hour layovers lol. Although Europe has my heart, it certainly feel good to be home though.

Recap: I love you Europe and I will be back soon. Thank you Spain and Portugal you have been amazing. The culture, the sites, the food, the people, the memories everything has been incredible. One thing I cannot forget is a thank you to my parents. This trip has been out of this world incredible and it wouldn’t have been possible without both of them. P.S. my mom is the best travel agent everrrrr.

 One of the many, many things I love about Europe is the pre appetizer and post dessert snacks! They may be tiny, but they are scrumptious and add a fun flare to the dinner experience. I also thought I might hate eating really late, but I loved it so much. It allowed for more time to look around and enjoy a good nap. This trip is exactly what I needed. Something to calm me, but get me out of my comfort zone in some ways. I love being able to spend this time with my family. My favorite thing is the non stop laughter and good times (don’t get me wrong I’m not saying we didn’t fight or get mad, but that’s normal).

I have made a pact to myself to incorporate more of the European lifestyle. Take more walks, relax, don’t overwork yourself, etc. I always used to think sleeping in meant that the day vanished, but no. There are plenty of hours in the day.

And if you got to this point, wow! Thank you for reading. I hope you have enjoyed hearing the stories and maybe it has helped you brainstorm ideas for future travel. Traveling truly helps my soul, maybe it will help yours too. If you can’t do it right now, just keep dreaming, it will come in due time.