For my 30^th birthday, I decided I didn’t want a party but to get on the train and go visit my friends in Barcelona, who did nothing but pamper me all day long.

Of course, I stayed at the house of one of my friends and even though it was my fifth time in Barcelona, it was the first time that this city really makes me fall in love. Maybe because I toured the city with people who already live there.

Here is a map of Barcelona with places I liked, followed by some interesting places I visited during this weekend:

• Brunch at Brunch & CAKE. A very cozy place with a wide brunch menu.

• La Boquería. Whenever I visit BCN, this place is a must, even if it’s just to watch. The colors and varieties of fruits, vegetables and seafood that you can get is surprising
• On the recommendation of my friends we decided to celebrate my birthday at Cervecería Moritz (Brewery). A very cool place, with a fun store and perfect for a snack and a few drinks with a group of friends. The service was also ideal. They don’t take reservations but being a big place we didn’t have to wait that long, even being almost 10 people

• I revisited Casa Batlló and Park Güell (buy tickets in advance otherwise it’s impossible to visit, even in low season)
• We went to eat at KAUAI. A stylish beach bar on Gava beach. Also a beach that despite being a little far, worth visiting
• We bought desserts to take away at CAELUM. A place with a beautiful decoration, especially on the ground floor that looks like a cave. Desserts were espectacular, though they could improve the service

• And the last brunch was at PICNIC. They were very friendly, even when we changed the number of party last minute
• We went to the Montjuic to walk for a while and ended up eating the best ham croquettes that I’ve ever had in MARTÍNEZ. Excellent service and nice Spritz
• Finally, we were lucky that this weekend was CAVATAST in Sant Sadurni D´Anoia. It had 48 stands with all the cavas of the area. Also with very good prices. This was the best closure to a wonderful weekend

Thanks again to all my friends who made this weekend unforgettable.

Some hidden gems from other trips to Barcelona

Having friends living in Barcelona has helped me discover not so common places of the city. Of course, if you are going for the first time, you got to see La Pedrera, Casa Batlló, La Sagrada Familia, Barrio Gótico, La Rambla, Ciudadela Park, etc. But, if like me, you were lucky to have more time in the city, I truly recommend these places:

• Palau Güell. “Gaudí and Güell met at the end of the 19th century. The result of their relationship was a series of architectural works that are now internationally famous, amongst them Palau Güell, an urban palace in the heart of Barcelona”. This is a hidden gem that it’s not as crowded as other Gaudí’s works
• Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital. “This hospital is the world’s largest Art Nouveau complex, as well as being the most important work by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the architect of Modernisme, the Catalan Art Nouveau”

• MUHBA Refugi 307. An air-raid shelter well preserved from the 1930’s. Nowadays, a History Museum
• Museu Picasso. Picasso’s friend and personal secretary, Jaume Sabartés, fulfilled Picasso’s wish of creating his museum in this city. The museum is in the gothic Palau Aguilar and has an extensive collection of Picasso’s work
• Horta labyrinth. The oldest garden in the city (from 1791)

• Augustus Temple. Temple of the Roman colony of Barcino (1st century BC)
• Rubiot i Lluch Gardens. “It was once the courtyard of the Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu, a working hospital until 1929 and now an Artistic Landmark of National Interest for its high-vaulted hallways. Although Gaudí is buried in the crypt of La Sagrada Familia, this leafy spot was where he spent his final days following a fatal collision with a tram in 1926”
• El Born Centre de Cultura i Memoria. Archeological site from the end of the 17th century

• La Paradeta. An excellent restaurant that offers a wide variety of fish and seafood. You can choose what you want to eat directly from the seafood stall
• El Nacional. A restaurant located in a modernist building dating from 1889
• Sant Cugat del Vallés. A curious town very close to BCN (20minutes)