It's all about Ashley: A break to Barcelona!!

Two weeks ago I headed off to the popular city break destination, Barcelona. Over my three day stay it was clear as to why it's is such a sought after place to be. There's just this constant buzz and a feel good vibe about it. With so much to offer from tourist attractions to famous art museums and of course the fantastic food and nightlight, there really is something for everyone. I stayed in a gorgeous modern hotel in the most perfect location, which is exactly what you look for when you are away. H10 Universitat was in walking distance of pretty much everything and also just around the corner from Las Ramblas itself.

Barcelona is a city that's renowned for its spectacular architecture and is home to the many wonderful works of art by the genius himself, Gaudí. First things first, you've got to pay a visit to Sagrada Família in the very heart of the city. This incredible wonder will undoubtedly leave you speechless and may also give you a creek in your neck as you stare up into the sky mesmerised. It truly is something else!! To enter you'll pay a rather expensive fee of about €30 which won't include roof top access to view the city from a high. Some of Gaudí's other worthy sights include Park Güell, Casa Milà and Casa Balltó. Do try and at least two of these. We also stumbled across the breathtakingly beautiful, Barcelona Cathedral in el Gótic which is free inside and is most definitely worth seeing too if you've got the time.

Unfortunately, when we went to the Picasso museum they had stopped letting people in. As it turned out, the first Sunday of every month is free entry so as you can imagine the queues were crazy and they had to turn people away. We did however go to the Dali museum which is incredibly quirky and only costs €10. Both museums are situated in the infamous Gothic Quarter, a place you must tick off your list while in Barcelona. It oozes character and culture around every corner and gives you a huge sense of appreciation for the gothic era. Because of its authenticity it was definitely my favourite part of the city. Another fabulous spot especially at night is the port down by the beach. A stroll along here after dinner is blissful.

For dining and dancing I absolutely adored Barcelona. During my stay, I had some truly memorable dishes so you should take my advice on this one. Trust me! For the best burger in Barcelona, Bacoa wins hands down! A super cool build your own burger joint situated just off Las Ramblas on Ronda de la Universitat. (Two doors up from our hotel). Another amazing place worth visiting for dinner is called Sensi. They have four different restaurants, each with their own unique menu, all just a stones throw away from one another in The Gothic Quarter. The one we ate in was called Sensi Tapas on Carrer Ample but you'll be in for a treat no matter which one you choose if this one was anything to go by. The vibe was spot on for the perfect date night or get together so you may need to make a reservation before hand. Sip away on some beautiful wine and try their Chiefs recommendation of the wild bore. It's up there with one of the nicest dishes I've ever tasted.... EVER!! A quaint, candle lit space with the most magical mini dishes, it's without question worth a try.

If you love your cocktails like myself then make it your business to pop into Paradiso down in the free spirit area of el Bourne. There's no better way to describe this place other than a hidden gem. Don't be fooled by appearances when you arrive at this tiny food counter off a small side street. We were confused like many, until the coolest cocktail bar was revealed behind a secret door. A real Alice through the looking glass moment when someone opened what appeared to be a fridge. After a few drinks, of course we were feeling giddy so we made our way down to Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta just a ten minute taxi away. Here, we were spoiled for choice and went to tap our toes in Carpe Diem nightclub. The plush Moroccan vibes inside were insane and the music really didn't disappoint either.

On Sunday's you won't be able to buy a pair of socks in the city. Every store from high end to high street shuts up shop for the entire day. So if you're thinking of doing any shopping make sure you plan around knowing this information. Instead, keep some of your sight seeing saved for this day like going to see the Arc de Triumph or the world famous football stadium, Camp Nou. If you can be flexible with your dates try and plan around going to see a match here. I'm not exactly a football fanatic but I really enjoyed the whole experience and would definitely recommend going to watch a match.