Barcelona | Immerse in the Art of Architecture

2026.02.16-17 Gothic Quarter/ El Born/ Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site/ Casa Batilló, Barcelona, Spain

I’ve been wanting to document this unbelievable journey since the day I returned home. It feels like only yesterday I walked down the narrow alleys, tasted the flavorful food, and visited the magnificent cathedrals. Every bit of Barcelona melts my heart. 

This trip was an absolute godsend. A text message from my college roommate one day caught me off guard. She asked me if I would like to accompany her to Barcelona, Spain. I woke up the next morning, re-reading our text exchanges to make sure it was REAL! I knew that if I turned this down, I would be regretting the rest of my life. Besides, Jess got almost everything planned, well planned! She highlighted most of the attractions, got the major tour, Sagrada Familia booked, and a few recommended restaurants reserved already. I basically just booked the flight and thumb twiddled until the departure day. 

Day 1:  Arrival Day

Why Barcelona? Jess’ co-worker has this beautiful vacation home that is located in the center of Barcelona. He was very kind to hold a week for her; so I tagged along and took the advantage.

@Barcelona Cathedral

Late-night snack at a random bar, trying out Spanish tapas (small plates of food that served with drinks): dry-cured tuna with almond & scallops

Day 2:  Both Jess and I were pretty flexible with our itinerary. We had a good sleep till brunch, and then took a stroll around the neighborhood.

@Mercat de Santa Caterina (local market)

I found a lot of people taking pictures of this little bridge-like structure. It turns out to be the oldest part of Barcelona, featuring the rich history of medieval streets and the remains of Roman walls. @Gothic Quarter

Our first ticket required attraction was Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site. It was operated as a hospital until June, 2009. If I hadn’t done some research beforehand, the grand facade would have led us to believe it was a university. 

The generous space for the garden made it hard to believe it used to be a hospital. 

The interior is full of vibrant mosaic tiles. The beautiful mosaic details extend all the way to the ceiling in every building!

Walking down the corridor was like walking into a frame of art. 

Some of the windows even look out onto Sagrada Familia. Can you imagine being a patient in this splendid hospital? The pain and the discomfort must've eased up in half.

After the tour, we grabbed a bite of delicious tapas @El Chigre 1769

Our original plan was to hit one main attraction per day; but the reservation for “dinner” was at 10:15pm. We decided to make good use of the time in between, so we went ahead to see the famous Casa Batilló at night.

The ticket to Casa Batilló usually should be booked well in advance. We were lucky that February is relatively a slower season in Barcelona. A night visit was not only less crowded but also featured special light effects. We could spot the enchanted light shone upon the skeleton look facade from way off. It was absolutely magical!

This is one of the masterpieces by the Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudí. Just as Leonardo da Vinci defines Renaissance art and William Shakespeare embodies English literature, Antoni Gaudí represents the very soul of Barcelona’s architecture.

The exterior of Casa Batilló tells the story of Saint George, who bravely slayed a dragon and saved the town. The arched scaly roof represents the back of the dragon; and the cross on top of the tower symbolizes the handle of the sword. 

The interior is just as jaw dropping as the exterior. It seems to resemble a deep blue sea. As we go up, we dive down to the deeper level. We stayed at the stairway for quite a while just to immerse ourselves in the projected water effects.

The extraordinary curving features, from the staircase, the shape of the windows, down to the smallest detail like the door handles, would still feel remarkably exceptional to this day.

The roof top was like another fantasy world… 

Finally moving on to our last event of the day: Bar Cañete, my favorite dining experience in Barcelona! It was packed and loud, yet we were more than happy to stay for nearly two hours. That just tells how incredibly good the food and vibe are! 

The finest tapas of all: Steak tartare, finely chopped raw beef with seasoning and topped with a raw egg yolk

We ended the day with this perfect Crema Catalana, not the Crème brûlée you're thinking of. It's milk-based stove top custard with citrus and cinnamon (as oppose to oven-baked French custard using cream and vanilla)

Seriously? This is only day one of our seven-day trip?!?!?