A Sudden Rush of Warmth in Barcelona

March in Canada is a switch over month. Could be OK but it’s not long and a blast of chilly wind let’s you know winter hasn’t completely let go. As the world shifts we’ve found ourselves thinking of other warm places we could suggest to people who were maybe looking to switch up their travel in a comfortable climate. So, “what’s Spain like?” we wondered. We went to find out.

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Look at a map you’ll see that Barcelona is on the Mediterranean Sea, sort of close to France. In fact it is a sensible option for flying from Canada because there are some good direct or one connection flights that allow you to avoid connections in the US. From Barcelona it is quite easy to explore Spain (and the south of France for that matter) by train. Like the ads for Australia, it’s just one sleep away. Coming home is pretty easy. The return is all the same day.

Our Trip

Stepping out of El Prat (Barcelona’s airport) we took the speedy metro to the Barcelona city centre. We shed our jackets and sweaters because, well we could, and we walked a couple of short blocks to our hotel. Streets with lots of people, nothing scary.

Our first stop after checking in was a street restaurant, a bowl of Rabo de Toro with crusty bread and a carafe of red wine. I had some experience with Spanish food from a now defunct restaurant across from McMahon stadium in Calgary and if they’d served this, they’d probably still be there.

The meaning is “tail of the bull” but in Canada we’d call it oxtail stew and in both cases it more likely is neither bull nor ox. This version is all burnty brown seared beef with a dark tasty gravy. Add the tail bones, a four hour simmer with seasonings and you get a whole new level of flavour. Great comfort food for cool nights in Barcelona.

When I say cool nights I mean you might need a sweater, because the days are warm in the low mid 20’s and comfortable with enough humidity to be very pleasing to Canadians visiting in March. (You are advised to bring a rain jacket and umbrella for spring showers.)

We met some friends in the travel business on our second day and went for a coffee with them in the pedestrian friendly area near our hotel. It was in an older section of Barcelona and walkable to see a few of the Gaudi designed buildings and a then really short hop by metro to see the fabulous cathedral, La Sagrada Familia. You can see it in pictures, but you cannot get the scale and the sheer power of artistry.

But Gaudi’s masterpieces underline an attitude in Spain which places value on creating beautiful public living spaces as well as maintaining them. All throughout the city you can see unique buildings and plazas that are walkable, or visitable with a quick ride on public transportation.

That evening we went on a Tapas Crawl with a guide and explored other nearby eateries. Spain does have a lot of meat based foods, fish and seafood but it’s usually not too hard to pick non-meat meals as well as gluten free and dairy free.

The breakfasts in hotels are more or less the European standards: breads, pastries, cheeses, sausages and cured meats, fruit, muesli, yogurt, eggs (often hard boiled, less often scrambled), and the coffee. Say no more. I am astonished at how Canadian hotels are so absolutely dismal with “included” breakfasts compared to even modest hotels in Europe.

This trip was just beginning and we were already loving Spain and getting ready to explore other areas. We had a full tour planned over a 16 day period exploring things we were interested in, food, of course, but also gardens and groves, Roman ruins, medieval villages, monasteries, arts, and the whole pre-christian crusader world of the Arabs in Al Andalus. In fact our tour really was centered on visiting and learning about Andalusia, one of the most civilised and learned region of Middle Earth, or as we call it today, the Mediterranean. (Did you know that “gafas” a Spanish word used for eye glasses comes from Al-Gafequi. He was a Muslim doctor from Cordoba who studied eye diseases and wrote medical books on ophthamology in the 12th century with procedures that are still in use today? )

To see a bit more on Barcelona, check out this Approach Guides post

We’d carry on to see Toledo, Cordoba, Granada, Ronda, Seville and Madrid, during our trip which I will break into bite sized posts, sharing some of the writing with Alanna. For now, let me just say, if you’re not yet committed to travel this winter-spring, I can recommend Spain. It’s a place you can feel comfortable and welcome. Once you visit you’ll want to come back and explore more. And by coming before June, you will be a lot more welcome because you’ll be away from the crushing crowds of summer tourists. You’ll also get a treat you may not have experienced too often. Once you head away south to Andalusia the scent of orange blossoms will lift you into a spring mood. That’s another post. (Would you like to see our full itinerary? Drop us a line below.)

How to See Barcelona – the non packaged plan

Yes, there are packages, and some work perfectly. But don’t think they are the only choice or that they are dramatically cheaper. Europe isn’t Mexico. If you contact us we’ll look at the options for packages if you want one, but also compare others. The advantage is that we can tailor to your time frame and your budget preferences and don’t let the language be a deterrent.

We can set you up with an individualized trip perfectly balanced with your interests, budget and time frame. You get a detailed itinerary with explicit instructions, prepaid services for hotels, transportation, transfers, any tours or guides, plus a contact in Spain with our partners who you can text anytime you need any information or assistance. If you prefer a group tour, we have very good options as well. You can also do both, part group part individual.

Getting There and Back

From Western Canada (Saskatchewan West) – the two best choices for flights are with West Jet (and partners) and Air Canada (and partners). It depends on your own situation such as when you can travel, how much time you want to spend, what level of activity you want.