Flying to Barcelona:

I made it to Barcelona! I’m currently relaxing and just waiting for my paella culinary class to begin, so let me tell you about my trip so far. Also, I apologize about picture quality in advance. I will fix it in 3 weeks when I have my laptop.

The ticket situation for my trip from Tampa to Barcelona was a little trickier than usual. Not only was I looking for the best price and schedule, but I was also making sure that the price was good for Nisheets flight as well. And, we were going to Europe separately but returning together. In the end, we ended up with with delta tickets (yay) but I was stuck with a 5 hour layover in JFK (boo).

My day started out a little rough. On the way to the airport I realized someone stole my credit card number and had placed thousands of dollars of fraudulent charges on it. I called up my credit card company and assured me that I wouldn’t be held responsible and were even willing to work with me, letting me keep the card until the end of my trip. It’s my only travel card with zero foreign transaction fees.

The first flight was decent enough. It was a standard delta domestic flight. Delta is my favorite domestic airline, but I haven’t flown it in a while since they don’t have a huge presence in Chicago. So, I was happy when I learned they still serve free drinks and snack (pretzels and cookies). And as always, the flight attendants were polite and smiling.

JFK has either really improved since the last time I flew through, or the delta terminal is way better than whatever I was in last time. The terminal itself is super long, but since I had a 5 hour layover I walked it several times. At the main end, there are tons of shops and nice restaurants to keep you entertained along with comfy chairs. At the gates, most of the chairs aren’t in the typical rows upon rows, but they are arranged around tables with ample power outlets so everyone can charge their laptops and phones.

When I boarded my plane to Barcelona, some lady had the audacity to take my seat (aisle) and insist my ticket was for a middle seat. Who does that? I didn’t let her get away with it! The meals were standard. I had lasagna for dinner and it came with a salad (lettuce and tomatoes), a roll, cheese, butter, and a brownie. I also got a glass of white wine since wine, beer, and spirits are free on international delta flights. I didn’t sleep well, but who does on flights?

Arrived in Barcelona!

So when I arrived in Barcelona I was exhausted and it was only 9am. You get herded through customs and the officer at least smiled when I greeted her in Spanish. I then grabbed some cash from the atm and took the aerobus to Placa Catalunya, right in the heart of the city. The fare is 5,90euros and you can pay on the bus. Watch out though because I didn’t pay attention and got jipped on the change I received.

Placa Cataluyna was boring and touristy, so I didn’t stay long. I wanted a nap, but I couldn’t check into my hostel for another 4 hours, so I just dropped my bags off and wandered around.

I ended up at Parc de la Ciuteadella. It was a beautiful and relaxing afternoon. There was a lake with row boats, people doing yoga, and an amazing fountain. It is also close to the arc de triomf.

After that, I walked down to the beach to cool off my feet in the sea.