las ramblas barcelona - i should log off

Groggily stepping off the plane in the middle of the night, I was shocked to find Barcelona awake. So awake in fact that when I checked in to my accommodations, the desk clerk asked me if I wanted to have my luggage stored behind the desk until I came back from dinner. Where am I? I thought as I checked my cell phone and saw that it was already well into the next day. Needless to say, I never forgo a local travel tip and I headed out with my travel partners.

If you’ve never been out in Barcelona you need to be prepared for the joie de vivre that is Barcelona at night. Every café we went to was packed, literally to the brim with people that seemed to be enjoying a happy hour like atmosphere at midnight. Musicians strolled the boulevards, stopping at tables of unsuspecting tourists and lovers, serenading the entire café with music before moving off into the darkness to the next café. A large extended family sat next to us at a café, their joy and laughter was infectious and even with my very limited Spanish and even less Catalan we soon found ourselves sharing mystery liquor from a clear bottle. I was exhausted and yet enthralled by the scene. It was like a dream you never wanted to wake up from.

Like dreams, there are some places and some experiences that you just can’t recreate. The next time I search out the dream hopefully it will be from the interior of one of the terrific Barcelona apartments dotted across the city. That way when I wake up and look out across the city, I’ll still feel like I’m in a dream.

Photo Credit: Flickr user dweekly via a creative commons license.

Las Ramblas might be Barcelona’s most touristy street, packed with restaurants, shops, vendors, kiosks and street performers. The tree lined avenue runs from Plaza Catalyuna to the Christopher Columbus statue along the water.

When I arrived in Barcelona on a late night flight from Italy, I was surprised to see so many people in the streets at such a late (or early depending on your thinking) hour. The street cafe’s along Las Ramblas were packed with groups of friends enjoying the cool breeze and good company. We dove right in to a large order of tapas and spent a good few hours enjoying life along the pedestrian walk.

Of course the best part of a pedestrian only walk is the people watching. Although late night Barcelona is famous, you don’t have to stay out until 5am for good people watching. With such a large crowd and so many varied stores, it doesn’t take long to find someone or something of interest. Street performers juggle, act as statues and do stand up comedy along the walk as others busy themselves by doing their weekly market shopping. Throughout the world we loved going to these centers of commerce – outdoor market streets, indoor markets, tourist markets, anywhere that locals would congregate to meet, shop, and visit old friends we found ourselves at our happiest.

IF YOU GO: Barcelona is easily accessed from all over Europe and has become a favorite long weekend destination for those in Northern Europe looking for a bit of sun and fun. If you’re interested in enjoying the late night tapas bars and watering holes of Barcelona, which famously don’t get busy until an hour that most Northern European bars and restaurants are closing, some people like to book through Oh-Barcelona, so they don’t have to explain to the front door man of a hotel where they’re going at midnight!

Photo Credit: Flickr user Travelling_Artist via creative commons licensing.

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Las Ramblas in Barcelona

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