Miami + Paris = Barcelona

Yes. You read that right.

When I first arrived to BCN I was STOKED because I’d heard about how great it was: the design, the architecture, the food, the nightlife. Everything. I didn’t know what to expect, but I had very high hopes.

They got blown out of the water (in a good way)!

Barcelona had a particular air like Paris or Vienna: picturesque neoclassical streets which echoed the 1800’s, cobblestone pavement, open air café’s where you could stroll into and order an exquisite pastry (physically and taste-wise) and café cortado, all with a Mediterranean flair and some Gaudí and Catalan thrown in there.

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But then there was something about the place that just screamed Miami. There was the sun. It made everyone seem so much more lively. There was the hardcore Spanish cuisine influence, since the city’s obviously on the Iberian Peninsula. There was the beach with its waterfront restaurants, shiny hotels, and park-lined promenade bustling with tourists and local beach-goers. Also, the nightlife was epic. Arguably the best I’ve seen in Europe. Things didn’t close untill the sun went up, something I never even saw in NYC (but in Lima and Miami, por supuesto, Papito!). The cherry on top was the amount of South American Spanish accents I heard. I was expecting all of this, but I never knew how much it all resembled Miami.

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This mixture gave the city such a unique character, especially with it’s obvious Mediterranean influence. Date palms lined the cobblestone avenues and broke up 19th apartments. There were elements about the buildings that echoed architecture I’d run into on my visits to Palestine and Israel. The bright blue water and dry mountains in the background were a good wrapping for the package. But the bow on it all was the amount of Arabic I heard streaming out of storefronts and apartment windows, especially as I roamed the streets of El Raval and Poble-Sec.

In summary I guess you could say Barcelona’s similarities to the City of Lights are more aesthetic while to Miami they’re more cultural. But there’s definitely overlap on either side of the spectrum. Regardless, Barcelona was incredible to say the least. Insanely multicultural with a vibrant street life and food scene, incredible transportation options, parks, and architecture, and great weather. 10 out of 10 would recommend. I’ll for sure be going back.

Well, there’s your new mathematic formula. Miami + Paris = Barcelona.

Which Photo was Which City?

Photos 2 & 3: Both Barcelona

Photos 6,7,8,9: BCN, Paris, Paris, BCN