We slept long and hard our first night in Spain; I woke the kids around 9:00 am and we started prepping for the day in a leisurely fashion – nothing was officially “booked” on the schedule. We didn’t go down to the breakfast buffet until 10 am. It was delicious and huge and the kids were in seventh heaven with all the pastry options and gourmet hot chocolate.
By way of a daily recap – and if you want some itinerary ideas without sitting through another travel recap tome – here’s what we ended up doing on Day Two (I labeled it as Day Three in my notebook, but Day One was the flight over which I’m not recapping, hence the discrepancy)…
It was nearly 11 am by the time we left the hotel which felt…late?…but it was nice to ease into the day.
When I prep for trips, I map out all the points of interest (this time quite literally on giant sheets of paper) and look for clusters. To avoid extra trips (and extra walking/complaints with the kids), I try to focus each day on a particular area of town. Today, we headed “up”!
We started with Parc del Laberint d’Horta. The main reason I chose Wednesday to be our “up” cluster was the fact this park is free on Wednesdays. It’s a bit of an uphill trek from the Metro station to the park and we were hot and sweaty by the time we arrived; it was a nice green space, with a fun – albeit incredibly easy – hedge maze in the middle. This is the biggest park in Barcelona at over 9 hectares and dates back to the 1700s.
Thankfully it was another beautiful, sunny day!
Remember Day One when I tried to get a photo of the kids together for our 2024 Christmas card? I tried again and here was the result.
It was fun and worth going on a free day, but the main attraction – and one of L’s Top Three experiences from his time in Barcelona – ended up being a 10-minute stop at a playground near the entrance of the park from which I have zero pictures. It’s the little things that tend to impress.
Next up was the Tibidabo Furnicular which transported us to the highest point in all of Barcelona. (This costs extra and isn’t included in any transit passes; you can buy one-way tickets, but it’s cheaper to buy round-trip and it would be a LONG trek up/down on foot).
Tibidabo is an amusement park…an old one. It was built in the early 1900s and is one of the oldest still-functioning parks in the world! It offers incredible views of the city (while you have to pay for transport up, access to the view park of the city is free of charge, with no requirement to buy tickets or passes to the amusement park).
The whole area is very quaint! Turns out you can buy individual tickets (€3/each) for rides instead of a fairly expensive bracelet. The options are limited, but it was beautiful and sunny and the kids had most of the rides to themselves! I only went on one ride – to get views of the church – and I was ready to be down on terra firma again.
One of my favourite moments from the day was sitting with John while the kids rode the Ferris Wheel, munching on Spanish grocery store snacks. The sun was shining, the colours were unbelievable, everyone was happy, AND WE WERE IN SPAIN!
Another special moment was when L and I discovered a funny mirror just outside the bathrooms. We couldn’t stop giggling. They also had teeny, tiny toilets for kids which made me smile (and reminded me of Tivoli – another very old amusement park – in Denmark where they have THE BEST changing rooms and provide free diapers and wipes).
The stunning church is Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor. The outside is spectacular; the interior is rather small and basic. You can take an elevator to the roof, but at €5 a pop, we elected to be content with the views from below.
We took the furnicular back down the mountain…
…and were within easy walking distance of our next stop: CosmaCaixa, Barcelona’s science museum. It’s housed in a former asylum for the blind and is simply stunning inside. The showstopper is a spiral staircase that you have to walk down to enter the museum.
The kids loved this museum and we were equally impressed. From the dinosaur exhibits to the interactive science displays to the flooded forest it was all SO COOL. I cannot recommend this museum enough to anyone that might ever visit Barcelona with kids (or, frankly, without them). Also, it’s very inexpensive. Anyone under 16 is free, and our adult tickets were less than €6 each.
For some reason I seem to have deleted all my larger-scale pictures of what the flooded forest looks like, but here’s a screen grab from their website. You can also walk inside of this forest on a walkway. VERY COOL! There are all sorts of fish, alligators, sting rays, turtles…and, much to the delight of my daughter, a capybara.
After leaving the museum (and giving the kids a handful of M&M’s to fuel the next stage of our walk), we wandered for a while so L could do Pokémon Go (a big motivator for him during the week) and find another park; then we stopped at a Spanish McDonald’s for supper (A wanted pizza, so we did that for her after McDonald’s and managed to find a pizza shop that had just opened that very day, so the order took approximately forever and they needed us to pay in cash and…I was feeling very flustered by the end of it all). We swung by Casa Padua for a photo op…but by this point it was too dark outside to really get a nice picture – whomp, whomp.
We figured we had logged more than enough adventures for one day so opted to locate the nearest Metro stop and arrived back at the hotel before 8 pm!
- Distance Walked: 12.4 km | 17,198 steps | 33 flights
That’s a wrap on Day Two. Are you afraid of heights? If you could be any animal in the ocean, which would you choose? Favourite piece of playground equipment (mine is definitely swings)?
Nicole MacPherson
Wow, so gorgeous. It was just one amazing photo after another! What fun!
Elisabeth
The weather really helped, too! Everything looked extra shiny and lovely with clear skies and sunshine!
Jenny
This all looks incredible! I’m struck by how much there is to do for the kids, that you and John can also enjoy. I like the photo of you on the ride, ha ha. i’m not usually afraid of heights, but nowadays, sadly, I can’t take anything too swoopy… including swings! I know! So sad! The last time I went on a swing I ended up nauseous for hours afterwards.
Hmm, any animal in the ocean? I think I might have to go with shark- otherwise I’m afraid I would be eaten.
How does Spanish McDonalds compare with regular McDonalds?
Elisabeth
Shark is a pretty great answer; it’s nice to be at the top of the food pyramid!
Spanish McDonalds was…fine. I had a chicken burger of a sort you can’t get here. I would call it forgettable, but hit the spot for the kids a few times when we wanted something fast, inexpensive and familiar.
ccr in MA
Oh, I definitely do not like heights! So I am happy to piggyback on your views. Great photos of another great day!
Elisabeth
I think the next time I’d do the Ferris Wheel instead. It was scary than I expected (mostly because that high up the baskets caught gusts of winds). Spoiler alert: I made it down in one piece, though 🙂
Beckett @ Birchwood Pie
This was such a fun recap. Yes to all of the breakfast pastries. I’m a little bit afraid of heights but it would have been worth it to get those views.
Elisabeth
It was worth it for the views, but I don’t think I’d need to do it again. Or, next time I think I might do the Ferris Wheel…
NGS
I think I’m not scared of heights intellectually, but I absolutely am scared of heights in practice. I always tell my husband I can clean out the gutters, but it turns out that I really, really can’t. I am not sure I would have been able to appreciate the great views on that ride, to be perfectly honest, but I’m glad I was able to enjoy your photos of them!
How does it work being in a museum where all the signs are (presumably) in Spanish? Does it detract from the educational experience or is there someone in your family who knows enough to get by?
Elisabeth
In this particular museum they had almost all the signs in English (and maybe French, too?). John knows enough Spanish to get by easily, so he could have helped in a pinch but basically everyone SPEAKS English quite fluently and most places seem to have English translations (except the National Art Gallery).
I don’t love heights. I can do it, but I does make me a bit queasy!
Sophie
Wow sounds like it was a great day, and stunning photos. That amusement park looks so cute (though I would be nervous riding any “old” rides!). So cute that L’s favourite stop was the playground, my fave playground equipment would have to be slides (although not enclosed ones cos I’m claustrophobic!). And that flooded forest looks so cool! Well done finding things the kids would love (and you too).
Elisabeth
Slides ARE fun, though I find they tend to leave me with bruises now (or static shocks). But as a kid, slides were definitely my favourite. I’ve done enclosed slides and they ARE claustrophobic – mostly waterslide ones, so it’s dark and there is the shock of hitting water at the bottom. I still do it because it’s fun, but there’s a side of me that tenses up.
The Cosmo Caixa was such a (cheap) gem. It didn’t show up in that many things I read online but it’s a PHENOMENAL museum (at least for kids our ages; I wonder if teens would appreciate it as much). Definitely right place/time for our family, though 🙂
Lisa's Yarns
Wow, the Ferris wheel is so picturesque w/ the rainbow colored cars! Looks like a wonderful second day together. Now I am wondering if you ever did snap a photo for your family Christmas card! I know so little about this city so it is very cool to see it through your eyes. That museum looks amazing – it would be a total hit with Paul!
If I was an underwater creature I’d have to pick a Dolphin. They just seem to sweet – and smart!
Elisabeth
We never DID get a “perfect” Christmas card shot, but that’s okay. There is plenty of great fodder from the trip.
Dolphins – ahhh. What a great choice.
Michelle G.
Your photos are SO gorgeous! Wow, what views! Do you use your phone, or do you have a nice camera? I’m enjoying your attempted Christmas card photos. I love the funhouse mirror photos. And I love the tiny toilets! It’s great to have funny little things amongst all the beauty. This sounds like a perfect day to me!
Elisabeth
Just our iPhones! We don’t actually own any other cameras at this point (other than some very old, quasi-non-functional point and shoots for the kids).
Melissa
It looks like the Christmas card photo may need to just be you and John, very photogenic … except the one on the ride LOL. I’m sure eventually you’ll get a good one of the kids though—keep clicking? I am scared of heights but I can sometimes make myself do things that involve heights. I just try really hard not to think about it. We went on the steepest passenger railway in the world at the Blue Mountains and I ended up closing my eyes which the kids gave me a hard time about.
Love, love, love all the detail photos. That church, the ferris wheel, the mosaic floor. We will be in Spain this October but to do the Camino and won’t get to Barcelona which means we will have to go to Spain again, which I’m not too disappointed about. Barcelona is the one European city that G keeps talking about visiting, so I think we will get there one day.
Elisabeth
I think you’d LOVE Barcelona. Maybe these recaps will convince you of a return trip to Spain 🙂
sarah
LOVELY– what a perfect mix of stuff for adults and fun stuff for kids.
Elisabeth
Overall I felt like Barcelona offered (or we looked for?) things that would satisfy both age groups. Some things were primarily for adults/kids, but it was a really good mix!
Colleen Martin
Wow what good planning! It all looks so fun and beautiful. Love the note about eating snacks and watching the kids on the ride and just being so happy to be in Spain. Those moments are such treasures. I am not afraid of heights but I do not like being on a ride or transportation where I feel like I have no control about getting off/on and I feel “stuck”. I do them sometimes, but I am uneasy about the stuck part the whole time.
Elisabeth
That snack moment was just such a lovely little lull in activity and it hit me where we were. Snacks are normal. Snacks beside a gorgeous Ferris Wheel in Barcelona are NOT normal (for this rural Canadian girl, at least).
Kate
Such a fun day!! I had no idea about the science museum and am kicking myself that we didn’t go there — oh well, this just means we need to go back 😉 Also am cracking up about the failed attempts at Christmas card photo shoots. It’s just the way of the world that at the perfect vantage point, the kids seem to not be feeling it. You have some lovely photos of you and John, I say go with those and leave the kids off the card! Totally, totally kidding. (And I hope by the end of the trip, you did indeed end up with a card-worthy photo of your adorable kids!)
Elisabeth
Or I could just do a card of outtakes?
The science museum feels like a hidden gem. There weren’t very many sites that talked about it. I’d say it was 2/3 through planning the trip I even heard about it (it’s also “out of the way” and it’s not really walkable from the core of the city so that might put some people off since public transit is basically required – I mean you could walk, but it’s a long trek on foot).
Stephany
I am not generally afraid of heights but if I didn’t feel SAFE, that’s a different story. Inside a building? I’m good. On a Ferris Wheel? Fine. Even on a zip-line? No biggie. But I remember being at the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland and walking on the side of the cliff where there wasn’t anything keeping me from tumbling to my death (AND IT WAS WINDY!!) and I immediately “noped” out of that experience!
Your pictures are so beautiful, and I love reading your notes at the beginning of each day. They’re so cute with the little drawings, too. What a wonderful keepsake that will be for your kids someday!
Elisabeth
YES to the cliff thing. I have been there (not literally that same cliff, but same situation) and it freaks me out.
Grateful Kae
Oh my goodness, those amusement park photos!! I absolutely love the bright color pops against the brilliant blue sky. Just incredible!
I am with you on preferring to not book something “timed” right away on the first full day. I also prefer to just usually take a slower morning, perhaps get better acquainted with our hotel or resort, maybe sip some tea looking at the view if there is one, etc. We are typically also not really super early morning people on vacation, anyway. On our recent Smokies trip we were discussing with my parents what time we should all be ready the next day on our day we were driving to Asheville. My dad threw out “how about 10:30?” And I was like…Well…gosh that sounds late! We ended up landing on 10:00, which still kind of sounded late, but also felt realistic since we needed to pack overnight bags etc for that portion too, and it was pretty late the night before. Anyway, I try not to stress about it- and certain days definitely DO call for earlier mornings, and that’s fine too.
I LOVE the pic of you and the kids on the furnicular! You look so refreshed and happy. Also- is A wearing mascara!! So grown up!!!
This recap made me a little wistful because I hadn’t even heard of many of these places, so clearly I dropped the planning ball when we went. LOL! Just kidding…in reality, we just had more limited time, given our multi-destination trip around Spain and Italy. I knew we weren’t seeing it all. Also, I think I mostly used a basic Rick Steves “Spain” guidebook- not a specific Barcelona only book. Given that we just had 4 days- and one of them was largely dedicated to Camp Nou experience- and we had plans some days with my sister- I just picked some highlights to focus on and that was all we could squeeze in. That science museum looks really cool! I sometimes shy away from things like that that seem ‘unspecific’ to the destination we’re in (i.e. technically a science museum like that could be in any city, not unique to Barcelona, right?) and focus on city-specific sights instead. But, this does look super cool and definitely worth a visit!
Did I mention I’m obsessed with the amusement park pictures? The views! The colors! This is going to have to be a large section of photos in your yearly photobook. 🙂
Elisabeth
I know – we are going to have SUCH A THICK PHOTOBOOK THIS YEAR. John captured that picture and I swear it’s like professional magazine/tourist website worthy. I love it!
The science museum isn’t something we can easily do where we live; there is on about an hour away, but it’s much smaller than CosmoCaixa. I would never go back to the Museum of Natural History in NYC which was dated and boring. But this was – and I’ve been to 5 or 6 now? – the best science museum I’ve been to in terms of being a reasonable size/doable in a few hours, and just amazing options for hands-on play…again, without feeling overwhelming? Your boys might not love it, though. It was definitely geared toward a slightly younger audience.
A IS WEARING MASCARA. Hold me.
Anne
What wonderful memories you made – and you have the photo proof. The pictures of the kids are hilarious, particularly the one that contrasts with the lovely photo of you and John. 🙂 I swear, L is going to take up parkour one of these days – he always seems to be climbing on something!
Elisabeth
He LOVES to climb. He was up on everything in Barcelona which was…endearing! Though it also makes me feel old. My idea of climbing these days is getting into bed – haha.
San
Beautiful pictures and what a lovely day. The old amusement park sounds so much fun, especially for the kids, but I guess I would have felt a little queasy on some of the old rides, too.