moonofpaula

Hola! And yes, that is one of the 5 words I learned during my trip to Barcelona. But words don't really count as much as memories do, and trust me, I have a lot of good ones that I will cherish forever.

My trip to Barcelona started early morning on Saturday, 02.09., and when I mean early I mean I had to wake up at 3.30am. During my week there, I stayed with my mum's friend's family in a lovely neighbourhood which is only 5 minutes away from the beach (goals tbh). Luckily, they have a 16 year old daughter named Angela (make sure you follow this beauty on Instagram) who was my guide throughout the city. And what a lovely city Barcelona is.

We started our first day with a walk throughout the city and in the first couple of hours I was already left speechless by how amazing and beautiful Barcelona is. A mix of an amazing relaxing beach and a bustling centre, rich with history, it really has something to offer to everybody.

SIGHTSEEING

On Sunday, we spent our morning hiking to the bunkers, remains from where people used to hide from war, to enjoy the view it has of the city. There you can truly see how big the city is, after all it does have 4 million people living there, and also see many of it's biggest sights, such as Sagrada Familia.

If you're not a fan of Gaudi, you'll be after you visit Barcelona. Casa Batllo and Casa Mila are located only a minute away from each other and they both show just how much thought can go into one house, from the decorations, roof and the theme of the house. I went into Casa Batllo and I was amazed, the feel of the house is like you're in a submarine, but then again, the balconies are shaped like skulls and the roof is like a dragon's back. A ma zing.

Park Guell is the perfect getaway from the busy city centre, with a beautiful view over the city throughout the park and some of Gaudi's most famous work - the staircase and the colorful lizard. But what this architect is most famous for is the amazing Sagrada Familia Basilica. Still in works, and expected to finish in 2026., this building is a sight which leaves you breathless. More than 170m high, 18 towers, a detailed front and an even more detailed inside, you could've left me inside for 5 hours and I wouldn't mind. There are no words I can think of to describe the magnificence of this Basilica, just go there, trust me, go.

Another religious building which is worth a visit is Barcelona's Cathedral which is a lovely gothic building located in the Gothic Quarter, within walking distance from most famous sights. This neighbourhood was my favourite one, as it is so rich with history, but you can still find super cute cafes & amazing street art there.

Something everyone has to visit, and grab a drink at, is their market called La Boqueria situated in the middle of the most famous street La Rambla. It offers a ton of fruit, vegetables, fish, and healthy snacks you can grab and head over to Park de la Ciutadella for an afternoon picnic. While there, you should roam around a bit and just enjoy the landscape and the greenery located in the centre. A perfect place for a siesta.

As most big European cities, Barcelona too has an arch in the centre, and it's called Arc de Triomf and it leads you into the Ciutadella Park. A very cool place to walk around and take pictures, and maybe just stop for a second to enjoy the vibe of the city. Something else I loved about the city is how many flea markets they have! I only got to visit one, but I will definitely do more research on them next time I'm in Barcelona hehe.

And of course, I left the best one for the end, the beach. A big sandy beach filled with locals and tourists, cute cafes and restaurants, people playing volleyball, and swimming in the vast sea in front of them. You can walk along the beach for half an hour, that's how long it is, and enjoying the sunset, sunrise, sand castles and live music. Is there anything else you could want?

FOOD & DRINKS

Two most important I have to say - you can't go wrong with anything you order & be ready to eat a lot of sea food. Personally, I never tried any type of sea food beside fish and scampi, but I was blown away by how good sea shells can be, especially mussels. Oh, and be ready to live on bread with tomato sauce, it's a signature appetiser if you ask me. Something most people think of when we're talking about Spanish food is tapas. And I love it. Basically, Spanish people are all about constantly hanging out and sharing everything, and that is visible in their food as well - in tapas. In case you don't know what it is, you basically order a bunch of food which comes in small sizes so you can all share it. How beautiful and amazing is that?

When it comes to drinks, you need to try Sangria, basically an official alcoholic drink when it comes to Spain, but something that I liked more was Sangria Cava, which is same as regular, except it's made with champagne instead of red wine. If you're more of a beer person (like me), make sure you try some of their local craft ones, they will not disappoint! Most of them are citrusy, capturing Barcelona in a single sip.

ART & MUSEUMS

If you're an art freak like I am, you're up for a small treat. In the Gothic Quarter you can find the amazing Picasso museum, with artwork from all his periods, situated in a lovely traditional house in the centre of Barcelona. If you're up for a bit of a trip, get a bus or the funicular to the Montjuic hill and go to Joan Miro Foundation, a great museum dedicated to Miro where you can find his carpets, paintings, drawings and sculptures. Other than that, the city is like a living museum with street art all over the town, from graffiti to murals, there is something on every corner.

All in all, this city has definitely climbed on top of my favourite cities, and a place where I can definitely see myself living one day. Let's cross our fingers for that. To see more about what I did in Barcelona, make sure you check out my YouTube video and subscribe if you want to see more of them!

photos by me

Thank you for reading!

love always,

paula avalon xx

2 comments

To be honest, I hate waking up early. There is nothing that I love more than sleeping in, staying a bit longer in bed, having a long breakfast and just doing nothing the whole morning. But there is one person who can somehow convince me that waking up at 6 is a good idea, and it's my dear friend Luka (Expensive Reality). So yes, the look on my face is complete tiredness, but hey, I finally got to see this cutie after almost a month. Maybe waking up early for some good company isn't a bad idea.

Today's outfit is yet another simple black & white one, my go-to colour combo. This oversized white blouse that I tied in the front is from Zara, and it's one of my favourite pieces as you can literally wear it with anything. I decided to wear it with these cute plaid high waisted shorts which I got at Forever 21.

For the accessories, I decided to go light so I just stacked some simple golden necklaces as well as rings. The shoes are brand new & I just had to wear them straight away, they're black lacquered loafers from Mango, and they're just too cute. Can't wait to style some more outfits with them!

blouse // zara

shorts // forever 21

shoes // mango

necklaces // primark

photos by: luka l.

Thank you for reading!

love always,

paula avalon xx

No comments

Let's get real here, is there any other way to spend a Saturday with your best friend than eating pancakes for breakfast, cycling to the city, visiting an art exhibition and eating sushi & drawing while sitting on the grass in the middle of the town? Well, for me that is perfect. Especially when you know those are some of some of your friend's last days in you hometown.

What I decided to wear for this "out in the city" type of day is a casual almost all black outfit. My new crop top from Tobi finally arrived, and it's a beautiful shirt with bell sleeves and a cute red-purple floral pattern. To keep it kind of simple and casual, I out on my black high waisted shorts from H&M, which are my go-to item during these hot summer days.

Considering accessories, I decided to be simple and, as usual, put on my black choker from Pull&Bear, and to add a few simple golden rings from Primark. The shoes are my all time fav old school Vans, they go well with everything, and are such a must have item in everyone's closet.

shirt // tobi

shorts // h&m

sunglasses // zeroUV

shoes // vans

photos by: nikola a.

Thank you for reading!

love always,

paula avalon xx

1 comments

Nothing better than that one colder week in August when you can finally take a break from the heat and jump back into those shoes and blazers that you love, without melting. It was finally enjoyable to be out, and so I went to the city of mine and finally met a fellow blogger whose fan and follower I've been for years, the lovely Ana from Psycho Couture! I couldn't have wished for a better Saturday coffee (read that as cocktail) company. <3

I was finally able to wear layers, and oh my was I happy about it. Also, I finally took my new sparkling skirt from Mango for a walk, I love the cut and the color of it, as it goes well with both black and white. On top of that I wore a simple black crop top from Primark and one of my go to items, a long black blazer from H&M (it has pockets, everything that has pockets is a must buy.)

For the accessories, I put on my black choker from Pull&Bear, as well as stacked some golden, white and black bracelets, some from H&M, and some collected on trips as memories. To match the black vibe of the outfit, I wore my black ankle boots from Pull&Bear, perfect for this type of mixed weather. The bag I have is from H&M, and the ring is from Primark.

shirt // primark

skirt // mango

blazer & bag // h&m

shoes // pull&bear

photos by: psycho couture (instagram)

Thank you for reading!

love always,

paula avalon xx

No comments

Somewhere between dying of the heat and binge watching Entourage for hours, I found time to finally meet up with my friend Luka from Expensive Reality for a long needed early morning coffee, hangout and a shoot. Nothing much, a black and white outfit as usual, but this time with a twist, a throat twist.

If you're a part of the "alternative music" scene, you probably own a dozen shirts from your favourite bands, but people somehow neglect the bands from their hometowns. Not all, don't get me wrong, but when you do you research, you can find some truly amazing bands. And so, thanks to my friend, I found ThroaTTwisteR, a band which describe themselves as "a mix of groove/math/hc riffs interconnecting with precision drums that splash into a growling low end and finishes off with a nonparallel vocal onslaught." Pretty brutal right? Well, so are their shirts; a super detailed black design from Cao Oac on a white shirt is exactly what everyone needs, and what makes it even better, is that you know you're supporting your local band. So, if you're into that type of music, check out their Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp page. Plus, they even have their own beer, when will you be as cool as that?

I matched the ThroaTTwister tee with plain black high waisted shorts from Pull&Bear, to keep the centre of the outfit on the shirt and it's design. One of my favourite recent purchases is the Nike hat I got at Asos, so lets just thank the universe for summer sales. Other than that, I am wearing a black backpack and my fav sneakers, Nike Roshe. Considering jewelry, I am wearing a Circle choker from Creative Mess chokers, just a subtle touch to this casual outfit. Oh and remember, support your local band.