Barcelona was my last stop before heading back to the Marseille port and going back home. It was bittersweet, because Boy! Would I have loved to have a longer vacation, but it was a great last destination.
Like all other excursions on MSC, I had gotten my ticket the night before and promptly made my way to the Aft Lounge to await my departure. Once I was called, I headed downstairs to deck 4. Alongside my ticket, I also received another form with bus schedules and information. You don’t have to bring that, but it’s for traveling into the city/area outside of an excursion. For example, if you were to go on the excursion 9am-1pm (like mine was scheduled) and wanted to spend a little more time in the city to eat, shop or explore, you had the information to do so. Or if let’s say you booked the excursion but your partner or travel buddy didn’t, they could use the bus form. I can’t recall if there was a bus PASS that was included- but I do know that you didn’t need anything additional. So if you needed a bus pass, it was included and if you didn’t, then it was just information on times.
Language Barriers:
Because MSC is such a multilingual cruise line, most if not all excursions will include multiple languages. This once was English and French. The tour guide we had was nice, and friendly, yet she did speak a lot more French than English; most other tour guides will split it pretty evenly- two sentences in one language, two in the other- and repeat. This tour guide would speak maybe two or three in English and then speak French for the next 10-15 sentences. I could somewhat understand when she switched to French, but I know some English-only speakers were a little frustrated (understandably) with the split here.
Beginning the Excursion
Once the bus had parked, pretty much the rest of the excursion was on foot. I had walked a total of 11,643 steps or around 5 miles.
I am constantly in awe of the architecture in Europe. When I was a child, we would go to the UK frequently and while of course there are castles there, I don’t know if I could recall (or perhaps I just wasn’t old enough to appreciate it) that other buildings had such intricate designs, sculptures and carvings. I live in the US (and have for the last 26 years or so) and our history and country is truly just so young compared to Europe and other places. It makes these buildings so much more magnificent to me!
I plan to move to Europe sometime in 2026 (whether that will happen is still in the works) but if it does, my one wish is that I will never lose appreciation for the splendor of the history and buildings.
Mirador de Colom
This is a 60-meter-tall monument, or if you’re in the States, 196.85 foot tall, wow! The base is protected by (stone) lions, with angels surrounding the pillar. The top… the top has a man with his arm stretched out. Can you guess who this is?
Now I wish I had taken a better photo, but as a beginner blogger, and someone who has more than enough content for my socials, risking getting lost to get a better photo was not something I had wanted to do!
If you’d guessed Christopher Columbus, you would have been right! Barcelona takes great pride in being Columbus’ home from 1485 until his death in 1506. And if you recall, he was born in another city I’d been to on the same cruise, Genoa, Italy. Now, if you know a little more about Columbus’ story, you may have mixed feelings about the man- which is understandable, but this monument was still a sight to see.
More Buildings…
These buildings, man!!! I hope I will never get over the awe I feel. Anyways- left to right: Gobierno Militar de Barcelona (Military board), Teatre Principal (oldest theatre in Barcelona), literally just an apartment building, called Casa Taberner, but between the balconies and the rooftop- I thought it was beautiful. Maybe it’s just me? Maybe I’m weird!
Gastronomy
Next, we had gone to a local food market and had about 15 or so minutes to explore. I was surprised by the amount of color here, it was beautiful and so vibrant. I can tell you right now, I don’t know most of these fruits, but boy did they look fresh and delicious! I was tempted to get the gelato, but I ended up getting Churros, which I was very happy with! I speak very limited Spanish, like VERY limited, but I was able to say hello and ask for the churros, pay and agree to chocolate syrup, so that was nice haha! It’s always cool to be able to communicate in a completely different language and still somewhat get your needs met.
And thus, I can finally cross off “churros from Spain” off my bucketlist! They were soft, delicious and warm. YUM!
Shopping and the Gothic Quarter:
Next we explored some of the narrow streets in Barcelona, seeing a lot of the gothic quarter, which was highly reflected in the architecture and… okay, I’m overusing that word, aren’t I? Buildings… stones… construction… premises… I just can’t get over it, and because my French was limited, I don’t have a lot to report on the history like I did some of my other excursions on this trip.
Many of the *buildings* had goblins or angels around the doorways, intricate lattices around entryways and unique ceilings and rooftops.
More Gastronomy
Okay, ummm? Yum! We had gone to several other eateries, sandwich shops and walked along open cafes and restaurants, but if you know me- I have the sweetest tooth and these looked majestical. There were also incredible affordable (honestly like many things here) but 6.50 euros for an entire box? We were also allowed 1 sample each!
On the right is one of the restaurants we had passed by, can you imagine going out for a date at such a sweet place?!
Cathedral of Barcelona
This stunning Cathedral is STILL not finished, haha! It is set to be finished in 2026, with final touches possibly extending to 2034. When did it start, you ask? 1882. So… it’s been a hot second.
Why? Well first of all- LOOK AT IT! The intricate detailing and elaborate and complex designs definitely extend the process. The other reason is funding; this cathedral is relying solely on private donations and tourism. Since it did start in 1882, the Spanish Civil War had also played a role.
Despite all this, it’s a place to behold.
BEWARE: White Face Scam:
Understandably, there are volumes of tourism here, and something you should BEWARE of is the white face scam. This scam is generally conducted by a woman with white paint on her face, often wearing a costume of some kind. She will approach tourists, often those that are solo or unsuspecting when taking a photo and will sometimes go as far to touch the tourists, posing for a photo. Afterwards, she will ask for money (don’t give them any), sometimes getting aggressive if you don’t pay. I did not encounter or even say any, but I have heard of them being around places like the Cathedral of Barcelona. You can find info here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5q1vLbEC4U
Barcelona City Archives:
We had briefly gone into the archives, looking at a gorgeous model of the city from 1500. It was definitely a neat site, and to be able to know how much has changed since then was pretty neat!
And thus… this concludes this blog and my excursion to Barcelona. Some people chose to stay in Barcelona and others (like myself) wanted to head back to the port, so you had the choice to do whatever you wanted!
Do I recommend this Excursion?
As an excursion and explorer, I do. I thought it was neat to see the *buildings* and a great overall experience, delving into the culture, food and history of Barcelona. Given the language barrier previously spoken about, it was definitely less enjoyable than some of the other excursions where there is more balance in the different languages. I wish I learned more about the history of these places, but there were many tour guides and no guarantee you would get mine. I was on 5 excursions this trip, and this was the only time where it there was an unequal distribution of language. The longer the excursion had gone, the more the English speakers seemed to stand in the back and not listen as intently. I think it this was different, I would have really, really loved it.
– Sho
~Founder of Backroad Butterflies ~
Cheers Friends & Travelers! ✈️
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