When traveling to a new city, one of my favorite activities is to wander around and explore - without a strict itinerary. I think it's a requirement to get a little bit lost, at least once (which is easy to do when traveling abroad). Sometimes the best places are stumbled upon by accident. We walked through a lot of neighborhoods while we were in Barcelona, but my favorite was Barri Gòtic (translation: Gothic Quarter). Before we left for our trip, I read that this neighborhood in particular has a lot of history - it's where Barcelona was born. While we were walking, I found myself mesmerized by every landmark, fact, and date that defined the area. There are parts of Barri Gòtic from the old Roman City that date back to the 1st century BC... Before Christ!

mind = blown

Below are some highlights of our self-guided walking tour... led by me... meaning we were lost most of the time.

{ left: me... pretty lost & right: Catedral de Barcelona, 1298 }

{ Catedral de Barcelona }

{ Barcelona's City Hall }

{ left: street art & right: Roman Walls built in the 4th century AD }

{ Plaça del Rei: where Columbus returned to after visting the New World in 1493 }

{ King Martins's watchtower at Plaça del Rei }

{ Plaça de Sant Felip Neri }

{ Plaça de Sant Felip Neri: damage from bombings during the Spanish Civil War }