For our last day in Barcelona, we wanted to take it easy, enjoy the sun and soak up some of the Barcelona sights before we headed back to rainy UK.
We started off with a bit of breakfast in El Born, and then went for a peek inside the The Santa María del Mar Church which we had walked passed many times during our visit. If we thought the outside was intriguing, we had a treat in store.
As you walk in you are hit by the light streaming in from up high, bouncing off the columns.
My highlight of the La Mercè festival is the Correfoc. It’s the craziest, nosiest, most insane thing I have ever been part of. Correfocs - meaning fire runs - are a Catalan tradition and they make sure that the festival goes with a bang. Large crowds line the streets as groups of devils come their way, dancing and waving large sparklers and fireworks into the crowds which spray anyone and everyone. The bangs are loud, the fire real, and the fear and adrenalin is addictive.
Anyone with a shred of sense will wear headscarves, cover every inch of their body, being careful not to expose even a hint of skin and keep their eyes safely behind some big sunglasses. Because, let me tell you something, this would NEVER be allowed to happen in the UK!
A blast of fireworks signal the Correfoc, and the devils start to dance their way down the street.
One of the highlights of the La Mercè Festival is the Casteller - the human towers. It is a tradition that started hundreds of years ago in Tarragona where, basically, people make themselves into amazing towering towers.
We had a lie in after our Mojito night, and then made our way over to Plaça de Sant Jaume. On the way we passed a shop, which looked so delicious we just had to pop in.
After enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of Ibiza for a week, the gang and I thought we better spice things up again so we headed over to Barcelona to catch their annual festival, La Mercè. Now, don’t be fooled into thinking this was a spur of the moment decision, La Mercè became a permanent fixture on my annual calendar after I was introduced to it last year, and myself and some of the La Mercè regulars were keen to show it off to the newer members of our group. Also, as far as I am concerned, jet setting from one holiday to another has to be one of the most cat-got-the-cream-grin-inducing activities EVER!
The five day La Mercè festival celebrates Mare de Deu de la Merce, the Patron Saint of Barcelona, and they don’t do it by halves. The city’s streets are alive with performances, spectacles, traditions, fireworks - lots of fireworks in fact - culture, dancers, revelry and altogether a fantastic atmosphere.
We arrived into Barcelona early afternoon, and settled into our beautiful apartment in the El Born district of the city, which has got to be one of the best places in the world. It is full of winding cobblds streets, funky bars and literally hundreds of great places to eat tapas - which was high on our agenda.
