Furthest I have ever been: Barcelona, Spain

It's a long way from Minnesota. I know a lot of people travel to Europe but this was a milestone for me. September is a great time to visit as the weather was perfect. Only had to wear a light jacket in the evening.<br><br>Here are some things that I think are worth mentioning on my trip:<br><br>* The food was amazing, but a lot of the restaurants close for 2-3 hours in the afternoon. I did not encounter this as much when I traveled in Italy.<br>* The amount of Chinese people was surprising for a European city. This was not what I expected. I didn't see very many people of African descent.<br>* There was a lot of construction going on around La Rambla and it seemed like the boardwalk there is not as popular as it used to be. Barcelona has a lot of tourists but the vibe I got was a general disdain for them. Barcelona has a lot of tourists but I didn't feel like it was overdone like Paris.<br>* Hop on hop off bus tour was a good way to get a grasp of the city and it was nice because I could turn off my feet for a couple of hours.<br>* Sagrada Familia was nice and I recommend going to the park across the street to have a picnic. Saved a lot of money by eating a grocery store sandwich<br>* I stayed on the beach and walked to everything. I didn't think the metro was that convenient.<br>* The beach was nice but I got a little disappointed when I found out it was mostly sand that had been imported from Egypt<br>* Prices for drinks were very cheap. I think there was a drink special for a beer and a pizza for $12 at a restaurant on the beach. I went to a lot of different restaurants for tapas by myself and a $25 dinner was a normal price which is not bad by US standards<br>* I already knew about pickpocketing in Barcelona so I was vigilant about keeping track of my stuff. I was on the hop on hop off bus when I saw a pickpocket get on a bus stop and a couple had lost their phone already. The guy was arrested and thrown in jail. I don't know if anything bad actually happens to them other than getting kicked out of the country<br>* I went to the aquarium and it was a pretty nice aquarium. But not the best I have ever been to. I think the displays were a little too simple to be honest<br>* I was disappointed by all the graffiti around the city. It was everywhere and made everything look trashy<br>* I have been to Rome, Florence, and Milan in Italy, and I have been to Paris, France. I would say that Barcelona was my favorite. Yes I have not been everywhere in Europe but so far it's my favorite city. The vibe had a little bit of Latin America to it and the beaches were nice. It was a lot more laid back than any of the cities in Italy I visited. I like aggressive and in your face service but it was nice to have a change of pace. I was mostly a happy tourist while I was here but I did get upset at a restaurant when they added a 10% tip without asking me. Yes I was going to tip anyway but I think it's rude to automatically put a tip on your bill. They tried to explain to me that this was the custom and that upset me more.