On Sunday morning, we disembarked from the ship and headed back into town. After dropping off our bags, we walked to a town square and enjoyed some people watching on this gorgeous day. There were lots of people out and about, and it was just fun to see people enjoying life again.
We even ran into some friends from the ship! We met Dan and Lesa on our Tuscany trip and immediately liked them. We had lots of fun hanging out together, so it was cool to randomly run into them again in Barcelona.
We stopped for brunch too, and it was wonderful. I loved my prosciutto eggs benedict; it was on the most fresh bagel I've ever had.
We had decided to splurge for our one night back in Barcelona, and our travel agent, Jackie Briggs, found us the most incredible hotel ever: El Palace Barcelona. It was truly spectacular. I am confident I've never stayed in a hotel this nice before. Every single detail was true perfection.
We appreciated the bottle of Cava the hotel sent up to celebrate our 20th anniversary!
The view from the rooftop gardens was lovely. From this angle you can see the Sagrada Familia in the distance. We ate dinner on the other side of the rooftop which was wonderful.
El Palace has an incredible spa. In 2019, they were named the best luxury spa in the world. How could I not try it? It's based on Mayan traditions. You start in a sauna then shower and prepare for your treatment. I had a wonderful 80 minute hot stone massage and loved every minute. This was a fantastic way to spend my afternoon while Ryan stayed in the room to finish preparing for his teaching that was coming up quickly.
After my time in the spa, I cleaned up, and we went downstairs to enjoy the hotel's afternoon tea service. It was amazing. There was also a piano player who made lovely music in the background.
I always love the three tiers for tea service. There were four different types of finger sandwiches: chicken salad, egg salad with wasabi mayonnaise, salmon with caviar, and salmon without caviar. There were four scones and little bowls of jam (raspberry and blackberry) and clotted cream. There were four sweets on top: a meringue with passion fruit, a little tart with raspberry filing and white chocolate, chocolate mousse inside dark chocolate, and a chocolate tart with nuts. We both ordered the English breakfast tea too. Every single bit of this was absolutely delicious, and I wish I could enjoy it every day.
On Monday morning we enjoyed their large buffet breakfast. It was filled with all sorts of tasty items: various breads, meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts, and eggs. It was a great way to start the day before we headed to the train station for the ride to Madrid.
This hotel was unbelievably spectacular, and we enjoyed every detail. I hope that if we ever return to Barcelona, we are able to stay here again. It was worth every penny!
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