Missy Ebong: Barcelona and Paris Anniversary Trip!

Night One

We arrived in Barcelona in the morning and already it's time for a nap! Who else stays up ALL night packing the night before your trip, no matter how long you've known you were taking your trip?! It's insane. Our overnight flight was smooth and although Iso slept on the flight, I wasn't able to. Maybe I was too excited or maybe it was because I was pumping breast milk under a blanket! I had to do this 2-3 times per day or this vacation would've been a disaster.

I also listened to tons of music on the flight to pass the time but when we arrived, I was ready to pass out.

Barcelona is gorgeous! The first thing I notice is the architecture and the slew of cafes lining the streets with people dining on the sidewalks. Even the crowded apartment buildings look a bit romantic because of the architecture. When it's time for dinner, we decide to on on foot since it's only about a 20 minute walk. We hold hands, talk about the scenery and people watch.

Moments later we arrive at Paco Miralgo, a super tiny tapas restaurant with a chic facade. I love how many European restaurants make such efficient use of space. Our dining experience feels cozy and intimate. Every small dish we ordered was fresh, flavorful and distinct. We literally ordered one of every tapas dish they offered on the menu! We left feeling fully satisfied and agreed it was the best meal we'd eaten in months.

At Paco Miralgo for dinner on night one!

The rabbit was tender and the seafood was so fresh.

Food so good, we had to write a Yelp review!

After dinner kisses for my handsome hubs!

Night two

The last two days in Barcelona have been so fun and we made some great discoveries. Feels so good to spend so much uninterrupted time with just the two of us. Today we decided to visit Gothic Square-a huge, enclosed, rambling maze of alleys and restaurants, shops and residences. We'd never seen anything like it and had sooo much fun getting lost in the labyrinth-like streets. We ate tapas again. What else would you eat when visiting Spain?! They were very tasty and at the same time didn't measure up to the dinner we had the first night. We felt like judges on Top Chef with our dish-by-dish comparisons. After dinner we stopped for gelato and spent a couple hours exploring and taking pics next to interesting buildings and graffiti art. We ended up in La Rambla by the port and stumbled into a beautiful hotel for a glass of wine. We went up to the rooftop and there was the most amazing view of all of the Barcelona with its evening lights and its gorgeous sea port. After a couple hours of relaxing on the roof, we went out to party. We found a spot and danced to early 2000's hip-hop with young locals and it was all very corny and tons of fun and giggles. On our way back to the hotel at 3:30 am we are all smiles. I love my hubby so much! He did a great job planning this trip and I can't believe how very blessed we are to have each other and our life.

Night Three

Today we booked a yacht cruise to see some of the landmarks in the city and I just wanted to be on the Mediterranean. I was sooo excited and put on the perfect swimsuit under my clothes so that I could get into the water when the time was right. We took a taxi to the port. The port was huge and there was no address on the vouchers. No one we asked knew how to get to particular part of the port we needed. By the time we walked all the way to the other side of the port, 40 minutes had passed and we'd just missed the boat!! Talk about a grown woman pouting like a baby. This was gonna take some time for me to get over. Hubby was angry and called Amex to get a refund.

Determined to recover and make the best of our last day in Barcelona, we found an Italian restaurant with five star reviews on Yelp and had an early dinner. We then went to Sagrada Familia which is a basilica and park designed by famous artist, Gaudi. It was definitely interesting and worth the trip. Afterward, we walked around the city, stopped for gelato and just enjoyed the weather. We must have walked for a couple of hours, stopping on a park bench to relax in between. We arrived back in the hotel and spent some time relaxing only to realize at the exact same moment that we were starving! It was 4 am. We found a 24hour bakery and cafe where we grabbed some flaky delicious empanadas, small pizzas, quiche and dessert. It was great and we scarfed it all down on our walk back to the hotel.

Tomorrow we're off to Paris!!

Sagrada Familia!

OMG yumm!

Iso said when it drops,this will be my album cover insert :-D!

Relaxing on the rooftop!

Iso took selfies that I didn't know I was posing for! Anyone else's man do this to them?! 😂 Why do I look like an alien in the top right pic?!

Night Four

24 hours in Paris

First stop: Eiffel Tower. We got in line to go up the lift but it was too long. A sweet couple agreed to take some pics of us. They turned out really cute! We stayed for a while and indulged in some excellent people-watching.

Next stop: Pont de Arts bridge to make our mark. I'd seen the lovers' locks before in various engagement photos online. I knew this was a must-see and marking our own lock and throwing away the key was a must-do. It was so romantic! Lots of kisses. After we permanently marked our lock with "Iso and Melissa forever," we locked it onto the bridge and each threw a key into the Seine River. It melted my heart. One day we'll go back to the same spot with our sons and maybe we'll find our lock in the same place, the key forever drowned in the deep flowing waters. Our love is forever!
I'm sooo corny... I know...
Later that night, we celebrated our one and only night in Paris at a tiny, amazing restaurant. The weather was perfect so we sat near the street and had a great time. Our dinner was delicious with many creative entrees and it was the first to live up to that first night in Barcelona. Afterward, we went out and made some new acquaintances.