A big red sun lit up the surrounding cliffs as we picked up anchor and began a slow motor down the Spanish coast. Temperatures climbed as did the population, with hotel and apartment high rises wedged together behind long sandy beaches. Barcelona came into view and we could see the towers of the Sagrada Família (and its huge crane), but it was a fleet of sailboats that stole the prize for a welcome gift.

Enormous black sails on 75-foot hulls with just the helmets of an eight-man crew peeking out from alien-like vessels sped by on their hydrofoils, giving us our first glimpse of the 37th America’s Cup. A giant American flag in the harbor reminded us that American Magic was among the five 2024 participants. Wouldn’t you know it—our boat slip for the week was at the marina who was hosting the 2-month event!

We side tied amidst a few catamarans and monohulls of our size, but we were mostly a minion in this fleet of super yachts AND the British Team Britannia just across from our dock. We had front row seats watching the Brits unstep the mast, scrub every nook and cranny, and put their girl to bed in the boat shed until the next day when she was reassembled for another round of racing. We could have sat on the dock and been perfectly entertained by this daily routine, but we had a long list of local sights to see.

The famous La Rambla pedestrian street was our first stop to stretch our legs and get the lay of the land. We wandered the little back alleys of the Gothic neighborhood and around Marina Vell to check out our neighbors and the pop-up Prada and Louis Vuitton shops in case I needed a new bucket hat…for a $1000.

My favorite VoiceMap app guided us on a culinary walking tour through the Born neighborhood. Even though we found many of the featured restaurants and shops closed in August (when owners and staff leave for vacation), the stroll through this charming district was a delight. Eventually, we arrived at the Boqueria open market…with the rest of Barcelona, or at least the hungry ones. It was indeed an energetic place with stalls selling produce, fish, cheese, empanadas, and oh so much ham. We filled our bags with produce and joined the customers walking and eating snacks in paper cones, while pining to be one of the lucky ones sitting at a table eating Iberian charcuteries with a glass of cava.

Top of my wish list was to visit the Sagrada Família. The minute I stepped out of the cab, I was in complete awe of the towering cathedral, which truly disappeared into the heavens. It reminded me of the Grand Canyon—no matter how much you describe it or how many photos you see, you can never really fully appreciate the scale and detail until you see it in person. Inside was just as magnificent, where stained glass as high as the eye could see created a remarkably well-lit interior—such a contrast to the typical cavernous church. Our tour guide pointed out features we would have otherwise missed, like how the names in each of the circular windows represent Catholic cathedrals from around the world. Even a sculpture of the grand architect himself was incorporated into a biblical scene.

A tortoise and turtle at the entry, columns that emulated palm trees—all representative of Antoni Gaudí’s love of nature cleverly coupled with his religious devotion. We climbed the stairs for a closeup look of towers still under construction and the famous fruits of good deeds, built from millions of tiny ceramic tiles and thoughtfully placed so the rising sun touches the spring fruits and the afternoon sun sets on the fall crop.

The top deck of the hop-on hop-off bus was a nice chance to rest tired feet and take in more of this urban grandeur…or the air-conditioned lower deck if your presence was required on a mid-afternoon Zoom call.🤪

Our final stop of this full day was Park Güell, another Gaudí masterpiece that showcases his more playful architecture like the Serpentine Bench, a 360-foot winding bench made from colorful mosaic tiles. Back onboard Gémeaux for a short respite and then out again for a 9:30 dinner reservation—we’re getting the hang of these late-night Spanish dinners.

We had an absolute ball at the America’s Cup Experience and I nearly became a Red Bull drinker after visiting the Swiss Alinghi Red Bull team.😂 We loaded our brains with so many facts from this competition’s 170-year history, like how the crew’s body armor includes a small oxygen cylinder in case of capsizing. We giggled and gasped in the simulator where we flew above the water at nearly 50k. Our favorite was the IMAX film, probably because of the a/c and comfy seats…we watched it twice!

We gussied up for our theater night, and followed a route on this Feast of Assumption holiday that took us directly (and quietly) through a cathedral where mass was underway. Sitting among locals across the street, drinking sangria and watching the bartender pour a steady stream of this popular drink, was the best opening act for the theater. And now we know her recipe…fruit, vodka, simple syrup, Fanta orange, Fanta lemonade, and red wine to the top! The ornate architecture of the Petit Palau was the initial draw to the theater, but once the lights went down, we continued to be dazzled by the artistry and athleticism of the flamenco dancers as they tapped their way through several dances. In true Spanish fashion, festivities continued late into the night where local bands and solo street performers filled the air with music as we made our way home. The energy is so palatable in this city—little kids running around plazas until midnight and restaurants still full with people, some just starting dinner.

Dirty rain fell lightly the next morning just enough to make another mess of the boat and serve as a good excuse to knock out chores. We cleaned and cleared the salon table and spent the hot afternoon in the swanky air-conditioned marina reception doing computer work as the laundry machines went around and around. I like this kind of laundry! On our final night, we sat down for a 10pm dinner in the Barceloneta neighborhood, a section that seems to draw mostly Spanish visitors. While we dined on paella and mussels, the beach swarmed with summer visitors enjoying picnics and swimming under a nearly full moon.

As more super yachts filled the marina and our bank account was panting, we knew it was time to go. Certainly, our timing with the 2024 America’s Cup had made this visit extraordinary, but Barcelona by itself was simply spectacular. Anybody want to join me for another trip in 2035 when the Sagrada Família is expected to be completed?