It's taking me forever to write this so I'm gonna make it snappy.

Pros:

1. Businesses opened late for the jet lagged

2. Great coffee 

3. Easy to navigate public transportation (Metro)

4. Affordable food — if you're a snacker, this is especially for you!

5. Lots to do

Cons:

1. Too much to do (difficulty of narrowing down what you really want to do based on the time you're there)

Highly Recommend:

1. Gaudi's Basilica Sagrada Familia — definitely do the elevator tour up to one of the tours!  Amazing city views       

2. Gaudi's Parc de la Ciutadella 

3. Hotel Praktik — City views was great but staying above a bakery was the best travel idea ever!  It was easy to access quick meals and coffees.

3. Cera 23 - AMAZING dishes

4. Paella cooking class! — Fun social event and educational but also yummy =] 

Overly Hyped:

1. Park Guell — overly populated at the hot photo spots and a lot of it was under construction so it didn't feel too worth it.  

I would highly recommend Barcelona if you're new to European travel because it was all so easy to navigate.  The key is to prepare ahead and download your map of the area you'll be residing and visiting (if you don't have an international data plan), but also do some navigation at the hotel room.  Food was unforgettable.