Months of wedding planning had nearly done us in, but finally, John and I were off to Spain for our honeymoon, buzzing to dive into the country's rich history, killer food, and stunning views. We were all about kicking off our married life with a bit of adventure, some serious eats, and loads of new experiences and you can checkout our 5-day Spain Honeymoon Extravaganza Romantic Cultural Adventure itinerary.
Right off the bat, Barcelona grabbed us with its crazy energy and out-there buildings. Our first morning, we wandered into Brunch & Cake, a spot a buddy had raved about. Digging into some epic strawberry waffles and kicking back with peppermint tea, we laid out our plans for the day on this artsy map a local artist at the cafe had whipped up.
After fueling up, we hit Park GĂźell, one of Gaudi's wild spots. John's big into architecture and was all over the funky shapes and wild colors that seemed straight out of a Dr. Seuss story. Me? I couldn't get enough of the insane views over Barcelona, the whole city sparkling under the morning sun. We even managed to snap a goofy selfie with the park's gingerbread-house-like buildings, both of us grinning like idiots.
Lunchtime meant braving the madness of La Boqueria Market. The place was a full-on assault of colors, smells, and flavorsâolives, cured meats, the works. We tried a bit of everything. A super lively vendor, finding out we were newlyweds, made us try her famous empanadas. âFuel for a lifetime of love,â she said. We just laughed and went for it.
As the afternoon slipped into the evening, John and I got totally lost wandering through the winding streets of the Gothic Quarter. It felt like every old stone in those alleyways was whispering ancient secrets as we ducked into these tiny, quirky artisan shops. I ended up snagging a handcrafted leather journal from this adorable old guy who's been crafting them for over 60 years. He handed it to me with a wink, saying, "For your love story."
We wrapped up our first day with a killer sunset dinner at Xiringuito EscribĂ , a spot our AirBnB host had tipped us off about. Digging into some amazing grilled octopus and sipping chilled cava, we toasted to the start of what feels like our biggest adventure yet. The Mediterranean shimmered right in front of us, almost sparkling as much as our eyes were, all full of hope and excitement.
Next up was Granada, with its stunning Moorish vibes. Walking through the Alhambra Palace was just mind-blowingâthe details in the carvings, the elegant archways, and those peaceful courtyards got us. In this quiet little corner, John totally surprised me by pulling out a book of Pablo Neruda's love poems and started reading them out loud in Spanish. Meanwhile, I'm there tracing the delicate Arabic calligraphy on the walls, feeling like our languages and hearts were just weaving together right there.
The Generalife Gardens were this perfect, lush spot to just chill from all the tourist buzz. We found ourselves a bench, John dozed off a bit with his head in my lap, and I started sketching the fountains around us in my new journal. This older couple walked by, hand-in-hand, giving us this sweet smile and muttering, "Young love." Their eyes were all nostalgic. Made me blush, realizing, wow, that's going to be us one dayâhopefully still as crazy about each other.
And of course, we couldn't skip out on a flamenco show in Granada. We ended up in this dim, intimate cave in Sacromonte, completely captivated by the sheer intensity of the dancers and that deep, soulful guitar. As the last note hung in the air, John pulled me in close and whispered, âNo matter what life throws our way, we're gonna keep dancing through it together.â Just...swoon.
Seville totally swept us off our feet with its Andalusian vibes. Kicked off the day dunking churros in chocolate near Plaza de EspaĂąa, then hit up the stunning Real AlcĂĄzar. We were all about that princess and knight life, peeking through fancy arches and stomping up old spiral stairs, totally lost in the fun of it all. Spur of the moment, we ended up kicking a soccer ball around with some local kids in the gardens, busting through any language barriers with heaps of laughs.
Wandering through Maria Luisa Park, we bumped into an open-air flamenco guitar class. The teacher, this cool older guy with salt-and-pepper hair, roped us into joining. We spent the next hour totally butchering chords and laughing off our clumsy fingers, the whole group cheering us on. By the time the sun started setting, it felt like we'd stumbled into this big, musical family, all speaking the same language of music.
Later, cruising down the Guadalquivir river at sunset, this sweet grandmotherly boat captain spun tales about Seville's past, present, and future, telling us, "It's all the same, you see." Snuggled up, John and I watched the city colors blend into the evening sky, feeling like everything in our past and our dreams for the future had pulled us right into this magic moment.
Madrid was next, hitting us with its royal swagger and buzzing streets. At the Prado Museum, we got a bit flirty, hunting for paintings that screamed 'us.' John picked Velazquez's "Las Meninas" for meâsomething about queen vibes and a mysterious smile. I chose Bosch's "Garden of Earthly Delights" for him, because, let's be honest, it's as wild and crazy as he is, with a zest for life that's just infectious.
We wrapped up with a rowboat spin in Retiro Park, which was a comedy show with John trying to row and me directing. Amidst our laughter, we somehow drifted to a quiet spot where we munched on manchego cheese, Iberico ham, and sipped some red wine we snagged from Mercado de San Miguel. A bit tipsy on both the wine and our love, we vowed to come back on every anniversary, no matter how old and wrinkly we get.
Our royal vibes carried on with a trip to the Royal Palace and a killer dinner at BotĂn, which claims to be the world's oldest restaurant. Tucking into some amazing roast lamb and sipping rioja, we toasted to our future selves as king and queen, pledging to craft a love that lasts forever.
Valencia was the perfect wrap-up to our Spanish love story. Kicked off with a beachside breakfast at La Mas Bonita, then headed over to the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences. In the aquarium's underwater tunnel, with sharks and rays all around, John popped out a delicate silver seahorse necklace and went down on one knee - yeah, I said 'yes' all over again right there.
Chowing down on some legit paella at Casa Carmela, we ended up hitting it off with a super lively local couple next to us. What started as chit-chat about how to use saffron turned into a full-blown salsa dancing session on the sand, all of us barefoot and grooving to the rhythm of the night. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we hugged our new buddies goodbye, totally struck by how travel just brings people together.
Our last evening had us at Vertical, a Michelin-star spot with views that killed. Between bites of deconstructed gazpacho and those wild molecular olive spheres, we took turns reminiscing about all the epic moments of our trip. We wrote down our highlights, stuffed them into a rioja bottle, and made a pact to crack it open on our 10th anniversaryâour very own tasty time capsule.
Flying back home, nursing some cava-induced headaches but still all smiles, it hit us hard. This trip to Spain was more than just an escape; it was a big fat yes to everything ahead. Surrounded by art, history, and just the raw vibe of connecting with others, we fell for each other all over againâand for the whole wild, wide world too. Our Spanish honeymoon? It wasn't just a chapter closing; it was us gearing up for a lifetime of adventures, with endless stories just waiting to be lived and a huge thanks fro Travel007's AI itinerary generator for creafting our amazing holiday and finding hidden gems we wouldn't have found.
The Travel007 crew.
15th April, 2024