I was born cursed with wanderlust. I've always wanted to visit countless countries in Europe, and this past summer I was finally able to travel overseas and explore one of them.

I'm Puerto Rican and American, with my ancestors coming from multiple different countries in Europe. Puerto Ricans are descended from Spaniards and the Taíno Indians of South America and the Caribbean. So, it's no wonder that I had a pressing desire to visit Spain. I traveled to Spain this summer and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The highlight of the trip: Barcelona.

Barcelona is a city like no other. It's rich with culture, filled with famous landmarks, home to many beautiful architectural works by Antoni Gaudí, and has beautiful scenery. Everyone is so kind and welcoming. If you are unable to speak Spanish or Catalan, there is no reason to worry, because most Spaniards in Barcelona can speak the English language beautifully. And unlike many French, they don't think speaking English is degrading. Of course, that's not all of the French, but from my experience in France most of them feel this way. But, that's a story for another day.

As I mentioned before, Barcelona is packed full with culture. If you've ever taken a Spanish class before, I'm sure your teacher has spoken about the markets in Spain. You may be thinking, "what's so special about a market?" Visit La Boqueria in Barcelona and you'll never ask that question again.

La Boqueria by Elle Johnson

Mercat de la Boqueria, or the Boqueria Market, is one of the most famous and largest markets not only in Spain, but also in Europe, and it's a huge tourist attraction. It is packed full of every type of food imaginable from all-natural fruit juices to freshly cooked meats. You could spend an entire day in there looking at all the different local and cultural foods, because it is that large. And it's cheap. When I visited la Boqueria, I bought myself one of the freshly made juices, which only cost me €0.25, which is around $0.28. La Boqueria is one attraction packed with culture that I definitely recommend to anyone traveling to Barcelona to visit, because it will make their trip more worthwhile.

While La Boqueria is one attraction you don't want to miss, the cathedrals in Barcelona are another one. I visited two cathedrals while there, both of which had amazing tours. They were Catedral de Barcelona (Barcelona Cathedral) and la Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar (the Church of Saint Mary of the Sea).

Catedral de Barcelona by Elle Johnson

Both cathedrals are Gothic architectural building built between the late 1200's and late 1300's. I could go on and on about the Gothic style, but I'm sure you're not here to read about art styles. Personally, I am not a religious person, but once you see these cathedrals on the outside, it doesn't matter. You are in awe. They are just as gorgeous on the inside as they are on the outside and both have fabulous tour guides that make historic information extremely interesting. They not only serve as popular tourist attractions, but are rich with the Barcelona culture. Cathedrals like these that date back centuries are a piece of what has made Barcelona what it is today.

While on the topic of cathedrals, I'm sure most people have heard of La Sagrada Familia, which translates to the Sacred Family.

La Sagrada Familia by Elle Johnson

La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous churches in Spain. Antoni Gaudí began construction of this church in the 1980's, but he died before it could be complete. Construction on this church continues to this day as it is continuously working towards being complete. Although, it is still under construction, it is fully open to the public and tourists. From this church, you can tell that Antoni Gaudí was not a fan of hard, rigid corners. None of his architecture is normal. There are no corners where the ceiling meets the wall, instead they curve into each other. He uses vivid and bright colors to bring buildings to life. Other arhitectural works by Gaudí are: La Pedrera (Casa Milà), Casa Batllo, Casa Güell, and Park Güell. All buildings and parks built by Gaudí are popular attractions in Barcelona and are definitely something no one should miss seeing.

Overall, I'm sure you could tell I enjoyed my time in Barcelona immensely. La Boqueria, the Gothic Cathedrals, and works by Antoni Gaudí were my favorite part of the city and made my trip to Spain absolutely amazing. These are all attractions everyone should visit, but while in Barcelona, don't forget to visit other beautiful sights it has to offer as well.