BARCELONA-Arrival & Day 1

Part of our “Latergram ” series. This trip took place December 2024.

ARRIVAL DAY: Well, after a long set of flights, from Nashville (BNA) to London (LHR) and finally on to Barcelona (BCN) it was finally nice to land at our hotel for this edition of the FIABCI SPAIN’s  Global Leadership Summit. Barcelona welcomed international real estate leaders for the 43rd Global Leadership Summit under the theme “Sustainable Real Estate and Urban Development Strategies.

The hotel and streets were already decorated for the Holiday’s. Our hotel, El Avenida Palace was centrally located in the heart of Barcelona so it made getting around really easy whether we were walking or taking a ride share.

We just enough time to check in, grab a little nap before we headed to the Welcome Reception which was being held at the Museo Picasso. This evening’s event was held in the exterior event space of the Museum and not held indoors. That’s ok, because I got to visit there on another.

The neighborhood was really safe and it felt good to get out, walk to our evening reception.

Here are a few images from our hotel room view and short walk to the event. And you know if there is graffiti and old doors I’m gonna stop and take some pix.

I always say this but I don’t think it gets old, the people that we’ve met through FIABCI have become some of our greatest friends and also business contacts as we build our trusted partner list throughout the European region.

And any time we get to see and spend time our dear friends Antonio and Ana from Infinite Solutions is always and added bonus ans soul filling. They are the one’s who put on a great trade mission in Portugal back in 2022. Awesome humans.

Time to get some shut eye as the leadership conference for starts tomorrow.

It’s always fun to be able to explore a new city or town solo. I had googled some things that wanted to do…

After our buffet breakfast at our hotel, I was packed up and ready to hit the streets. One of the first places I wanted to check 0ut was the MOCO MUSEUM.  

Here’s a couple pix of the sun rising up over the city….

Moco Museum Barcelona is an independent modern and contemporary art museum located in the historic El Born district, set inside the 16th-century Palau Cervelló. This modern art museum in Barcelona offers a bold contrast to the city’s classical art institutions by focusing on modern, contemporary, digital and immersive art, alongside street art.

The museum’s rotating programme of exhibitions, immersive rooms, and digital installations ensures that every visit feels new and unexpected.

Visitors can explore Andy Warhol’s pop art commentary on celebrity and consumerism, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s raw and symbolic reflections on identity and Keith Haring’s vibrant and socially conscious imagery. The Banksy exhibition in Barcelona, titled Laugh Now, offers an immersive journey into the mind of one of the world’s most iconic anonymous street artists.

I went first thing in the morning so it wasn’t very busy so depending on the time of day you want to attend, you may want to book your tickets on line in advance HERE.

They also have locations in London and Amsterdam. Given the time and opportunity, I would like to visit these two someday as well.

I really like this quote by the founders of Moco Museuem:

After MUSEUM MOCO, I checked google maps to see what was near me and within easy walking distance.

I found the beautiful Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar. Done in the gothic style architecture, this basilica was founded in 1329 and completed sometime on 1393. For more on its history, be sure to check out its Wikipedia page.

Admission is free so why not take advantage and see what’s inside. Here are some images I took that you might enjoy.

Well it’s been a busy day so far so after lunch it was time to walk some more and head on over the Picasso Museum Barcelona.

You can go through life and never have heard of the prolific artist named Picasso.

Situated within a complex of five Gothic palaces, the Museu Picasso in Barcelona houses a valuable collection of the artist’s early works. Entering the museum feels almost like an intimate journey: the rooms encourage close observation of Picasso’s development between 1895 and 1904, a crucial period for understanding the birth of his artistic language. More than an exhibition, it is a declaration of love for the city where it all began. The medieval architecture, austere and majestic, adds a further layer of narrative: Barcelona not only witnessed Picasso’s growth but also inspired him. In gratitude, he left his first sketches here.

You can explore the more than 4,000 pieces of art in this collection you can get to know him and his better here

If you want to learn more about the evolution of this museum that occupies five town house or palaces you can do see at this link.

The earliest one dates back to the 13th centuries.

Time to stroll back to the hotel. the weather has been absolutely gorgeous here with temps in the mid to high 50º for this time of year.

Here are some more pictures of street art, local eateries and downtown life as the sun slowly fades the day away.

Time to stroll back to the hotel. the weather has been absolutely gorgeous here with temps in the mid to high 50º for this time of year.

Here are some more pictures of street art, local eateries and downtown life as the sun slowly fades the day away.

The roof top had a pool and bar that would be amazing in the warmer months. The city views were amazing too. Sagrada Familia can be seen in the distance in one of my photos.

Not a bad place to chill out if you need a break from the noise.

After s short litle rest, it was time to rally for a private group dinner at an upscale, basque style seafood restaurant located down near the new Balcó Gastronòmic of Port Olímpic, the restaurant offers a visual spectacle with its unique location over the sea.

In Basque, salnitre marí, a term that in Basque culture represents the soul of the sea, fused with the fishermen who live from it.

Kresala is a corner of the Euskadi coast brought to Barcelona, ​​where fire and sea meet in every dish. Inspired by fishing towns such as Orio, Getaria, Hondarribia and Bermeo, where the crackling and aroma of grilled fish cooked on the street, celebrate the deep connection of these towns with the sea.

A gastronomic journey to the Basque fishing villages.

I didn’t get to get plated pix like I usually do of each item as we had 20 people and it was a bit of a free fo all as we were all hungry.

To make reservations or learn more about this restaurant, click here: KRESALA WEBSITE.

Well. this has been a very full day. I’ll be back with more sights of Barcelona tomorrow.