Paellas & Pizza: Two Week Itinerary
Two Weeks In Barcelona, Madrid, Positano & Rome
The day after graduating from UC San Diego in 2018, Kyle and I packed our carry ons and hopped on a flight from LAX to Barcelona for two weeks of international celebration.
From renting boats in El Retiro Park to wandering through Trastevere in search of the perfect pasta - I will hold the memories we created for the rest of my life. Though this trip took place in the summer of 2018, I created and kept an extremely detailed itinerary that we used to keep track of our travels, daily activities, and budget. (As a Virgo sun + mercury does.) I’ll be referencing it to share our travel plan, our most memorable meals, and so. much. more. Let’s dive in.
Day 1: Arriving in Barcelona
After arriving in Barcelona a little after 3PM, we took the Aerobus bus service (less than 6 euro per person) from the airport into the city. Our mobile hotspot was not working, and we had to meet our AirBnb host’s friend to let us in by 5PM. After frantically wandering the streets using only intuition to guide us (because I made us get off the bus too early), we gave up on trying to navigate without a map and hailed a taxi.
We stayed in an affordable AirBnB close to La Sagrada Familia, coming in at $185.23 for three nights. This was the only city where we rented a room within someone’s space instead of renting an entire flat - but our host ended up going out of town for the weekend anyways, so we had the entire space to ourselves. It was comfortable, a perfect location, and had a beautiful view overlooking a park.
Here’s my first tip - know where you’re willing to save and where you’re ready to spend. We knew that we really wanted a beautiful view in Positano, so we were willing to save by taking buses, purchasing cheap flights, and staying in more affordable AirBnb’s in certain cities to make that happen.
After settling in, calling AT&T to activate Kyle’s international cell plan, and requesting a refund from the hotspot company, it was already pretty late. We grabbed pizza at a shop around the corner, walked to the water and back, and went off to bed.
DAY 2: La Boqueria & Camp Nou
Our first stop of the day was La Boqueria, an open air market near the Gothic Quarter, which we visited around 9:30AM. The market was bustling, even for a Wednesday, and was abundant with everything from colorful varieties of candy and fresh squeezed juice to delectable meats and fresh picked vegetables. After exploring every stand, I ordered a strawberry smoothie - and I’m pretty sure a croissant - and we set out for our next sight.
Our next stop was Camp Nou, the home of FC Barcelona. Kyle had just graduated from his final year playing soccer for UC San Diego, so visiting the stadium was a must on his list. We decided to walk (over an hour) to catch our tour time, 1PM.
After the tour, we took a taxi back to the AirBnb to prepare for the rest of the day. We walked over to La Sagrada Familia and took in the gorgeous architecture, walked to the Gothic Quarter, and had a beautiful outdoor dinner. The night ended only after trying churros and chocolate - highly recommend.
DAY 3: Barceloneta Beach & Park Güell
On our second full day in Barcelona, we let ourselves sleep in a little before setting out to Barceloneta Beach for an afternoon in the sun. We stopped for lunch at The Coconut Club, which had a tropical, laid-back vibe and views of the water. We ordered nachos and wings to share, and I sipped on my favorite drink to enjoy in Europe - orange Fanta. I discovered that European Fanta doesn’t use the same amount of synthetic flavoring as the US when I first visited Europe as a child. It’s been my guilty pleasure ever since.
After laying out for a couple of hours, we found our way back to the AirBnb to freshen up before visiting Park Güell. If you scroll up, you’ll see a photo of me on my way to Park Güell - tickets in hand - and blissfully unaware that Kyle had accidentally purchased tickets for the previous day. When we arrived at 5:30PM (the last entry time) for our tour, we were turned away, as it was sold out.
Second tip - things will go wrong when you travel - don’t sweat the small stuff. Expect plans to fall through, be prepared to miss a bus or a train or tour or whatever it may be, and no matter what you do, don’t let it ruin your day.
Though we couldn’t enter the restricted area of Park Güell, there are multiple free trails that you can explore. What makes Park Güell so special are the stunning views overlooking the city - I recommend visiting at sunset.
After walking back to a more central location, we found a restaurant that specialized in paella. We ordered a seafood paella and patatas bravas, delicious fried potatoes served with aioli and ketchup, to share. And with that, our time in Barcelona came to a close. Next stop - Madrid.
DAY 4: Exploring Madrid
Early on our fourth day, we picked up a bag of delicious croissants at a bakery to take on our Renfe high speed rail trip from Barcelona to Madrid. Another tip, Kyle and I usually head to a grocery store at the beginning of the trip to buy breakfasts for the week. Otherwise, we’ll pick something up at a bakery or coffee shop to start the day. Saves so. much. money. Little did we know, our high speed rail tickets came with a complimentary breakfast as well. Along with sweeping views of the Spanish countryside, our fourth day was off to a great start.
After checking in at our AirBnb (which was under $50 per night), we set out to explore El Retiro Park. The park was massive, peaceful, beautiful - we could’ve spent the entire day exploring. My absolute favorite location within the park was Palacio de Cristal, the Glass Palace, pictured below. It was simply out of a fairytale.
After a long day of wandering, we found a random restaurant in the center of the city and headed back to our AirBnB for some rest.
DAY 5: Row Boats in Retiro Park
Our first stop of the day was the Royal Palace of Madrid, which was stunningly beautiful. We grabbed a snack at the Mercado de San Miguel, and spent the morning and afternoon wandering around the city, taking in the beautiful architecture and bustling streets. The atmosphere reminded me a lot of New York City in many ways.
As sunset rapidly approached, Kyle and I decided at the last second to try to rent row boats at Retiro Park. We were lucky and arrived at the final time slot, as the sun began to set. For only six euros, we were able to rent a boat for 45 minutes. If you can only spend one day in Madrid - rent a boat at sunset in Retiro Park. It was easily one of the most romantic experiences of my life, like something out of a movie.
We brought our second and final day in Madrid to a close at El Tigre, a crowded, hole-in-the-wall tapas bar. Every drink came with free, unlimited tapas, and the drinks were massive and less than ten euros. For two freshly graduated college students, El Tigre provided exactly the atmosphere we were looking for - standing room only, sugary, cheap sangria, and a warm, friendly energy.
And with that, our time in Spain came to an end.
DAY 6: Positano
We spent the afternoon of day six flying from Madrid to Naples, arriving at half past three in the afternoon. From there, we splurged on a private car instead of taking the ferry or bus. It was just under fifty euros per person, which was entirely worth it. Our driver, a local to Positano, could’ve driven the winding, cliffside road from Naples to the Amalfi Coast with his eyes closed. It was an absolutely gorgeous drive, but I was glad we didn’t have to navigate the roads ourselves.
Positano is easily the most beautiful place I have ever been in my entire life. It was like stepping into a daydream - with bright pink and purple bougainvillea draping down vanilla colored restaurants, stacked sherbert shaded buildings decorating the mountainside, and sailboats peppering a milky blue sea. Positano is one of those places you just can’t capture in words or photographs or videos - there’s some rare magic in the air that ensures Positano can only be fully experienced in person. It is truly a slice of heaven.
With only a bit of daylight left, we walked down 46 flights of stairs from our AirBnB to Positano Spiaggia, the main beach, where we ordered pizzas and limoncello spritzes at Ristorante La Pergola Positano. I highly recommend for a quick, affordable dinner that still felt entirely authentic and intimate.
DAY 7: Positano Spiaggia
On our seventh day in Europe and second day in Positano, Kyle woke me up to watch the sunrise. The absolute silence of the still sleeping beachside village coupled with the crisp morning air made this one of my favorite memories of the trip.
After petting about fifteen very friendly stray cats on the walk down, we spent the majority of our morning and afternoon at Positano Spiaggia. The beach is covered in large, smooth pebbles that burn your feet and would be extremely uncomfortable to lay out on. For this reason, we rented two chaise lounges which were decorated with deep blue and white stripes. Once we got hungry, Kyle ordered us a pizza from La Pergola to go, and a gelato to share. We spent the entire day basking in the sun, taking periodic dips in the sea, and soaking in the dreamy energy of the Amalfi coast.
We ate dinner at one of the beachfront restaurants as dusk began to settle. With the last bit of light, we took tons of photographs on the beach and dock at the edge of Positano Spiaggia. It was like dancing around our very own personal postcard.
DAY 8: Ferry To Amalfi
On day eight, we took the ferry from Positano to Amalfi, where we wandered for a few hours soaking in the sounds of street musicians and basking in the scent of fresh lemon gelato. We shopped for souvenirs for our families and people watched on the steps of the Amalfi Cathedral, overlooking the Piazza del Duomo.
Once we returned from Amalfi, we spent our final night in Positano traipsing around window shopping. Instead of going out to dinner, we stopped by a local grocery shop and picked up baguettes, cheese, and white wine. We enjoyed them by the window of our studio, overlooking the sunset for one last time.
A note for Positano - it’s expensive, more expensive than other places in Italy. Be prepared to get creative with meals if you’re trying to save money.
DAY 9: From The Amalfi Coast to Rome
We left Positano by car and arrived at the train station in Naples, where we set off for Rome. Our train tickets were about $70 total, and the ride was quick. We arrived in the mid-afternoon, half past two. Our AirBnB was just on the edge of Testaccio, and was extremely close to a metro line. Another key tip, especially for first time travelers, take. the. metro. It’s so much more affordable than taking taxis or ride-services everywhere, and it makes you feel a bit more like a local.
After an initial bout of exploration around the city, we found ourselves in Trastavere for dinner at Nannarella. It was the best pasta I’ve ever had, hands down. The atmosphere was fantastic, the food was divine - a perfect start to our time in Roma.
DAY 10: The Vatican
On Day 10, we started our day with a guided tour of The Vatican. I definitely could’ve gone without a tour guide, as she just wasn’t the best. The Vatican itself was extremely crowded - claustrophobic in my opinion. I ended up having a bit of an anxiety attack in the Sistine Chapel after slowly navigating our way through tunnels in a single file fashion. If you’re not extremely interested in the history of the Catholic Church, it’s not a must see.
From there, Kyle and I explored the city, shopped, and Kyle almost passed out from not eating all day. Out of desperation, we ended up at a restaurant near the Trevi Fountain, which I don’t recommend. Any restaurants near the main tourist attractions will be a bit overpriced and not quite as delicious.
Regardless of the hiccups, we enjoyed our time wandering around the beautiful streets, soaking in the beauty of Rome. Not every travel day will be perfect, but that’s just a part of making memories around the world. And it definitely makes for good stories to tell over dinner.
DAY 10: The Colosseum
On day ten, we started our day as early as we could at the Trevi Fountain. The earlier you arrive - the less people, and we really wanted to take pictures with the fountain.
We then took a self-guided tour of the Colosseum, which was absolutely breathtaking. Unless you’d really like a deep dive into the history, you can pass on a guided tour.
For our final night in Rome, we meandered through vendors set alongside the Tiber River, taking in the sounds of street musicians and the smells of various food stands as the sun set. It was a truly magical way to end our time in Italy.
DAY 12-13: The Day Trip That Never Was
Something always goes wrong when traveling… right? For us, we were lucky enough to have our fiasco happen at the very end of our trip. As we arrived to the airport in Rome, we were told that French air traffic control was on strike and all incoming flights to France were canceled. We had originally planned to fly to Lyon, where we would take a train to Paris for a day trip. Unfortunately, we ended up in a sketchy airport hotel far outside of Rome, where we both slept for 12 hours while we waited for a flight to open.
We flew to Nice, France, and took a train all. day. to Lyon. We spent our final night in Europe in our AirBnb, binging the second season of 13 Reasons Why, as it happened to be Sunday when pretty much everything in France is closed.
Regardless of the final days, our trip was truly the trip of a lifetime.
From renting boats in El Retiro Park to wandering through Trastevere in search of the perfect pasta - I will hold the memories we created for the rest of my life. The scent of lemon gelato wafting through the air in Amalfi and the sounds of clinking wine glasses and bright, jovial laughter on Roman patios will forever be imprinted in my mind.
Until next time.
