The warm sea breeze welcomed us right off the plane -- a stark contrast to the cold rainy days we left behind in London.  My brain delighted in the comfort of remembering conversational Spanish, enough to carry on friendly chats in taxis, navigate through the city, and order tapas y vino a las restaurantes, la parte mas importante. Barcelona has a warm, laid-back mediterranean vibe by the water with casual bikers in every sightline.  The relaxed lifestyle in El Born (a hood rich in history and old gothic architecture -- where we stayed) is one that we easily got acclimated to and often envisioned ourselves in long term.  All the old alleyways were lined with tapas bars and specialty shops that sat just below old apartments with potted gardens flowing over the balconies.  It's a place that I didn't have enough time to get to know, so it's on my heart to go back. Tags: europe