20-Day Free Travel Wedding in Spain, Portugal, and Paris (Part 1) – Spain (Continuously Updated)

From planning a travel wedding to making it happen, I spent months searching online for various destinations and guides. I didn't want to go to crowded places or be rushed with a tour group. After picking and choosing, we finally settled on Spain and Portugal, planning a deep 20-day tour of the two countries rather than a rushed 10-country tour of Europe, hahaha~ As Xiao Li and my first overseas trip, although we had concerns, we still chose to travel independently, thus starting a dream journey.

Once the destination was set, we began preparations. First were passports and visas. After getting the passports, we found an agent on Taobao, waited about half a month, and got the visas sorted. My anxious heart finally calmed down, and we could confidently go abroad! Next was the specific itinerary. I circled the places I wanted to visit on a map, drew lines, and voilà, the travel route appeared~~ (blue lines are flights, green are trains, orange parts are self-driving). After booking flights, accommodations, car rental, and some attraction tickets, we packed a drone, camera, tripod, 1000 euros in cash, two large 28-inch suitcases, and two lively hearts, and set off!!!~

Time: 2018.11.25 – 2018.12.16

Route: Harbin - Barcelona - Madrid - Seville - Córdoba - Granada - Ronda - Málaga - Lisbon - Coimbra - Porto - Paris - Harbin (blue lines: flights, green: trains, orange: self-driving)

Electronics: DJI Mavic Air drone + Canon camera + iPhone + tripod

Most accommodations were comfortable and clean, averaging about 500 RMB per night.

2018.11.26 – Barcelona – Via Augusta Hotel

1. Things to bring:

(1) ID card, passport, visa (we got a regular tourist visa for 20 days; for convenience and success, we used an agent on Taobao, took about half a month)

(2) Some cash (we exchanged 1000 euros at the bank, trying to get small denominations; otherwise, large bills are hard to spend in Europe)

(3) Xiao Li and I were on a travel wedding, so we also brought a wedding dress, veil, and a bouquet.

2018.11.25 – Boarded the plane to Barcelona, watching the ground gradually recede outside the window. The long-awaited trip arrived as scheduled.

2018.11.26 – We landed in the morning Spanish time. It was my first time on such a long flight, but the excitement of travel kept me wide awake; I didn't even need to adjust for jet lag, immediately energized, haha (mainly because I sleep very well, hibernating on the plane: eat, sleep, eat again). Originally, my best friend was going to pick us up, but she had an unexpected class, so she arranged a driver to pick us up at the airport. Actually, for first-timers, hiring a Chinese driver for airport transfer is a great choice—it allows you to start the journey faster and smoother.

We sped through the city of Barcelona, looking at the unique scenery outside the window, finally realizing that we had flown over 10,000 kilometers to Europe, to Spain, to this passionate city—Barcelona~ The driver, a friendly middle-aged man, had lived in Spain for over a decade. On the way to the hotel, he even helped us break a 500-euro bill, saving us the trouble of finding a place to exchange cash. Absolutely great~

During our days in Barcelona, Manzi took us to eat local delicacies, taught us how to buy metro tickets in Spanish, taught us "Hola" and "Gracias"~~~ We visited Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, Casa Milà, and Park Güell. We were deeply impressed by the genius Gaudi; centuries ago in Europe, he had already created such exquisite and stunning architecture. The Sagrada Familia, started in 1882, is still under construction. Its detail and grandeur left us speechless standing beneath it. The stained glass and holy cross—even as a tourist attraction, there is a designated area for worshippers to pray. We unconsciously walked in, found seats, and experienced a moment of peace and devotion. By 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's death, this church spanning three centuries will be truly completed. I hope I will have another chance to see it without the construction cranes. The biggest regret in Barcelona was not watching a football match at Camp Nou—a football dream left behind~

Hotel: Via Augusta Hotel

Clean and cozy, it was our first hotel in Europe, and it felt great.

In the afternoon, after settling into the hotel, my friend Manzi came to see me. We first went to Casa Milà, where I experienced for the first time the charm of Gaudi as an artistic genius.

In the evening, she took us to our first Spanish dinner. It was quite delicious, but we almost got overwhelmed by the authentic foie gras—Xiao Li's pained expression, haha.

2018.11.27 – Today's itinerary: La Rambla + Sagrada Familia + Camp Nou Stadium

Sagrada Familia (tickets must be booked in advance)

Actually, my connection with Sagrada Familia began in university architecture class when our group chose to make a model of it. At that time, I was amazed by the building and its story from pictures. I never imagined that years later I would stand beneath it, quietly gazing up.

Sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows reflected the world's colors.

Camp Nou – How can one not love football living in such a place? Unfortunately, I couldn't watch a match, but it satisfied my expectation as a pseudo-fan.

In the evening, we strolled around the streets~

2018.12.28? [Note: likely a typo; should be 2018.11.28] – Park Güell + Casa Batlló

We had lunch near Park Güell~~

In the afternoon, we visited Casa Batlló.

Gaudi was always dedicated to creating architecture with curves, achieving what people of his time called "miracles"~

In the evening, we planned to find a small bar. London Bar is said to have a hundred years of history and was a frequent spot for Hemingway, Picasso, and Dalí~

2018.11.29 – European mornings dawn late. We went out around 7-8 AM, still in the hazy dawn with streetlights on. Facing Barcelona's slow sunrise, we walked on empty European streets and launched the DJI for its first European flight at the Columbus Monument Square~~ Watching it slowly rise, circle the Columbus Monument, and overlook all of Barcelona. One thing left a deep impression: a foreign man approached us, said he thought the scene of us standing by the sea at sunrise was beautiful, and asked if I minded him taking a photo. I was startled at first, then quickly nodded. The man smiled at us and continued his walk. I suddenly realized how strong their sense of respect is—asking permission even for a photo. This is truly a civilized society in spirit. Most importantly, I regret not asking the man for a copy of that photo of us two, haha~

2018.11.29 – Flew from Barcelona to Madrid. Leaving warm and comfortable Barcelona, we felt a bit uncomfortable with the hustle and bustle of the capital Madrid. Our accommodation was on Madrid's most famous shopping street, with a sign so small that we missed it every time we walked past, haha~ On the first night, we decided to try Chinese food. Indeed, in Madrid we had the most delicious and beautifully decorated Chinese restaurant of the entire trip. And from then on, I seemed to fall in love with hot and sour soup, haha~

Accommodation: B&B Hotel Madrid Centro Puerta del Sol

We only stayed in Madrid for one day, wandered around a bit without much of an itinerary. After all, as the capital of Spain, it's more bustling. On the street, we saw a huge Huawei sign and felt very proud~~~ Huawei has a great reputation here, and people really like Huawei phones. Thumbs up~

2018.12.1 – Took a train from Madrid to Seville, one of my favorite places on this trip.

At the Seville train station, we rented our first small car in Europe, very excited. Before renting, I practiced repeatedly in English about diesel, insurance, manual transmission, etc., haha, afraid of making a mistake (in Europe, most rental cars are manual, which suits the hilly terrain, so novice drivers should be mentally prepared). We picked up the car from the parking lot and drove onto the city streets. The feeling was like flying—driving our own little car on foreign soil, and the sun was exceptionally bright (because Seville is further south than Madrid and Barcelona, so the climate suddenly became much better. In Madrid, we wore sweaters and jackets; here, during the day, we could wear short sleeves and skirts. So that first afternoon in Seville, the moment we got into the car, I felt incredibly relaxed and comfortable. I love this small city~

Accommodation: Puerta de Sevilla Hotel

During our days in Seville, we visited the Alcázar of Seville. Not only is it a must-see attraction, but it's also a filming location for Game of Thrones. As a huge fan of GoT, I had to go—exciting, haha~ Also visited Plaza de España and the Santa Cruz neighborhood.

One highlight was watching an authentic flamenco show at the Flamenco Museum~~ It was a small theater with about five or six rows of seats, each very close together, like a small European theater in movies. We could closely appreciate the dancers' performance on stage. Even though we couldn't understand the lyrics, we could feel the passion and charm of Spanish flamenco—very impressive. Throughout the show, no photos, no videos~ We focused all our attention on the stage—loved it~

2018.12.2 – Seville → Córdoba → Granada

Stayed overnight in Granada.

Accommodation: Hotel Comfort Dauro 2

To be continued...

Travelogue directory: 1. Preface 2. Itinerary 3. Accommodation 4. Tips 5. Journey

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