Barcelona

Things we love:

Drinking in the sun followed by a siesta in the afternoon is not seen as lazy. They make mean tapas and Cava is the new Champagne. The city is heaven for skateboarders, and some pretty hot ones as well. The G&Ts are badass, and people start drinking them around 11pm. The architecture and art is incredible. 

Things we wish we’d known:

People don’t necessarily speak English, or even Spanish; Catalan is a whole different ball game. Barcelona has a beach, so get ready for lounging. They even imported the palm trees from Hawaii and the sand from Egypt. If you start the party before 10pm, you'll find the streets pretty quiet: Catalans are night owls. Pickpockets work at all hours - embrace the fanny pack.