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In Style

Oasis for Your Spain Travels

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For my travels through Seville, Málaga, and Granada, I was so excited to partner with Oasis Backpacker’s Hostels. They’re a modern chain of hostels that have locations in all three cities, as well as in Toledo, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal. The hostels are reasonably priced, and really emphasize a young and social culture, which is great for traveling solo and meeting new people. As I’ve only stayed in hostels a couple of times before (and only once completely solo), it was really important for me to find not only a property where I could meet new people, but a safe and clean hostel in a good location. I wanted to ensure that the property itself was secure, that the location would be easy for me to get to from the bus or train station I was coming from, and that it would be easy for me to get to and from the…

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In Style

Travels to Madrid

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I’m back in Barcelona after traveling for 2 weeks through Spain, and have made my way through Madrid, Seville, Málaga, Granada, and San Sebastián. It’s been crazy hot temperatures, especially in the south areas of Andalucia. So, let’s talk Madrid! As a city girl, I love the big city feel that Barcelona has, which is part of what attracted me to it. Well, Madrid has that plus more! Being August, I know that the city was actually more quiet than the rest of the year, as August in Spain is typically when residents and businesses take vacation. Even so, there was a hustle and bustle and sophistication that swept me off my feet. I took a 7am train to ensure two full days and I stayed close to the main train station, Atocha, which is pretty central (more on my accommodations a little later). Since I visited Madrid, Seville, and Málaga for two…

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In Fashion

Off the Shoulder Florals

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You may have seen this floral off the shoulder top in this post, about my day in Barcelona eating at Flax & Kale and wandering La Boqueria. I’m linking to similar options below, and sharing where this gorgeous necklace is from! Lamara, the sweet owner of Ainkas Jewels, sent me this gorgeous “Dainty Initial Necklace” from her online shop before I left on my travels to Spain. It’s chic and delicate,  but still makes a statement! As for off the shoulder floral tops, here are a few stylish pieces you can rock for the rest of the summer:

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In Food

Healthy Barcelona Eats (+ a Sweet Treat)

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I had such a fun day today eating and wandering with Barcelona blogger Nathalie from Cocoa and Buttons. We had lunch at Flax & Kale, an adorable and trendy organic/vegetarian restaurant here in Barcelona that I’ve been dying to try, and it definitely lived up to the hype! I got the Raw Superbowl, a newer menu item. It’s a salad with leafy greens, two types of hummus, zucchini tagliatelle with a turmeric pesto, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes with basil, red cabbage sauerkraut, and sprouts. It was SO delicious! Nathalie got the Supertagliatelle with spirulina, diced salmon, kale pesto and parmesan. We sat upstairs on the outdoor terrace, but the interior decor is also amazing – including their bathroom! (I’m linking similar off the shoulder tops in this blog post.) After Flax & Kale, we headed to La Boqueria in the Gothic Quarter area. It’s a huge open air market with fresh fruits,…

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In Fashion

Barceloneta Beach Day

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I headed to beach yesterday with a new friend that I made, and sported this cut-out one piece swimsuit that is perfect for the tropical summer weather (I’m linking similar suits below). We sipped (super inexpensive) rosé and sangria – I am not kidding when I say that the wine is cheaper than water here. Especially because the wine is local, you can get a decent bottle for less than  €1.50. Yes. I bought a BOX of rosé (specifically for ease at the beach) for €.62. That’s less than a euro. Crazy.  Barceloneta beach is a bit more touristy, but I had to experience it once while here. There are a ton of other stunning beaches that locals go to, so I plan to make it to several of those throughout my stay here. Here are some similar options for tropical swimsuits and cut-out one pieces:

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In Style

Wandering El Born

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Earlier in the week I spent most of the day wandering around El Born, a barrio (neighborhood) near the Gothic Quarter. It’s such a dynamic neighborhood. Parts of it are made up of endless mazes of narrow old gothic stone streets (literally you can wander around them forever – I’ve already walked 6.1 miles today), yet these tiny ancient alleys surprise you, and house trendy shops and restaurants. Then there’s still the hustle and bustle of main streets and open courtyards. The main courtyard area comes alive at night with a ton of cute bars. I actually went to a super cute spot last night, and I’ll be posting about that next!

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