If you only had one day to spend in Barcelona….(and personally I think that’s enough, I felt like I “got” Barcelona on the one free day I had after MWC. Paris > Barcelona 4ever)
Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia - If you did not see this, you did not come to Barcelona. Make sure you go early because the line to go inside can get way too long after 11am. Don’t let the lumpy exterior fool you, because the interior is magical! Also, get a ticket to go up to the top as well - it works like a Disney FastPass, so be prepared to hang around for about an hour until your appointment time.
Mercat de la Boqueria - A true farmer’s markets with stalls and stalls of fresh seafood, meat, product, nuts, and more. There’s even gourmet food “bars” where they make the food right from the fresh groceries they get there.
Gaudi’s Parc Guell - It’s not your typical grassy green park, but an Alice in Wonderland kind of experience. Best thing is that it’s free! It’s a little bit in the middle of nowhere, so I would recommend to bring your own drankz and nomz to enjoy there (great views).
Gaudi’s Casa Batllo - This is an apartment building designed by Gaudi, both the interior and exterior have a distinct Gaudi flair (even the rooftop is a must see). The McDonald’s across the street actually has the best view of this. I didn’t get a chance to go inside, but I highly recommend you do!
Gothic Quarter - The most charming district to wander around and get lost in. A lot of tourist attractions are in this area, but I think the real attraction is just the charm of it all. La Ramble Catalunya might be a little touristy, but still worth a short stroll. Other things to see while in the Gothic Quarter:
- Palau de la Musica Catalana
- Picasso Museum
- Santa Maria del Mar
- Gothic Cathedral
Olympic Park - We got lucky and just happened to end up here when the sun was setting. We saw the most beautiful Barcelonian sunset! There’s not too much else to see, but the football field and monuments were worth some pictures.
Parc de Montjuic - “Mountain of the Jews”. MWC was hosted here at the Fira, and I got a chance to see the Magic Fountain a couple of nights. Another thing to check out would be the medieval village at the top of the mountain (didn’t get a chance to visit though).
Barceloneta - Only got to walk through it at night, but I’m sure it is a really pretty marina in the day time. Awesome seafood here (see Somorrostro review below)
Restaurants I tried and liked (you really can’t go wrong with any of the nomz there though):
- El Principal - a nicer white tablecloth place
- Somorrostro - hands down the best 7-course tasting meal ever!!
- Ceveceria Catalana - this place has the best tapas, always so packed
- Piscolabis - they have a tourist picture menu yay! good for large groups
- Omm Lounge/Club - not really a restaurant, but adding it here anyway! super trendy and hip
Other #protips:
- Get a Metro 10-ticket pass for about 10euros
- Midnight feels like it’s in the middle of the day
- Order the patates bravas - oodles of it!
- When in Barcelona, must drink cava and sangria
- If you’re Asian, be prepared to get a lot of “Konnichiwas”
- Eat lots of JAMON!! But beware, don’t try to sneak it back into the states
This is how I look working from home while sick. Notice the crazy eye.
(via 10knotes)
Mozilla attended Mobile World Congress in Barcelona for the first time, and it was a smashing success! MWC is the industry’s largest show, and our presence there really set the tone for our mobile milestones to come.
Our theme: “The Web is the Platform” - We unlocked the Web on desktop, and are doing it again on mobile. With open Web devices (Boot to Gecko), Firefox for Android, a new online identity system (Persona), and the Mozilla Marketplace, Mozilla plans to shake things up in the mobile world and change how people view and use the Web. My role at MWC was to present demos of Firefox for Android at our main booth and show off our sexy new product [true story: after one of the demos my audience said “holy shit the new Firefox is sexy!” *happydance*]. I was a bit nervous at first since this was my first big-girl trade show and everyone who attended were important people = lots of opportunities for me to make mistakes. My first attempt to get someone to listen to me yap on about how awesome Firefox is was definitely an awkward turtle moment since he was actually there just get our free coffee (oh yeah, we had a barista making gourmet coffee at all times!). But by the 4th day I felt like a pro, knowing how to tailor each demo to each audience and how to qualify leads - I’m hoping my new skills in striking up random conversation will help me in everyday life, hah!
Fun fact: We gave funny “awards” to the MWC team and I was known as “best demo voice”!
Attending MWC was a truly rewarding experience (didn’t hurt that I got to see Barcelona either). A lot of work led up to that event, and I think we forget at times that we live in an internal bubble. Everyone was ecstatic about what we were doing, and all our products were all so well received. I’m so excited for this year!
*With best demo voice* Hi there, would you be interested in a demo of Firefox for Android?
Come find Mozilla at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and see what the mobile Web is all about!
Shiny demo of our sneak peak new product by yours truly.
Someone asked me today if I was worried. Yes, I am worried. But we have spirit, a super product in the making, and the support of our entire community. The underdog always wins!
I think Chrome for Android is quite shiny and compelling, but practical? Not very. You can’t sync passwords, so my fat fingers would still have to try to type in lengthy passwords (if I could actually remember them), and a lot of the UI interactions just aren’t sensible. Performance isn’t noticeably different from any other mobile browser out there, and I can’t say I trust Google to have more access to my browsing data especially since phones are such personal possessions. Is the shininess worth a more “relevant” ad? Not for me. I would much rather have an online experience I can trust, along with all the shiny awesome sexy features.
Come get a sneak preview of the upcoming Firefox for Android at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (that is, if we don’t all keel over by then!)
This is a great, but long, follow up to their original Day Made of Glass video.
I can’t wait for all of this..
A Day Made of Glass 2: Unpacked. The Story Behind Corning’s Vision. (by CorningIncorporated)
oh yeah, he would have done good in advertising.
(via 10knotes)
Mulberry’s new Travel Day Bag in Marshmallow White
It really can’t get better if you have a marshmallow colored handbag. Maybe if I didn’t go on all my travels and lock away all my money in investments…but I decided to choose experiences over materials (hard, hard choice)
PTO filed, flight booked!
Going to Shanghai (!!!!) in April for some much needed r&r after the Firefox for Android re-launch (if you consider binge eating and drinking r&r)
My 2nd time there…but that means I get to fly Cathay Pacific again! (yay for mileage points and ALL YOU CAN EAT INSTANT NOODLES ON BOARD)
Really ask yourself - and don’t be afraid of the answer.
(via 10knotes)
