A LEISURELY STROLL THROUGH BARCELONA

When I was 7 mos pregnant with my first, a friend’s mom told my husband Bob and I, “kids are resilient, don’t change your lifestyle.”

Travel Dates: November 2011

Riley: Age 8 months

Fast forward nine months later into the fog of being new parents, a lot of sleepless nights, and the dreariness of winter setting in when Bob and I decided to take that advice. We booked a six day trip to Barcelona with the thoughts that maybe we’d be moving at a slower pace, and Barcelona had enough to offer that we wouldn’t get bored spending the whole time in one city.

With a month to plan, we began to re-evaluate how we had travelled in the past and how that format might change into the foreseeable future. How will we survive the flight? Do we need larger accommodations? Will baby adjust to a 6 hour time difference or do we need to stick to a later schedule? What activities are conducive to a baby and a stroller and what can we enjoy while she naps? How will we navigate public transportation?

Plane Travel with an Infant

First and foremost, it is completely acceptable for infants to be on planes. Don't let those nay-sayer looks of worry, opposition, and even disgust deter you. Planes are loud, and come with variety of noises and discomfort of their own, so if your child cries a little, don’t put any undue pressure on yourself. You paid the freight like everyone else.

Our main concerns going into this flight were feedings and sleeping as it was an overnight flight. Our oldest child Riley had just weaned herself off breastmilk, so we were formula feeding. One of our suitcases was filled with diapers, a large container of formula and baby food pouches. Similac makes travel powder pouches that we packed for the plane along with a few clean bottles. We purchased bottled water to mix the formula with once through security (although I'm fairly certain you can just bring the mixed formula right through security - I have always found everyone so accommodating to parents traveling with children, especially infants).

To protect baby's ears from pressure changes, it's best to feed or offer a pacifier during takeoff and landing.

In terms of sleeping, we practiced having Riley fall asleep on her Boppy Pillow so she would be used to it once on the plane. At some point we heard of the “bassinet row” and made it a point to get to the airport a little early so as to secure these coveted seats. A bassinet (sometimes referred to as a sky cot) is a small bed that can be attached to the plane, often the bulkhead wall, in front of a passenger seat. Depending on the airline and aircraft there may be different styles and sizes, as well as varying weight, length, and age limitations. We confirmed our flight had this option and made it a point to secure one - success! Unfortunately, Riley refused to lay in it so at least we could fall back on our Boppy training. Lucas, our youngest, loved the sky cot however (see my Budapest blog post), so whether it gets utilized or not, I do think it is worth getting to the airport early to secure these seats.

In the end, Riley was very good on the plane. She had a few brief meltdowns, as every kid does, but overall was excited and stimulated by the different environment.

Accommodations and Baby's Schedule

Bob and I typically never believed in spending a lot of money on accommodations. We have always viewed a hostel, B&B, or hotel as a place to sleep and would rather shift the spend to experiences. However, with a baby in tow, we decided that having an apartment with a little more room for Riley to crawl around, and more importantly a kitchen where we could keep her food and cook a meal for ourselves if she wasn't up to being out or needed to sleep late, was the best idea. I'm uncertain if Airbnb existed in 2011, but we used Only-Apartments and had a lovely flat in the L'Eixample neighborhood a few blocks from La Sagrada Familia and very close to the Girona Metro Station on the Yellow line. Only-Apartments was very accommodating and even put a pack 'n play in our flat.

As you can see, Riley was so tired from the flight, she fell asleep sitting up.

The neighborhood was fantastic. There was a supermarket nearby, along with numerous restaurants and a coffee shop that we would stop in every morning before we got on the metro.

As you'll see in my Travel Resources, I'm a huge fan of the Bob Stroller. Not only is it great on cobblestones, but it is light enough for two adults to carry down subway steps and reclines for naps. This is a huge convenience factor for keeping baby on a schedule, because at any point, you could have a comfortably napping baby and go about your sightseeing, and lucky for us, Riley would nap for 3 hours. While we let her sleep schedule dictate our mornings, we tried to plan for her naps. Sometimes that meant getting wine and plastic glasses at the supermarket to enjoy in Park Güell or sitting at a cafe outside for a few drinks, we definitely had ample time to "stop and smell the roses."

Things to Do in Barcelona with Infants

Riley was happy to be in her stroller, so anything we could do outside was super stimulating for her. Las Ramblas, Park Güell, Poble Espanyol, a fountain light show at Monjuic Park, strolling through the Old Town and Seaport, heading to the beach, and depending on the time of year, there is a lovely Christmas market. We also strolled her through La Sagrada Familia and the Picasso Museum. In addition, the Seaport houses a fantastic aquarium.

Even though we were on a later eating schedule than usual, 7:30pm dinner time was still early in Spain so we were mostly alone in restaurants. The majority of our dining experiences are a little hazy (as I'm writing this 11 years later, but I do remember all the food being great), but one of the highlights of our trip was our dinner at Bar Mut. This restaurant had been featured in an article about the best places to eat in the City, and in a time before traveling abroad with cell phones, we decided to just walk across the city to check it out. As you can expect with a top restaurant, and much to our dismay, it was nearly full when we arrived. But since we walked a long way (with a baby), they cleared off a piano for us and sat us there. Not only was it a unique table experience, but the food was fantastic! An unforgettable experience!