Before coming to Buenos Aires, I had read how important el asado, or steak, is to Argentinian cuisine. In fact, it’s woven into the national identity, like fútbol and yerba mate. It appears everywhere in ads, on the streets, and on restaurant menus. At first, this city sounds like one of the most vegan-unfriendly places on the planet.
Nothing could be further from the truth. When I arrived in Buenos Aires, I was blown away by how many vegan options there were! For a country that’s known for its meat, it was incredibly easy to find vegan food here.
It’s really easy to eat vegan in Buenos Aires.
For starters, there are a lot of fruterías, or fruit stands in Buenos Aires. You can stock up on fresh fruits and veggies throughout the city for cheap. Since it’s summer during this time of year, many produce is at its prime. I love stocking up on fresh berries during the summer. It’s a refreshing option.
Me and my alfajor addiction.
Alfajores are little cookie sandwiches with dulce de leche (kind of like a caramel paste) filling inside and enrobed in chocolate. They are ubiquitous throughout Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. When I tried one in Chile, I was blown away by its light and creamy texture. Imagine my delight when I discovered more in Buenos Aires! There were so many flavors to try: dark chocolate, white chocolate, strawberry, lemon, etc. You can probably tell that I developed an alfajor addiction. They’re really good with coffee. You might have a late-afternoon merienda with an alfajor and a coffee with your friends.
Vegan alfajores
I went to many places in Buenos Aires. Here are my favorite eateries that I have to share.
An empanada and an alfajor
Craft Vegan Bakery
Can you believe these pastries are all vegan?!
I was wandering around the Caballito neighborhood when I stumbled upon a cozy vegan panadería called Craft Vegan Bakery. It’s not every day that I can find a vegan croissant. Craft Vegan Bakery offers decadent vegan pastries, such as cinnamon rolls, scones, or a medialuna: a croissant with a dulce de leche or a light chocolate creme filling. They also have whole loaves of bread. I just stayed with the pastries. I will never turn down a good cinnamon roll either, working my way to its warm, doughy center. This is a chain bakery, so there are numerous locations throughout the city.
Liberación Cocina Vegana
A cinnamon roll from Liberación Cocina Vegana.
Liberación Cocina Vegana (meaning “vegan kitchen liberation”) is a takeaway food joint offering empanadas, sandwiches, and prepared food like pasta and lentil dishes. When I stopped by, there was a full tray of fresh empanadas. Empanadas are savory hand pies, and they’re very popular in Argentina. I bought a couple, plus a cinnamon roll. Sometimes I like to compare notes between places. To me, that cinnamon roll was a little drier than the one from Craft Vegan Bakery, but I still liked it. At the end of the day, it’s like comparing apples and oranges.
A tray of warm vegan empanadas.
When I went to Liberación Cocina Vegana, they were working hard to fill in holiday food orders. There wasn’t a lot of prepared food when I went in, but maybe that ebbs and flows.
Raslok
Probably the most adorable vegan grocery store I’ve ever been to.
Raslok is a snug vegan grocery store with a cute cafe in the upstairs loft. In the store, you’ll find goods like sauces, dry goods, coffee, tea, plant-based meats and cheeses, and many snacks. In fact, that’s where I found many of the alfajores. The adorable cafe upstairs serves nutritious whole-foods plant-based meals. There are dishes like lentil burgers, salads, quinoa bowls, and lots more. I didn’t try any, but the food looks minimally processed, so you know it’s good for you. You’ll also find vegan cookbooks in Spanish, cosmetics, vitamins, and supplements upstairs as well. If you pay with cash, your bill is 10% less than if you pay with a credit card.
Menta y Limon
Before going to El Cemeterio de Recoleta, I stopped by Menta y Limon for fresh empanadas. The lunch special offered three empanadas for $5! The ones I got were stuffed with vegan meats, creamy melted cheese, and roasted veggies. The eatery is housed under a food court with many multi-colored umbrellas hanging from the skylights.
“Comer” means “eat.”
Lado V
Lado V was a vibrant vegan restaurant among the trendy bars and nightclubs in the heart of Palermo. The multi-colored interactive art installations offered the perfect experience to enjoy vegan hamburgers, pizzas, and more. Many nights, DJs would play their sets in a room with glittering disco balls, hanging lanterns, and expressive murals cast in rainbow lights. The food was so delicious, luring many omnivores! In a country that is renowned for wine and asado (steak), Lado V showed that the vegan lifestyle is extraordinary and fun. Buenos Aires really does offer something for everyone. I’m falling more in love with this city every day!
Shortly after my return to the U.S., it looks like Lado V has closed its doors. It looks like they’re going to reopen in a different location later down the road, but it’s unclear when.
Guille Veggie
My partner, his best friend, and I were in the mood for Peruvian food at Guille Veggie one night. Peruvian food usually has potatoes in their dishes, because many different types are cultivated there. I had the “Lomito saltado de Soja,” a seasoned fire-roasted seitan dish with herbed potatoes, onions, and red and green bell peppers. I don’t quite remember what the other dishes were called, but most of them had potatoes or beans as the base. Guille Veggie even offers Inca Cola, a fluorescent yellow drink that tastes like cream soda and bubble gum. It was my first time having it, and I was expecting a lemon or lime flavor.
Final Thoughts About the Vegan Restaurants in Buenos Aires
Before, even though I had browsed the maps for vegan restaurants in Buenos Aires, the abundant options throughout this city blew my mind! Even Seattle could learn a thing or two—which, by the way, keeps losing vegan places, but I digress. Here in B.A., it’s practically raining empanadas and alfajores. When you have the compassionate option to eat with peace on your plate, I hope this list offers a good starting point on where to go. (Except for Lado V—R.I.P. for now).
Aboard the foot ferry from Montevideo, it took three hours to cross the river into Buenos Aires, Argentina. This city was my last stop of the Southern Cone trip in South America. That ferry might be the nicest boat I’ve ever been on. It even has a duty-free shop! While I never buy anything from those stores, it’s still nice to look around while enjoying the smooth sailing across the river.
Anyway, here are my observations about Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Comparing Notes about Argentina and Uruguay
Uruguay and Argentina are like two peas in a pod. Both countries speak the Rioplatense Spanish dialect, and both are best known for yerba mate tea, asado (steak), and fútbol (or “soccer,” but don’t ever call it that over there). For example, in both places, “dale” (pronounced “dah-lay”) means “okay” or “go ahead.” It’s an important one to know, because people say it all the time to express agreement or encourage someone to do something.
Argentina reveres Lionel Messi like a god.
Argentina won the World Cup two years ago, and they still talk about it. The Argentinians revere the famed football player, Lionel Messi, like a god. As such, you’ll see grand murals of Messi throughout the city. They take pride in this national sport.
Another thing about Argentina is to never, ever call Las Islas Malvinas (Malvina Islands) the “Falkland Islands,” because they’re supposed to belong to Argentina and not the UK. In fact, there was a war disputing the territory in 1982, where Argentina invaded the islands in the South Atlantic, claiming ownership. The British disagreed and counterattacked until eventually Argentina surrendered. Hundreds of Argentinian soldiers died in that war. It’s a sore subject to this day.
Finally, the Buenos Aires version of the Rioplantense dialect has a separate set of vocabulary called Lunfardo, which is Italian blended with Spanish. In the late 19th century, Italian prisoners created Lunfardo as its own coded jargon in the underbelly of Buenos Aires. Eventually, this jargon spread into the mainstream. There are about 5,000 Lunfardo words, so it’s practically its own local dialect.
One difference is that Uruguay is expensive, while Argentina is cheap. While I thought that Montevideo is a sleepy little city, Buenos Aires is buzzing with activity. There’s something for everyone in this international city. And since it’s summer and school is out, many of these places can get crowded.
La Navidad in Buenos Aires
Christmas Dinner: Vegan vitel tone with stuffed peppers, mac & cheese, bread, and potatoes
It was my first time spending la Navidad, or Christmas, in the Summer! In the Northern Hemisphere, I would bundle up and sip hot drinks while staying inside with my warm sweaters. In the Southern Hemisphere, people fire up their grills to make their holiday asados, or barbecue meats. People tend to eat dinner rather late, around 10 or 11 p.m. on Christmas Eve, instead of Christmas Day. A tuna-based dish called vitel tone is very popular, as is pan dulce (sweet bread with bits of chocolate and dried fruit inside). Since I’m vegan, my host graciously prepared vegan vitel tone made of seitan, along with veggies filled with seasoned vegan meat. We broke out the pan dulce at midnight to ring in Christmas.
My Spanish Immersion in Buenos Aires
During that night, I managed to hold up a conversation in Spanish for almost three hours! I was so pleased with myself. My host’s family said that I speak very clearly. I still wouldn’t say that I’m totally fluent, but I am comfortable enough with the language. The good people of this city can tell that I’m not from around here, so they speak standard Spanish with me instead of the Rioplantense and Lunfardo.
The Argentinians talk really, really fast. It can be challenging to follow along, but by immersing myself in this language and speaking it daily, I’m learning faster. I even dreamed in Spanish a little bit!
Getting Around in Buenos Aires
Getting around Buenos Aires is easy. Personally, I prefer going by subway, or the Subte. Sometimes I also had to take the bus. I highly recommend getting a rechargeable Sube card, which you can purchase at a Subte station or at a kiosko (kiosk). If you’re taking the bus and see it coming, wave your hand to flag the driver. Then tell them where you want to go in order to pay the correct fare. Easy!
Exploring Buenos Aires
After arriving in Buenos Aires from Montevideo, I rested for a couple of days, especially after walking every day in Chile and Uruguay. It was also much hotter than what I’m used to. It’s okay to take days off and save energy.
Buenos Aires is big. Everywhere I went had a pleasant surprise in almost every corner. It was still an adjustment to experience summer in December, and one that I welcomed. While Montevideo is more reserved and slower, Buenos Aires perpetually pulses with life and energy. Even introverts such as myself might find something they like.
The “Paris of Latin America”
European-influenced architecture is ubiquitous in Buenos Aires.
On Christmas Day, I walked around in downtown Buenos Aires to see what the hot fuss is about. Everywhere I went, an eclectic mix of European architecture flanked the streets. There were influences from Italy, France, Britain, and Germany: Neoclassical palaces with Greek-inspired columns, curved nature-inspired motifs of Art Nouveau, and geometric shapes and hard lines of Art Deco. Buenos Aires feels like being in a European city in South America. Some call it the “Paris of Latin America.”
This is an interesting juxtaposition of a modern art nouveau tower embedded in a contemporary glass building.
This Brutalist building is the National Library of Argentina.
I walked to Avenida 9 de Julio, which is considered the widest avenue in the world, boasting seven lanes on each side. It takes a few minutes to actually cross the whole thing. I did see the towering Obelisco, a major landmark along the avenue. Several blocks away and over is the Casa Rosada, where the President works. Everywhere I went in the Downtown area was an architectural treat.
Palermo has a lot of colorful restaurants and bars.
Then there’s Palermo, where all of the trendy bars and restaurants are. It’s much more expensive, but I really liked just walking through in the daytime and seeing the quirky, painted buildings. On the weekend, there was a street fair with more vendors. I did some holiday shopping there, so my loved ones at home could have a taste of Argentina.
Parque Centenario
One of my favorite things to do was walk among the verdant gardens and lakes within the round Parque Centenario and browse the open-air librerías, or bookstores. Many famous books in Spanish were for sale, such as collections of famous poetry from the late Pablo Neruda or magical realism stories from the renowned Colombian writer, Gabriel García Marquez. I found a Spanish translation of El Principito, which is originally written in French. As an aside, that was the first book I finished in Spanish!
In fact, it was common to see the open-air book stands in other parks as well. Sometimes vendors sold books in their single kiosks on the street. There’s something romantic about distributing knowledge and information for cheap in the form of a good book in an artfully painted kiosk.
El Cementerio de la Recoleta
Eva Perón rests in peace somewhere in this cemetery.
One day, I went to Cementerio de Recoleta, a majestic 5-hectare cemetery where some of Argentina’s most important historical figures are laid to rest. This includes Eva Perón, the wife of Argentina’s most controversial president, Juan Perón. Marble mausoleums and intricate sculptures–mysterious robed figures, stone crosses, and grand winged angels–line the pathways like small city blocks. Walking among these tombs was tranquil yet eerie, as you walk among former presidents, notable political figures, famous writers, and Nobel Prize laureates.
After visiting the cemetery, I strolled in the green space lined with street vendors selling art, jewelry, confections, and other handmade goods. I’ve collected a lot of jewelry from around the world and was eager to add to my collection. For only $20, I found a multi-colored braided necklace with four black tassels hanging from silver rings. It would go nicely with many of my outfits.
Centro Cultural Recoleta
A sculpture referencing the work of Julio Cortázar.
Within the same area is the Centro Cultural Recoleta, a multimedia art and cultural space offering exhibits, classes, and performances. Many exhibits featured contemporary art, such as exploring a bizarre fantasy world through a VR headset or kinetic sculptures made with branches and strings. Currently, the main exhibit features the life story of the renowned Argentinian writer, Julio Cortázar. Personal artifacts such as hand-written letters and photographs are on display, as well as original audio recordings and fragments of his writings. Video shorts, sculptures, and installations created by numerous Argentinian artists serve as an homage to his literary works.
Museo Nacional de Bella Artes
Onward, I went to Museo Nacional de Bella Artes, which houses an international public art collection. There are paintings by many iconic European artists such as Francisco Goya, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and more. The exhibits transition seamlessly from pre-Colombian, to rococo, to modern, to contemporary art. You could spend hours immersed in the beauty of these pieces. Admission is free, but a donation is suggested.
Jardín Japones
Buenos Aires is known for its many parks and extensive gardens. In the same area as the major museums is the Jardín Japones, or the Japanese Garden. It offers a peaceful break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Since it’s summer from December to March, the garden is lush and green under the sun. Manicured paths wind around the koi ponds, as the huge fish glide through the water. When I went, the azaleas were at their prime this time of year. In the building upstairs is a beautiful kimono exhibit, showcasing colorful traditional garments of Japan. I’ve never been to Japan, and this garden just might be giving me ideas.
How I Feel About Buenos Aires
I was really blown away by how incredible Buenos Aires is. Everywhere I went, there was something special. Of course, there was a lot of vegan food in the city. I will be writing a separate post about the plant-based food in Buenos Aires. The food discoveries deserve their own page.
There were some other places I really wanted to visit in Buenos Aires, such as the illustrious Caminito, a colorful street lined with multi-colored houses towards the edge of the city. The neighboring La Plata, with its beautifully symmetrical city design, has the towering Gothic cathedral as its centerpiece. I also would love to go inside the National Library next time.
This expansive international city is one that I will have to return to one day.
While my home base, Seattle, was cozying up with coffee and sweaters during the dark winter nights, I welcomed the Summer Solstice in Montevideo, Uruguay. From the Santiago airport, I flew over to the other side of South America. From the airport, I took the bus over to Downtown, which took an hour. I then walked ten blocks to Ciudad Vieja, or the Old City.
While Valparaíso is famed for its steep, colorful hills, Montevideo’s cityscape is flat and even. The streets neatly follow a grid pattern, with diagonals spanning away from the city center and taking you further out–a stark contrast to the winding, maze-like alleyways in Valparaíso.
Even though Montevideo is very different from Valparaíso, colorful murals grace the streets, promoting diversity and pride in this progressive-minded city. Just turning a corner might reveal random art installations, as music plays from the old European-style buildings. People go about their day, with a yerba mate drink in one hand and a thermos full of hot water tucked under the arm. If you’re not going around the city sipping on your open-container mate packed with soaked yerba leaves and drinking out of a metal bombilla (straw), are you even Uruguayan?
Somewhere I read that Montevideo is a bit of a sleepy city. Indeed, the energy of the city is much slower. Shops and cafes tend to open around 10 or 11, and close around 5 or 6 in the evening. The streets can be a little empty, even on a Sunday. Things crawl more of a snail’s pace ’round here.
One thing that surprised me was that Monte is a lot more expensive than Chile and Argentina. It’s not Seattle-expensive, but you can definitely expect to pay more around here.
I met up with a friend that I had met at Burning Man. Alana lives four hours from Montevideo and knew all the best spots in the city. I was so grateful to have a friend come along!
How’s your Spanish doing?
My Spanish immersion was going well. So far, most of my conversations had been in Spanish, even in Chile, where it’s known to be difficult. In Uruguay, people speak a dialect called Rioplatense. The words are different, as is the accent. For me, it’s a little easier to understand. Still, I asked people to speak slowly. Although if you’re immersing yourself and you get stuck, many people do speak English.
My First Impressions of Montevideo
Ciudad Vieja, or Old City, is the historic city center, that at one point was surrounded by a wall in the 18th century to protect against invasions. Along a pedestrian path just blocks from the water, Casa Vegana is a charming anti-speciest vegan hostel in Ciudad Vieja. Exposed brick walls offered a glimpse of history of a 300-year-old colonial building. Animal-rights propaganda in Spanish were plastered throughout the hostel walls. I felt right at home.
What happens to the earth happens to us / The animals are on the earth with us, not for us / To be vegan is to stop taking what was never ours: another’s right to live in freedom / Your freedom stops where the animals’ freedom begin.
Vegan Food in Montevideo
For a country that’s known for its meat, it blew my mind to see how many vegan options there are. From Chinese food buffets to vegan junk food, it was super easy to see what Montevideo has to offer.
Kerop Café & Tattoo
Kerop is a space-goth concept cafe with a tattoo parlor, offering coffee, snacks, and black-and-white tattoos with some color. The pink, purple, and turquoise mural in the back portrays an inquisitive woman with psychedelic optical-illusion eyes, as bubbles float along her bionic hand. A few things on the menu are vegan, such as the semi-frío, a light ice cream mousse on a cookie crust and topped with passion fruit puree. Having that with coffee was the perfect treat to have on a warm summer day. I didn’t get any new tattoos, though!
Sui Yuan
Vegan items were clearly marked at Sui Yuan.
For lunch, Alana showed me her favorite pan-Asian restaurant called Sui Yuan. This buffet restaurant sells hot food by the pound, as well as goods such as rice, sauces, nuts, dried fruit and tea. The vegetarian hot food bar clearly labeled vegan food like vegetable chow mein noodles, faux meats, breaded kimbap (a Korean rice roll with veggies, like sushi), greens, steamed dumplings, tofu, and more. While I wanted to try everything, I piled my plate with whatever looked the most delicious.
Guacamole
Guacamole is an eatery inside an unassuming shopping center. We stopped by on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, when the streets were almost empty. The building was dark inside, and we thought it was locked, but a couple was walking by and opened the door for us. Inside, all of the stores were closed; it felt rather lonely with most of the lights off. Guacamole was the only place that was open and running. Alana and I had a slice of rich chocolate pie; an adorable strawberry milkshake topped with dairy-free whipped cream and rainbow star sprinkles; and a gramajito: a handful of breaded vegan chicken balls, olives, caramelized onions, cheese sauce, and veggies on top of a bed of fries. It reminded me of poutine in Canada. While the food was good, the ambience left much to be desired.
La Temeraria
La Temeraria, meaning “bold” or “reckless,” is a vegetarian burger joint just above Parque Rodó. In any country I visit, I always try the veganized national dish. The chivito completo was a warm Uruguayan grinder stuffed with seitan, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, aioli, and melted vegan cheese. It came with a side of potato wedges with a dip. Which gave us a lot of energy for the long walk that followed.
Places I loved in Montevideo
After having that delicious chivito completo, Alana and I strolled through the expansive holiday market in Parque Rodó. I’ve been to Christmas markets in Germany, and this is a totally different setting. In Berlin, you’d bundle up and sip on hot drinks as you meander among the dazzling lights. In Montevideo, it’s warm enough to walk without a jacket, and people are drinking mate. Even though it wasn’t as decorated in the holiday spirit as its German counterpart, the market still offered a lot. There were lots of handmade wares: soaps, jewelry, clothes, toys, tinctures, and more. It’s big, it’s friendly, and it’s a great place to do some holiday shopping.
Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales
Further down Parque Rodó is the Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales (National Museum of Visual Arts). This art museum features paintings and sculptures from famous Uruguayan artists from the past and present. Many refined 19th-century oil portraits feature gaucho culture, or Uruguayan cowboys; historical portraits of prominent political figures; landscape paintings, and more. The Museo Nacional thoughtfully links past and modern works in the open space inside. After an afternoon of seeing art, we relaxed in the lush sculpture garden outside. It’s free to enter.
Museo de Arte Precolombino e Indígena
Museo de Arte Precolombino e Indígena (Museum of Pre-Colombian and Indigenous Art), or MAPI, showcases archeological and ethnographic pieces from indigenous tribes throughout the Americas. The museum spans three floors in different rooms, all under a sun-lit glass atrium. One room has an exhibit on the Blackfoot tribe in the United States and details how members of the tribe lived their daily lives. Another exhibit includs tools and handicrafts from the Mapuche tribe in Chile and Argentina. My favorite was the intriguing mask display from various cultures throughout Latin America. There were colorful masks for festivals, carnivals, and theater, as well as traditional celebrations. They were made from various materials, from straw and bone, to plastic, cloth, and found objects. All of them were on a curious wavelength. Some of them were downright creepy! Nonetheless, it was still a striking exhibit.
I also felt that the museum had some room for improvement. Even though the it spanned three floors, many of the rooms were empty. There also wasn’t a lot of information on some of the exhibits. and there weren’t English descriptions for visitors who don’t know Spanish. I still enjoyed what was there. Plus, it was only a block away from the Casa Vegana hostel, so that was easy.
Cafelino Cafe & Adoption Center
There’s nothing I love more than sipping coffee and petting cats at the same time. Cafelino Café has a room full of the sweetest, adoptable kitties. First, I enjoyed coffee before going into the cat room. Then I stepped in for some adorable cat therapy. Since I was one of the first guests, the kitties were well-rested and ready for attention. One of the employees even brought out a four-month-old kitten. Eventually this kitten fell asleep on me! Sometimes I wonder how anyone could hate cats, when they probably just haven’t found the right one. I mean, who could resist a cute, friendly kitten who just wants to love you? I could have stayed there all day.
Final Impressions of Montevideo
After experiencing Montevideo for three days, I would say that it’s a very laid-back city. I’m glad that Alana was there to keep me company. But perhaps three days wasn’t enough. Perhaps there are more hidden gems to be discovered, if I knew more people in this city. Would I come back? Yes, I would, but next time I’d rather explore the neighboring Colonia del Sacramento or Punta del Este.
In the last evening, I walked to the ferry terminal from Casa Vegana. I passed through immigration and boarded the foot ferry to make my final stop in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Viña Del Mar is a city just north of Valparaíso that’s known for its beaches and gardens. Although it’s much smaller, there’s still a lot to do in this little beach city–even for a day trip.
From Valparaíso, you can take the bus, subway or taxi to get to its neighboring city. I went down to the Puerto station and bought a round-trip pass to the Viña Del Mar station. The 20-minute trip meanders along the coastline, so try to snag a window seat to take it all in.
Museums I Loved in Viña Del Mar
The subway stops conveniently a block away from Quinta Vergara park, which features lush tropical gardens, a children’s art museum, and the Museo Palacio Vergara art museum.
Museo Palacio Vergara art museum
Inside a Venetian neo-Gothic palace, the Museo Palacio Vergara houses paintings and sculptures from renowned Chilean artists. The art museum is free to enter, although you need to register as a visitor.
“Las Cuatro Estaciones”
There were many notable artworks in this museum, and the ones that caught my attention the most were Mario Carreño’s cubic figures with smooth gradients. Pictured here is a large painting called “Las cuatro estaciones,” which means “the four seasons.” According to the artist, it’s about exploring the unknown with the freedom to exist, when life’s conventions may impose limiting beliefs on the spirit. In the future of uncertainty, we’ll have our inner strength to guide us forward.
Within the same park, a rainbow walkway leads you to a children’s art museum called Museo Artequin. This museum only shows copies of notable artworks instead of the originals. I went in, just to see what’s there. There are some audio explanations on some of the artwork, which helped me practice Spanish listening skills. I didn’t stay for very long, though.
After visiting the park and the museum, I explored more of Viña Del Mar on foot. This city isn’t very big, so it’s easy to get around.
Museo de Artes Decorativas Palacio Rioja
Palacio Rioja
In an 18th-century French-inspired mansion, the Palacio Rioja museum offers a glimpse of Chilean aristrocracy. It was the home of the Spanish businessman, Fernando Rioja, and his family. Inside, the ornate rooms include a grand hall, vaulted ceilings with elegant trims and filigree, multiple lounges, a library, a fancy dining room for special occasions, and so much more. Many decorative arts were showcased, such as imperial Chinese vases and bronze sculptures. A manicured garden has exotic plants from Africa, China, and Brazil. Can you imagine living in a home like this?
The dining hall
Vegan in Viña Del Mar
Green bowl and an empanada–all vegan!
I was pleasantly surprised to find vegan options in Viña Del Mar. Vegan Place is a restaurant that serves burgers, completos (a loaded hot dog), and empanadas, plus desserts. I had a “green bowl”: a salad topped with tofu, quinoa, and all the veggies. An empanada stuffed with mushrooms and dairy-free cheese made a great side dish, or something to take for later. The food was filling with clean ingredients, without the food coma.
Stocking up at Pulpería Organica Namaste.
Since Christmas was coming up, it was a good idea to bring some gifts home. Pulpería Orgánica Namaste is a vegan health food store that offers supplements, protein powders, and bulk goods such as nuts, dried fruits, and seeds. To bring a taste of Chile back to my friends, I bought a bottle of olive oil harvested locally and a small jar of merquén: a spice blend of smoked ground chiles, cumin, and salt invented by the indigenous Mapuche people.
I was concerned if the olive oil would explode in my checked luggage on the plane. That has happened before with a jar of peanut butter on another trip. The shop owner was so sweet and helpful. She looked up online if a bottle of olive oil would indeed explode. While the results seemed to suggest it, I can happily report that it did not happen. Pro tip: just wrap it well in plastic.
“Gansito” means “little goose”
Some chocolate-y snacks also looked good, including a vegansito. I believe they’re a vegan version of the snack cake, Gansitos, which is a cake filled with creme and fruit jelly, and enrobed in dark chocolate.
Beaches
Playa El Sol
While I’m not always a beach person, it’s where I stopped to take a little break before going back to Valparaíso. Long stretches of beach seemed to go on as far as the eye can see. There are lots of beaches to choose from; I stopped at Playa El Sol. Right beside it is an artisanal street fair offering souvenirs and handicrafts, if you fancy bringing a memento home. Even though it’s summer, the water is still cold. It was a little crowded during the afternoon, since school is out. Lots of kids played in the water and the sand.
Onward to Valpo and Beyond
In the evening, I took the subway train back to Valparaíso and spent one more night there. It was time to move onward to Montevideo, Uruguay. The next morning, I took the bus back to the Pajaritos bus station in Santiago. I thought I could take another bus back to the airport, but couldn’t find the right one. My Spanish skills were put to good use by asking people for tips on how to get there. For $14, a taxi took me instead.
From there, I waited until my flight to Montevideo.
Hello! It’s been so long! I just came back from a whirlwind trip to South America, where I immersed myself in the Spanish language. A little background on me: when I was 13, I started learning Spanish in school for three years. Afterwards, I stopped speaking the language for 20 years and forgot nearly everything. Then about three years ago, I’ve been relearning it ever since my trip to Spain. I’ve been keeping it up since and can now speak at the B2 (upper intermediate) level. Knowing the language is like a key that opens up that part of the world–empowering the traveler to make connections and navigate around easier.
Chile is an interesting pick for Spanish immersion. It’s known to be the hardest dialect, even for native Spanish speakers. For instance, the Chileans often compress an entire sentence into one word. My tour guide even said that Valparaíso comes from, “Él va al paraiso,” which means, “he goes to paradise.” If you compress that, you get Valparaíso. Which makes perfect sense.
The Jewel of the Pacific
Known as the “Jewel of the Pacific,” Valparaíso sits on the blue Pacific Ocean. With a captivating history and a bohemian vibe, the mesmerizing port city is known for its colorful homes, European architecture, and steep hills–all 42 of them.
Overlooking the port, as seen from Pablo Neruda’s home.
The Spaniards founded the city in the 16th century and quickly built it as a prominent trade port between Spain and South America. Valparaíso also established itself as a strategic naval base for the Peruvian and Chilean military. Then in 1848, the gold rush changed everything. Many Europeans stayed there, because there were a lot of job opportunities. Plus, the city was a stop to and from San Francisco. After that, two devastating events happened:
A massive 8.3-magnitude earthquake. The city didn’t have the infrastructure to survive it, and about 4,000 people died.
The Panama Canal opened, which diverted traffic away from Valparaíso.
Earthquakes are something that Chileans are intimately familiar with. In 2010, an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck, killing at least 500 people and displacing a million. The day before I arrived, there was apparently a noticeable one. People physically felt the ground shake!
The country has been through dictatorships (looking at you, Pinochet), earthquakes, and numerous protests, even in recent history. The last major event was the protests in 2019, where the people wanted a new constitution, which was rejected. Protests during the COVID-19 pandemic extended well into 2023.
Exploring Vibrant Valparaíso
Since it was December when I visited, it’s summer over there. The temperatures were still mild, so I dressed in layers. It can get chilly at night, and my dense fleece jacket was good for those temperatures. During the day, the sun was out and proud, so sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat were a must.
I stayed in Maki Hostel in Cerro Concepción, which was a good base to explore the city’s numerous hills and alleys. An apartment with a kitchen only cost $98 US dollars total for four nights. Plus, the resident cat, Maki, made me feel even more welcome.
To get to know the city, I highly recommend going on walking tours with Tours4Tips, which reveal the highlights and the grittier side of Valparaíso. Just look for a tour guide in a red-and-white striped shirt at Plaza Sotomayor. The highlights tour shows the best of Valparaíso: the funiculars and cuisine, and all the fun facts. The off-beat tour delves into the darker sociopolitical history of the city. They’re almost free; you just tip the tour guide any amount you feel like at the end. I went on both tours in a single day. They were that good!
Getting around was easy and cheap, especially when staying in Cerro Concepción. I mostly walked up and down the hills, which was quite the workout!
There are several funiculars (also known as the “ascensores”) built in the 1900s that will also take you up and down the steep hills. There used to be about 30 funiculars; now five to seven work currently. When building the city, the workers needed a way to get the materials up the hills, so they built the funiculars. Back in the day, they used to work with a hydraulic water system: one part would empty, and the other would fill out. Now the funiculars are all electric. The original admission fee is 100 pesos (about 10 cents). The same price has stayed over the years without inflation.
The Street Art in Valparaíso
Valparaíso is known as the cultural capital of Chile. It’s where artists, activists, poets, and musicians from all walks of life gather to share their collective experience in this country. You’ll find art literally on every corner on the streets. Colorful cobblestone alley ways and stairs interconnect, letting you gleefully lose yourself in the hills. Music plays from the nooks and crannies of the alleys. In a way, this city reminds me a little bit of the street art in Portugal.
In this city, there are three kinds of art:
Tagging: Marking territory to show that someone was here. Gangs used to use it.
Graffiti: Big bubble words that have dimension and gradients.
Murals: Art that requires more technique and skill. Sometimes an artist’s message is obvious, and other times you need more context.
Every corner I turned, there were colorful murals: women with cats, big flowers unfolding under the sun, the people’s fight for equality, and more. For example, in Cerro Concepción, I found a mosaic about the 1907 Iquique Massacre resembling a tarot card. This one was created from glass, ceramics, and mirrors. Nobody knows who made it. The year 1907 was important, because many nitrate miners died in a revolution against their bosses for better working conditions and pay. The president spoke to the head of the military to do something about it. The military opened fire and killed almost 2,000 people. The half-brother of one the workers, Antonio Ramón Ramón, died in this massacre. Ramón Ramón took matters into his own hands and sought after the military leader as an act of revenge. The mosaic represents justice, as seen by the scales here.
Parque Cultural: Creativity From the Ashes of a Former Prison
A former prison, Parque Cultural offers an art, music, and theatre classes, plus concerts, plays, and art galleries. There are also plenty of green spaces to relax.
Before Parque Cultural, this compound used to house political prisoners. In 1970, the democratic socialist Salvador Allende was elected president. It was a big deal, since he was a man of the people. He aimed to promote education, nationalize major institutions, and improve the lives of the working class. However, this didn’t sit well with U.S. interests. In 1973, the CIA supported a coup to oust Allende and replace him with the infamous dictator, Augusto Pinochet.
During the dictatorship, tens of thousands of people went missing, and still thousands are missing today. The prison was a detention center for activists, artists, and any critics who opposed Pinochet. Chile was used as a testing ground for more dictatorships in South America. Eventually, democracy was restored in 1990, but the Chileans still feel a sense of injustice. I can only imagine how that must feel, if your loved ones were kidnapped and never returned. These things are understandably difficult to talk about.
Eventually, Pinochet fell from power, and the inmates took over the prison when it closed in 1999. Then the punk rockers took it over. They cleaned and squatted it, and also played rock shows. There may not be many organized services in Chile, but there’s still a strong sense of community with a shared purpose. In this case, music and art bring people together. After the punks, the circus community tried to get the former prison and offer classes to kids. When the city took it over, there was a bid to change it into something new. Now it’s a park and cultural center.
Mariana Najmanovich “Animales Sumisos III” Oil on paper 2024
Today, the cultural center promotes human rights, peaceful coexistence, and education through creative endeavors. The former prisoner cells are now rehearsal rooms for music and theater. If you have a project, you can talk to the administrators to get practice space, as long as you present your work to the community. There’s an expansive garden to set up picnics and spend time with friends and family. In one of the buildings, an art exhibition features paintings and installations.
In a way, it’s like a phoenix: from the metaphorical ashes of a notorious prison comes something sustainable and new. I think it’s beautiful to transform a place of suffering into one that fosters creativity, healing, and community-building.
More Notable Places in Valparaíso
Palacio Baburizza is an art museum that features fine art from the 19th and 20th centuries, housed in an Italian art deco/art nouveau/modernist mansion. The museum exhibits European and Chilean artwork: dramatic seascapes, idyllic landscapes, detailed floral still-lives with thick brush strokes, and portraits of prominent Chilean figures.
The red-and-turquoise art deco home of Pablo Neruda, La Sebastiana, sits on a hillside, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A renowned poet, Neruda was also a diplomat and a communist politician most famously known for his surrealist writings and love poems. Inspired by ships, the nautical-themed home features seascape paintings, oil portraits, and old maps of Latin America, as well as an adobe-like fireplace and a wooden carousel horse. Start at the bottom floor and listen to the audio tour, as you work your way up this unique home.
Vegan food in Valparaíso
Eating vegan was very easy in Valparaíso. Whenever I travel, I try the veganized local dish–whatever is popular.
The vegetarian restaurant, La Boca Del Oso, offers a vegan chorillana. Traditionally, chorillana is comfort food consisting of a bed of French fries topped with different kinds of meat, caramelized onions, and a fried egg. Essentially, it’s a heart attack on a plate. This vegan version had fries with stir-fried tofu and veggies. It was exactly what I needed after walking up and down hills all day!
Just up the street in a purple building is an artsy vegan cafe, Violeta Dulcería Vegana. This cozy and colorful place offers teas and elixirs in quirky handmade mugs with faces. I had pastel con choclo, literally meaning “corn pie.” This popular Chilean dish is a corn and beef casserole with mushrooms, olives, onions, and spices. This vegan version was filling and energizing, without the food coma that you’d get from heavier food. This place is a great spot for lunch, whether you’re vegan or omnivore.
Vegan options were plentiful in other places, too. Many cafes offer a vegan option, such as empanadas and pastries. Street vendors sell fresh bread and avocados for super cheap. You can easily get fresh fruits and veggies from any frutería, or fruit stand.
Coffee is abundant in Valparaíso. I love going to cat cafes, and found Michi Escala en Cerro Concepción. As I sipped an americano, two of the kitties came to greet me. The cafe owner handed some treats over for me to feed them. There’s also a third cat, though she went off elsewhere. Cats and coffee are always great together.
A City to Remember
What can I say, I truly loved Valparaíso: the brilliantly painted alleys and stairs, the bustling energy of the streets, the numerous stray cats and dogs, and the pulsing creativity that brings the city together. People were so warm and kind, even after what the country has been through over the last two centuries. The sunny summer days in December were also a sharp contrast to the cold and damp winter days in Seattle.
I stayed in Chile for four nights, saving Viña Del Mar for a day. Soon I’ll share what this little beach town is all about. ¡Hasta luego!
London is one of those cities that has something for everyone. It’s my last stop, and I saved the best for last for this Eurotrip 2022. This city checks all of my boxes:
Tons of vegan options
The birthplace of Goth
Very cat-friendly
Notable street art
I’m not sure if these phones actually work.
The last time I visited London was in December 2018. I was so caught up in work that I didn’t have much much of a chance to get to know this city. This time was a better chance to explore more.
For most of this trip, I’ve been museum-hopping like it’s going out of style. While I enjoyed immersing myself in art and history, I decided instead to poke around the local establishments and see what gives this city its spark.
The world is your oyster in Camden Town, London
Camden Town is where it’s at.
I stayed in Camden Town, a famed neighborhood that’s best known for its counterculture–a haven for punks, vegans, and queers. Shops and restaurants with colorful murals line the streets, as the rainbow Queer Pride crosswalks add a friendly message: “You belong here.” You could spend an entire day or two just wandering through Camden.
Camden Town has many unique shops
Staying in Camden is great, because there are so many options within a stone’s throw, especially with public transport. There’s the Camden Town tube station just a five-minute walk from where I stayed. The St. Pancras train station was also a 16-minute walk. The short-enough distance made it very convenient to see my friends in Brighton and Nottingham.
Favorite cafe at Think Coffee and Ink
During the day, the cafes are bustling with visitors topping up their caffeine fix or having a bite. A unique cafe called Think Coffee and Ink is a hip trifecta that consists of a coffee shop, a hair salon, and a tattoo parlor. It’s a non-profit creative space that gives back to the community and donates their profits to various charities. In addition to community efforts, they also help members of the house-less community by offering hot drinks and occasionally free haircuts.
Camden Market
I strolled to the popular Camden Market, a sprawling warren of restaurants, and shops selling vintage wares, souvenirs, and eclectic curiosities. It’s an international smorgasbord that has stuff that you just can’t find anywhere else. Whether you’re looking for glass mosaic lamps or a silver ring that might have magical powers (or curses), there is something for everyone in this market.
I wandered within the labyrinth of this vast market and encountered Cyberdog, a futuristic fashion shop that has avant-garde club wear for raves and festivals. Outside, two giant silver cyborgs flank both sides of the entrance. Inside the store, rainbow lights, florescent circuit boards, and cyborg mannequins glow under black light as techno music blasts you into a faraway galaxy.
I have essentially found my home planet.
Cyberdog offers next-level style in the form of holographic dresses, iridescent sequin coats with rainbow faux fur trim, light-up goggles, and baggy mylar space pants. While I prefer to stay shrouded in my black clothes, I’ve always appreciated rave fashion. It’s good to get new ideas of what to wear at the next festival, whether it’s goth or rave-style.
Eating vegan in Camden Town
There are several vegan restaurants, and most eateries offer at least one vegan option. If you’re vegan like me, you’ll have a field day in Camden!
Vegan Popcorn Bites that taste like chicken
My favorite spot was Temple of Seitan, which serves vegan fried chicken that delivers the perfect crunch. I got the Popcorn Bites, which were vegan chicken bites that are battered and deep-fried to perfection. Ordering was super easy and efficient. There’s a tablet at the front counter where you can put in your order and pay at the same spot. They will bring it to your table when it’s ready.
Mac & cheese, plus cashew mozzarella sticks
Rudy’s Vegan Diner is a popular spot for some familiar favorite meals, such as burgers, fries, and banana splits. If you’re in London and you know of a meat-eater who thinks they’ll miss out on a vegan lifestyle, this is where you take them. I tried the mac and cheese, plus a side of breaded dairy-free mozzarella sticks.
In Camden, Buck Street Market has shops and restaurants housed in colorful upcycled cargo containers. This eco-friendly market pushes sustainability for the more conscious consumer. All of the eateries have vegan options on the menu, and the retail shops offer ethical fashion and plant-based products. There are plenty of recycling points around Buck Market, and their food waste is composted to generate electricity to power the main grid. That’s so cool how they can convert food waste to make something new and useful!
A vegan red velvet cupcake from Clean Kitchen Club made a decadent treat. The rest of the menu had the usual favorites, such as vegan burgers, rice bowls, meatless wraps, and smoothies.
Camden Eye is a lively pub with a down-to-earth vibe. On Mondays, vegan menu items are 50 percent off! At £3, I couldn’t go wrong with some heavy hitters like the Seitan Strips: vegan deep-fried meatless strips that are reminiscent of chicken tenders with barbecue sauce.
The Regent’s Park
Regent’s Park is within walking distance of Camden Town. During this time of year, the 400-acre park is leafy, green, and the perfect place to run some miles through the numerous paths. If you’re more of a walker, you can take in the lush scenery at a leisurely pace. There are a few cafes to take a break in, plus a beautiful rose garden and a boating lake. This park is the home to many wildlife, including around 100 species of wild birds. There’s even a large open-air theater, if you happen to catch a play or musical.
Favorite spots throughout London
I’ve been into the goth subculture since the tender age of 13. Since London is the birthplace of goth, it was time to pay my respects by going to Slimelight, a goth night at the nightclub, Electrowerkz. A local person I had spoken to said that Slimelight is a weekly event. I checked for more information. For a popular club, there was only a handful of webpages, and the amount of information was slim. I went anyway, only to discover that Slimelight now only happens once a month because the event organizer died a couple years ago. There’s always next time.
ASMR at the Design Museum
The Design Museum is currently hosting a special exhibition: WEIRD SENSATION FEELS GOOD: The World of ASMR. ASMR stands for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response.” It’s a physical sensation of happiness or deep calm–sometimes a physical tingling sensation–that is triggered by sound, touch, and movement. It can be a subjective experience: what one person feels might be different from another.
According to the museum, people are using ASMR more as a form of self-medication against the effects of loneliness, insomnia, stress, and anxiety. This is a cue to its success and transcendental appeal.
In most museums, we visitors may not touch anything. In this exhibition, we are encouraged to touch the works of art and immerse ourselves with our entire being: physically, mentally, and emotionally. Gentle sounds, repetitive movements, and soft places invite you to stay for a while and just be present. Here I am chilling out and listening to Björk’s gentle whispers while art is spinning on a screen in the background.
A Bob Ross original
In another room, Bob Ross episodes are playing–right next to original paintings that he did! Ross was an iconic painter who is most famously known for his instructional videos on how to paint a landscape. His soft voice and sense of humor have always been calming to me, and I think they fit perfectly in this museum.
Veto Meato
After the Design Museum, I went to the British Museum for a little bit, and didn’t stay for long. Sometimes the sensory overload can be overwhelming!
Fortunately, there was a cozy vegan pub nearby called Veto Meato. I had the Asian bowl, a nod to Korean street food that boasted ingredients like tofu, sesame, kimchi, and gochujang sauce. I was super stoked to find this because it can be hard to find vegan Korean food. So, this was a warm treat after all of that museum-hopping.
Afternoon tea with cats at Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium
One thing that’s quintessentially British is having afternoon tea. A traditional afternoon tea consists of tea, plus an assortment of mini sandwiches, cakes, pastries, and scones on a tiered set.
In my case, afternoon tea with cats at Lady Dinah’s Cat Emporium in Shoreditch was very appropriate. This Alice In Wonderland-themed cat cafe has a few adoptable cats to have tea with. The whole establishment is one big cat playground with plenty of spaces for the cats to explore and chill out in. There are many shelves, cat toys, and suspended cat bridges for the kitties, plus a big tree with winding branches in the center of the room.
Visitors must follow the rules of conduct, as to keep the cats comfortable. Before entering the cat room, you must wash your hands and sanitize them. When you’re with the cats, let them come to you, if they choose to. They can come and go as they please. You can play with them, but leave them in peace if they’re eating or sleeping.
Vegan afternoon tea
This vegan afternoon tea consisted of hummus and cucumber sandwiches, a brownie, a mini chocolate torte, a lemon poppy seed cake, a sponge cake with vegan cream, and a scone with jam and plant-based butter. It also comes with two different teas. When I ordered, the person at the counter recommended Lady Dinah’s blend, which was an earl grey infused with bergamot and rose. The second tea I had was darjeeling, which hinted black currants undertones.
To be honest, while the cakes and pastries were delicious, the sandwiches could have been better. The filling was a third slice of bread in the middle sandwiched between hummus and veggies. For the scone, traditionally clotted cream is served, and instead it was vegan butter. I still enjoyed dining with the cats, though. Here, the feline friends are the stars of the whole experience, rather than the food.
Lady Dinah’s is discontinuing the afternoon tea service at the end of June, but you can still enjoy tea other treats from the regular menu. You must make a reservation in advance. The time slots do fill up fast, so reserve an hour as soon as you can.
Doughnut Time
My last meal in London was a Pride-themed donut called “Scaredy Cat” from Doughnut Time. It features vanilla rainbow glaze, blueberry jam filling, and a vegan Candy Kitten gummy in the center.
To help the LGBT community, 10% of the proceeds are donated to Just Like Us, a charity who works with schools to improve the lives of young people within the community. Cats, pride, donuts, and community support: what’s not to love?
Street art in London
Everywhere I turn in London, there’s a vibrant mural just around the corner. Some of them are hidden, while others are more out in the open. The streets here are a street artist’s haven, the blank walls a canvas to beautify the city. These are a few of my favorite murals.
There were several murals that weren’t signed by the artist. But I don’t think they’re meant to be anonymous, because I’ve seen this style of mural before: cosmic abstract women with distinct contours and gradients throughout. If anyone knows who did these, please leave a comment.
I’ve become familiar with Urban Solid’s colorful 3D brains. As seen on the street art tour in Lisbon, Urban Solid wants to send a message about human connectivity. According to the artist’s website, “Urbanbrain is an active, living brain represented, which communicates the thought of him through ‘wireless waves,’ a graphic sign that in a few years has become an icon capable of creating an immediate connection link. The body, the smell, the emotion, the gestures are fundamental parts of communication that are thus left out, relegated to spectators of a show in which they were the main actors.”
To London and back
I really did save the best for last. London was everything I could dream of–and more! It caters to cat lovers, queers, counter culture, vegans, artists, and all sorts of folks! Even if you don’t identify with any of those, you can still find something that you enjoy. You’ll never run out of things to see or do. London is a city that’s really does have something for everyone.
Technology in the 21st century is fantastic. With entire social networks at our fingertips, we end-users can connect with others from different places, whether it’s within the same city or eight time zones away across the ocean. After exploring Brighton with Eli and James, it was time to discover a land that’s a bit further north to Nottingham with the guidance of my new friend, Catherine.
Catherine and I connected a few years ago on Instagram. It’s literally like being friends with myself if there were two of me. Catherine is practically my British twin: a fellow goth vegan cat lady who has run more marathons than I have–18 marathons and counting, plus three ultramarathons. Catherine is a hardcore runner; the vast majority of her free time is dedicated to covering great distances, including a 100km ultramarathon. She’s truly inspiring. She even had purple hair at one point!
When I asked her if she would like to meet up, she immediately offered ideas of where to go and what to do in Nottingham. As a longtime resident, Catherine knows the lay of the land and all of the hidden magic that rests within it. With her knowledge of notable landmarks in the area, she was able to plan a true goth field trip.
Day 1 in Nottingham
Catherine greeted me with a hug at the train station. It was so nice to finally meet my doppelgänger!
I noticed how calming her presence was. We both seem to be introverted cat ladies, and with that come comfortable silences. There’s the relief of being okay with not feeling the need to fill the silence with words. As an introvert, while I can handle long stretches of time alone, I am also happy just basking in another human’s presence.
Nottingham may appear as a quaint city, but I would soon find out what wonders lie ahead. It’s really nice to get out of the hustle and bustle of the big city and into the rolling green English countryside.
The V Spot
We first ventured into V Spot in Nottingham, which was a 100 percent vegan market. You could stock up on groceries, or even choose from a variety of sweet and savory treats in the cafe. A shoe rack displays many types of leather-free and animal-friendly footwear, while the wall next to it offered cosmetics without any animal products.
Fun fact: The British aren’t big peanut butter fans like Americans are. So, it is a little harder to find around here. We managed to find some at V Spot.
Divine Coffeehouse
After visiting V Spot, we had vegan lunch at Divine Coffeehouse. The cafe sold vegan sandwiches for cheap—a welcome break from the London prices! Catherine and I split a warm blueberry cinnamon roll, the shape resembling a muffin. The purple walls of the cafe really spoke to both of us.
Witch marks at Creswell Crags
Then came the real deal of our goth field trip in Nottingham: the witch marks at Creswell Crags.
We drove for an hour among the rolling hills in the lush green countryside to Creswell Crags, an ice age excavation site in a limestone gorge with at least 60,000 years of history. There are caves containing the eerie “Witch Marks.” What was mistaken for Victorian graffiti are actually 16th-19th century cave carvings that are speculated to serve as protection from evil spirits.
Until recently, they were hiding in plain sight. In 2018, Hayley Clark and Ed Waters from the Subterranea Britannica group happened to notice these mysterious carvings on a cave tour. That was just a few years ago! Can you imagine something like this being under everyone’s noses for centuries?
Not creepy at all.
The term “witch marks” is a bit misleading, because they don’t actually have to do with repelling witches. Instead, they were used to turn away evil spirits of all kinds. Witch marks are also known as “apotropaic marks,” which mean “turn away” or “ward off.” Evil spirits were suspected to follow straight lines, so sometimes we would find witch marks depicting boxes. It’s believed that those boxes or squares would contain demons like a trap.
Why did people carve witch marks?
Evil is also thought to follow the flow of air. Traditionally, people carved ritualistic witch marks on doors, windows, and fireplaces—anywhere evil spirits can get in. Natural disasters, disease, famine, or violent forces were attributed to evil spirits. In a time where mass communication and modern science weren’t readily available, people back then didn’t want to take their chances. Maybe carving those marks was a way of taking back control and quelling fears?
Can you see the carved letters in the limestone?
What do these witch marks all mean?
We discovered repeating motifs and symbols of these witch marks. Some of the most common symbols were:
A double ‘V,’ which likely stands for “Virgo Virginum.” It can also appear as an M upside down, for “Maria.” It’s believed to be a spell asking for the Virgin Mary’s protection against evil.
‘P’ stands for “Pace,” or “Peace.”
Crossed I’s, which stand for “Jesus.” Back in the day, Jesus’ name started with an I for “Iesu.” An ‘I’ with a central bar was written as such in the 17th century. That’s one way these symbols could be dated: how certain letters are written.
‘R’ for Rex or Regina, though there’s a debate if that’s actually a witch mark.
Is that a ‘P’ or an ‘R’?
Do you see 1777, or just 777?
Then there were some other witch marks that were speculations. For instance, there was one that appeared to be a 777. There could be a 1 carved in front of it, so it would depict the year 1777. But because the 1 appears so faded with the rest of the numbers, it’s possible that it’s just 777. One theory is that writing those three 7’s translates to 666 in Hebrew–which is believed to be the devil’s number. So, that would be the devil’s symbol in this case. Since these are only theories, that’s the fun of decoding the witch marks.
Finally, what is considered to be the largest witch mark appears to be a Merels Board, or Nine Men’s Morris, one of the oldest strategy games in the world. Merels Boards were used as witch marks, most likely because their maze-like form could trap evil and contain it.
Vegan Sunday Roast at Fothergills
Crawling through the limestone caves and taking in all of the mysterious witch marks made me and Catherine hungry again. Since it was a Sunday, Catherine suggested that we go to Fothergills for a British weekly tradition: the Sunday roast.
Sunday Roast at Fothergills
Traditionally, a Sunday roast consists of slices of carved meat, mashed potatoes and gravy, sautéed veggies, and maybe some bread stuffing. It’s reminiscent of Thanksgiving food that we have in the U.S. Our vegan version was an apricot and lentil roast wrapped in a flaky pastry shell, plus gravy that was more like a broth. It truly hit the spot after an afternoon of being spooked by witch marks.
For dessert, we both had a chocolate torte with vegan vanilla ice cream. The torte was so rich, that it was definitely going to put us to sleep once we got home. We savored every bite of this decadent dessert.
Robin Hood, Nottingham Castle, and the oldest inn
In front of the gates of Nottingham Castle
The legend of Robin Hood started in Nottingham
Of course, we had to take a peek at the bronze Robin Hood statue pointing his bow and arrow at the Nottingham Castle. I learned that Nottingham is where the world-famous Robin Hood tale originates: an altruistic outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor.
The oldest inn…or so they say
Finally, we poked our heads into Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem, a pub that has supposedly been established in the year 1189 AD–even though there’s no documentation to support this claim. According to legend, this was a stop for King Richard the Lionheart and his knights to have an ale, before heading off to fight the Crusades in Jerusalem in the 12th century.
The inn is nestled against the sandstone cliff where Nottingham Castle is built. Part of the inn is even carved into the cliff. Inside, there are cozy nooks to enjoy a drink in. Throughout the inn, there are artifacts and relics of Nottingham’s history. Below the pub, there’s a network of caves that was originally used as a brewery in the 12th century, since it was a good environment for making ale.
Day 2 in Nottingham
After having breakfast and coffee—and playing with her cat, Mavis—Catherine and I set off for another goth vegan adventure in the morning.
Wollaton Hall
First, we made a quick stop at Wollaton Hall, more famously known as Bruce Wayne’s or Batman’s lair in the 2012 movie, “The Dark Knight Rises.” We didn’t stay for long, but we wanted to appreciate the architecture. This was a good start for Day 2 of this goth Nottingham field trip!
Newstead Abbey
Set on extensive landscaped and wild gardens is the 12th-century monastery, Newstead Abbey. It’s famously known as the old residence of the revered Romantic poet, Lord Byron. The only time I’ve ever read his work was in my senior year of high school, when we had to take an old English literature course.
There’s an entire museum dedicated to Lord Byron. Other exhibits go into detail about the 800-year history of the medieval monastery. Instead of seeing the museum, we decided to walk around the labyrinth-like gardens of this grand 300-acre estate.
The expansive gardens range in style from the Spanish landscapes with trimmed hedges to bamboo groves of a Japanese Oasis. Walking trails in lush forests wind around trickling streams. Silent white swans glided over the lake with their fuzzy gray cygnets. All of this beauty under the overcast skies reminded me so much of Seattle.
This cat was super chill.
In one of the gardens with a fountain, we saw a cat that almost looked like Mavis.
We heard a peacock squawk from afar and followed the sound. We walked along a stone wall and through a tunnel. And there he was in all of his magnificent glory! Just as we wondered if he was going to show us his full beauty, he stretched out, proudly displaying his shimmering blue and green feathers that look like many eyes.
Catherine and I could spend all day here. The medieval abbey, the lush gardens, and the trails were all mesmerizing, as were the resident animals that add even more charm to these grounds.
Bread & Butterflies
After walking through Lord Byron’s gardens, it was time to refuel before heading to the train station. Catherine took us to a little vegan tearoom called Bread & Butterflies.
Ivory lace and folded paper butterflies decorated the whole tearoom. Frilly teacups and saucers with floral designs were displayed on bookshelves and credenzas throughout, as various cakes under glass bell jars stood on the counter. Beside our table, a terrier lounged on the sofa.
When I’m traveling, I prefer to try the local dishes, rather than a familiar dish from back in my home country, the States. People have perfected the local dishes, and that’s one of the joys of traveling: trying the customary food of a given destination.
A full English breakfast
With that in mind, I wouldn’t order American pancakes. Instead, we both ordered a full English breakfast, which is still similar to a full American breakfast. It was technically lunch time, but you can have a full English breakfast any time of the day. It has everything you need: beans and vegan sausages for protein, toast and hashbrowns for carbs, plus fresh spinach, and grilled mushrooms and tomatoes for veggies.
As the goth vegan Nottingham field trip was wrapping up, Catherine and I had some time to kill before I went back to London.
The Hopkinson Vintage, Antiques and Art Centre was right next to the Nottingham train station, which was a perfect way to spend some time before taking the train back. It’s a cafe, a vintage store, and an antique market all under one roof. There’s even a haunted museum that features shrunken heads, a devil’s toy box, kits for exorcisms, and many more curiosities.
The shop had two full floors of vintage wear, such as brown tweed coats with elbow patches and crushed velvet dresses with tinsel woven in the fibers. We didn’t buy anything, but if anyone wants to stock up on fashion from the 1970s before hopping on the train, this is one place they could find it.
Last thoughts on Nottingham
Nottingham showed that this city has so much more magic than meets the eye. From witch marks hiding in plain sight to centuries-old pubs with hidden underground cave systems, there’s always something waiting to intrigue us. I feel like I could live here for a year and still discover something new. This town is truly a treasure trove of serendipity, folklore, and curiosity. And of course, I now have a new friend to explore all of this with.
Standing in front of the ubiquitous azulejos, or decorative tiles
Lisbon looks like a faraway fantasy destination that’s only seen in postcards: hilly cobblestone streets and rows of houses covered in patterned decorative azulejo tiles.
This is a famous mural dedicated to Fado music
I knew that Lisbon was brimming with art and architecture, and it wasn’t until I actually set foot in this illustrious city that showed just how prevalent it is. This city lives and breathes creative passion; it’s the lifeblood that gives the city its unique identity. You may hear Fado music crooning out of open windows, the wistful melodies longing for a past that cannot be recovered.
Everywhere you go in Lisbon, you’ll find intricate glazed ceramic tiles called “azulejos” covering buildings or facades. Sometimes you’ll even find them inside dining rooms, bathrooms, or kitchen walls in restaurants and homes. I never knew that I had such a fascination with tiles until I set foot in Lisbon!
Azulejos in Lisbon
From the Museu Nacional do Azulejo
Azulejo stems from the Arab word azzelij or al zuleycha, meaning “small polished stone.” The azulejo is an important part of Portuguese identity art. Made of geometric designs and plain colors, they have been used since the 13th century. In the 16th century, the use of these azulejos as ornamental facing spread throughout Portugal. Islamic culture inspired the intricate knot-like geometric patterns, filling in as much space as possible.
From the 16th century, animal and plant motifs, along with Gothic references, gradually replaced the geometric patterns. But the Moorish techniques still endured.
Hand-painted azulejos from the 19th century
Many of the tiles that are seen around the 19th century are hand-painted. Notice the nuances of the brushstrokes when you look closer.
There’s even an entire museum dedicated to the azulejos! The Museu Nacional do Azulejo is a must-see for anyone who is charmed by the craft. It only costs €5, and it’s totally worth it. You can visit the whole museum in an hour.
Also, never ever buy old tiles from a flea market. Those have been stolen from buildings and homes, as seen in gaps in the walls. Don’t buy goods that have been taken from someone else!
Street Art in Lisbon
Street art is ubiquitous in Lisbon. Everywhere you go, you’ll find hidden treasures in narrow alleyways, on the corners of buildings, and other unexpected places—until you realize to expect the unexpected. On a larger scale, you’ll find beautiful murals on the sides of buildings that broadcast their messages out to the world about existence, longing, shared experiences, and everything in between.
So, I did what any sensible creative person would do: I went on a three-hour street art tour with Lisbon Street Art Tours (not sponsored–it was a fun thing to do).
Street art vs. graffiti
From the time street art and graffiti have existed, there have been endless debates on how to define both of them. There seems to be a difference between street art and graffiti, since they come from two different environments.
At the loosest definition:
Street art is commissioned and legal, so there’s a designated place to create it. It’s usually image-based and not words.
Graffiti is based on scribbles and words, and they’re not commissioned or legal.
With graffiti, it’s about the game: marking territory or gaining notoriety. In those scribbles, there’s a lot of symbols in tags. The quick tags are called “throw ups,” because they’re easily dished out on a surface. The more developed ones are called pieces.
Underground culture groups wanted to be more visible so they went to moving walls like freight trains–which is why you see a lot of tags on trains. Graffiti can be about messaging in political environments, too.
In a sense, both street art and graffiti stem from the freedom of expression and content, where artists can express whatever they want, wherever they can. This often gives room to express difficult messages.
Favorite street art in Lisbon
There’s less street art in city center, so we started in Moderia: a multicultural neighborhood outside the central neighborhood. Many street artists live here, especially Brazilian artists. You can find smaller works that have a lot to say and stickers from notable street artists.
Bórdalo II
Bórdalo is a street artist who creates 3D work made out of trash, such as car parts. Using this medium, he gives trash a new life, rather than letting it go to landfills. He thinks that one man’s trash is another’s treasure. Most of his works are commissioned and legal. If you have work that big that stands the test of time, it has been legally commissioned.
Oze Arv
Oze Arv paints large-scale murals that are rich in color–without the use of any digital aids, such as projectors, or studio assistants. He does everything on his own.
We can see his style really come together. Throughout his work, you’ll see a combination of stripes and realism. This large mural is about spring. He did it alone without any help from anyone.
Zizi’s work
Our lovely tour guide, Zizi, also had her own work up! In her mural, she portrays how feminism is in many different parts of the world. Lisbon has a specific type of feminism. Women run away from first marriages, and they fight alongside the men. It doesn’t mean being in favor of war, but having the will to fight by their male counterparts. The woman in this mural is a sculptor and actor from France named Sarah Bernhardt.
Mario Belem
“Saudade” cannot be translated exactly, but it means a deep longing or nostalgia about something that you can’t have back. There’s the waiting for something better to come by, the hopefulness for a change with whatever it might be. At the bottom, the mural translates to, “it’s better to be lost in here somewhere than to be going nowhere.” It invites dialogue about missing what’s near us. We need to look at the beauty of what’s in front of us and stay present.
Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey is one of the most iconic and prolific street artists of all time, delivering political messages in a way that’s accessible for everyone. He’s best known for his revolutionary propaganda style while combining elements from contemporary art: bold, contrasting colors and well-defined lines for a dramatic effect.
This mural is about the Carnation Revolution that happened on April 25, 1974–a revolution to overthrow António de Oliveira Salazar’s authoritarian regime that presided over Portugal for almost 50 years. That night, a song to signal the coup aired on the radio. Then, thousands of Portuguese took to the streets with the military. Almost no shots were fired that night, and nobody died. A restaurant worker by the name of Celeste Caeiro put carnations into the muzzles of soldiers’ rifles. Hence, this carnation shown here.
Utopia
Utopia mostly paints sultry, colorful women with the universe in their seductive eyes. He’s my personal favorite, mainly because I’m a sucker for pretty women and outer space themes.
This Vhils/Shepard Fairy collaboration illustrates the multicultural neighborhood. Vhils used a dremel to etch out the surface and give it texture. There are some older buildings where he couldn’t do that, because it’s too fragile. So, he used a more superficial technique to create a similar visual effect.
This is a mural showing a friendship between a Kurdish and a Tigrayan girl. There’s a regional war currently going on between these two cultures that nobody is talking about, and this is what this mural is about.
After the street art tour, we spray painted patterns onto tote bags. The last time I used spray paint was to paint a David Bowie mural in 2020. It felt nice to make something, even if it went by quickly.
LxFactory: creative lifestyle in Lisbon
I headed over to LxFactory, a repurposed industrial complex that houses numerous artsy shops, cafes, and restaurants. This is a creative island showcasing more street art, fashion, culinary feasts, literature, and many more mediums in a way that belongs to everyone.
You could meander through the friendly shops, the unpretentious attitude welcoming anyone who is interested. My favorite shop was a bookstore with shelves extending two floors! The bookstore is called Ler Devagar and it contains a cafe, a music shop, an art gallery, a library, an auditorium, and more. There are frequent events in this bookstore, such as book readings, art shows, and performances.
Those are mirror pieces that make up Frida Kahlo’s face
Vegan food in Lisbon
In Lisbon, finding vegan food was very easy. Usually I ate a light breakfast at my hostel for free. For lunch, the Happy Cow app showed some real crowd-pleasers, and these are my favorites.
Orteá Vegan Collective
Orteá Vegan Collective’s menu looked so attractive, that it took a while to decide what to get! I got their Tribo bowl, which had warm tempeh, mushrooms, purple onions, carrots, broccoli, and ginger black rice. After walking around and seeing street art all day, something as nutritious as this bowl hits the spot just right. It had just the right amount of protein, carbs, fats, and veggies to replenish my energy.
For dessert, I asked for this chocolate coffee cheesecake. It is sweetened with coconut sugar, so it was light and didn’t make me crash at all.
Their chic interior was just as beautiful as their food: full of greenery and natural light.
Jardim das Cerejas
Jardim das Cerehas offers an all-you-can-eat buffet for only €9.50! The food is Indian cuisine with a Portuguese twist, such as pasta, fresh veggies, vegan meatballs, and cold side dishes. The soup tasted like coconut curry butternut squash. All of it was so filling that I didn’t even need to eat dinner that day. I even declined dessert!
Legumi Sushi Vegan
It’s rare to find sushi beyond cucumber and avocado rolls, so it’s not a dish that I have very often–until I found Legumi Sushi Vegan, that is. Marinated tofu, pickled vegetables, mayonnaise, and pineapples are some of the fillings that you’ll taste in this epic and gorgeous vegan sushi. The pleasant tart of the vinegar contrasted nicely with the creaminess of the mayonnaise. Where has this been all my life?
Finding Lisbon again
Lisbon showed far more than what I had expected to see. It’s truly an underrated city, one that I don’t hear about as often. From the azulejos to the vegan food, this city is one that I would like to return to someday.
Throughout this Eurotrip 2022, I’ve been museum-hopping and visiting as many spots as I could. After all, Barcelona and Paris spoiled me with all of the art, sight seeing, and vegan food that I could possibly get my hands on! When you’ve been on the go like this for weeks, it can be sensory overload. By the time I got to Madrid, I decided to scale back a bit.
In Barcelona, the main language is Catalan, and the locals speak Spanish and English. Here in Madrid, the locals speak mostly Spanish. Not everyone knows English, which gives me the perfect opportunity to practice Spanish.
I’ve been relearning Spanish recently. I’ve even changed my phone’s language to Spanish. I’ve been able to request vegan meals at hotels, read travel restrictions, and follow instructions in Spanish—even if it takes longer. It’s still hard to listen or speak, since the staccato vocalization of the language makes me miss things. Nonetheless, the locals seem pleasantly surprised when I’m trying.
Where I Stayed in Madrid
Inside my space capsule, where I am safe and sound
Usually I’ve been staying in hostels because it’s cheaper. For this Eurotrip 2022, I’ve been in several capsule cabins. This one in Madrid is by far my favorite.
Oxygen Hostel (not sponsored—I just really liked this place a lot) have futuristic cabins that look just like a space pod! You unlock the cabin with a key card. Inside, there are USB ports, a shelf to put small things, and two knobs to change the color of the lights. The bed was firm and comfy.
It felt like there was a place carved out in the universe just for me for a few days, a space pod offering somewhere warm and safe. Can I just stay here forever?
The Neighborhood Lavapiés in Madrid
I only used the metro three times, because everything else was within half an hour’s walk. There was a distinct multicultural neighborhood close by called Lavapiés, a melting pot of cultures and traditions such as Italian, pan-African, Indian, Thai, and more. The narrow, maze-like cobblestone streets are lined with many shops and eateries. Lavapiés also borders the city center, and is near many museums.
The Art Museums
Madrid is rife with art and history. Since I was slowing down, I picked just two museums to go: the Reina Sofia and the Prado.
Reina Sofía
If you want to see more modern and contemporary artwork, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía has you covered. This museum has four floors of art, with mostly Spanish work from the Modern Era to the present day.
Most importantly, the Reina Sofía features artwork from the modernist masters, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.
I even saw Picasso’s “Guernica,” the renowned black-and-white Cubist painting, on display. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of Picasso’s work. I understand why his work is so famous–he did invent the modern art movement, Cubism, after all. Breaking traditional practices like this laid the foundation of the Modern Art era, so art wasn’t the same after that. But looking at his pieces is jarring. There. I said it.
But if it made me feel something visceral, then it must be effective at driving its point home. Isn’t that what art is supposed to do?
Salvador Dalí was another Modernist master painter, a pioneer of Surrealism–which is characterized by dreamlike imagery and symbolism. Unlike Picasso, I’ve always appreciated Dalí as an artist. In fact, his work has influenced some of my own when I painted more back in the day. Dalí painted metaphors that were often up to interpretation, but many times his paintings sent important messages across.
Much of the contemporary work had political messages, whether it’s about the fight for racial equality in the United States, or people taking to the streets in Perú and Chile to protest against social inequality. Many other exhibits had works about Indigenous rights in Latin America, especially about the tribes fighting against capitalist exploitation in the Amazon rain forest in Brazil.
Museo Nacional del Prado
The Museo Nacional del Prado is considered one of the finest art museums in the world, showcasing extensive works from the 12th to 20th century. The artists include Francisco Goya, Diego Velazquez, Bosch, and many more.
In my art history classes, we talked about Velazquez’ and Goya’s works a lot. Velazquez was especially known for his keen details, bold brushwork, and intriguing compositions in his paintings, such as the famous “Las Meniñas” painting.
If you appreciate European art, the Prado should be on your list.
Spanish Cats Are Just as Adorable
In Madrid, I went to one cat cafe to get my cat fix.
La Gatoteca isn’t quite so much a cat cafe as it is an adoption center. A free drink is included with the admission, though. This place has so many friendly cats, that it’s so tempting to try and pet all of them.
One of the kitties crawled right into my lap and stayed there for nearly the entire hour. Her happy little purrs were soothing as she nuzzled my hand. Sometimes she would look at me with a knowing gaze, like I’m her chosen one. I almost wanted to take her home! My partner and our cat probably would object, though. 😉
When the Hard Stuff Happens Back Home
R.I.P. Mouse
Speaking of cats, later that evening, my BFF Brad called to talk about his kitty, Mouse.
I met Mouse almost nine years ago. She and Brad have been through so much together in life. She was a no-nonsense cat with a soft side that she reserves for her chosen people. I was fortunate to be one. And so, she became a part of my family.
Brad invited me to see Mouse and Bug (his other cat) before my trip, but I was quarantining. I told him that I could see them when I return.
After I had left, Mouse’s condition had suddenly deteriorated, and there was nothing left that anyone could do this time. She wasn’t going to hold out long enough for my return. Now I’m never going to pet or snuggle her again.
It’s hard being half a world away when receiving devastating news like this. The best I could do is be with Brad via video chat while Mouse passed over the Rainbow Bridge.
Mouse lived a long life of 18 years. While she preferred to stay out of the spotlight, she was one of the best cats I’ve ever known.
The Vegan Food in Madrid
I took the rest of Madrid easy after Mouse’s passing. I still wanted to try various places to eat, if only just to give myself a little boost.
Everywhere in Madrid, there are bars and restaurants lining the streets. Madrid has plenty of vegan options; many restaurants will offer a thing or two. When you take a closer look, the vegan restaurants invite you to partake in a colorful meal.
Like Barcelona, many places in Madrid:
Close in the mid-afternoon as part of the traditional siesta, or afternoon nap.
Some restaurants require a reservation, while many do not. The places near the city center are most likely full, and there may not be an empty table waiting for you—as was my experience.
These are my favorites.
Freedom Cakes
Freedom Cakes is known for their colorful meals, such as rainbow vegan hamburgers. They have a nice selection of cakes and cupcakes—as is their namesake. There wasn’t a table available when I went in, but I did leave with this perfect unicorn cupcake.
Sanissimo
Sanissimo is a trendy, tropical-themed vegan bistro with positive energy, which matches the quality of its nutrient-dense food. They have several salads, sandwiches, and wraps to choose from. All of it looked so good! Fortunately, their menu has pictures of some of the dishes so you have an idea of what looks good.
I got the Hottie Salad, and it made me feel just as good as its namesake. This salad had seasoned chickpeas, lentils, sliced baked potatoes, and fresh tomatoes all on a bed of greens. It was so packed with protein and nutrients that I stayed full throughout the night.
Mad Mad Vegan
Mad Mad Vegan makes typical vegan bar food, like these loaded nachos. Vegan cheese, black beans, plant-based carne, pickled red onions, pico de gallo, and a dollop of guacamole smother a bed of yellow corn chips. I’ve had many vegan nachos, and the Spanish do not mess around.
These nachos are definitely meant for sharing; I could only finish half of it and had to take the rest in a box.
PLANTAMIENTOS
Set in an indoor market, PLANTAMIENTOS offers small hearty meals. The dish I had was a kind of thick cold stew of sweet potatoes and Swiss chard, plus a side of warm bread. If you choose to eat there, there’s counter space to enjoy your meal.
El Rastro de Madrid Outdoor Market
If you love outdoor markets, then look no further than El Rastro, one of the largest Sunday markets in Europe. Located near the city center, you can stroll down the rows of friendly vendors and find all sorts of gifts for friends, or for yourself: colorful ceramic souvenirs, hand-carved wooden cats, punk accessories, vintage goods, cheap clothes, and more. It can get very crowded, but the vibes are good and welcoming.
Last Thoughts About Madrid
Madrid isn’t quite like Barcelona, but respite is what I needed.
I’m glad that I took it easy, especially with the news about Mouse. My time in Madrid was more leisurely and relaxed, instead of being on the go, go, go. I’m also glad that I could use Spanish more this time. The space capsule always made me feel welcome, offering a comfortable place to rest at the end of the day.
After Madrid, I’m taking the eight-hour bus ride to Lisbon, Portugal. I have heard many great things about Lisbon, so I will definitely report back my findings!
Barcelona, España (Spain) has been on my Eurotrip bucket list for quite sometime. Brimming with history and little secrets, I have been very excited to see what art, architecture, and vegan food awaits in this vibrant Catalan city… And it truly lives up to its charm.
When I was in high school, I took three years of Spanish. By the time I was done, I could read at a sixth-grade level… And then I didn’t use the language again for 20 years. Now I have been practicing Spanish every day for the past two months.
Flag of Catalonia
The thing is that in Barcelona, the main language is Catalan. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a semi-autonomous region that has its own distinctive language, flag, parliament, and traditions. It enjoyed autonomy before the Spanish Civil War. But today, the Catalonian nationalists believe their tax money gets invested more in other parts of Spain than what they get in return. Today, there’s still a push for independence–even though the majority of residents didn’t vote for it 2014.
Signs in Barcelona display three languages: Catalan as the main one, then Spanish, and then English. The locals seem to be fluent in all three. I don’t know any Catalan, so I did my best with the Spanish that I knew. Still, the locals seemed pleased that I was trying. I was surprised by the number of people who speak English, but I preferred not to use it this time. 🙂
Where I stayed and how I got around in Barcelona
I stayed at the hip hostel, Generator, which was set in the neighborhood, Grácia. It’s close enough to see the important stuff while being at the edge of the little side streets. In the side streets, the shops and eateries offered more reasonable prices and far less crowds than, say, La Rambla (the main touristy street).
Barcelona, like most major European cities, has a very efficient transportation system. A 4-day metro pass costs €31. I think it pays for itself quickly.
When I wasn’t taking the metro, I was walking through the streets of Grácia, discovering beautiful street art around corners and in random places.
The renowned architect, Antoni Gaudí
I’ve heard of Antoni Gaudí’s architectural work, and it seemed like a world away.
Park Güell
Gaudí worked in numerous styles, ranging from Catalan Modernisme to Neo-Gothic. Park Güell (pronounced “Gwell”), an Art Nouveau and Modernisme attraction, was inspired by nature, as the organic shapes and structures show. The curves and slopes integrate with the mountain, as the Mediterranean vegetation blends seamlessly with the whole park. It feels so alive here, almost like it’s living and breathing. Colorful mosaics and glass tiles give the park an extra whimsical touch, further making it a beautiful wonderland.
Casa Batlló
Casa Batlló boasts motifs inspired by bones and teeth on the exterior, and even iridescent dragon scales for the roof. Inside, the curving lines and structures are reminiscent of the Mediterranean Sea, the stained glass windows borrowing from the likes of turtle shells, sea mollusks and the flowing nature of water. Gaudí brilliantly uses light and color to blend with the organic structure of the house.
Not only is this building aesthetically pleasing, it’s also quite functional! There’s a sophisticated ventilation system that is disguised as gills of a fish, as to promote airflow and keep the building cool during the hot summer days. In the sun-filled atrium, the further you go up, the tiles slowly change to a darker blue and the windows gradually get smaller. This is so that every floor has equal lighting.
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Família is by far Gaudí’s most famous work. While it’s unfinished, you cannot deny that it’s quite impressive. When I left the subway station, I turned around…and there it was.
The Neo-Gothic basilica has so much detail on the exterior that you could spend hours surveying the intricacies and still discover something new the next time you look at it. Gaudí planned everything that you see down to the last detail–whether it’s the story of Jesus Christ, Biblical scenes, or the symbolism behind some of the animals that you see.
To say that the interior of La Sagrada Família was a real treat is an understatement. Inside, no straight lines exist as the ornate columns twist and turn towards the vortex of the ceiling. Rainbows drench the interior of the basilica through the colorful stained glass windows, illuminating the entire space with light and color. It almost felt like even the interior was singing, like I could see sound!
It costs about €30 to get in, and it’s worth it. This is Gaudí’s most talked about masterpiece, and for good reason.
Moco Museum in Barcelona
The Moco Museum (Modern and Contemporary Art) showcases many contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, Banksy, Guillermo Lorca, and more.
The exhibit was called, “In Art We Trust.” Inspired by the past and based in the present, the artists here create art that evokes the kind of future that we can all live and breathe in. Through thought-provoking work, these artist envision a world that’s better for everyone.
Here are some of my favorite works.
Yayoi Kusuma’s “Night of Stars”
“My life is a dot lost among thousands of other dots.”
Yayoi Kusama
Andy Warhol’s “1 Colored Marilyn”
It’s Andy Warhol’s iconic Marilyn Monroe screen prints, except the colors are in reverse.
Banksy’s “Forgive Us Our Trespassing”
Banksy, the infamous anonymous street artist, has always made his mark in the world. Here, “Forgive Us Our Trespassing” depicts a young boy praying by a colorful, graffitied church. Here, this boy has his belief system and sacred place. There’s a sweetness about his practice, since he thinks that praying will make life work out for him. And that’s one reason why many people pray: to have solace and peace. And if you don’t fit in, make your own.
Guillermo Lorca “The Little Gardeners”
Guillermo Lorea’s large surreal works have so much going on. Blending magic and surrealism, the fairy-tale settings look violent at first glance. I had to stop and see what the narrative might be. A lot of it was up to the viewer’s interpretation, since there was a delicate balance between nature and humankind, and darkness and hope.
In “The Little Gardeners,” carnage unfolds as fierce animals compete amid large blooming pink poppies. The two little girls seem totally unfazed by the violence going around them, as if this is all a part of life and survival. But they are clearly not casual bystanders to the action. The girl with the blue butterfly wings seems to be undergoing a transformation, perhaps growing out of innocence.
Digital Immersive Art in Moco Barcelona
There’s also a digital immersive art exhibit that was my favorite part. This room here is by Studio Irma. The colors of the lights change to the beats of the tranquil music, offering a warm and safe place in the universe.
Intermission: God Is An Astronaut in Barcelona
When I embarked on this journey, most of it was planned out. Sometimes it’s better to not have everything set in stone, in case you need some leeway. In this case, I saw a concert for the first time internationally.
God Is An Astronaut is an Irish post-rock band that I’ve been listening to since 2013. I’ve always wanted to see them, yet they didn’t come to Seattle the last time they toured in the U.S. My new travel friend Desline that I met in a Paris hostel mentioned they were on tour. I checked the tour dates, and sure enough, they were going to be in Barcelona the same time as my visit! I immediately bought tickets four days before the show.
It can be hard to describe GIAA’s music. Their older stuff is ethereal and existential like you’re moving through life in the cosmic greatness of the universe. The music is pensive and evocative, taking you through past and future lives. I listened to them so much in my mid-to-late 20s, as I navigated through the complex trauma in my life.
Their newer music is heavier and more raw, and to me, it sounds quite different. GIAA played songs from throughout their 20-year career. I happened to be in the front and center of the stage, watching those guys pour their souls into the show.
Hello, random person in the back!
By the time, they played one of my favorite songs, “Dust and Echoes,” it felt like I was connected with every soul in the audience. Never mind that I don’t know Catalan, or that I’m not quite yet fluent in Spanish. The music is what we were all there for; this shared sense of humanity is what ties us all together.
Vegan Food in Barcelona
Roasted vegetables with romesco sauce
Barcelona offers a plethora of vegan food within walking distance. It’s extremely easy to eat vegan here, whether you’re looking for tapas or the Spanish national dish, paella. As I mentioned earlier, having a base in Grácia meant that many vegan options were just a stone’s throw away.
Tapas are like an appetizer or a small dish. You can order two or three to have as a full meal. In many restaurants in Barcelona, it’s easy to order grilled vegetables for tapas. I have also discovered tangy tomato-based romesco sauce to dip these veggies.
You may notice that many establishments close for a couple hours in the afternoon, as part of the Spanish tradition of the siesta, or afternoon nap. They do tend to stay open later into the night though. It’s the Spanish way.
Vegetalia
Paella is Spain’s national dish.
I needed to try paella somewhere, especially since it’s a new dish. Vegetalia in the Gothic Quarter delivered the savory vegan dish with faux chicken strips and chunks of veggies in yellow seasoned rice. I had the smaller portion and had a small salad with it.
La Besneta
La Besneta is a pastelería (a shop that sells pastries) that offers many vegan pastries that were so rich and tasty that you wouldn’t believe they’re vegan. Pictured here are little tarts with fresh berries and edible flowers.
Xurreria Trebol
Xurreria Trebol offers several vegan churros. I tried the chocolate-cream-filled one, and it sent my dopamine receptors firing to the moon and back! I don’t remember the last time I’ve had a churro. I’ve always been under the impression that they’re not vegan, and I found out that they traditionally are!
Vegan Junk Food Bar
Vegan Junk Food Bar is a Dutch-based vegan restaurant that has a location in Barcelona. I asked for the Daddy Burger, and it has vegan chicken strips, cheeze, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and a special blue Daddy Sauce that tasted like mayo–all inside a pink sesame seed bun. The flavor is just as vibrant as the colors–which is proof that being vegan is definitely not boring!
Vegan Junk Food Bar truly is a vegan heaven with its décor, food, and stylish ambience. I really wish they would expand to the United States; more specifically, Seattle.
Nabucco Obrador Vegetarià
Nabucco Obrador Vegetarià is a warm vegan cafe just blocks away from the hostel in Grácia. I wanted one last thing to remember this friendly neighborhood by, so I asked for one of their vegan cashew cheesecakes with fresh berries on top. It kept me satiated through the train ride to Madrid.
More important things in Barcelona: Cats
Of course, I needed to have a cat fix. Espai de Gats in Grácia has several cats for you to hang out with while you sip coffee or nibble on a pastry. This cat cafe promotes feline welfare by having the cats sterilized and vaccinated, so they’re healthy when they get adopted into their new home. Many of these cats were found abandoned or malnourished, and have been nursed back health. This cat cafe also hosts workshops about feline care and welfare, so the public can be educated on building a more compassionate world for these wonderful animals.
Leaving Barcelona
I took one last look around Barcelona. I even swam in the warm waters of the beautiful beach, my first time swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.
Barcelona is a city that offers its gems with pride, and yet there are more where you’re willing to look. From art and architecture, to colorful vegan food and cats, this is a very friendly city that I must return to one day.
