Barcelona is easily one of my favorite cities in Europe, I know I say that about Paris, London, Milan and Amsterdam hahaha. When my best friend and I visited Barcelona we went just at the end of May, the weather was warm but not warm enough to enjoy the beach although we had one hot day we enjoyed the beach. La Rambla is full of life, the artists, the shopping (Zara is wayyy cheaper there) and the restaurants. The tapas and the Sangria were so amazing. I had the most amazing paella at a family restaurant whose name escapes me but its along the beach, most restaurants have great service. The night life was amazing and we found it funny that my girlfriend and I didn't have to wait in line and we got free drinks just because they loved black women, haha so travelling while black in Barcelona we did not encounter any problems except people wanting to take pictures with us. My fav was Park Guell but be prepared to walk a bit so bring comfortable shoes. Casa Mila and Batllo were also great but long line ups. The magic fountains of Montjuic are beautiful at night so make sure you go early, we only caught the tail ending because our flamenco performance. Barcelona has best of worlds, relaxation at the beach, art, history, great food and nightlife. On my to go back list :)
Oh Havana, the city that surprised me the most from all my travels. I loved Havana so much I did not want to leave haha. There is so much history and the culture is so rich. The Cubans are so warm and friendly and they always asked where I was from and they would relay that they have black ancestry. The locals are always willing to open their homes and share a meal and conversation which I found to be beautiful. When you visit Cuba, make sure that you do your research of where you want to stay and also bring more than enough US dollars to exchange when you land at the airport because you can not use your cards there. Booked a beautiful Casa through Airbnb, do your research and reviews but the hosts were so amazing and it looked and felt like a 5* hotel room in terms of cleanliness and décor and hospitality. The food in Cuba I enjoyed inspite of the reviews I had read, try to eat at family owned restaurants or paladeras as they call them to enjoy some of the authentic Cuban meals Donde Adrian is one we frequented when we didnt have reservations or plans , they have the most amazing mango and also their Tamarind juice is to die for. There is so much to do in Havana from walking the streets of old Havana, the many museums that hold so much history and art, rooftop bar hoping, vintage car tour and the music and dancing. There is so much for everyone, you just have to be open minded. Believe the hype of the tapas at O'Reilly's and the drinks at Floridita...these places get packed fast so plan wisely. I love Havana and I cannot wait for my next trip there
Venice is a beautiful city but if you go during the pick of summer then it is so crowded and gets so hot. Plan to start your day early so that you can beat the crowds both at tourists sites and at the water taxis. There is so much to do and see and you will never get bored. I found it to be a place where you can just walk around with no plan and still experience so much culture and history. I enjoyed touring the island of Burano and also Murano. In Burano I could tell the locals were not too friendly but when you see the amount of tourists that visit that island then you can certainly understand and sympathize with the local. Be mindful, be courteous and be respectful that will go a long way. Go early if you want to enjoy the peace and quite of the island before the hoards of tourists arrive. Buy a weekly or day pass for the water taxes and it saves you the hustle and time depending on how long you are staying in Venice. Everyone I met was friendly and I even made friends while I was there so travelling while black there is good. Great place to travel as a solo female traveler. I love Venice and I will definitely be back in the future. P/S - The food, gelato and the sunsets are amazinggggg
Barcelona is easily one of my favorite cities in Europe, I know I say that about Paris, London, Milan and Amsterdam hahaha. When my best friend and I visited Barcelona we went just at the end of May, the weather was warm but not warm enough to enjoy the beach although we had one hot day we enjoyed the beach. La Rambla is full of life, the artists, the shopping (Zara is wayyy cheaper there) and the restaurants. The tapas and the Sangria were so amazing. I had the most amazing paella at a family restaurant whose name escapes me but its along the beach, most restaurants have great service. The night life was amazing and we found it funny that my girlfriend and I didn't have to wait in line and we got free drinks just because they loved black women, haha so travelling while black in Barcelona we did not encounter any problems except people wanting to take pictures with us. My fav was Park Guell but be prepared to walk a bit so bring comfortable shoes. Casa Mila and Batllo were also great but long line ups. The magic fountains of Montjuic are beautiful at night so make sure you go early, we only caught the tail ending because our flamenco performance. Barcelona has best of worlds, relaxation at the beach, art, history, great food and nightlife. On my to go back list :)
Oh Havana, the city that surprised me the most from all my travels. I loved Havana so much I did not want to leave haha. There is so much history and the culture is so rich. The Cubans are so warm and friendly and they always asked where I was from and they would relay that they have black ancestry. The locals are always willing to open their homes and share a meal and conversation which I found to be beautiful. When you visit Cuba, make sure that you do your research of where you want to stay and also bring more than enough US dollars to exchange when you land at the airport because you can not use your cards there. Booked a beautiful Casa through Airbnb, do your research and reviews but the hosts were so amazing and it looked and felt like a 5* hotel room in terms of cleanliness and décor and hospitality. The food in Cuba I enjoyed inspite of the reviews I had read, try to eat at family owned restaurants or paladeras as they call them to enjoy some of the authentic Cuban meals Donde Adrian is one we frequented when we didnt have reservations or plans , they have the most amazing mango and also their Tamarind juice is to die for. There is so much to do in Havana from walking the streets of old Havana, the many museums that hold so much history and art, rooftop bar hoping, vintage car tour and the music and dancing. There is so much for everyone, you just have to be open minded. Believe the hype of the tapas at O'Reilly's and the drinks at Floridita...these places get packed fast so plan wisely. I love Havana and I cannot wait for my next trip there
Venice is a beautiful city but if you go during the pick of summer then it is so crowded and gets so hot. Plan to start your day early so that you can beat the crowds both at tourists sites and at the water taxis. There is so much to do and see and you will never get bored. I found it to be a place where you can just walk around with no plan and still experience so much culture and history. I enjoyed touring the island of Burano and also Murano. In Burano I could tell the locals were not too friendly but when you see the amount of tourists that visit that island then you can certainly understand and sympathize with the local. Be mindful, be courteous and be respectful that will go a long way. Go early if you want to enjoy the peace and quite of the island before the hoards of tourists arrive. Buy a weekly or day pass for the water taxes and it saves you the hustle and time depending on how long you are staying in Venice. Everyone I met was friendly and I even made friends while I was there so travelling while black there is good. Great place to travel as a solo female traveler. I love Venice and I will definitely be back in the future. P/S - The food, gelato and the sunsets are amazinggggg