This vacation was one like no other. Because this is a men's lifestyle and fashion blog, I will be sure to cover almost all angles of my latest excursion across the pond to Barcelona, Spain. When you have great friends like I do, some of the best moments are spent abroad. It's in these very moments that life is truly lived and experienced!

First, if you are taking any flight of three hours whether it be domestic of international, I suggest that you fly either business of first class. In doing so, aside from the additional leg room (pending the airline in which you take) you get the amenities that you will need in order to truly be comfortable while in air. On this particular trip, my friends and I decided to do business class via Air France (Delta Airlines affiliate). Going across the pond took about eight hours, and the flight attendants were in service the entire trip.

Landing in Paris for our layover was an experience to experience. I knew once we stepped off the bird that we were in the fashion capital of the world. The international terminal had your high fashion stores to include: Burberry, Gucci, Givenchy, Dolce & Gabanna etc. This immediately set the tone for the country I would be in for a couple of hours. Once we made our final departure into Barcelona it was nothing short of Paris with regards to fashion presentation. Terminal 1 boasted a similar standard like Paris with Burberry, but parallel to it was Zara (not American Zara).

Our choice of stay this trip was a three bedroom and two and a half bath apartment (with access to a private deck and pool) in the heart of Old Barcelona. We did this opposed to the typical resort style hotels as we truly wanted to be immersed in the Catalonian culture. This apartment gave everyone their privacy and space with they wanted to debrief from the high group activity moments within the trip. Our main mode of travel throughout this stay was the Bracelona Taxi service. It was a quicker transition and quite comparable to Uber. For my fellow American Express members, be mindful that there are two cab merchants in Barcelona and one does "not" accept AMEX as a method of payment. So bring your VISA or MASTERCARD along too. We did too take the local metro rail system. It was for the most part easy to use, however the cab service was more convenient.

Catalonians LOVE Zara and H&M! In the city's centre (core of the town) you will find an enormous ZARA and H&M. As you navigate away form this area you will find more Zara and H&M locations. I knew then that these two brands were a staple in Barcelona and more so in the Catalonian culture. Because of this, I was sure to pick up a few selections to myself.

Overall, this trip was nothing like any other that I have experienced internationally. It was on this journey that I was able to experience first-hand European culture. From the food, the people, nightlife, and the SHOPPING everything was amazing. Please enjoy a few snap shots that I was able to capture below.

#Barcelona #fashion