I don’t know why but I have been postponing this topic a couple of times. Probably because I didn’t know how to start. Also, since it barely stops raining, my younger son brings each Kita virus home and at the end it is not only him, but me, who gets ill. But, since today the sun came out a bit and my son does not have fever anymore, I did not want to miss the opportunity of posting about the nice memories of our babymoon exactly six years ago.
What is babymoon?
For those who don’t know the concept, babymoon is a period of time that parents to be take to relax and spend quality time together before the baby arrives. In other words, it is a vacation for couples in order to be by themselves and enjoy each other for the last time alone. It is like a honeymoon but with a baby bump which doesn’t necessarily be less sexy than without it. During the last years, it has become a trend and destinations and themes are varied. We definitely wanted to do it and it is something we would always recommend before the baby is born since afterwards you are going to find yourself and your partner/husband missing each other even though you’re just sitting a couple of centimeters away.
When and where to
We had been thinking for a long time when and where to go. I was really excited about the idea. Hubs and I have always enjoyed spending time together but there is nothing like doing it without having to think that you had to get up early and go to work the next day or doing the groceries. And it is always a good thing to change the scenery even if it is only for a week. However, you need a little planning since you’re pregnant: you have to be sure that you’re in good shape and pregnancy symptoms are held at bay and that, if you decide to go somewhere that requires traveling by plane, you’re still allowed by the company to do so. I guess they try to avoid women getting into labor airbone. That is why most airlines allow women to fly until the 33th pregnancy week.
So we decided to do it during the second trimester as soon as Hubs’s work schedule would allow. And that was in mid-March, when I was in the 27th week, almost entering the third trimester. It was a perfect timing since we left right after a very busy week when we both were working at the big Berlin International Tourism Fair, ITB (this year it was cancelled due to the Coronavirus), after which we both were exhausted (but in my case also happy since I had been working at the Colombian stand, a job I would do anytime).
And where? That was the most exciting part. For an instant we wanted to make it overseas to Colombia or to the US but it would definitely be a too long flight which neither of us wanted to risk. Then we thought about cities or countries we hadn’t been able to visit so far. At the end Portugal and Barcelona were doing the race. Barcelona won not only because we just love Spain, its people, the good vibes, their easygoingness and the food, but thanks to Barça and the possibility of going to watch a game at Camp Nou and, more important for me, because of the baby shopping possibilities!
We were beyond excited! We would be there a whole week! Not so excited was my father, who was freaking out about all the risks of traveling while being pregnant. But hey, wasn’t it my mom who embarked on a family trip to the islands next to Cartagena in a boat which certainly did not accumulate safety procedures while being already very pregnant with her third child?! It was quite an experience since the speed boat was jumping on the waves and suddenly stood on open sea. Compared to that, flying for three hours straight was rather peanuts!
But then, I think he couldn't understand very well our reasons for taking that vacation. I mean, having a baby or children is time consuming everywhere in this planet, including Colombia. But in our country couples are still able to spend some quality time by themselves and go for dinner or even dancing since, first, that is the way we are (joyful) and secondly but perhaps most important, we can count on family members anytime and they would (most of the time) happily jump in to babysit. The baby is often surrounded by family members so it doesn't need a proper introduction to the babysitter like in Germany. That is why, in Colombia, you can see couples enyoing themselves alone already a couple of months after the baby is born and it doesn't concern anyone. What is more, they are encourage to do so. No one asks where the children are.
Angie-Hubs-Barcelona
So we prepared just to have fun together and to disconnect from any stressful thought. Needless to say, we did the usual sightseeing and our best friend was the hop on hop off bus. I’m not going to go into every detail of the trip. But here are my best kept, precious and funny (and also embarrassing) memories.
First of all, we were so thankful that the weather was treating us so well. It was an almost constant temperature between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius, perfect for sightseeing and pregnant women. Our hotel was very central, close to the Born neighborhood and the sea side. Literally the first thing we did when we arrived there and after checking in in the hotel was to buy me some sneakers so that I could walk and walk without noticing my feet. Thank you Nike and thank you, lower prices in Spain!
As usual when we go to Spain, we decided not to order breakfast at the hotel because we love, love going to the local cafés in order to get in touch with the local people and eat what the locals eat. Unluckily, Barcelona is such a touristic city that it was extremely difficult to find little “local” cafés and end up many times eating Argentinian empanandas. And soon we also realized that people in Barcelona are very different from the Madrileños and Andalusians, as is the food and their mood. That we missed a little bit. And the city itself is also very different but so beautiful and Gaudi’s buildings really amazing. But for us, the place to be was definitely the Mercat St. Josep or La Boqueria. We would go there almost every day just to watch the food stalls and eat.
Going to a Barcelona soccer game was a big deal – for both of us (I love going to football stadiums and watch games just because of the great atmosphere). Who doesn’t want to see Barça play live in the Camp Nou. We not only did the stadium tour but also went to a Liga game the last day of our trip. Until then, I kept mixing up with Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu, for which Hubs felt so ashamed every time I did it while walking around. He was begging me just not to say it aloud! We had never been in such a huge stadium and we had to fight our vertigo when sitting on the highest tribune on game day.
We also were confronted with the stressful visit to the Sagrada Familia even though the city wasn’t that full of tourists to that time of the year. It took us almost two days to finally get in there. And we were rewarded with an spectacular building, lunch at a Colombian restaurant with friends from Barranquilla and the consequent Colombian coffee purchase en masse (something we do everytime we go to Spain as well as me getting a proper haircut since hairsalons in Germany are expensive and bad).
For me, one of the most important reasons for visiting Barcelona was the baby shopping (more on this in another post). Until then I hadn’t bought anything, well maybe a couple of things, because in Germany baby stuff is not so nice, though I have to say it is improving in a very, very slow pace. In contrast, Spaniards as well as the US-Americans, Brits or Dutch are the holy grail of beautiful baby equipment and, more importantly, baby clothing. Other than expected, we didn’t find those beautiful shops as you find them in Madrid or Sevilla but still, there was enough good stuff to buy. Having mercy for Hubs, we only spend two days looking for baby clothing and some equipment although I also have to mention that he himself selected quite cool outfits while I felt in heaven at Zara Home.
The time of my life
But there was nothing like spending time together with my husband. There was a lot of cuddling going on and I loved it. Every day, we woke up late and would do a little sightseeing and then head back to the hotel for a little rest before going to dinner. We just laid there and watched American reality shows on house redecoration. It was so simple and fun. We were in our own world and that was really priceless. We were so relaxed that even the baby felt it. So there was one evening when it started moving a lot and Hubs finally got to feel it, after almost seven months (before it was always like hide and seek)! Sometimes we spoke a lot, sometimes we just were there together. And it was so precious because we know that would be the last time. There you can feel the love in its full expression. And this is why we highly recommend a babymoon to everyone and I would do it again if we have another baby! Just to enjoy yourselves together before the most rewarding craziness in live starts.