Were you a big fan of Merce Cunningham? Me either, but I certainly am now that he made his “debut” on the season 13 cast trip to Barcelona, Spain. Little did he know that he would be filmed on a tv show decades after his death. Sutton Stracke organized this year’s trip to commemorate her dance teacher’s life by carrying his ashes in a ziplock bag to Spain and setting his ashes adrift in the wind… directly into her friends’ faces.
Sitges is a beach-side paradise 30 minutes west of Barcelona. This town may not have been on your radar but is well worth the visit if you are into gorgeous landscapes, history, wine, and a bustling gay-friendly night scene. It is the perfect backdrop for a Real Housewives cast trip. Here are all the deets to recreate the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills three day trip to Barcelona and Sitges.
Day 1 - Sant Pere de Ribs
Barcelona is basic bitch stuff. Instead follow the housewives’ lead and stay in Sant Pere de Ribes, a small mountain town outside of Sitges. It is a quieter town where you can relax yet still have the nearby amenities of a large European city. The Beverly Hills wives stay at historic Villa Catalina. They aren’t the only ones staying in this fourteen bedroom house. But don’t worry, the “little people” are happy to share the house with guests.
Villa Catalina was built in the 18th century and has been thoughtfully maintained, mixing the charm of the past with the luxuries of today. The villa sits on 400 acres of private lands that overlook the Penedes region vineyards. The house has a pool and a gorgeous courtyard perfect for large outdoor dinners. This villa sleeps over 30 people so it would be perfect for a wedding or family reunion. All the rooms are really nice, everyone is pleased. That doesn’t happen often on a Bravo show. For around $5000 it is one of the more affordable places the Beverly Hills wives have stayed.
While staying at Villa Catalina the ladies hired a private chef named Storm. The ladies are all in love with Storm until they meet his father and start drooling over him too. The first night Storm serves them a traditional tapas menu, which is a Spanish style of serving small, shareable plates. This allows the diners to enjoy a relaxed evening of conversation and good food. Unless of course you are housewives, then you have to fight over dinner. Sit at the indoor dining table where Annemarie told Crystal that she “made her ass relevant”.
After a few pitchers of Sangria make your way to one of the fourteen bedrooms to get some rest to prepare for a day of sight seeing.
Day 2 - Old Town Barcelona
Wake up early for a nice cup of coffee outside before being pampered by your glam squad. Storm will provide you breakfast. You’ll then take the 33 minute drive to old town Barcelona. The ladies first stopped at a chapel outside of Barcelona (this is where Crystal became sick and was taken in an ambulance). However, if this is your first time in Spain I recommend going to see the Cathedral in Barcelona. This neo-gothic cathedral was constructed over 200 years and finished in the 15th century. You can tour the roof of the cathedral which is incredible to be on the top of an architectural masterpiece. There you will also get amazing city views. It is absolutely breathtaking, you can’t find anything like this in Beverly Hills!
From there make the short walk to Old Town Barcelona. The housewives filmed at Poble Espanyol, which is a walled city and architecture museum. Manolo the tour guide meets them while playing guitar and singing. They pass under the colorful hanging umbrellas on their way to lunch at Restaurant La Font De Prades. This restaurant has been serving guests since 1969. This is a traditional Catalan restaurant which focuses on seafood. Most of the ladies ordered the “Peix fresc del dia” - the fish of the day with rice.
No Real Housewives vacation is complete without a shopping trip. Dorit buys 200 year old hand painted fans. So if that’s your thing, then you’ll definitely find it here. Stop into Majorica, a nearby jewelry store, before heading back to the house for dinner.
Sutton's longtime friend Trevor arrives with a few friends for dinner at Villa Catalina. Erika Jayne gets very drunk and hilarious. “Merce is in the purse!”
Day 3 - Sitges and Flamenco
This entire trip was planned by Sutton to commemorate Merce Cunningham by spreading his ashes in Sitges. Sitges is a very gay friendly town which is why she chose it. There are beautiful old stairs near the water. The ladies stood near El Baluard de Sitges and each said something emotional they wanted to let go. Once they were done Sutton emptied the ziplock bag with Merce into the wind. It was a nice moment and brought the ladies together. I recommend checking out this area as it is a beautiful place to walk. Afterwards hang out on the white sand beaches of Sitges and enjoy the sunshine.
To end the trip, don a red outfit like the ladies (except Kyle who wears orange) for dinner at Tablou de Carmen in Poble Espanyol. This is dinner and a show with Flamenco dancers. The ladies are then surprised with getting on stage in front of everyone else to do a Flamenco dance. Maybe you’ll have the same opportunity when you go!
If you are still feeling frisky after Flamenco, check out the gay bar scene in Sitges. There are some aptly named bars such as Man Bar, Boys Bar, Bears Bar, and Bitches Bar. They are all within walking distance of each other so you can bar hop and find the right vibe. Dance the night away with your friends and make some new ones too.