A week in Barcelona

Quick Tips:

Mercat de la Boqueria, midway up the Ramblas from the harbor on the left, has all the "fixins’" for a great picnic. Fruits, vegetables, sausages, cheeses, and breads are all available. Market prices vary day to day, but expect to pay about six Euros for a filling lunch for two.

The following sites are good sources of general information about sights, accommodations, dining and special events in and around Barcelona.
Timeout.com and Barcelona Scams provide an in-depth look at many of the ways con artists try to separate you from your money.

Best Way To Get Around:

Taxis are abundant and a fare to the same area generally runs 18 to 20 Euros. The Metro is safe and clean. The Barrio Gotic is very walkable.

A small museum in the attic provides a good overview of Guadi’s influences and techniques. Fantastically-shaped chimney pots and air ducts on the roof create a magical air. Evenings are the best time to visit the roof. Entrance at this time is limited. It is best to obtain tickets beforehand. On Fridays and Saturdays, you can purchase wine as the sun sets in the hills behind the city.

The Esglesia de Santa Maria del Mar at the southern end of the Passeg del Born and a couple of blocks from the Estacion de France shows its austere gothic lines to good advantage. A sound and light show offered on Mondays at 6 pm costs about 12 Euros a person. A commentary on the church’s history is also included. Although interesting, we felt that it was somewhat overpriced for a presentation that lasted less than an hour.

Esglesia de Santa Maria del Pi fronts on a charming square, the Placa de Sant Josep. Of special interest is the huge rose window over the entrance. It is reputed to be the largest in Europe. The stained glass is almost entirely modern because of ravages of fire during the Civil War of the 1930s.

The plaza in front is a place to rest at a café and watch the world go by. It is worth paying the premium of sitting on the terrazzo to hear the buskers. As with most bars, prices increase by about 10% as you move from service at the bar to a table then to a spot outside.

The Cathedral of Barcelona commands its square, Placa de la Seu. Six hundred years in the making, its façade was not completed until the 1900s. Here the sacred and profane mingle in tenuous harmony. Living statues depict Christ, the archangel Michael, and Catalonia’s patron saint, Jordi (St. George); buskers play; balloon and religious article hawkers sell their goods.