Spain in 10 days- 1st stop: Barcelona

This place has very clean and modern facilities, and its prices are better than those at many other four-star hotels. The front-desk staff are very friendly and helpful. Villamari is located in the center of the city, very close to the Plaza Espana metro station; it also has its own garage (we paid an additional 12 euros per day for parking). The major intersection is Gran Via.

Rooms are rather small, but would rate average in size compared to most hotel rooms in Europe. If you don't smoke, you may want to ask for a non-smoking room. The complimentary self-service minibar has water bottles, fresh fruit, coffee/espresso, pastries, and cocktails (yes, free alcohol)! Safes are available down at the front desk. The restaurant offers a breakfast buffet, lunch, and dinner. (We decided to eat in different places instead.)

When making reservations, use an Internet travel site, where you'll usually find the best discounted prices.

We went to Cafe Liceu for lunch on our second day in Barcelona. The outdoor dinning was what attracted us to this casual cafe, located in the middle of La Rambla strip. The specialty is seafood paella, and although I''ve had better, this was fairly good.

Make sure you ask for prices before ordering. I ordered a glass of sangria and was charged 10 euros for it. It was so bad, I didn’t drink it. Also, most restaurants in Spain will charge you for bread and water, even if you don’t order it. If you don’t want the bread, make sure you tell them or you’ll be charged for it. Water is sometimes more expensive than beer.

Service at Cafe Liceu was mediocre, but average when compared to the rest of the restaurants in La Rambla. Street performers will stop by for some entertainment, expecting a few euros in return. Keep an eye on your personal belongings while dining (or walking around) in La Rambla. The price we paid was definitely for location, as opposed to good service or a memorable meal. We recommended Cafe Liceu only because of the location--excellent sightseeing. If you want good food and service, you may want to go somewhere else.

Service **
Food **
Atmosphere ****

This was our first exposure to local cuisine and it certainly set the bar pretty high!

Catalan bread is served in almost every restaurant, but this was by far our favorite: thin slices of toasted rustic bread, drizzled with olive oil, rubbed with a mixture of garlic and fresh tomatoes, and lightly sprinkled with sea salt. Spaniards are very proud of their olives and olive oil, and most restaurants will serve you complimentary olives.

For a first course, we ordered asparagus with jamon de bellota (a local ham). This was followed by prawns in an oil-based garlic sauce. The specialty (and for good reason) was codfish. For a main course, my husband ordered codfish in a creamy garlic sauce. I opted for the Palomillo steak, but kept sampling my husband's codfish, which had a magnificent texture and wonderful roasted garlic flavor.

The wine was a 1994 Muga from the Rioja region. At 18 euros a bottle, we discovered what was the first of many amazing bargains sampled throughout our trip. It was a well-aged wine (crianza) with rich hints of oak, strong grapes, and dark berries.

We concluded our dinner with complimentary cordials of an anise-based liquor called Orujo, along with chocolate truffles.

This place won two thumbs up on our list of all-time favorite restaurants. The customers are usually locals, but most of the waitstaff speak English. Don’t be surprised if you experience some initial communication problems.

This tapas bar was a great find. We were walking down the road near our hotel when we found this little jewel. We entered the restaurant not knowing what to expect. The waitress approached us, wondering what we wanted. We asked for the menu, to which she responded that the chef would be right with us. The chef, also the owner of the place, recited the list of things he could prepare. We had no idea what any of them meant. I explained to him that we were tourists and not familiar with the local cuisine. He immediately offered to give us samples of typical dishes in small portions called tapas.

Most of the tapas, as well as the bottle of wine we sampled, were homemade. The list included croquetas de pollo (chicken fritters/croquettes), tuna turnovers, two kinds of Manchego cheese (dry and soft), chorizo, Iberian ham, paté fuá with lima beans, olives, butifarra (white spicy sausage), and lomo ham. We were incredibly impressed with the food, but feared what all of that was going to cost. To our surprise, it was 17 euros. This is the best way to sample delicious local dishes without going broke! I highly recommend a visit to this place, which is in the city, but off the tourist-trap area.

One of the oldest still-operating restaurants in the city, this elegantly decorated establishment features beautiful antique crystal, tapestries, and china collectibles as well as fine paintings by world-renowned artists such as Picasso.

As you walk into the restaurant, the host will greet you with a glass of fine cava (Spanish sparkling wine) and almendras (Spanish toasted almonds). The specialty here is seasonal wild game. Our first course was paté de oca (foie gras) and chilled white asparagus. As main courses, I ordered faisan (wild bird) stew with wild mushrooms, while my husband ordered ravioli stuffed with salmon, spinach, and ricotta in roquefort sauce.

The restaurant is very formal, and the service is among the best we experienced. A fixed-price menu is available. Live music serenades patrons during diner. This is a fine-dining experience worth the extra euros.

If you don't visit La Sagrada Familia while in Barcelona, you can't say you've been to Barcelona (or at least that's what every other gift shop will make you believe). Your initial reaction to it will be "what the . . . ?" If you've been to several cathedrals, you will know this is very different from any other traditional building. But then again, it makes its mastermind, Gaudi, all the more intriguing.

If you decide to visit the interior, please be aware that there's not much to see inside. But we enjoyed the panoramic view of the city from the top of one of the towers. You have to pay extra to go on the lift, but it’s a lot better than climbing all those stairs. The wait, however, is very long. The museum will give you a better perspective of how Gaudi designed the building, as well as a little history on his works and achievements. As you leave the place, you will wonder whether it will ever be completed? Maybe, but not for at least another 100 years . . .

A lot of people are disappointed with Parc Guell. It is very difficult to reach, since you will have to walk a little over a mile uphill to get there, only to find that it is merely a place for sightseeing. Nevertheless, you should go visit and form your own opinion about the place. Reserve about 2 to 3 hours to visit the park (most of this time will be spent going to and returning from the park). One thing I want to mention: There’s no way I would visit the park during the hot, humid summertime! That’s when you realize it is not worth it. But if you happen to be in Barcelona during the spring or fall, by all means go and enjoy the scenic view. Bring a few bottles of water with you. Children and the elderly will tire very quickly, so please consider this before planning your trip there.

Built under the assumption that it would one day become a residential neighborhood, Gaudi once again used his unusual approach in architecture to create an unconventional park that overlooks the wonderful city and bay area of Barcelona. The use of mosaics gives this park a very colorful and charming look.

Barri Gotic has so many places to visit; you have to dedicate at least a full day to visit most of this area. We loved the Cathedral--consider this the central point of the Gothic Quarter. As you can tell from the pictures, it was being remodeled when we went, so a few spots were covered and/or under construction. There are also many shops to visit (we bought some fine Spanish leather shoes in one of them), and it's an excellent area to walk around and check out the street performers.

We also found many different bars and pubs, as well as plenty of restaurants. Make sure you drop by a tasca (local bar/cafe) for some fresh cafe con leche. Everywhere we went, we always ended up loving the coffee. Yes, you will find the occasional Starbucks trying to invade the regional ambience with its overpriced and overrated cappuccino. Trust me, the bar next door will serve you a much better cup of coffee for 1.20 euros, as opposed to 3.95 euros at Starbucks. The regional food is basically the same in this area. The main difference is how much you're charged for it--it's all based on the restaurant’s location.

You'll find nonstop action all day and all night in Barri Gotic.

I must say that unless you are familiar with the roads in big European cities, you may want to opt for taking a bus or cab from the airport to the hotel and then using the metro or other public transportation to move within the city. First of all, the signs are in Catalan. I'm fluent in Spanish, and even I had a hard time figuring them out (plus, I’m not the best navigator out there). Second, if you miss a left turn, you have to go all the way up to the next roundabout to turn back. We spent 4 days in Barcelona and after the first day of driving we decided to leave our car parked in the garage and use the metro system.

The metro is inexpensive and easy to use. You will find a station at every major block. Get a multiple-trip pass (10 or more, depending on your needs). We purchased one 10-trip pass and used it between the two of us. Public transportation is the way to go. Also, taxis are relatively inexpensive within city destinations.

If you opt for visiting other cities outside Barcelona, many of the car-rental companies have offices within the city. Rent the car on your last day in Barcelona and save the extra "dinero" from the rental and garage fees (as I learn from my mistakes). When renting, I recommend sticking with American car-rental companies. We used Alamo (partnered with National in Spain). For your own peace of mind, get the extra insurance. I’ve seen the way people drive over there . . . Also, make sure to inspect the car before leaving the lot and report any damages to the attendant.

Hopefully the following information will help those of you who are first-time travelers to Spain.

1.) Dress code: First of all, if you are wearing white tennis shoes, you might as well carry a sign that says, "I'm a tourist." We went during the springtime, and although the temperature was in the mid 70s to low 80s, we found that most of the people in Barcelona were still wearing coats or leather jackets, boots, and suits for men going to work. Only students were wearing jeans, and they still looked more fashionable than we did. While visiting Barcelona, we noticed how we kept getting looks because of our white tennis shoes. Now, I didn't have any intentions of impressing anyone with my sense of fashion. However, when walking through the touristy parts of town, your appearance is a red flag to pickpocketers, who hang around trying to find a bag to snatch. I personally prefer comfort over looks, but you will see what I mean. Spaniards often dress very well, so expect to stand out from the crowd when visiting this city. And if you are trying to figure out what to visit next while in La Rambla, keep your Fodor’s guide low-key. Opening up one of those is a red flag for pickpocketers as well.

2.) Dining: While in Spain, I often found myself drinking a cup of coffee after dinner, looking at my watch, and saying, "Oh my god, it's already 12am!" In Spain, people eat late. Restaurants often don't open until 9pm, with peak time being around 11pm. And forget about asking for a booth in the non-smoking section. You will inhale more secondhand smoke here than anywhere else in the world! Lunch is also late, usually served between the hours of 2pm and 5pm, with peak time being at 2pm--the beginning of siesta.

3.) Siestas: This brings me to my next topic--siesta, that time of the day when the cities become ghost towns. You will not experience as much of the "siesta time" in Barcelona as you will in other small towns, primarily because most tourist attractions remain open during this time. If you need to buy something or get somewhere, do it before or after siesta. At 2pm, businesses will not hesitate to ask you to leave so they can close down. Fortunately, most places reopen by 4:30pm or 5pm and remain open until 8 or 8:30pm.

4.) "I'm sorry for the mix-up, but I gave you a 20, and you only gave me change for a 10. . . ": More than once, especially in busy shops and restaurants, I found myself saying this. I'm not sure if they were so busy that they forgot I gave them a 20-euro bill and gave me back the change for a 10, or if they just happened to get a glimpse of my white tennis shoes and figured I still haven't gotten used to the local currency. Either way, make sure you count your change before leaving the establishment.

5.) Returning your car: We rented the car in Barcelona and returned it in Madrid. We arrived at the rental lot before the office opened. No one was there. Our puzzled looks were exactly the same as those from two other couples standing in front of their rentals. Please be aware that during after-hours, you have to walk inside the airport terminal and drop off the key, along with a copy of the condition report, in a drop box located outside the booth. Don't hand over the keys to anyone standing there if the office looks closed. Chances are they don't work there . . .

6.) Spend 90 euros or more and get a tax refund: When you spend 90 euros or more at any given establishment or restaurant, you are eligible for a tax refund. Simply get a tax form and keep the receipt. Many stores offer the convenience of giving you an instant refund. In the other case, you bring the form to the airport, have it stamped by customs, and turn it in to the IVA office (TVA) next door. Sounds like a lot of steps, but it was fairly easy.

7.) Last but not last, Spain is a beautiful country. Enjoy it while you are there. It took me a lot of research and reading from other people's experiences to learn the dos and don'ts. But you will always have a few experiences of your own. In any case, be well informed so you can enjoy your time there with no unfortunate incidents.