Living it up in Barcelona

My favorite things to do in Barcelona included sipping great café con leche in the morning at a local café, walking around the old town and the Eixample, enjoying a long, leisurely lunch, seeing some of the famous art and architecture, and dining on a late supper of seafood tapas before a long night of partying. There are tons of things to see and do here, including having a look at the famous Gaudi buildings, walking through the beautiful parks and along the beach in Barceloneta, visiting the Miro museum, and relaxing in the old town. There's also plenty of shopping to be done in the Eixample - the area north of Plaza Catalunya, where there are a number of nice-looking restaurants and bars as well. Finally, eating and drinking in Barcelona is a fabulous experience - Spanish cuisine with lots of great seafood washed down with inexpensive but delicious Spanish wine.

For some great tips on sights, food, nightlife and lodging, check out Time Out Barcelona.

Quick Tips:

While there are many things to see, Barcelona is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace - if you try to do too much, you'll definitely lose some of the enjoyment. This happened to me one day, as we went from La Sagrada Familia, up to Mont Juic and across to Barceloneta in one afternoon. While all of these places were lovely, we didn't have nearly enough energy that night to properly enjoy the great nightlife Barcelona has to offer. If you only have a couple of days in Barcelona, I recommend seeing the old town and walking down to Barceloneta (to the beach) one day, and another day in the Eixample seeing the Gaudi buildings (La Pedrera, Sagrada Familia, etc.) Next on the list could be a walk (or bus ride) up Mont Juic to see the magic fountain (turned off when I was there.) and the Fundacion Miro (Miro museum.) I found the cable car ride from Mont Juic to Barceloneta to be a rip-off. Strangely, Barcelona is not so impressive from above. I also found the Olympic village to be disappointing - okay if you're an Olympics fan, but not very Spanish in my opinion.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you don't try to do too much, and your hotel is conveniently located, you can pretty much walk all over the city. Sometimes, however, you may find yourself quite far from where you started, so you may want to use the bus/subway system to get home. Since my hotel was near Plaza Catalunya, I wrote down the numbers of all the buses that stopped there, so when I found myself far from home, I knew which buses would take me there (you can also purchase a bus map, if that's easier.) The subway system was also useful in getting to/from outlying areas or across town.

Getting from the airport was a breeze - there's a train that runs directly from the airport to Plaza Catalunya.

Using the Internet, I found a good deal on a very conveniently located hotel. Hosteria Grau is technically in El Reval, but is just two blocks from La Rambla and Plaza Catalunya, and just a few more to the old town. It was convenient to everything.

We got an apartment on the fifth floor (no elevator) for around $60. At first, there was some confusion as I thought I had secured a two bedroom apartment for that price. Well, they did give us the two bedroom apartment, but only unlocked one of the bedrooms. This turned out to be fine as there was a bed in the living room that offered some privacy (I had a cold and was coughing all night - I didn''t want to bother the friend I was staying with.)

The apartment also had a small balcony (fire escape) on which fit one chair. In the evenings I liked to sit there and watch the throngs of people go by. For more information and online reservations, go to the Hosteria Grau web site.

Yummy is the word to describe the delicious, fresh, made-to-order seafood dishes served at Cal Pep. Located in La Ribera (near Estacion Francia), Cal Pep is a tapas bar (with a restaurant in back, I believe) that is usually crowded - for good reason! Order a glass of wine or beer as you wait your turn to grab a seat at the bar. While you wait, get ideas about what you want to order by watching the chefs cooking behind the bar or looking at what others are eating.

Once seated, ask your server what he recommends and order it! We ate divine calamari with white beans, clams in garlic sauce, and an order of delectable garbanzo beans and spinach. I went back the next night on my own for the clams (again) and an order of grilled prawns. Delicious!

This unusual building designed by Antoni Gaudi is a landmark in Barcelona and is quite a sight to behold. It looks almost like it was carved out of a mountain side, or could have been designed by Fred Flintstone. In addition to the impressive - if not strange - outside, the inside contains exhibits on the building, Gaudi's work, and the man himself. Admission is a tad expensive, but worth it.

My absolute favorite part of the building was without a doubt the rooftop, which has an irregular floor with unusual sculptures here and there. It almost feels like the funhouse at an amusement part - it's that strange (and lovely.) On Saturdays in the summertime, the rooftop becomes a nightclub, but I find it hard to believe that someone can walk around up there without killing themselves after having a few drinks!

La Pedrera is located a few blocks north of Plaza Catalunya on Passeig de Gracia. From the old town, continue past Plaza Catalunya on Rambla de Catalunya and make a right on c/Provenca. Walk back down toward Pl Catalunya on Passeig de Gracia and you'll soon pass (on your right) La Manzana de la Discordia, or the Block of Discord. On this avenue block, there are a number of buildings designed by different architects (not difficult to guess which is Gaudi's!) I read that a number of wealthy individuals each hired famous architects who tried to out-do each other in terms of design. The result is a block filled with wacky-looking mismatched buildings.

Another of Gaudi's famous structures, the unfinished Sagrada Familia, is definitely worth a visit. Though it's teeming with tourists, if you're willing to climb up the spires yourself (as opposed to taking the elevator) you shouldn't have much of a wait. Don't be disappointed by the cranes and construction crew; this is part of the charm of this structure that might never be finished. From inside the famous spires, there are various views of Barcelona and the sea, which weren't as impressive as I thought they'd be. Barcelona is indeed beautiful from the ground but I didn't find it so inspiring from above.

Walking down from the spires is quite an adventure in itself! Winding stairs, dim light, and crowds seem to increase the danger. We held up quite a few people who were trying to get down because we were afraid to take the next step (also because we were laughing hysterically)! It was a fun time.

Teeming with tourists, the Barri Gotic - or old quarter - is a great place to wander. Heading on the Ramblas toward the port (slightly downhill) the Barri Gotic is to your left. Take any street and you'll find yourself wandering along narrow streets lined with shops, restaurants and historic buildings such as the Catedral de Barcelona and the Palau de Generalitat. Be willing to get lost because the streets wind quite a bit and can be confusing. Not to worry, though, because at some point you'll find yourself either back on La Rambla or Via Laietana, another major north/south artery.

Crossing over Laietana into La Ribera, take the diagonal street C/de le Argenteria and you'll come upon Plaza Santa Maria on which sits the Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar. In the evenings, the wine bar on the plaza serves drinks and snacks on the square - this was my favorite place to sit and sip! Just east of here, Pg del Born is lined with late night bars and clubs.

In the daytime, however, you can continue east to Parc de la Ciutadella. After enjoying the park, you can keep going to the beach and the Olympic Village. There's a pretty good clickable map of Barcelona at www.bcn.es

On my second trip to Barcelona, I decided I had to take a look at Parc Güell, the park designed by Gaudi. A bit of a distance from the city center, it is accessible from Plaza Catalunya (in front of El Corte Ingles) on Bus #24. The fare is 130 ptas and the ride takes about a half hour. The bus leaves you at one of the side entrances to the park, where you are almost immediately faced with cave-like structures (pictured below). When I was there, there were numerous lovers showing affection in and around the caves - a romantic spot.

The park is built on a hill, and besides the cave, I didn't find much else above the side entrance, but below there were additional structures, pathways, and areas to be explored. Near the main entrance to the park, I had a bite at the self serve café and ate among extremely aggressive pigeons. It's a great place to go on a nice day in Barcelona.