Just returned from a four day holiday in Barcelona. We've been trying to get over there for years now and we finally succeeded. And let me tell you, it is an amazing place! So without further ado...
The good...
Where to start? The weather was great, the town is lovely and there is an endless amount of things to do.
A small list:
- La Sagrada Familia: Gaudi's famous church, unfinished. It has 8 massive towers, but when done will have 18, one of which will be 170m tall. The inside is huge and is constructed like a forest. It is hard to express how impressive this whole thing is, even in its current "about 50% done" state. Take the tour and climb the towers, it is worth it!
- Cheap food and great atmosphere. Places like:
- Pla: Classy location, classy food, good service, great wine and you still only pay about as much as a simple meal in København.
- Rita Blue: Hip and stylish, good food, cocktails and DJs.
- Carmelita: Designer restaurant with simple country-style food made from fresh ingredients. Nice!
- The place across from it whose name I forgot: Cosy with cheap and cheerful food and great cocktails!
- Sandwich & Friends: A rather good lunch-joint, with an amazing Jordi Labanda mural!
- and many others!
- Parc Güell: Another Gaudi creation. Be careful not to step on anyone, this place is packed.
- Shopping in the small streets surrounding the cathedral: "Barna-Centre".
- Barcelonetta & the beach!
- The view from the fort on Montjuic.
- The Museu d'Art Contemporari de Barcelona: Saw Robert Frank's work as well as a large exhibit on art-as-protest in Spain. Nice architecture too.
- Tons of photo opportunities!
- So much more!
The bad...
It wasn't all fun and games unfortunately. Some things are better avoided:
- The Rambla: More tourists then you can shake a stick at and not much else. You have to walk down it at least once, so you can say the above yourself with confidence. Never look for anything there. Go into the side-streets instead.
- Montjuic: Apart from the view, as mentioned above, there really isn't much worth seeing or doing here. It isn't a "park" in the tradional sense, just a steep hillside with large roads snaking up it. The Olympic stadium is here, and it is very unimpressive (it actually dates from 1929 and it shows). The new approach to it looks nice though.
- La Ronda Hotel: Sure, it was supposed to be cheap! But had we known, we'd have paid more for a better hotel. Walls like paper, a whole high-school class of noisy american youths keeping you awake every night, payment in advance, the only window opening onto a narrow "shaft", concrete beds, etc.
- Not much more!
The beautiful...
Remember those photo opportunities? Well, this is proof positive as far as I'm concerned!
She is at once the personification of Barcelona, a public service message about the joys of reading and a very good argument for why smoking isn't all bad. If only I knew her name...
p.s. Getting the Lonely Planet guide to Barcelona is worth every penny!
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