Barcelona, Briefly…
I went to Barcelona for 4 nights with my girlfriend. We saw a whole load and got a lot done in the time we were there, rather than write up a whole day-by-day account I think it’s better to just put the highlights. So these are what I think the best bits were:
Park Guell - Cliche tourist visit, but for a reason. It’s an incredible bit of architecture, designed by Gaudi it’s full of mosaic details, incredible curved builds and tall points. It seems to always be busy but that’s expected, full of street sellers and under the shelter buskers were setting up as we arrived. Beautiful place. If the walk up the hill to it is a bit much just look for the outdoor escalators (bit weird).
Els Enchants Flea Market - Huge market every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Massive variety of different stalls, loads of old antiques and a whole lot of broken rubbish, along with old porn and furniture. I bought an old battered architectural drawing for 2 euros.
La Báscula - Great place for lunch, vegitarian restaurant tucked away in what used to be a candle shop. Incredible food for a fairly reasonable price and a nice atmosphere, warmly lit, quiet and sweet. Short walk away from the touristy bits.
Sinatra - More of a commercial restaurant but brilliant food and again not too expensive, free glass of cava too which is always a bonus. Incredible tapas and the best version of patatas bravas we had there (everywhere has their own interpretation).
Barri Gotic area - Just away from La Rambla, nice places to eat at any time of the day, not as touristy or tacky as La Rambla.
Rambla Del Raval - Bit like an interesting, quieter version of La Rambla.
Barceloneta Port/Beach - Beautiful stretch along the waterfront to walk, we did it at sunset which was an added bonus. Bought a cider from Spar and drank it by the beach.
Sitges - Short train journey away, it’s one of Barcelona’s natural beaches and it’s a beautiful place. Quite peaceful and more local than touristy. Good places to eat and great ice cream. The sea is cold in March.
Espai Rai - A great homemade bar through a metal door and up a few grotty flights of stairs. It’s quite hidden away but has a lot of character. A mix of different furnishings, flooring and decoration. Think we were the only tourists in there which was lovely. Every thursday they project international films onto the wall, but I think we left just before.
La Fiana - The best bar we went to. Really softly lit almost cave-like place, loads of cushioned bedded seating. Have to take your shoes off. Good selection of drinks and a generally relaxed atmosphere. Big mix of different people in there but without feeling touristy. Stayed there for quite a while.
We really didn’t think much of La Rambla, really touristy and a bit tacky, and we had an awful meal of undercooked potatoes with burger sauce on. But that’s probably my only criticism of Barcelona from what I’ve seen. Once we got our bearings I started to fall in love with the place and I’d happily jump on a plane straight back there.
Some more photos on my flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/guygrimshaw/
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