jahlie

My husband and I just returned from five nights in Barcelona. It was our second time so we took in much of what we didn't fit into our first trip and had a lovely time in spite of the rain - we were prepared - thank you weather.com.

Our hotel was AC Irla, a small business class hotel, located on a side street off Diagonal near Placa de Calvo Sotelo - an upscale neighborhood where we felt like the only tourists in town. Of course that wasn't true, the hotel was filled with tourists but they disappeared into other parts of town most of the time. The hotel was spotless, had a spectacularly helpful staff and comfortable beds. On the down side, there was no restaurant or bar, it was pretty far from a metro but busses stopped on Diagonal every few minutes, and at night we could hear street noise from our room. Breakfast was adequate but with the availability of cafes, not a problem if you don't eat in the hotel. The big deal is the neighborhood. I love staying in real neighborhoods vs. tourist central and this hotel hit the spot.

Restaurants: These are all in the neighborhood near our hotel.
Ondarra-berri - A Basque restaurant where the bar was filled with young people and the restaurant with locals enjoying what looked like good basic food. We had salads - this was after our flight so we only wanted something light - which were delicious. The staff was wonderful, the atmosphere local and fun, the food traditional -nothing fancy and inexpensive.
Daps - A very good restaurant with upscale perfectly prepared cuisine, a delightful attentive staff and modern decor. I loved this place so we ate dinner here twice. My husband had lamb that fell off the bone that he adored. I ate fish both nights (Hake once and the other I don't remember...) and both were great. We ordered the Five Lettuce Salad with Goat Cheese both nights because it was just too good. Desserts were chocolate cake and an apple tart - both again, fabulous. With wine, our bill came to about 50 euros each night - not bad.
Creps Barcelona - they are a few scattered around the city. I had a cheese, tomato and olive crepe with a salad. Great service and a cheap delicious lunch.
Nou Kamel - a cafe across the street from our hotel. Good coffee, good service, close, friendly and outside seating - with umbrellas for the rain we had almost every day!
The Wok - at the Maremagnum Mall - truly awful fried seafood and salad.
There was a pizza restaurant that was so ghastly I don't remember the name and we went to assorted cafes for coffee and pastry throughout the city, which were all pretty good.

to be continued...

South2North

Thanks for the report! I'm going to Barcelona soon so I'm very interested to read more about your trip.

jahlie

This time we took in:

Parc Guell - it was all I hoped it would be. Lots of people everywhere but there are so many trails and wonders to gawk at, I felt like I was walking through a fairy tale - enchanting.

Hospital de la Sant Pau - we took the tour which is worth every penny. This is a unique complex of buildings with an interesting history - again, another fairy tale setting.

Barcelona Cathedral on Sunday - I went to a part of the mass and then went outside for the Sardana. It was delightful.

Montjuic - we took the train to Montjuic for a daytrip, leaving at 10:30 and returning at 5:00. The choir sings at 1:00 so I wanted to catch that. A group of men sang at around 12:30, they were very good and then the boys sang for a short time. It was nice but crowded so get a seat asap. There were thousands of people there, many lined up to view the virgin, so I'm assuming it was a mix of tourists and pilgrims. We tried to eat in the hotel (there is one hotel in the monastery complex) but they reserve seats for hotel guests. We grabbed something from the cafeteria and it was pretty much what you'd expect. Was the trip with it? I guess. The scenery, location and awesome number of people was worth the trip.

Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat - a great museum for the Roman ruins alone. The extensive underground ruins are fascinating and the audio guide is pretty good. It could have been more in depth but I learned quite a bit and got a good feel for the life of ordinary people during early Barcelona.

Palau de la Musica Catalana - this was the highlight of our trip. We attended the Opera and Flamenco show - it was spectacular. I bought tickets online before we left so all we had to do was pick them up - we didn't have to stand in line - and attend. I bought the best seats I could get - 6th row, center - for about 50 euros each. It is a small theatre so most seats are probably pretty good. The show was fabulous (not like the lame flamenco show we attended in a nightclub in Seville) with real passion. Dancers, singers and musicians were all top notch - a great evening. Plus the Palau is beyond beautiful and worth seeing in its own right.

jahlie

OMG! I meant Montserrat NOT Montjuic - I got my "MONTS" mixed up! Must still be jet lagged.

I

jahlie

As I said, we had a very nice time. The trip was marred by the fact that my husband's iPhone was stolen by a gypsy woman. We were having a drink at an outside restaurant on La Rambla (of course) and he put his phone on the table. A gypsy woman came along, put a paper on the table, while begging for whatever and left with the phone. He discovered it after a few minutes and I deactivated his phone immediately - you really have to be careful in Barcelona. It's an old trick and he was embarrassed to be had like that.

If anyone has questions, I'll do my best to help out a fellow traveler.

South2North

I, too, was hoping to see a performance at the Palau de la Musica Catalana but our trip dates have coordinated with absolutely nothing playing at the time. So, I’m guessing you would still recommend a tour even if I can’t attend a performance? Also, to satisfy my curiosity, at the Opera and Flamenco show, were there women wearing slacks or was this more of a dress-up occasion?
(Sorry to hear about your husband's misfortune. It can happen to the best of us.)

jahlie

Attire at the Palau ran the gamut from sloppy tourist to evening out. I wore nice slacks, a silk blouse, a jacket and felt comfortable. It looked like most people tried to make an attempt to be a bit dressed up but if you don't travel like that, don't worry because you won't be alone. And yes, it is worth a tour. You certainly won't see anything like it elsewhere.

South2North

That’s good to know. Normally in the US I would dress up a bit but I really don’t want to pack dress shoes.

When we go to Barcelona, my husband will be attending conferences for two days and we’ll have an additional two days together for sightseeing. I’m trying to decide which activities and sights to do on my own and which to include him on. (I’m the planner; he’s just happy to show up.) Do you have any suggestions from your own experience on which places I should save for the time with my husband and which to do on my own (whether out of safety concerns or simply that they are “can’t miss” even for someone with only two days to spare?)

Kwoo

jahlie,
I'm excitedly reading your trip report & am looking forward to more. We leave for Barcelona on Oct 8. We will spend a total of 6 nights in Barcelona & 3 nights in Cadaques & Girona.

I appreciate your details about the restaurants & also what to wear. Palau de la Musica Catalana is on my "Highlights" list. The show sounds wonderful & I'll go online to see if there is a show there while we are there. If not, we will definitely take a tour of the building.

Did you happen to see Hotel Granvia in Eixample? That's where we are staying.

I know you said it rained a lot while you were there, but what were the average temps?

jahlie

Kwoo, I don't remember the avg. temps but it was mostly warm and a bit humid. I needed a light jacket or shawl on one or two nights but mostly dressed for summer weather. Comfy walking shoes and light layers would be my suggestion. I didn't see Hotel Granvia - I don't always pay attention to other hotels - but if it's in Eixample, I'm sure you'll like the area.

South2North, much of my travel with my husband is when he attends conferences and I tag along for fun - I guess we have something in common I certainly understand how difficult it can be to decide what to do alone and what to do together because, like you, I do all the planning. I don't know what you like but I'd certainly make sure he sees Sagrada Familia, La Perdera, Parc Guel, the Boqueria, the Picasso Museum, walk around the Barri Gotic and down La Rambla together. If you aren't museum fans, the Picasso Museum might not be worth the wait in line. If time is short, the hop-on-hop-off bus is great. You can take a look and get off if you think it's something you want to explore more. Hope that helps.

I know you'll both have a wonderful time

Kwoo

HI Jahlie,
A few more questions, if you don't mind. About clothing, I'm planning on bringing jeans for the day time, slacks & one skirt for evening, maybe a pair of capris, short & long-sleeved tops, 1 light jacket and a shawl. I won't be too warm, will I? I'm older & would rather not wear shorts, unless it's 80's or 90's. Based on what I've read, I'm assuming temps should be 70 - 75.

This is our first time to Barcelona. For sightseeing, I have made a list of Highlights, which are Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, the Boqueria, Picasso Museum, Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu, Sant Pau del Camp, Palau de la Musica Catalana, Santa Maria del Mar, Casa Mila, Manzana de la Discordia, & walking down La Rambla. We also love walking around & exploring different neighborhoods. Is there anything important I am missing, or anything I should omit if we are pressed for time? We have 5 full days in Barcelona.

Thank you for your help.

Nepenthe

Great report. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.

danon

ok. I'll chime in ( visited Barcelona 4 time, twice first week in Oct.). The weather was not hot, it rained a few times, the evening were cooler .
Ramblas is a touristy place I don't like ( some do)
My favorite street is Rambla de Catlunya (and ,of course, Passeig de Gracia) . In addition to some on your list, we also liked: Miro Museum, going to the top of Montjuic, walking by the sea ( see the famous Gehry fish), Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña, Pedralbes monastery,
Casa Batllo, Naval Museum ( if open) and more.
there is a useful report on Barcelona by yk.
Don't miss Cerveceria Catalana for tapas ( mobbed at night)

Kwoo

Danon, thanks for your suggestions & ideas. When Jahlie is finished with her report, I plan on printing it out & bringing it with me, including your suggestions.

BillJ

Having recently returned, I too will chime in. DW was quite impressed walking on Passeig de Gracia above Placa Datalunya. We never saw so many "gorgeous" clothes in one spot. Course, price tags were way up there, but still fun to look.
For Gaudi fans, don't pass up Casa Batllo, #43 Pas. de Gracia, so called block of discord. It is more expensive than Casa Mila, but in our humble opinion, much more entertaining and impressive. The audio guide is particularly helpful.

jahlie

Weather is sometimes as subjective as likes or dislikes. For me, weather in the mid 70's to upper 80's but more humid than I'm used to, seemed very warm. I live in Southern California - DRY and warm. So, in Barcelona I wore tank tops during the day, open toed shoes and was comfortable. Humidity made the difference and I guess you have to consider what you're used to and your own comfort level. I suspect the weather will cool down as we continue into autumn, but rain is probably in the forecast and considering the humidity - light layers will probably do the trick. A light jacket, either tied around your waist or thrown into a backpack, will help if a sudden breeze is too cold or a museum's air conditioning is set on frigid. Most of the clothes I packed were actually too warm for the weather.

As far as what you want to see - I think it mostly depends on your interests. I know people who loved La Rambla and hated the Gaudi architecture. I've learned that I enjoy sights better if I don't let opinions of others outweigh my own interests. I love museums and will spend days in one or another- most people would hate to follow an itinerary based on my interests. I've learned that the iconic sights are iconic for a good reason. They are almost always fascinating or beautiful or inspired - even if overdone, over toured, and over hyped. I'm not trying to sell it, but Barcelona's hop-on-hop-off bus really does help giving you a glimpse of what you might want to explore further. If it helps, make a list of "must see," "would like to see" and "if I get to it".

Again, Barcelona is lovely, interesting and there's plenty of great food - enjoy.

Kwoo

BillJ, thanks for your tip about Casa Batllo!

Thanks again, jahlie, for your helpful information. I have my "must see" list done, now will do the "Would like to see". We enjoy a combination of museums, interesting architecture, markets, food, some shopping, just walking around. I can't wait!

South2North

Thanks for all your insights. You've been a big help.

oopsy

Thanks for taking the time to post a report. We did not make it to Hospital de la Sant Pau or Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat on our first trip this past May. They both have priority rankings for next May. How wonderful that you were able to see a show at Palau de la Musica Catalana! We took the tour (and were awed) but there was not a show of interest while we were there. Hopefully next year.

So sorry the phone was stolen but glad to read it has not spoiled you on the city.

colduphere

So true about to each his own. We went expecting to dislike Las Ramblas. We really enjoyed it, including the bottom which wasn't nearly as seedy as we expected after some comments here.