Brief Notes on Trip to Dordogne/Lot and Barcelona, Part II Barcelona

I had not been to Barcelona since 1973 and DH had visited as a child in 1948. We both were WOWED by the city. It has an energy and vibrancy that is infectious. My excitement was reminiscent of the first time I visited Paris or Prague or Tel Aviv.

As to how we arrived to Barcelona see first part of my trip report under same title.

We stayed at the Petit Palace Museum Hotel at Diputacion, 250; mus@hthoteles.com.
The location could not have been better, around the corner from La Rambla Catalunya (a tree lined street filled with cafes) about three blocks from Plaza Catalunya). The small boutique hotel has all the required amenities; the rooms are minimalist and sleek reflecting the new aesthetic of the city. The young staff work hard to please guests. Cost us 124 Euros/night through Venere booking site.

Barcelona is one of the most pedestrian friendly cities imaginable and everyone walks.
The city was bursting with energy and pedestrians because it was the five day festival celebrating all things Catalan. Many families from other parts of Spain were visiting.

The fact that our arrival coincided with the festival was not due to expert planning but dumb luck. So if you will be visiting in September find out the days of the festival.
I’d describe the festival as the Cuenca (Ecudaor) Christmas Parade meet the Edinburgh Festival. Morning, noon and night there are events happening at fifteen to twenty venues throughout the city. The festival booklet is probably thirty pages...but no English translations or English website; this is about Catalunya.

Besides the bands and singers, my favorite events were these three:
1) the parade of the “gigantes” . These Big Bird sized wooden figures are dressed in costumes representing local life and activities.... farming, local mythological figures, nobility. In a ninety minute ceremony these two storey high figures paraded and danced in the Placa Sant Jaume. City official and movers and shakers viewed the procession from the balcony of the classical Catalan government building.
2) The ‘castellers’ event consists of groups of children who stand on the shoulders of the child beneath him to see which team can create the highest human tower.
3) Traditional Danacing. My husband’s childhood Catalan was serviceable enough to locate the time and venue for the traditional dancing. So I expected dance troupes in colorful costumes. Instead, we got an even greater treat. In a large plaza (placa), older men and women, the tradition bearers, stood around in groups waiting for the orchestra to begin. When the music started, the congregants placed their purses and bags in the center of a circle they formed. At least twenty five groups of ten to twenty people, held hands and gracefully danced traditional dances in Placa Sant Jaume. Mostly it was the seniors who knew all the dances and sang along to the music but some younger celebrants joined in too.

Food is very important in Barcelona. The choices seemed endless and for equivalent quality, meals were less costly than in SW France. The meals (food service, ambience, local color) at the following places were so good drew us back for a second lunch or dinner:

Ca Majo, Aimirall Aixada #23 93 221 54 55 sit under the umbrellas facing the Mediterranean while sampling wonderfully prepared seafood. For prime time lunch (around 2-3) book two days in advance). The indoor part of the restaurant is a charming old house.

Restaurant L’Olive, 47 Balmes at 93 452 1990 Consell de Cent www.rte-olive.com, 93 452 1990 Beautiful upsacle restaurant, great service. They do all the traditional Calatan dishes perfectly.

Tapas 24 - a delightful local experience. Get there by eight or the 20-25 seats inside will be taken as well as the 4 or 5 tables outside. Or just plan to stand around and watch the tapas zip by until you can nab a table. The first night we got the last table inside and tipped the waiter well. When we went back two days later and asked for an outside table, our wait was very short and our waiter of the previous dinner was our new best friend.

For clothes hounds: a week isn’t even enough. Boutiques on the streets and alleyways around the Cathedral in the Gothic Quarter I found the most interesting. Barcelona’s answer to Italy’s Etro is Custo. Pricy but one piece could last years.

Weather: I don’t know if the weather is always this good in September but it was perfect for travel: high 70s to low 80s during the day and high 60s to low 70s at night.

We flew from Barcelona to LAX via Atlanta on Delta. Good flight, older plane. I'll post photos in the next few days.