9-10 days beginning with Barcelona Marathon - what to do after?
 

Hi Everyone,

I could use some recommendations on some trip planning for a 9-10 day trip to Europe this March. My wife and I are planning to run the Barcelona marathon on 3/11. We will be arriving to BCN on Friday, the race is Sunday and we would like to go to another city/country Tuesday - Sunday (fly home either Sunday or Monday).

Although we are both really active, we would like a couple of low key days to recover from the marathon. Other than that we are both food lovers and wine appreciators. We appreciate architecture but are not really into art/art museums. We would hope to have warm weather but understand early March can go either way. Ideally we would fly to a city and possibly do shorter day trips if there was another must visit nearby. Given the relatively short visit neither of us want the trip to be a whirlwind so less is more (but we do want to go to at least 2 cities).

Our short list currently includes: Nice, Naples, Lisbon

Thanks in advance for any ideas or recommendations. We would like to keep transportation costs as small as possible to keep the food/wine budget nice & full!

If you like architecture, Barcelona is full of Modernist and, to a lesser degree, modern architecture. Google images of sites like Sagrada Familia, the Block of Discord, Park Guell, the Palace of Catalan Music, the Hospital Sant Pau -- to see if you like Modernist architecture.

Thanks @mimar yes we are going to Barcelona and we will see the sights. I’m specifically looking for recommendations for a second or third city to visit other than Barcelona.

Your short list isn't bad, obviously Nice is closer than Naples so you'd save time and money getting there.

You could obviously go to southern Spain, even though not as direct from Barcelona (I don't know if Lisbon is either, though). Probably just as easy to get to as Lisbon. Why not go to Seville? Lots of relaxing fun for a few days there and weather shouldn't be bad. I was there at end of March once, temps were moderate during day time, a couple days very nice. Chilly at night and rainy a bit, but you never know about March, of course.

Were I you, I'd hop the train and go to Valencia for Las Fallas Festival, March 15-19. Fiesta stuff, the big bonfires, and the first bullfights of the season. Might also be able to squeeze in a couple of days for the Alhambra in Granada.