Back from Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla and Torremolinos
 

Sooo, it's almost 3 weeks since we returned from Spain. Wish we were leaving tomorrow instead! It was a very, very good trip, I enjoyed Spain immensely.
Be forewarned - this TR is going to be a long one. Please feel free to tell me I am going into too much detail if necessary :)

A little background: DH and I were accompanied by DS age 27, who flew there from Chicago, and DD age 24. They were with us for the first 6 days - 4 in Barcelona and 2 in Madrid, since DD only had a week off between college and her first clinical rotation as a PA student. When I had planned the trip, she was supposed to have her first rotation in Portland ME where she goes to school. Surprise! Her first rotation turned out to be in Brooklyn, NY so we had to pack up her apt in Maine Friday evening after her last final, drive back to Boston Friday night and leave for Spain the next day. Needless to say, the last couple of weeks were pretty hectic.

DS was flying to Barcelona from Chicago with a 45 minute connection in NY which he almost did not make! We were reaching Barcelona on Mother's day (unplanned but a nice perk!) and it would NOT have been a good Mother's Day had he missed his flight. Luckily, he made it and landed about 2 hours before us. We were happy to see him waiting near the baggage carousels and walked out chatting animatedly. We proceeded to the Lebara counter outside to buy our local SIM cards, only to realize that we had forgotten to pick up our luggage! Never having experienced that before, especially at an international airport, DD & I went to try & retrieve our bags while the guys figured out the SIM cards. (10 euros for 120 minutes and 1 GB of data I think). Getting back in wasn't too bad, we had to show our passports and boarding passes ( which I had almost thrown away - lesson learned) and luckily our bags were still circling on the carousel.

Away to the taxi stand we went, armed with phones and bags. We were supposed to call the apt mgr when we took the cab but it took us a while to get through, we were probably dialing the country code when we weren't supposed to or vice versa. Anyway, we finally managed, the apt mgr spoke to the cab driver & told him where to drop us since the apt was on a pedestrian street.

The taxi driver was cute, and even though he spoke as little English as we spoke Spanish, we chatted away. When we came to the statue of Christopher Columbus, he gestured to the statue and exclaimed "Oh, America!" imitating Columbus. The way he said it was so funny, we all burst out laughing. Anyway, he dropped us at the Jaume station, - about 30 euros including tip if my memory serves me correctly. We called the apt mgr again who said he would be right down and he appeared a few minutes later and walked with us to the apt, less than a 5 minute walk.

We had booked a 4 BR, 2 bath apt (#34)at BCNGotic apts in the Barri Gotic. http://en.bcngotic.com/establiments.aspx. Even though it had really good reviews and I had communicated with a couple of people who had stayed in the bldg, I was really apprehensive about the apt and the area. The apt looked comfortable but not upscale in the pictures, I usually prefer something more contemporary. When making the decision, I was going back and forth between this one and the Universitat apt in Eixample which was more my style. However I have to say that we were happy with our decision. The apt was clean, comfortable, homey and well equipped. The kitchen had everything we needed including paper towels, napkins etc. It would have been nice if it included toiletries as well but that was no biggie.

The only thing that really bothered me when I saw the bedrooms was that except for the bedroom with 2 single beds, no other bedroom had an outside window so there was no natural light. I quickly decided to put the 2 single beds together and take that room for ourselves. The room had one of those narrow balconies overlooking the street. I have to admit that I cannot live in a room without an outside view, it was good that the kids didn't care.

The 2nd bath was small, had a tiny shower and was at the beginning of the apt, away from the bedrooms. So we really only used it as a half bath as needed, which was fine.

The cost was 800 euros for 4 nights and we got a 10% discount for being a referral. It was less expensive than most of the other apts that size, especially with the discount. I thought it was a very good value for the money, especially if the 4th bedroom was needed which it was not in our case. The area was perfect, easy to get to and had a lot of restaurants etc.

More on Barcelona tomorrow, I don't believe I haven't even got to anything meaningful yet!

Excellent start, thanks - can't wait for more!

Your report couldn't come at a better time. We're staying in the same apartment for our three days in Barcelona coming up in a couple weeks. Anxious for more.

I noticed in Spain that a lot of bedrooms have no outside windows mostly in the older buildings.

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

So, I'm not the only one to walk out without picking up my bags? Now I feel much better about the way my last trip ended. And hopefully no one will remember me when I get to that airport next time.

Just a few thoughts on Spain before I resume. We found the people very friendly and helpful even though language was a bit of a problem, mainly because of pronunciation. I should have practiced some common words and understood the basic tenets of the language prior to leaving. I was relying on the kids since they had taken Spanish in high school but their Spanish left a lot to be desired! Getting the cab driver to understand me when we asked to be taken to Jaume station (pronouncing it as it is written) was impossible! I did not realize how differently words like Jaume and Eixample are pronounced. We did have a phrase book which helped a lot.

So back to day 2. We arrived at the apt around 11am. The rep walked us through the apt and left. Everyone else promptly went to take a nap but I was too wired for that. I unpacked my clothes, the toiletries and some of the kitchen items I had brought. A lot more was provided in the kitchen than I had expected - oil, salt, paper napkins for example.

We left around 2, everyone was hungry so we went to the tapas place directly under the apt, which had good reviews and was recommended by other Fodorites as well. This had all the tapas displayed on skewers, you took what you wanted and paid at the end when the waiter counted the sticks on your plate. Maybe because it was our first time having tapas there and we did not choose wisely but we did not enjoy the tapas. We did not realize until later that they were also making some hot tapas at the end of the line, maybe we should have had more of those instead. Anyway, it was very disappointing especially since we were all so eager for our first tapas experience in Spain.

After a stop at the Basilica de Santa Maria we walked to Port Vell and Barconoletta, enjoying the sights along the way. There was a market with tents selling handicrafts etc. A little ahead, there were hawkers selling souvenirs and fake bags on the ground and we saw how quickly they could wrap up when they got word that the police was near. We reached the water which was really pretty, saw some waterfront restaurants on the water looking really lively. Not quite satisfied by our lunch, we sat outside with an amazing waterview & enjoyed a pitcher of sangria with some loaded nachos and patatas bravas. Aaah, that was more like it! Still had place for some delicious icecream on the walk back!

We taook a longer route back to explore the nrighborhood and cam upon what seemed a very long line of people, We quicked realized that this was the line for the Picasso museum, which was free on Sunday afternoons. We were a little intimidated by the line so while the others joined it, I want upto the front and asked a couple how long it had taken them to advance to the front. The husband said 10 minutes, the wife said 20 so someone was having a better time than the other! In any case, that wasn't too bad. We only had to wait in line for 15 minutes or so, definitely worth it to get in free. DS had to put his backpack in a locker which required a 1 euro coin. We spent about an hour and a half at the museum and left just before closing time.

At the apt, everyone was tired again including me this time so we decided to nap before dinner. The plan was to see the fountains of Montjuic around 9.30 or 10 and then go for dinner. I was up by 9 but could not get DH and DS up until after 10pm. The last foundtain show was at 11 but it was pretty clear that we would not make it. I had planned it for Sunday night since they only have the light show from Thurs-Sunday. I felt bad about missing it but oh well, next time!

DS is the expert on finding restaurants based on reviews but sometimes it can be a pain because he only wants to go to restaurants rated 4 stars or higher. We were keen to go to Taller de tapas which was right down our street and had a nice outdoor area but it was a little chilly and h

Sorry, don't know what happened there. In any case, DS found this restaurant called Arcano, not too far from the apt. As we turned on the street, we saw that the street was totally deserted. DH refused to turn onto the street! It took a little persuading but we finally made our way to the restaurant which was quite full even though it was past 11pm. It had a really nice ambience, prices were reasonable and the food was really good.
Between the 3 of us, we had the caprese salad, empanadas, ravioli & salmon steak. DS had the 3 course meal for 20 euros, We shared a bottle of wine. The bill came to 85 euros. We wandered around after dinner trying to find an icecream place but it was now past 12.30 & nothing was open so we decided to call it a night.

Tripletdad, let me know if you need any info on the apt. The staff was very helpful. provided us with a fan and a couple of electric adaptors on request. The apt office was right outside our apt, very convenient.
Yes emily71, u are right. I even asked and was told the rooms did have windows (which was true), just didn't realize they didn't open onto anything!
Anyegr, I'm happy to hear we are not the only ones either!

This is all so helpful, especially love the restaurant reviews. Our focus has been on learning some Italian as we're heading to Italy for 10 days after Barcelona. Guess we should brush up on our Spanish/Catalan too! I'm curious, how do you pronounce Juame?

To me it sounded like howme with an accent on the e, like the words how and May put together. But maybe some Spanish expert can do better!

Enjoying your report - we were in Spain the same time you were :-) I also noticed my pronunciation an issue - I speak a decent amount of Spanish from growing in San Diego but was lacking in Spain!

Yes Momddtravel2, I remember reading about your trip too. I loved your Madrid apt. Our choices in Madrid were limited due to the 3 night minimum most agencies had.

The next day I had bought 11am tickets for Sagrada Familia with a 12.15 reservation for the tower. I wanted the English guided tour, but since there was no way to book all 3 on the website, I decided to add the tour there based on suggestions online. However, I just went to the website and now I do see the option to buy all three! Go figure!

Anyway, we took a cab since we were not sure how long it would take to walk there - especially since we have a knack for losing our way! It wasn't too far, maybe a 6 or 7 euro cab ride. At the entrance, I could not see any place to buy a guided tour though the line for the audio guide was right there and pretty long. I asked a guard at the gate and was told that the tours were sold out. Disappointed, we joined the line for the audio guide. Upon reaching the window I just happened to mention that we had actually hoped to get the guided tour. The guy told me that those were only available on the other side. I had not realized that there were 2 entrances. Anyway, by then it was close to 11 am so we just bought the audio guides. Wish we had checked out the other side earlier.

The Sagrada Familia was awesome! So majestic, such great architecture!The huge columns mirrored trees and branches. And all the things that Gaudi had thought of! It was really unbelievable. All of us just kept taking pictures. Though I do not understand why it is still not finished!
We made it to the elevator just outside on each side for our 12.15 entry to the Tower in good time.There was not much of a line at the elevator. The views were really good, not sure which tower is the better choice. To go down, we had to walk all the way down a very, very narrow, winding staircase. The lady in front of us was claustrophobic and was crying, she had a hard time making her way down.

Now we were ready for lunch so DH started on the task of finding us a lunch place on Yelp. He came up with a restaurant called Santutko, which he said was 20 minutes away. As a result of walking 10 minutes in the wrong direction, it took us 35 minutes to get to that restaurant which though good, was certainly not worth the walk!

Santutko was a little local place with the owner playing the part of server cook, etc. I must say, he was really cute, spend over 20 minutes trying to explain the whole menu and kept apologizing for his English. We felt bad when we realized he was also the cook since we were probably holding up the other customers orders! Everything was freshly made with the 3 course lunch specials costing 8 euros. A nice touch was records being used as placemats. A helper did come in eventually but service was very slow, our supposed to be quick lunch took about 2 hours!

Took a cab back to the apt for another nap. Jetlag was getting a little hard to battle!
Left the apt around 6, took a cab to Park Guell. We debated whether to pay the entry fee or just enjoy the free areas since I had read online that it was not really worth it. As there was a line, we decided to go in anyway as I believe tickets could also be bought ahead. The park was really nice with amazing views of Barcelona up top. We met another couple from the US who had bought tickets and they told us not to waste our money since the mosaic benches (which we could see) and the staircase was the main attraction and we got a pretty good view of that from the road. That made our decision easy and we wandered around until we were ready to leave. Took a cab to Eixample, DS had found a pizza place - will look up the name & post tonight.

Sorry, had a busy weekend with DD here for Father's Day. Still have to look up the name of the pizza place, it was really good!
It was raining when we came out, managed to get a cab after some effort. Grabbed some ice cream at the ice cream place opposite the apt before calling it a night.
It had stopped raining by the morning but looked cold and dismal. The plan was to go to Montserrat but I took one look at the weather and went back to bed! Got no arguments from anyone when i said we would switch Montserrat to the next day.

So this became our lazy day. We left the apt past 1pm, stopped at Cappucino's right by the apt for coffee and croissants. Both were just OK. We walked to las Ramblas, passed the Opera House which looked nice. Las Ramblas was not too crowded at that time of day, we admired the flowers and all the restaurants. I bought a cactus magnet with a pretty flower on it. Kept walking until we reached Placa Catulunya, taking in all the sights and sounds along the way. Then we made our way to Casa Batillo which was really amazing! I could see the 'skulls' but there was a lot more than that to see and marvel at and just take in! Entry was a little expensive, 21 euros per person I believe. From there we walked to the Casa Mila, also know as La Pedrera. The front was covered with a facade which was disappointing. We could see some of the mosaic figures on the rooftop but decided not to go in (also 21 euros per person).

A belated lunch was the next order of the day so of course, DS went to work, looking up restaurants and reviews. On a side note, I had really wanted to do the free walking tour of Barcelona but somehow the timing was never right. This would have been a good day to do it but we missed the 1pm and did not want to hang around until 3 since it started from the Barri Gotic. However doing that on Day 1 would be a great way to start.

Bookmarking. Thanks for all of the tips and recommendations!

YW Liluyclaire, I'm glad someone is still reading this!

Sorry, lilyclaire I meant, don't have my reading glasses on!

Still reading too, great information for our upcoming trip. We're going to Seville also and am looking forward to that part of your report as well!

Love reading your report. Curious, what's the best spot close to the apt for coffee and breakfast?

So is this report to be continued? We leave in October for Madrid and south in Spain and Portugal with Grand Circle Travel. Actually nine of us sort of got together with the idea. Anyway, I'm looking for current books on Spain, other than the travel guides. Once read The New Spaniards which was good but that is dated now (1995). Ditto Michener's Iberia. Maybe there is a good adventure or mystery story out there.

Yeah I was enjoying the read to, please continue.

Ozarksbill, you might like The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon, it is a novel, but set in Barcelona and a great story.

Not to quibble but we aren't going to B. but headed south from Madrid. Any further ideas anyone? Including Portugal? I did read a novel about Goya awhile back that was good.

Yeah, enough about Barcelona already. Let's get on to the more interesting places!

Michener's Iberia is highly over rated and in retrospect got many things wrong about the Spain that came after it.

One of the best books is Barcelona by Robert Hughes-cranky, insightful, and thoughtful. He was a well-known art critic.

If you want to get a glimpse into modern Spain rent the movie Volver written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Read about the possible allegorical implications of the film. You will probably not like his early films where he tries to prove how uberhip he was.

If you like ornate writing try an old book, Platero Y Yo by Juan Ramón Jiménez, who won the Nobel.

A funny book that takes place in northern Spain in Galicia is Everything But The Squeal by John Barlow.

And if you are interested in the Golden Age of Spanish Theater we can make some recommendations.

< I'm looking for current books on Spain, other than the travel guides>

I highly recommend Ghosts of Spain by Guardian's Madrid correspondent through many years, Giles Tremlett. About how and why the Civil War and the dictatorship have returned to the surface of Spanish public life in recent years:
http://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Spain-T.../dp/0802716741 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/bo...grim.html?_r=0
http://www.theguardian.com/books/200...books.features

And regarding Almodóvars masterpiece Volver. The movie was made quite shortly after the hundreds of mass graves from the Civil War and the first years of the dictatorship - of which "everybody" knew about - started to be opened in 2002 all over the country. Then the so called "Pacto de olvido/Pacto del silencio" (Pact of forgetting/silence) from the immediate post-Franco years was finally broken. This tacit pact of forgetting and silence was very important in the relatively peaceful transition to democracy in the late 70's when very few were interested in opening the scars of the past for a greater good. The title Volver/"Return" has a double meaning that points directly to this present day drama in Spanish politics and culture. The allegedly dead mother in the movie returns from the past to the present in very much the same way that the allegedly dead Civil War and dictatorship has returned from the past to the present of Spanish public life. The daughter then has to return from the present to the past to face the horrors of her history in very much the same way that many Spaniards have had to do in recent years. As the line goes in Carlos Gardel's title song: "I am afraid of meeting the past that is returning to confront my life". Penélope Cruz enacting the title song in original voice of brilliant flamenco singer Estrella Morente:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PJiNOJsK8E

About the movie:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/03/mo...volv.html?_r=0
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2006...pedroalmodovar
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/volver/

Tripletdad
<what's the best spot close to the apt for coffee and breakfast?>

Plenty of fine places almost right on your doorstep, AND you are only some 50-100 meters from the fabulous Santa Caterina food market. Here you'll find several excellent breakfast cafés/bars that are very popular with locals. And nothing beats the smell, taste and atmosphere of a genuine breakfast place in Spain: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...a.html#REVIEWS
http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/Engl...sNKs-3zg0gmGJU

And you are five-six minutes walking from my favourite breakfast place in town, very typical Navia on the outskirts of El Born. Fine, no fuss and friendly place for a glass and a bite almost 24/7 (they close at 3-4, and opens at 6.30). Also great value three course lunch menu del día and excellent soup/stew of the day: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

Ok sorry, I'm back! To make it short, we went to the Palace Guell that evening which we really enjoyed. Not too many people had recommended it but I thought it was well worth a visit, admission was 12 euros per person and there were only a couple of people in line. It was very close to La Boqueria so we stopped by there after, bought fruit, cheese and chocolates to enjoy in the apt with some wine which we had bought at a small grocery store very close to the apt.
The kids went out that night to a couple of bars around 11.30 for a couple of hours but they sounded a little disappointed with the nightlife! On the whole, we did not find the nightlife as lively as we had expected. Maybe our expectations were too high but I had thought all restaurants etc would be open past midnight but that was not the case, or maybe that would be the case on the weekend.

Nightlife in Barcelona starts well after midnight, restaurants closes at 11 or 12, and then people go out to bars and cafés until 3 or so when the clubs etc starts to fill up. Next time your kids are in Barcelona, I can recommend the very friendly and vibrant El Born area or the very local atmosphere and more upscale area in and around Carrer Aribau.

Aribau: http://suitelife.com/2011/02/28/arib...treet-profile/
El Born and more: http://www.barcelona-life.com/barcelona/nightlife

Ok sorry, I'm back! To make it short, we went to the Palace Guell that evening which we really enjoyed. Not too many people had recommended it but I thought it was well worth a visit, admission was 12 euros per person and there were only a couple of people in line. It was very close to La Boqueria so we stopped by there after, bought fruit, cheese and chocolates to enjoy in the apt with some wine which we had bought at a small grocery store very close to the apt.
The kids went out that night to a couple of bars around 11.30 for a couple of hours but they sounded a little disappointed with the nightlife! On the whole, we did not find the nightlife as lively as we had expected. Maybe our expectations were too high but I had thought all restaurants etc would be open past midnight but that was not the case, or maybe that would be the case on the weekend.

The next day was Montserrat - I guess we had saved the best for last! We left at 10.45 to catch the 11.36 train, caught a cab to the Placa Espanya station. I had read that the station could be confusing and it sure was!
We know we had to take the R5 line towards Manresa. But the entrance we were dropped at did not list the R5 line, you could not go down furthur without buying your ticket from the machine and there was no live attendant. So we crossed the road to another entrance. Before we went down, we asked someone if we could take the R5 line there and he asked us to follow him. Once we went down one level, he pointed out a very obvious, manned information booth. The person there told us to proceed down one more level and buy our tickets at the machine there. At this entrance, we could go down without tickets.The machine downstairs had an attendant to help people like us! I told him we wanted the combination ticket to Aeri and he promptly pushed some buttons and asked us to slide the credit card and enter our pin. Knowing the whole chip and pin issue in Europe, ed, I told him our card did not have a pin

I am glad you mentioned Palau Guell...a stunning home designed by Gaudi.

Don't know what happened there - anyway, in the meanwhile, DH, knowing nothing of the chip and pin issue, whipped out his ATM/debit card and typed in the pin. I was just about to tell him that would not work when surprise, it did! Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Relieved, we walked to the platform and made the train in good time. (Ticket was 20 euros per person)

The train ride was less than an hour. We got off at Aeri Montserrat and walked to the cable car stop. We were so taken in by the views of the mountains that we were totally oblivious of the line that was quickly forming for the cable car. After admiring the view, taking pictures etc, we joined the very loooong line! I had read there was a cable car every 15 minutes but they seemed more frequent than that, I think we made the third one.

The ride up was amazing with breathtaking views. When we got off, it felt like being in another world! Walked from the cable car to the road where there were small stalls set up selling cheese, ham etc. with free tasting. After sampling a few, we bought a chunk of cheese and walked towards the entrance of the monastery to the left.

Kimhe, they did go around El Born and did go to a few bars, they were not just as widespread as we had thought, or maybe we were just not looking in the right places!
And I tried to get to Navia several sometimes for lunch but annoyingly DS always had something else he wanted to try or it was far from where we were! However I did not know it was a good breakfast spot as well, that would have made it easier since we could have gone there first before starting the rest of our day.
Sorry tripletdad, except for one day, we usually ate something quick at the apt before heading out since we never really got an early start!

Montserrat cont'd - The word Monstserrat means serrated edge, refers to the shape of the mountains. On entering the monastery compound, one can see the tall pillar like rock formations towering above on one side and the drop from the mountains and the scenery below on the other. Its hard to describe but the place is amazing! We sat on the steps and had our cheese and crackers, admiring the views all around us. An "I can't believe I'm actually here" moment for sure!

We had hoped to make it there by 1pm in time to hear the boys choir but that did not happen. Outside the basilica, we saw a long line on one side to go up to the upper part to see the Black Madonna (the statue of the Virgin with the child Jesus in her lap). We decided to see it from below and went around to the main entrance into the church. The basilica was beautiful, amazing architecture, stained glass windows. One thing I noticed in almost all the churches in Spain were the huge and spectacular organs and Montserrat was no exception!

Had a snack and ice-cream at the restaurant closest to the monastery. Lots of flowers and park like areas. We would have loved to take the funicular going higher up on the mountain to the cove of Sant Joan where the original statue was found but were not sure how long it would take. We had tickets for the flamenco in Barcelona so needed to head back by a certain time. I am not sure if the ticket for the funicular was included in our combination ticket.

After a slightly mishap where DD discovered she had lost her return ticket and had to buy a new one, we made it down in time for the train with half hour to spare. It was hard to time this since we did not know how long we would have to wait for the cable car but the line was not long this time. Upon arriving at Placa Espanya, we walked to the fountains and the imposing building (National Art Museum of Catalonia), it was an impressive sight. The architecture was wonderful!
Montserrat was the highlight of our Barcelona trip, I definitely feel it is not to be missed.