JustineA

Great foodie info, thank you!

anamaria

Looks like I am focusing on staying on one maybe two nights in Barcelona just because of those early flights to SS. We would leave Wednesday early am at 7 Ugh to SS , stay in SS for 3 nights and drive on Saturday to Bilbao for a day at the Guggy and a dinner at Azurmendi . There is a direct flight the next morning to Palma getting into the airport at 11;20. They don't know which marina yet but if everyone knows we are coming in maybe they will pick a close marina to the airport... there are I think 3 main marinas.

I'm now looking for hotel accommodations .Haven't booked any flights yet...........My husband hasn't even wrapped his head around how much I have done. He just came back from a business trip and teased me and said lets go to Portugal!

kimhe

Also a 8.50 Vueling flight from Barcelona to Bilbao on both August 12 and 13. You would then be in San Sebastián before noon.

If you plan on staying for two nights in Barcelona, I can highly recommend Hotel Neri, just outstanding. In the Gothic quarter, close to the Cathedral and heart of the city Plaça de Catalunya, but in a tranquile and secluded alley down towards small and beautiful Plaza San Felipe Neri. Large and very laid-back roof-top terrace with bar for hotel guests. 20% off if payed more than 30 days in advance, which for us meant some 190€/night. http://www.hotelneri.com/en/

Info and guest reviews: http://www.booking.com/hotel/es/nerihr.en.html
Tripadvisor: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...Catalonia.html

About small Plaza San Felipe Neri and its tragic Civil War history: http://www.oh-barcelona.com/en/blog/...barcelona-3171

anamaria

How about some normal restaurants in Barcelona just in case my husband gets into one of his spontaneous fits, which he does often....which makes traveling fun

I'm looking at the accommodations and love them all.Thanks Kimhe! Also looked at Lasarte in Hotel Condes de Barcelona, but don't know if I want to spend my last night there, might just want to go somewhere casual and normal.
Neri looks really special.

Still positive on getting that reservation at Tickets for our first night in Barcelona but maybe I'm sounding to confident!

kimhe

For a casual place in Barcelona, take a look at small and family owned Ca L'Estevet, one of those timeless places. I can highly recommend the tomato salad - much thanks to the extremely rich Vinagre de Jerez - the world class Iberian ham, the Barcelona speciality Bacalà a la llauna and the wonderful grilled chicken with prunes. Reservations is a must. http://www.restaurantestevet.com/wpre/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

If yoy want a pre-taste of what expects you in San Sebastián, laid-back Txakolín is my favourite pintxos place in Barcelona: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

kimhe

... well, reservation is recommended at Ca L'Estevet but not necessarily a must. And several fine "normal" places in close by Carrer Aribau, for example La Flauta: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

Bill_H

For Bilbao hotels, we like the locations of the ones near the Guggenheim. In London now on a tablet, so may not spell the names right, but check Silken Gran right across from G or Miro a short distance away, or Melia a bit further. Prices go down as you move away from the G.

We stayed at Miro and it was perfect for us, the concierge Esther arranging a private car service to Azurmendi for the same price as a taxi and slipping us free entry tix to G. Speaks excellent English. Staying there again in May.

We dined at Lasarte in B and it was good but not really exceptional, except the chocolate souffle. Very expensive.

anamaria

Azurmendi called to say they could not take us on Saturday but on Friday for dinner!!! We will just be in SS one less day and in Bilbao one extra day..........Thank goodness I speak Spanish, my mother is Colombian, finally it will come in handy

I don't know if I should cut Barcelona down? I really did want to go to Carmens restaurant the following day? That is the only reason I am staying in Barcelona an extra day.I guess it depends if we get that reservation, still waiting to hear from Sant Pau. I would love to go on the train, the way everyone has described how beautiful it is!
Thank you for your suggestions.

Pintxos

Have you been to Girona? It will probably be hot in August, but I thought it was a fascinating Catalan city, reminded me of Florence and Venice, lots of good gelato to keep you cool. I think you can rent a car or take a train. If you are interested in beaches, anything either south, like Vilanova i la Geltru or Sitges, are great. North, you could see Costa Brava, beautiful spots there.

anamaria

btw Bill H I read an article on a couple that ate a 10 course meal at Lasarte and were totally stuffed and loved it down to the pairing of wine's but they were not to happy with the squid dish a little to heavy on the ink. kimhe I don't know what I'm going to do with all of the pinxtos places? Too many? I will not want to leave , haha.

kimhe

Do at least one pintxos tour in San Sebastián, great fun and fabulous food! Especially if you know the house specialities. Just as good for lunch-time as in the evening, and a visit to three-four pintxos places with a pintxo or two and a glass in each can make a fabulous meal. A quintessential San Sebastián/Basque food experience is guaranteed.

The best way is often to just go where the evening/lunch-hours take you, where the display of food is most interesting, where the locals go (shifts all the time, because everyone is always on the move from one bar to another, and people often do this in large groups) etc. It's all about relaxing, talking, walking, and having some great food and drinks along the way. If I should recommend one route for one pintxos tour (txikiteo/poteo) in San Sebastián, it would be this:
Goiz-Argi: http://www.todopintxos.com/bares/bar...7&do=vista_bar
Txepetxa: http://www.todopintxos.com/bares/bar...2&do=vista_bar
Cuchara de San Telmo: http://www.todopintxos.com/bares/bar...0&do=vista_bar
Astelehena (with a terrace at the main plaza in the Parte vieja/Old town): http://www.todopintxos.com/bares/bar...1&do=vista_bar

anamaria

Pintxos, I had Girona previously in my itinerary, and to eat at that wonderful restaurant called "El Cellar" but you need resi's real early! We just don't have enough days. For beaches the 2nd part of our trip is in a bathing suit literally...on a boat throughout the Balearic islands with friends ...Ibiza,Palma de Mallorca and Formentera for diving and swimming but I have a feeling I will sink after eating so many pintxos and wine
Thanks kimhe for that tour!

anamaria

kimhe and bill so far so good. We are in at Azurmendi and we just got confirmed at Sant Pau ,Carme's restaurant for lunch. 2 days in Barcelona, 2 days in San sebastian and 2 days in Bilbao. I am so glad I turned to Fodors...its been awhile since I have been here. I have been doing so much traveling in the Bahamas that I rely on my husband's knowledge of the islands. You have been so wonderful! Everyone has.. you have literally shaped my intinerary!Thank you. Still working on it

Bill_H

>> "We are in at Azurmendi and we just got confirmed at Sant Pau ,Carme's restaurant for lunch."

Anamaria, you are going to two excellent restaurants, these were the two Michelin 3*'s we dined at last October in Spain. Sant Pau is sort of low-key, with some delicate flavors in the dishes. She has a Michelin starred restaurant in Japan and you can see the oriental influences in some of the dishes. Nice garden for after-meal coffee and nice view of the sea.

Azurmendi is more about really bold flavors and strong tastes, with some molecular tricks tossed in. We liked it a bit better but both were excellent meals. We will be at Azurmendi again in a few weeks.

Here are a couple of reviews. I'm sure you've come across many by now, but these are by Andy Hayler, who has dined at every Michelin 3* in the world. He rates Azurmendi # 1 in Spain and Sant Pau in the top 3 (with Can Roca).

http://www.andyhayler.com/restaurant/sant-pau
http://www.andyhayler.com/restaurant/azurmendi

anamaria

Bill,,Thank you for the articles. Very interesting and I am excited to be going to these established places. Chef Atxa seems to be so young but talented. Carme also seems quite accomplished. Hopefully they will be in the restaurant because if I remember August is the month Spaniards vacation. The people we are hopping on the boat with postponed our trip to one week out,,,I could have killed them we had to change everything. But all is good I was able to change reservations. It was actually sandralist who got me thinking about San Sebastian way back then.
I do not think I will be able to make the "Tickets,49 degree group(restaurant) because its closed on Sun,Mon etc...I looked at that concept and its very interesting at what they do....wine pairing,video and music?

Its called Experience has anyone gone to the 49 degree?(restaurant) in Barcelona? and what is the experience?

kimhe

We were more than impressed with Tickets, but here's some views on the 41º experience:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/41-degrees-barcelona http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html
http://www.spanishhipster.com/2013/0...nce-barcelona/

anamaria

That is just amazing! The restaurants are closed Sunday and Monday. Tuesday we are spending the afternoon taking the train up to Carme's restaurant up the coast and will be back at like 6. I think it would be too much to then go out to dinner after stuffing our face....right?
The following morning we get up like at 5 am to go to San Sebastian...lol. Its a 5 day eating extravaganza...I just love it. I have really never done something like this except in N.Y.C
We will go back to Sagrada and in Bilbao go to the Guggenheim.

Bill_H

"I think it would be too much to then go out to dinner after stuffing our face....right?"

Most people can't eat a second big meal after a tasting menu lunch like at Sant Pau. For sure we couldn't.

A couple of tips on the train ride to Sant Pau ...

1) Don't buy the tix too early, I think you have to buy them 90 minutes or less before using them. This got us because we walked by the station early in the AM on a walk to the Boqueria and bought tix, then a few hours later when we tried to pass the entry they had expired, so we had to buy new ones.

2) Most subways etc go to the end of the line but this is a commuter rail system and there are a lot of trains going fairly close to Barcelona suburbs but not so many going to the end of the line, even with the same R1 number. So make sure you know the names of the towns beyond Sant Pol de Mar or you may end up on a train that only goes part way before turning around. I think Blanes and Calella are the two to look for but this could have changed.

The listed times on the on-line train schedule did not match the actual trains, so don't rely on them. Just go below and wait for an R1 train going beyond Sant Pol de Mar.

tomarkot

Hi Anamaria, we very recently posted a TR from our visit to Barcelona which we neglected to tag as such. It is entitled "Bon Dia, Barcelona". In it, we shared some ideas which we felt might be useful to others. Happy planning, and enjoy Barcelona!

anamaria

Thank you tomarkot....I have been away on a trip with my husband and now I will look at your trip report..