I forgot to add that I had in my plan for the day a visit to the Palau Guell, it was not to be, my spreasheet failed! It was closed on Monday.

Wow! You are a great tourer. I don't want to say "tourist" because the connotations aren't very good. But you seem to have seen really a lot. You are making me interested in visiting Barcelona again.

I love seeing the Sardana.

I like your map with all the restaurants.

I used to travel with my sister, who is the spreadsheet queen~! She'd make a spreadsheet for our hotels, another for our transportation, our budget, our restaurants. She was a great planner.

I fail abjectly at the food thing when I'm in Spain. I'm not an adventurous eater, and I end up eating burgers. I don't drink alcohol (had my share and quit), so I'm not very likely to go into a bar for those wonderful tapas. I have nothing against bars, but it just doesn't occur to me to go into a bar for food. I have to rethink that the next time I go to Spain.

I was interested in your comments about Picasso and museums. I don't care for Picasso's cubist stuff, so I've avoided his museums. I guess it didn't occur to me that the museum would also feature some of his early pre-cubist work.

Hi Peg! I read your wonderful report of Semana Santa.

Not everyone orders alcohol in bars. Tons of people go into bars just to have a coffee. In most cases it is more of a social meeting place than a place to drink alcohol. Kids come in and have a Fanta, friends meet over coffee, couples meet after work to go home together... you catch my drift. And then, who cares what you order or what they think about it, they'll happily take you money anyway :D.

About the museum, I have been in a few of his (again, I'm far from being a fan but I love art) and this was hands down my favorite. Same as with Dalí and his museum in St. Petesburg, FL.

<b><red> Day 3: The Towns that Barcelona Ate and We Enter the Underworld</b></red>

There was rain scheduled for today and severe thunderstorms for the afternoon. So we tried to get an early start as I had a rather ambitious plan for the day. Furthermore, our feet and the weather made it obvious that it was time to get realistic and slash of a few things from the get go. Out of the plan came the Palau Reial de Pedralbes, the Parc de Palau Reial and the Pabellón Guell. They will be there next time we are in Barcelona, and there WILL be a next time.

Remember that this was sort of a scouting trip, like a first audition for House Hunters International? Well, today we planned to shave a small taste of three areas a bit separate from the center of town: Sarria, Pedralbes and Gracia.

After a quick coffee at a bar close to the hotel we walked to Plaça de Catalunya where we finally located (after asking) the entrance to the blue Metro Line (red and green are found easily but blue was hidden away). And so we entered the dreaded underworld of the Barcelona metro.

We bought our T-10 tickets without problems and headed out to the platform. I found to be clean, safe, easy to navigate and very efficient. We were not overly crowded but this might not be the case in the season peak. I only saw a guy eying DH, I don’t know if interested in his wallet or in his nice blue eyes, but either way, I gave him The Stare and he quickly moved on.

We emerged by the Sarriá station around 15minutes later. It took as a few minutes to get our bearings and then we started the route described in the Fodor’s Barcelona Guide Book for the little town. It was very nice and did, indeed, have a feeling of not being in Barcelona. Sarria and Gracia were both independent from Barcelona until the 19th century. Did I feel the love? Truthfully, no. It was nice, but so far the only place I would consider living was in the Eixample.

We walked past the church and square and into the market (of course!). It was small compared to La Boquería (again, of course!) with about 20 stalls but still immaculate and would have kicked the heck out of most grocery stores I know. It included a place dedicated to bacalao (salted codfish) and another to legumes (softened garbanzo beans, lentils, etc.).

After having a coffee and the most tender and wonderfully moist potato tortilla (I love that stuff!) in the market we headed along the Passeig of the Reina Elisenda and the beautiful houses (now THOSE I would move into right now!) towards one of the things I was really looking forward in this trip: <b>the Monastir de Pedralbés</b>. It is part of the Museu d'història de la Ciuta and can be entered in the same ticket:

http://www.bcn.cat/museuhistoriaciut...pedralbes.html

<i>Disclaimer: I’m a rabid fan of churches, cloisters and monasteries. Other people might not find these things as fascinating as I do. </i>

This jewel of Catalan Gothic was founded in 1326 and was continuously lived in by cloistered Clarisas nuns until the 1980’s. It was built within a few years so its style is very uniform. The cloister is very big with huge pines framing a beautiful fountain and a well. There is a wonderful little chapel with Giotto-like frescoes. The kitchen was very interesting; here the past and present live together. The church is quite nice too. 100% worthwhile visit.

I was uncertain about our next destination as the sky was solidly gray and the forecast was grim, but we are not easily scared away and we went ahead to <b>Parc Guell</b>. But we still had to get there. I had asked and received several suggestions.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...parc-guell.cfm

At the end we just got on the #22 bus a few meters in front of the Monastir (the Metro ticket is good for the bus too) and asked the conductor to tell us when to get off. He said to ask him again in about 8 stops. Hummm…how does one count that since he did not have to stop at every station if it is not requested.

Anyway, I asked about every five minutes until he finally said that it was the second next stop. He also said not to have a heart attack when I saw the street, that there were escalators on the way up. Oh Em Gee. The first sight of the Baixada de la Gloria street is not for the faint of heart. It is like a bowl and you can see both ends, first you go almost 10 stories down and then at least 15 stories up. Without those escalators I might have given up on the whole thing. Not!

So after a little huffing and puffing we made our way into one of Barcelona’s most iconic sites: <b>Parc Guell</b>.

http://www.parkguell.es/en/index.php

Now, this would have been much, much better with great weather, but still it was awesome. I had seen countless pictures of that serpentine bench, but I never knew that it dropped a good 30 feet in the back. The aqueduct is rather impressive. Once again, there were a lot of people but it was manageable and I actually got a picture with the trencadis lizard. Once again, I must say that the genius of Gaudí is not really transmitted through photography. He was a true master of Space.

Next in the plan was a walk through the town of Grácia. I followed Fodor’s itinerary and went through the little plazas strewn through this lively little town-within-city. I think that the Spanish crisis was a bit more evident here, with many shops and restaurants seeming to be permanently closed. We sat down and had a beer (or two) in the little and absolutely adorable Plaça de la Virreina.

The area was nice, but once again, I did not feel the love. I’d rather live in the Eixample with its almost-Parisian boulevards lined with trees (without taking into consideration the $$$). Give me one of those apartments with a lovely roof garden and a nice kitchen and I’ll be a happy girl forever.

And so we found ourselves walking down Via Augusta and then back to the über elegant Passeig de Grácia. As we strolled down (well, dragged our feet really) we came into view of the absolutely lovely Casa Fuster ( http://www.hotelescenter.es/casafuster/ )and promised myself that one day I would be back in Barcelona and have a drink at their terrace (when I’m rested enough to enjoy it and have the right outfit and shoes with me), and, of course lodge there if I ever won the Lotto.

But just past the hotel, I could see these lovely turrets twisting and reaching into the sky. Was that…? I looked down and saw the crowd standing around taking pictures. Yes! We were in front of another Gaudí landmark: <b>Casa Milá</b>, also known as <b>La Pedrera</b> (The Quarry).

http://www.lapedrera.com/es/home

My feet began to hurt less. However, DH had had enough. Even as I got in line (this was the second -after the Picasso Museum- longest line queue we -or I- had to make, he said something along the lines of: ’No, thank you, not another building, I hope you enjoy it very much, I’ll be back at the hotel, come whenever you want, have fun’. He turned around and high tailed out of there. Errrr……….OK.

So I queued by myself while admiring the curving façade and the wonderful iron work. Now, I don’t know if it had to do something with being by myself, but a beggar came up and actually touched my arm. I jumped about ten feet away and told him not to touch me, rather loudly. At home I’m used to the beggars verbal droning, but they would never dare to actually touch anyone. It was a bit shocking. My face must have shown some strong emotions because he left immediately and went down the line to harass some gorgeous Nordic girls.

La Pedrera is an apartment building, privately occupied except for the roof, attic and a sample apartment. I went into the tiny elevator (thought of DD, she hates these!) and up to the roof.

Here I must make a side note: I’m afraid of heights. I have actively worked on this for years and I’m very proud of the progress I’ve made. I can do things now with only mild discomfort that would have frozen me in absolute panic 20yrs ago. I also have mild depth perception issues (I’m severely myopic).

The roof of la Pedrera was an architectural marvel but it hit all my buttons. You go up and down like a merry-go-round along the border of the elliptical interior patio shaft. The inside border is protected by a cyclone-fence like barrier so you can see all the way down.

Now, if I have something to hold on to while I move (which is why I LOVE my hiking poles!), the level of discomfort is greatly diminished. Or someone’s shoulder. Damn. Just the perfect timing for DH to bail out.

The chimneys are a indeed work of art, absolutely worth the (rather steep) entrance price and also worth the discomfort I experienced while making the rounds. It did leave me frazzled (and a little annoyed with DH). I happily retreated into the wonderful attic with its catenary arches. What a marvelous, sinuous space! It is also full of models and visual presentations of Gaudí’s work. But I was tired from the day and mentally exhausted. I sat for a bit to recoup and then went down to the apartment.

I don’t know if I was still stressed out but I thought that it was the worst audio guide that I had ever listened to. They give you the option of ‘Express’ (20 minutes) or ‘Extended’ (more than an hour long). I chose ‘Express’ but still, very disappointing and confusing signage. But please, keep in mind that I was not at my best.

The apartment was beautifully furnished and it was very interesting to see how the interior space related to the outside.

Now, if one is on a budget or under time constraints and could see the interior of only one Gaudí house in Barcelona I would recommend Palau Guell first (for size and variety), Casa Batlló a close second (for the sheer joy of that space) and then La Pedrera (a distant third). My two cents.

I walked back to the hotel at a snails pace, admiring the artistic window arrangements of the designer stores along the Passeig de Gracia. I pondered on a few fashion observations:

- Women in Barcelona do not dress as elegantly as they do in Madrid or northern Spain. And yes, I discounted the tourists. Many store attendants and museum workers bordered on sloppy.

- No big pearls or estate-worthy jewelry on the older ladies. This has seemed ubiquitous in other parts. I wonder if it is not safe to use them, not fashionable or if they have just been sold to help out during the crisis.

- Very few men wear ties and suits during business hours.

After a nap back in the hotel (I might need to reconsider my hotel choices in the future if we begin to actually spend more time in the room!) I felt human again. A ravenous human. After going through several options we wound up sitting in a café across from <b> Paco Meralgo </b> while waiting them to open at 8:00PM.

http://www.pacomeralgo.com/esp/home.html

We started with a glass of cava for me and white wine for DH while we pored over the menu. This is what we had:

- Patatas Bravas – very good, the aioli was excellent
- Assorted Iberico Meats
- Buñuelo de Bacalla – this is a little codfish fritter. It was excellent! The best I had in the trip.
- Bomba – It is like a potato fritter stuffed with spicy meat
- Razor Clams - DELICIOUS
- Pa amb Tomaquet – typical bread with tomato
- Calamarsets a la Llauna – wonderful little garlicky calamari
- ½ ration of Pernil Iberico – awesome ham! Melted in your mouth.
- Bacalla Esqueixat – similar to a codfish carpaccio, this was not a wise choice because we ordered it towards the end of the meal, so its delicate taste was somewhat lost on us.

With a bottle of Mas Petit for a very reasonable €14.95, the total bill was €80.30.

<b>Next: Gaudí is not the only Architect in Barcelona or wading through the rain in construction hats

<b><red> Day 4: Meeting the ‘Other’ Architect, When it Rains it Pours, and A Forest of Stone Trees</b></red>

Before falling forever in love with Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona had a torrid affair with another Modernist architect: Lluís Domènech i Montaner. He worked throughout the city on lots of residential projects and gained further recognition during the preparations for the Universal Exposition held in Barcelona in 1888 in the grounds of the Parc de la Ciudadella. Not much of his work survives but today we were going to visit two of them.

Since our room did not have a view to the street we never realized that the weather had definitely taken a yucky turn. It was wet and gray and not all that warm. But we were on a schedule and we had to get going. Thankfully our first stop was a 3-minute walk away from the hotel. I wanted to get there early as I had not made reservations (work interfered severely with my travel planning!) and so we came to one of the most distinctive buildings in Barcelona, and standard bearer of Catalonian identity: the <b> Palau de la Música Catalana</b>. Even seeing just the outside is an experience, but nothing compares to the inside.

It was around 9:05am and there were no signs in the front entrance. Finally we saw some employees and we were directed to the side entrance, where the ticket office was. We were the first to arrive, the screen outside stated that there were 21 open spaces remaining for the 10:00 English tour so we were good! Unescorted visits are not possible. By the time the ticket office opened at 9:30am, there were about twenty people in the line, so it is true that it fills up and reservations should be made in advance to guarantee entry.

We went into the bar. Wow! This is accessible without a ticket and should be visited by anyone with an interest in architecture or decorative arts. The ceiling is vaulted with the ribs showing the original red brick. The columns have the most beautiful green tiles and delicate ceramic coral pink flowers in the capitels. At the center is a wooden bar serving overpriced but decent coffee, sweet rolls and humdrum sandwiches. Nevertheless, it might have been one of the most enjoyable breakfasts of the trip.

The tour starts in the Foyer and continues up the stairs into the intermission room where you can see the columns and sculptures adorning the frontal façade from behind. What a beauty! But nothing prepares for the shock of entering the concert hall itself!

As one comes up the stairs the stained glass ceiling can be seen, but this is not your every day stained window. It is a large (massive) rectangle starting in shades of blue along the edges, but the center is like a drop of golden sunshine ready to splash over the audience in a musical baptism. This is to modern glass art like the St Chapelle in Paris is to medieval glass, in both you feel like you are inside a jewel box. This IS the dragon’s treasure.

Then you see the lower stained glass windows and the massive organ. But when you think that it cannot be better you see the pure white sculptures framing the stage. Wagner’s Valkyries meet Josep Anselm Clavé’s Willow Tree and Flowers of May. The muses coming out from the stage’s back wall are a masterpiece on their own.

There is a unique sense of joy and pride in this space! This is the very essence of what being Catalán is. No wonder the Orfeo has been repressed at times of political unrest. Anyway, I get carried away and could write endless pages filled with superlatives. Take the virtual tour, but there is nothing that will ever compare to BEING there. This is my #1 pick for Interior Space in Barcelona. Enough said.

With our appetites whetted for Domenech, we went to the Uriquinoa metro station and took the line up to the Hospital de Sant Pau station where we were greeted by constant rain. Out came the umbrellas but by time we left the modern hospital grounds it turned into a downpour. We took refuge in the university foyer and had a coffee with hopes of waiting out the rain.

Close to an hour later, the rain subsided enough to make the umbrella useful and we went to find the gates to Domench’s groundbreaking <b>Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau </b>(not to be confused with the antic hospital in El Raval).

http://www.santpau.es/patr_visites.asp

We made it time for the last English tour. We had to don construction helmets and fluorescent orange vests but it was very enjoyable. This is the only Modernist hospital in existence and was built following cutting-edge standards of hygiene and patient wellbeing. Patients were segregated by sex and type of illness to avoid contagion. Transportation between wings was all underground, leaving the space above park-like.

The tour goes into several patient wings in different degrees of reconstruction (there is heavy construction work in the site), the tunnels and the church. Very interesting (even with a stinky and boring guide like the one we had) and highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Modernist architecture.

Through the main hall gate we could see our next destination for the day, the one place we could not leave Barcelona without seeing, that has actually become THE symbol of Barcelona. Gaudí’s masterpiece: <b>La Sagrada Familia</b>.

http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/?lang=0

This was the perfect approach to the site, coming from the Hospital along the Avinguda de Gaudí. We could see it getting bigger and the details coming into focus as we approached. But before tackling it we took a break in a bar to revive our spirit with red wine and warm the stomach with some ham and croquettes.

The Sagrada Familia is very well described in guidebooks, the forums and other internet resources so I will not go into details except for a few general impressions:

- Nativity Façade - it is impressive, Christmas tree and all. It actually has bits of pieces of colors.
- Passion Façada – well, it IS impressive but not much to my liking. It reminded me of soviet monumental sculpture. Or the church in the Valle de los Caídos (one of the most eerie places I have ever been to!). The cylons from Battlestar Galactica seem to have been at the crucifixion.
- The interior – Now, this is something. You do not see a lot of pictures of it. The columns rise into heaven like trees breaking into branches. It is light, airy, spaciously clean like no other cathedral I have even been to. I do not recall ever seeing a picture of the parachuting Christ. YES! The entrance fee is worth it. This is my #2 pick for interior space, it was THAT good.
- The museum – It was ok.
- The towers were closed due to weather (thank God!)

The day was still young (though the feet were beginning to feel old) so we once again went into the underground and headed to the Liceu station to see the one Gaudí building that was still pending on my list: <b>Palau Güell</b>. We emerged to bright blue sky!

http://www.palauguell.cat/fitxa.php?...&idm=12&idsm=0

This palace is also well described, so again, impressions:

- It is the most ‘complete’ Gaudí experience: the trencadis tile work, the mushroom like dungeon/basement, the incredible main hall, superb woodwork, the magnificent chimney garden in the rooftop
- The audioguide is good, even DH stuck it out
- These people were really, really rich.

After we left the Palau we wandered through the Barri Goti (we were beginning to get our bearings) and had a drink. It was too late for lunch, too early to dinner, a snack would kill our appetitie and iif we hung until it was time to eat we were going to get drunk. So we retreated back to the hotel to rest (sorely needed).

To make a long ‘where should we eat’ discussion short, DH prevailed and he wanted to back to Cerveceria Catalana. I agreed but I wanted to take the metro, not walk all the way back. So we did, and wound up walking through the interconnecting tunnels almost as much as we would have done above ground. Should have taken a taxi.

After less than 10 minutes of wait we were seated in <b> Cerveceria Catalana</b>, this is what we had (and yes I know we ate like pigs, but we had not eaten much during the day):

- Eiskeixada Bacalao – this time at the beginning of the meal and it was delicious!
- Patatas Bravas – the potatoes are crunchy and that aioli has enough garlic to bite, love them.
- Grilled mushrooms – could have used a tiny bit more salt during grilling but still good
- Pa amb Tomaquet – of course, need to state that it is not in menu, one has to ask for it. It is slighty grilled and smokely delicious
- Pescaito Frito – Fried boquerones (a small white fish, nicely fried on a light batter)
- Anchoas del Cantábrico – Pickled anchovies
- Langostinos Cocidos – Shrimp boiled in brine (deliciously sweet!)
- Chipiron a la Andaluza – small whole calamari fried in batter (I can still taste them in my mind!0
- Pulpitos a la plancha – grilled baby octopus, heavenly
- Razor clams

With a very reasonably priced bottle of Lan Crianza (€12.15) and a bottle of water, the total was €77. DH is still dreaming of this meal. We were so revived (though half drunk) that we happily walked all the way back to the hotel without giving it a second thought.

<b>Next: The Expensive Teleferic Ride, Less is More, and the Hunt for a Place to Eat

Still enjoying your report. I'm glad you visited Gracia, Sarria & Pedrables. We enjoyed all 3, especially Gracia. I remember having lunch at a great restaurant across the street from the Pedrables Monastery, & we walked around the monastery but it was closed so we never saw the inside.

We didn't see Palau Guell, but I agree with you about Casa Battlo & Casa Mila. Battlo was our favorite!

I'm so glad you enjoyed Palau de la Música Catalana so much. It is by far my favorite site in Barcelona. I've been on the tour twice, to three concerts there, and frequently just stopped into the bar for a cafe during the day. Such an extraordinary work, and I feel like I catch more details each time I'm there. While I've been to the hospital twice, I've yet to take the guided tour. Perhaps I'll make that a priority for next trip.

My order of preference on the Gaudi houses is:
1. Batlló--I love the whimsy and the light tunnel and just so many of the details.
2. Milà--that roof! I"m so impressed that you gave it a try despite your fear of heights!
3. Palau Güell-just didn't do it for me. I found it ostentatious and didn't feel the homage to nature that I feel in other Gaudi sites.

Looking forward to your next post!

I saw Palau Guell last Oct.....
Some visitors find it sombre, but I thought it elegant, mysterious, and darkly beautiful.

It was my sixth visit to the city....headed to CC several times.
In spite of the crowds , the place has a great vibe, good food , and friendly
servers.

<b><red>Day 5: The Last Full Day! </b></red>

And people think that 1.5days are enough for Barcelona! Where do they find the time for day trips to Montserrat? To Sitges? I still had so many things I wanted to see and taste! Four days gone in the wink of an eye. Rain was still a likely possibility.

So we drag out butts out of bed and dive directly into the Uriquinoa metro station (10 steps away from the hotel). We emerged in the Paral.lel (love that quirky spelling!) where we followed the signs to the transfer to the <b>Funicular de Montjuic</b>. The transfer is included in the metro ticket. The ride is in a slanted cabin with steps inside and is entirely underground, sort like a cogwheel train. One comes out by the Avinguda de Miramar in Montjuic where can walk to the museums or take the cablecar to go up to the <b>Castell de Montjuic</b>.

The plan was to go up with the cable car and walk down the park, so we purchased 1-way tickets and went up we went. This would have been a wonderful outing for a bright sunny day, but we didn’t have that and had to make do with the slate gray sky. The views were still nice, you can see the Mediterranean glimmering in the silver light and Barcelona lazily raising from the water into the far away (hazy) hills.

The castle itself is the typical Spanish fort which can be seen anywhere in the Iberian peninsula and throughout the Americas. Interestingly pretty but not a do-or-die. We walked around for maybe 45 minutes and then had an overpriced coffee and croissant by the concession stand. It was time to start walking down but it looked like it was ready to rain any minute. DH was no game; he wanted to go back down with the cable car. My feet were grateful. It was a rather expensive visit, considering the 4 one-way tickets.

Next stop the <b>Joan Miró Foundation </b>. As I said before, I’m not crazy about modern art, but I love Art. I try to take the opportunity to observe and experience art whenever I can, sometimes one is surprised.

http://fundaciomiro-bcn.org/

The building housing the museum is gorgeous. There were a few Miró pieces that I really enjoyed. The temporary exhibit by Mona Hatoum was very interesting. DH was not convinced but he did not hate it. I’m glad I did it but I don’t think it will require a repeat visit.

Now, the next thing on the list for the day, the last Must-Do while we were in Barcelona, was the <b>Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)</b>. This wonderful museum houses in the Romanic section the mosaics and frescos that were salvaged (though the term is controversial) from churches strewn throughout Catalonia, some that we were going to see in the following days.

http://www.mnac.cat/index.jsp?lan=003

Now, this museum is not small (well, it is not even close to big like the Louvre or the MET, but it is not tiny) so from the get go I decided that we would not try to see everything. Our feet were ready to give up after 4 days of use and abuse. I would see the Romanic, Gothic and Renaissance sections and then call it quits.

We had a small snack in the museum cafeteria while watching an army of people set up the huge cupola room for an event. They had riggers everywhere hauling up light and sound equipment. It was fun to watch. And it kept us off our feet, lol.

The Romanic collection is considered to be one of the very best in the world and it did NOT disappoint. I think that it is also very well showcased. The frescoes and mosaics are mounted on wooden frames in the same shape of the walls as they were removed from. It was excellent.

The paintings were not bad either! I would have liked to see the rest of the museum but I was too tired to even attempt it. Definitely a place to return to on a more leisurely visit.

We walked down the (lots of) stairs that lead to the Plaça d’Espanya, but there was a still a little place on my wish list: <b>Mies van der Rohe Pavilion</b>

http://www.miesbcn.com/en/pavilion.html

I will be the first to admit that 90% of this pavilion can be seen from the outside. DH was sorely disappointed and thought he should have just waited outside for me. I loved it and think that it is a true Zen experience. It is simple and so very elegant. Mies got it 100% right. Less is More.

With that our sightseeing was done. We had seen a lot of Barcelona in 5 days. We were tired but happy and deeply satisfied. After that we just wandered around, looked up the Avis location where we would pick up the car tomorrow and took one last look around the Manzana de la Discordia.

I went into the archfamous Vinçon shop. I was a bit disappointed with what I saw (mostly the cooking utensil section). I thought that most of the gadgets and utensils could be found at Ikea, Brookstone or a well-stocked Target. Sacrilege, I know, but that is what I thought. Not a single purchase was made (I told you we are not shoppers!).

It was almost 8:00pm by the time were done and it was time for our last dinner in Barcelona. But where? Back to the Barri Goti we went. Nothing looked particularly appealing. Out came the map. Aha! How could I have missed it? We should go to the famous Cal Pep. After a few circles and stopping two times to ask for directions we finally found it. It was PACKED. I asked the person who took our name how long the wait would be. Close to two hours, he replied. No, thank you and DH was not interested in eating with people hovering over his shoulder. Maybe next time.

More wandering while looking at the Restaurant Map, we were soon heading for melt-down. As we walked past the Cathedral inspiration struck again. We were close to <b>Cuines de Santa Caterina</b>, a restaurant attached to the Santa Caterina Market. We went in and were promptly sat in a communal table.

This place has a good vibe to it: clean and modern. Not minimalistic but simple and warm. The specials are advertised on a ticker screen over the large open kitchen. This is what we had (once again, we ate like pigs), the portions were not small:

- Artichokes with ham and clams to share as 1st - this was a really interesting combination of flavors and we both liked it very much. The sauce made great dipping for the bread.
- Mountain Rice for me as 2nd (rice with mushroom, chicken and sausage) – Very tasty and moist, had a good proportion of meat to rice.
- Pierna de Cochinillo for DH as 2nd (roasted suckling pig leg) – Deliciously tender, crispy skin and not fatty tasting.

Service was very good and we were pleased with the meal, we would happily return. With water and a bottle of wine and one of water, the bill came to €67.

<b>Next: We squeeze one last meal in, No More Walking, the French Attack Girona

Marigross:

Hope this report never ends! it is soooo good!I am dreaming of returning to barcelona; (those fruits and juices and everything at La boqueria).More please.

Just found your report...started reading and had to bookmark...I'm really enjoying it! :-)

Thanks to all for the wonderful feedback!

I agree that Palau Guell can be a little sombre, but it is still a great work of architecture. Though, I could not even imagine living there, it would be overwhelming!

<b>My Top 5 Picks for Barcelona</b>

5. Monastir de Pedralbés
4. Sagrada Familia (outside AND inside)
2. Casa Batlló (not a typo, its tied for #2)
2. Palau de la Musica Catalana
1. La Boquería


<b>DH's Top 5 Picks for Barcelona</b>

5. Those Guadí houses that we went to
4. Passeig Maritim in Barceloneta
3. The inside of Sagrada Familia
2. La Boquería
1. Cervecería Catalana

I LOVE Cerveceria Catalana. It was one of my favorite restaurants in Barcelona. We ate there twice; the lines are always long, but it is worth the wait.

I'll post some more tomorrow, i'm swamped at work. :(

<b><red>Day 6: And off we go on our Roadtrip </b></red>

We had to pick up our rental car in the Avis downtown office around 11:00am. We were ready around 8:00, which left some time to squeeze in one last visit to our most favorite place in Barcelona: <b>La Boquería</b> for a little breakfast. Well, breakfast meaning the first thing you eat in the morning because it was more of a lunch than anything else.

Again, DH was not interested in Pintoxo, even though there was some space in the counter. We opted for <b>Bar Universal</b> where there were plenty of stools available. We sat down and were immediately asked to move to the side of the bar. This was intended (I think) to make space available for the regulars (they seemed to have plenty!) but it turned out to be great because we had front row seats to see The Grill Master at work. The food was great but the entertainment was better, the bantering between the staff and the regulars was hilarious.

We ordered coffees and limited the amount of food items because DH was not very hungry to: grilled mushrooms and razor clams. We happily ate while watching The Grill Master beautifully cook every single shellfish and fish item available for a small group of Japanese. I drooled, but just could not eat that much early in the morning after the big meal in the evening.

The locals were on their third glass of red wine (since WE arrived) and ordered some Callos (stewed tripe). Just before it was served it got a good dusting of –of all things!- Parmesan cheese. I even asked the attendant to confirm that I had hear right. I guess it was more of Trippa a la Fiorentina than Callos a la Madrileña, lol. There were lots of sounds of appreciation and extra bread was asked for to soak up every drop of what looked to be a heavenly elixir. And the locals asked for coffee but with the steaming cups came out bottles of various liquors. We finally reached the conclusion that each of the customers ‘owned’ their bottle as they poured liberally and into each other’s coffees without anyone keeping tab.

We could have watched for hours, remembering a similar bar setup we had in Casa Sancho in León 6 years ago which kept us entertained for an entire evening.

(Full story to be found somewhere in here: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm )

And so we said our sad goodbyes to La Boquería and walked back to the hotel to claim our luggage and get a taxi to take us to the Avis office.

I had flip-flopped between picking up the car back in the airport or in the downtown office. I thought it would be easier to drive out of the airport though it required actually getting ourselves and our luggage there. At the end a great deal came up with downtown pick up ($231 for 12 days with drop off in Valencia) so that settled it. We did not regret it as traffic was very sedate and the roads were well marked.

<b>The Plan </b>

Follow the Michelin Green Guide Costa Brava drive (backwards) making a few stops along the way as time allotted:

- Blanes with a visit to the Marimurta Botanical Garden
- Tossa del Mar
- St Feliu de Guixols
- Calella de Palafrugell
- St Sebastia
- Cap roig
- Begur
- Girona


<b>What Actually Happened </b>

Within less than 10 minutes we were out of central Barcelona and driving along the coastal small roads on our way to our first destination of the day: the <b>Marimurta Botanical Garden</b> in the resort town of <b>Blanes</b>.

http://www.spain.info/en/conoce/jard..._i_murtra.html

We reached Blanes without trouble but finding the gardens took a bit of effort and the signage was not great (and I lacked driving directions). But find it we did and loved it too. The garden is separated into geographic/climate zones from Spain and the rest of the world. The cacti were particularly nice. But the plants are not the only attraction of this garden; its setting is post-card perfect. The cliff top views are just breathtaking. I would highly recommend this visit to anyone with even a mild interest in flora. We spent over 2 hours and could have easily spent a few more but it was time to keep going.

The drive from <b> Lloret</b> to <b>Sant Feliu de Guixols</b>is beautiful and interesting with two caveats:

(1) It goes through a lot of ups, downs, twists and turns so I would not recommend it for people that get carsick (most of the drives we took on this trip fit into that category!) though I would not rate it as scary/nervous driving.

(2) There are a LOT of apartment and housing ‘enclaves’ (the bane of Costa Brava) so this is not a drive of solitude and connection with nature. However, since one does not actually have to drive through them, it is not too bad. And the rugged coast IS really nice.

By the time we made it past Sant Feliu de Guixols it was almost 5:00PM so a decision was made to drop going to Begur and Cap Roig and instead follow road #6612 (local road marked as scenic in the Michelin map) into La Bisbal d’Empordá and form there onto Girona. And scenic it certainly was! Rolling hills and agricultural landscapes… yes! Our first sighting of the rural Spain that we have come to love.

Now, getting into Girona also required a bit of backtracking. I mean, when you see a ‘Girona Sur’ (south) sign you expect to see a ‘Girona Centro’ or at least a ‘Girona North’ sign. If there was, we did not see it
So we were way past Girona by the time we realized we needed to turn around (did not have anything at all to do with the possibility that I might have nodded off for a few minutes!). The directions to the hotel were not great either, or at least did not seem to make sense (they sort of did after all). So we wound up parking in the first spot available close to the old University of Girona and walked to the hotel (this theme would be repeated throughout the trip).

We made our way across the cobblestoned plazas into our hotel for the next two nights: <b> Pension Bellmirall</b>

http://www.bellmirall.cat/

Centrally located in the old town, we had a rate of €65 per night. We did not opt for the breakfast as we thought it was not a great deal at an extra €7 pn/pp. They have a wonderful building, great common hall, simple rooms, comfortable bed, clean bathrooms and plenty of hot water in the shower. The staff was helpful and armed us with maps and dinner recommendations.

We checked in and enquired about parking some place closer. ‘Do NOT move the car!’ they replied. All the closer spots are prohibited this weekend since the town is holding a reenaction of the invasion of Napoleon’s troops. And indeed, tricorns were observed in town throughout the weekend. So we returned to the car and packed an overnight bag (the first of many more to come!) from our suitcases.

So around just after 7:00 we set off to explore Girona and find a place to have a pre-dinner drink (or two). There was NOTHING in the direction we headed (straight into the old Jewish quarter), I even became worried that I had seriously blundered by planning to stay two nights in Girona. We did eventually find the livelier section of town (La Rambla along the river) but the first impression was not great (our mistake, nothing to do with the town itself).

One thing you must know about Girona’s old town: It is STEEP. Having great knees is a big plus here. The town looks very compact (and it is!) but you don’t really see the elevation on the tourist maps. We did a lot of creaking, huffing and puffing for the next two days.

As we wandered we ran into one of the hotel’s recommendation for dinner: <b>El Dedal </b> (‘The Thimble’) and we decided to go in. It seems to be a hot new place because it filled up as we were eating with beautiful people and had a few parties waiting outside for a table (it is quite small).

The place is decorated with vintage sewing theme and has the cutest wallpaper reminiscent of the pattern catalogs featuring post-WW2 fashion. They played jazzy Big Band (which I love) through the evening. This is what we had, each dish was €3.90:

- Carrot Salad – this is how the menu described and it was the greatest understatement! It was the best salad I have had in quite some time. It had some pine nuts, red onions, raisins, bits of goat cheese (very mild, not pungent at all) and some other stuff. It was perfectly dressed. We should have ordered a second plate and I’ll certainly try to replicate it at home.
- Meatballs – good
- Butifarra – (sausage) really good
- Patatas Bravas - Ok
- Fishy Dish highly recommended by the waiter – edible
- Tortelone – big tortellini filled with goat cheese, quite delicious
- two other dishes which I cannot understand from the ticket and were (obviously) not particularly memorable.

The bill was €45 with a bottle of wine. My overall impression was of very good home cooking, leaving a bit of space to bring it up to restaurant-quality. Still, a great deal for very good food in a fun setting. We began to like Girona better as we walked back to the hotel and crashed for the night (barely heard the cathedral bells next door).

<b> Next: The French take the Town, A walk on the walls, and a Meal to Remember</b> (even if it was not the Celler the Can Roca, don’t want to create false expectations here!!!!)

<b><red>Day 7: Girona</b></red>

We had a lazy start to the morning as the sight seeing agenda was not that extensive and the weather was not really great. It was windy, gray, misty and on the coolish side. DH did not want to sit outside but he did not want to wear jacket. We found a place for breakfast and I had my first slice of coca of the trip.

Coca is a flatbread typical of the region, quite similar to a cheeseless pizza and can be topped with anything. This particular one was topped with greens and ham. The crust left a lot of space for improvement but it was good. DH had a standard ham sandwich. After the second round of coffee we were ready to start the day, happy to see that the mist/fog had lifted and the wind had subsided.

These are the things that we saw in Girona, rated (solely on my personal interests) on a scale of up to 5 *’s:

- The <b>Cathedral</b> **– After one catches the one’s breath after climbing the 90 steps that lead (and purchases the ticket) one can admire the inside of this wonderful church built in pure Catalan Gothic. The nave is incredibly wide, making it airy. It has the most impressive <b>silver baldachin </b>*** (like a little tent over the altar placed so that the priest doesn’t get lost in the immense space) and altar piece. Both masterpieces and unique! The wooden choir is very nice too.

- The <b>Cloister </b> **– It is very simple at first sight but the capitels on the columns are truly outstanding and could keep medieval buffs entertained for hours.

- The <b>Cathedral Treasury </b> ** – It showcases the usual religious outstanding works of arts but the true gem, the one piece that makes this a destination-worthy museum is tucked all the way to the back: <b>The Tapestry of Creation </b>****. It is the oldest surviving Romanesque tapestry and it shows God in the center of a Mandala-like circle. It depicts the months of the year, the beast of earth, the monsters of the sea… google it up, its worth it.

- <b>Passeig Archeologic </b> *** - This is a walk (not very well marked) that joins several gardens and remaining sections of the old medieval wall. The views from the little towers along the wall are outstanding.

- <b>Banys Arabs</b> * - If you have seen Baths before, this one can be skipped. It does have a very nice fountain with a nice cupola over it. It is a rather pleasant quiet place. BUT it IMHO, hardly worth the €3 entrance fee. Though I have seen baths before so it was not new to me.

These things were intermingled with much wandering around. We kept an eye out for a place to go for dinner. I had read reviews for Restaurant Nu but the menu that was posted outside did not seem particularly intriguing, especially considering the price (I should have asked if wine was included but I assumed, perhaps erroneously, that it was not). But across from it we found this place which looked interesting and we made a reservation for the very un-Spanish hour of 8:30pm.

The Girona Rambla was definitely buzzing on this Saturday evening. A zillion kids with their proud parents were out to meet with grandparents, godparents, relatives, and everyone down to their first grade teacher. I mean, people would not advance more than 10meters on their ‘paseo’ before stopping to meet the next group of acquaintances. The entire French Army as well as the Spanish Defenders were out still in costume having their aperitifs after finishing up the battle reenactments for the day. It was fun people-watching.

At 8:30 we returned to <b>Restaurant Occi</b> for our dinner reservation. We had the tasting menu and it turned out to be one of the best meals of this entire trip:

- Ceviche and Tomato Soup to eat and drink: the fish was deliciously fresh and the ceviche was not overly sour. The tomato soup was gazpacho like and served in a shot glass, it was light with a little hint of citrus. My only critique is that this is a quintessential summer dish and we were a bit on the chilly side. But I’m nitpicking here.

- Meringue Egg with Prawns, Caviar and Summer Truffles: DH and I both agree that this was the most deliciously remarkable single dish of the entire trip. OMG. It was the most luscious, decadent, delicate …I don’t even know how to describe it. It looked like a perfectly raised golden soufflé but the inside was creamy. Sort of like a molten lava chocolate cake. The smell of the truffles was heavenly, the saltiness of the caviar, the sweetness of the prawns all complimented the true protagonist of this dish: the wonderful egg. I did not even ask for a recipe as I had a vision of myself trying for years to reproduce this and failing without the right ingredients and restaurant-grade stove control.

- Seaweed rice with saffron confit codfish: The fish was deliciously tender and juicy. The saffron smell enticing.

- Veal Jarret with Mushrooms and Port Sauce: Don’t get me wrong, this was delicious, BUT after having those delicate tastes in the first three courses, the strong bold flavors almost assaulted the palate. It almost required an intermediate dish after the codfish to achieve a perfect in crescendo rhythm. Again, I’m nitpicking here. The meat was tender and the sauce silky smooth. I was not crazy about the wine pairing with this dish.

- Assorted Cheese: The selection was superb, the maitre indicated the recommended sequence to eat and it was indeed a wonderful progression of tastes and textures. It was served with quince paste and some berry marmalade. The wine I had not been crazy about with the veal went remarkably well with the cheese. DH was ecstatic.

- Chocolate Mouse with Orange: We are not dessert people. DH he does not like sweets in general and I usually prefer a savory lingering taste after a meal. I know, we are weird. So H opted out of this course and instead opted for a big second pour of the red wine. I should have stopped with the cheese plate (this is why tasting menus are such a bad deal for us) but the maitre convinced me to try at as it was a very small portion. The mouse was exquisite and there were some strong mint flavors in there. In hind sight I should have skipped it as I was too full but overall good.

With wine (one big pouring of white and another of red for each) the bill came to an incredibly reasonable €75. Considering the quality and complexity of the dishes, this was an amazing deal. Especially compared to the at least €400 we (well, I, DH would have never agreed to this) would have spent at the Celler de Can Roca if we had been able to get a reservation (I tried and failed, three months in advance).

<b>Next: Why is there an egg on top of that house? Windbreakers are a good thing and the best Pulpo a la Gallega we have ever eaten. </b>

Marigross, such a fun report. Your trip is almost a replica of ours last year. Never visited Valencia so look forward to your meanderings.

Thanks to all that are still sticking with me!!!

<b><red>Day 8: Lets go to the beach (well, the waterfront)</b></red>

We woke up to the sounds of bells calling to Sunday Mass…. Well, not really. We woke up to the sound of canyons firing. The French Army was at it again. It was time for breakfast….IF we could find a place that was open.

As a tourist it is sometimes hard to remember that the further you get away from the beaten path you also leave tourist amenities behind. Like having a place to eat breakfast on Sunday morning, when every single self-respective Spaniard is resting comfortable at home or watching the French Army invasion. And Girona is not even off the beaten path (wait until you hear about Banyoles).

Eventually (with lots of step climbing involved) we wound up at the same place we had had breakfast the day before. We (climbed) checked out of the hotel, (climbed) maneuvered around the French Army, (climbed) got to the parking and were free to go.

The bottomline on Girona (or Gerona): We liked it very much but did not fall in love with it. It was a certainly a worthwhile stop. From a visiting perspective it would have been perfectly fine with a single night. So, been there and done that and no need to return. However, from a culinary perspective, we did not even scratch the surface.

<b>The Plan for Today </b>

- Continue the Green Guide Costa Brava drive
- Visit the Greek and Roman Ruins in Empuries
- Go by Castelló d'Empúries
- Visit Roses
- Spend the afternoon and night in Cadaqués

<b>What actually Happened</b>

We set out of Girona in direction to Empuries on a pleasant but not very scenic road. In around an hour we were at the <b>Empuriés Ruins</b>. There are tons of spellings to this: Empuriés, Empúries, Ampordá, Empordà, so be patient with internet search engines.

http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_d...ns_of_empuries

The excavation site is divided into three sections: the Greek town, the Old Roman town and the New Roman town. The setting is very nice with the sea as a backdrop (remember this when I discuss Tarragona). The museum was well presented, with a comprehensive presentation of the peoples which colonized the Ampordan region and Spain in general.

The ruins were at just the right amount of reconstruction for my taste: not restored to the point where everything looks fake but enough to make it a great destination with a coherent flow for all ages and degrees of history knowledge.

I will not say this to brag but to bring a little perspective: we have been to Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia Antica, we have seen a lot of Roman ruins along the way. This site is not anywhere near the scale of those (OBVIOUSLY!) or nearly as impressive (remember this was a Roman OUTPOST) but it still has some nice houses, mosaics and fountains. It was actually bigger than I thought and we spent over two hours wandering around. I thought it was a very worthwhile stop (again, remember this when I discuss Tarragona) and would recommend it to anyone with even a slight interest in archaeology.

It was way past noon by the time we left, we drove straight through Castelló d'Empúries into Roses. We followed the signs to Puig Rom and drove through very nice beach houses and gorgeous view of the Bay of Roses. We did not really find an interesting place to stop so we kept going to Cadaqués.

The drive to <b>Cadaqués</b> is spectacular, even with the hazy gray weather that we were having. Once again, the internet directions I had to get to the hotel were useless (though we were very close without knowing) and we wound up driving straight through town. At this point we saw the signs for <b> Port Lligat</b>, home of the archfamous Salvador Dalí, and decided to go there.

What a beautiful setting!!! You do not see the Dalí’s house from almost anywhere and suddeny you see those gigantic eggs sitting on top of an otherwise-seeming perfectly normal Mediterranean villa. There were throes of people hanging around the fish shacks though the boat trips were cancelled for the day due to the high winds.

We tried to buy tickets but they were sold out for the day. The attendant told us that the next spot available was for tomorrow at 1:00PM. We did not get them and I’m STILL kicking myself for it (especially considering the disappointments of the next day).

So we headed back to Cadaqués, put the car in a private garage and set out to find the hotel on foot, <b> L'Hostalet de Cadaqués</b>. This was achieved without problems, the hotel neglects to inform in their website that they are in a pedestrian ‘street’, no wonder we could not find them by car.

http://www.hostaletcadaques.com/cat/index.html

After checking in we went out looking for a place to do our most (well, one of the most) favorite things in the world: sit down in a café to people watch while imbibing. The wind was really blowing so it seemed that outside sitting was not going to be possible but we finally spotted an empty table just behind a glass wind breaker in the Bar Melitón at the cornere of the plaza. Score! We did not move for a couple of hours.

Cadaqués is one of those places that is touristy for a very good reason. It is gorgeous. The white washed town is set in front of pebble beach, rising rapidly on the surrounding hills. I could so see myself spending a restful week here! There were some people swimming in the water (23rd of September) but they looked Nordic to me.

We were advised to leave the car in the paying garage (€13) as Monday is a market day and anyone parked along the street (where most of the free parking is available) would be towed after midnight. So we package (another) overnight bag and left the suitcases in the car. Then the search for a place to have dinner started.

I had a recommendation for Restaurant Compartir (belongs to an El Bulli alumni) but we could not get a reservation when we walked in around 6:00PM. The guy said he was already overbooked for the evening. Very disappointing as the garden was closed in (it was not really cold but the wind was very strong!) and the menu looked enticing. We asked HIM for a recommendation and he sent us to Casa Anita and some other place which I cannot remember the name in the plaza (something Felix?) and turned out to be closed on Sunday night. Anita (smack in front of the hotel) just did not look appealing to me so we just kept looking for restaurants.

We finally settled for <b>Sa Farigola</b>, located almost right next to Anita. It had a very nice garden protected from the wind and heaters which the owner told us could be turned on at any time if we wanted them (they were not really needed).

We ordered a ración of Pulpo a la Gallega (a.k.a a la Feira, Galician-style octopus) to share and a seafood paella (because it was inevitable at some point in the trip).

Now, after Sepia a la Plancha, DHs favorite tapa/ración is Pulpo a la Gallega, so we have eaten a LOT of pulpos in Spain as well as back home. This was the best I had ever had, including those we had in Galicia. Tender, perfectly seasoned, with just the right amount of oil and pimento. It entirely lacked the somewhat slimy exterior that can completely turn people off from octopus when present. We were almost sorry to have ordered the paella as we would have immediately shifted to a meal of tapas, to see what else they would offer and surprise us with.

Now, the paella was not bad either. Not bad at all! The rice was nicely cooked: firm but not quite al dente but not squishy either. It was very nicely flavored and had enough seafood to make it interesting. Overall a very satisfying meal. However, with wine and water the bill came to €74, the same we had paid for the outstanding 5-course meal we had the day before in Girona, so it did not strike us a particularly good deal. Though that octopus was really, really good…..

<b>Next: The Big Michelin Fail, Bon Jour and Adieu to Catalonia Nord, the Long Unplanned Drive and the Desperate Search for a Place to Eat.</b>

Hi marigross! I'm still following along and loving your food descriptions...I'm sitting at my desk salivating! :-D

That's good! Waiting for more please.