Gaudi Tours - BARCELONA
 

My husband and I, both seniors, are planning a trip to Barcelona mid May 2015 - we went a few years ago and loved it - due to illness on the day of our sightseeing tour, we were unable to see the inside of the cathedral. We will purchase our tour tickets early, but there are several of Gaudi's places to choose from. We are interested in the Basilica tour and perhaps the 'climb' up into one of the Towers as well. If any "Fodorites " have personal experience to share, it would be appreciated. Also, any of the many other Guadi tours in the city. We will have only two days.

We have a hotel close to the La Rambla among other tourist sites and will be able to walk to many. Also, thinking of taking in a Flamingo show one evening. We are unsure of restaurants - reasonable - good tapas?

Thank you in advance for any advise -Karen

If you are talking about Segrada Familia, you buy tour tickets and Tower tickets from their website.
http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/sf-eng/
There are several other walking tours that do Gaudi sites, including Parc Guell. We did Runnerbean tours for a few of there tours.

Holy Mackerel, there are Flamingo shows in Barcelona ? Who knew. At last we have a reason to visit !

The best guide in Barcelona for anything Gaudí would be Marta at Forever Barcelona (www.foreverbarcelona.com/marta/). She worked at Segrada Familia for several years before heading out on her own. Now she's put together a group to handle the demands.

Two excellent tablaos (flamenco restaurants) in Barcelona, Tablao Cordobes right on Las Ramblas and Tablao de Carmen. Both are highly reputed among the artists themselves, and only top of the shelf artists perform here. Both places are popular with tourists, but they will give an excellent and genuine introduction to the beautiful and powerful flamenco art.

Tablao Cordobes: http://www.tablaocordobes.es/es
Tablao del Carmen: http://www.tablaodecarmen.com/

To give you an idea:

One of my favourites, El Junco, dancing in Tablao de Carmen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sENoCuTQYPs

Three of the greatest female flamenco dancers on the current scene rehearsing at Tablao Cordobes: Pastora Galvan, Karime Amaya and Paloma Fantova: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7x7jRHDuNU

AND: The cutting edge Ciutat Flamenco festival goes on in wonderful Mercat de les Flors in Barcelona May 21-24. Some of the finest flamenco artists in the world, and mostly a local and knowledgeable crowd: http://mercatflors.cat/en/ciclesifes...amenco-2015-3/

Trailer to a recent documentary about the flamenco culture in Barcelona: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BibV3tYo0U

You don't need to climb the stairs to get almost to the top of a tower in the Sagrada Familia. There is a small lift (elevator) that will take you up almost to the top and you can then walk down criss-crossing between towers.

I was lazy and took the elevator both up and down the tower at Sagrada Familia.

In December, there was NO option to take elevator down from the Nativity tower.

Holy Mackerel Bedar - I knew I had mis-spelled "flamenco" - I had googled the dance to learn about it and I was going to change, but forgot when I returned to my Fodor question - now I know - thx for your comment - and the Barcelona Zoo does house that graceful pink bird!

Thanks for the info re the towers Rubicund - I wasn't sure -

that's great info as well all the other info re tours and dance - helps me plan our days in Barcelona.

<We are unsure of restaurants - reasonable - good tapas?>

Of course plenty of excellent tapas places in Barcelona. Cerveceria Catalana and Ciudad Comdal are popular and much visited sure bets.

Cerveceria Catalana: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cervecer%C3%...na-barcelona-2
Ciudad Comdal: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html

Many great tapas bars within short distance in Poble Sec, outside the most beaten track.
http://www.barcelona-metropolitan.co...del-poble-sec/
http://herbandlace.com/tapa-crawl-through-poble-sec/
http://www.contexttravel.com/city/ba...sec-tapas-walk

For a traditional Catalan restaurant, I can highly recommend 7 Portes from 1836, an institution in town, and small and family-owned Ca l'Estevet.

7 Portes: http://www.7portes.com/angles/index.php
Video from the 175th anniversary in 2011, a major Barcelona event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujDIsGzDO38
I must always have the divine Arroz Caldo at 7 Portes when in Barcelona: http://www.foodspotting.com/places/1...rcelona?page=2

Ca l'Estevet: http://www.restaurantestevet.com/wpre/?lang=en
http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/s...iew-48252.html
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Catalonia.html
I can strongly 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.

You should note that any tour guide that takes you inside a building in Barcelona has to be registered. So maybe have a look at the offical tour guide website for the city and do some on line research from there.
Read through this explanation about the use of yellow badges by offical guides .
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g1...Barcelona.html
There is a link to this PDF where it gives contact details of those who have cared to have learnt their trade. http://empresaiocupacio.gencat.cat/w...41594479_1.pdf

Portdane - Live and learn - it seems the word for the bird in Spanish is flamenco !! Who knew. I sure didn't. Nevertheless, the idea of flamingo shows is amusing.

<the idea of flamingo shows is amusing>

And you can see them right in the flamenco heartland. The Fuente de Piedra lagoon, close to Antequera in the Malaga region, is one of the two most important breeding spots for the flamingo in Europe ;-) http://www.andalucia.com/magazine/en...ed4/laguna.htm
In action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUIrElXEN7A

Kimhe - You are a mine of info ! Now when we go to a tablao, we're going to see a bunch of birds dancing up on the stage ! Fun.

He-he. Had a huge flamenco night in Antequera in 2007, and it almost became absurd when we shortly after learned about the close by flamingo lagoon...
http://elpais.com/diario/2007/09/09/...46_850215.html

Hmm, when you think about it, the position of the arms and hands in dancing flamenco are sort of flamingo-like - the necks and beaks. Haven't been to Antequera since the 60s. We're flying into Malaga in June. Perhaps we'll put it on our list to revisit.

Bedar,

Antequera is definitely well worth revisiting. The terrace at the Restaurante Escribano in the corner of the peaceful plaza in front of 16th Century Colegiata Santa Maria la Mayor - looking up on the Moorish Alcazaba, looking down on the recently excavated Roman baths and looking out on the impressive Torcal and the Lover's Leap Rock- is one of my favourite spots in all of Spain.
http://wild-about-travel.com/2011/07...ing-antequera/
http://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/Restau...a.html#REVIEWS

A tapas tour of Antequera: http://www.andaluciacoastandcountry.com/tapaspain.html

and now back to Barcelona and Gaudi...