I’m not saying that we missed Barcelona—we definitely “hit” it. But we miss it now. What a wonderful city! From the great public transportation, to the food, to the lively night life, to the architecture and design—we loved every minute. Even though this was not our first time in Barcelona, it was the longest time we’ve stayed in the city, and we started to feel like we really know the place now. But, of course, there are so many Barcelona’s.
We stayed in a small apartment that we were able to rent through a company called “Easy Flat Barcelona.” They have several apartments for rent on a short-term basis –and this one was ideal. Clean, comfortable, modern (except for an elevator straight out of Moulin Rouge) and right on La Rambla, just steps away from the Plaça Cataluña, the biggest crossroads of the city. The apartment is one bedroom with a sofa-bed in the living room, which came in handy as our son joined us for a few days during our stay—that made it extra-special. We got lucky once again, and the October weather was mild. We all were surprised by how crowded with tourists the city was, even during this “shoulder season.” I guess there is really no slow period in this high-energy city. www.easyflatbcn.com
We concentrated on Gaudi architecture this trip—visiting the Palau Guell, Guell Park, Gaudi’s futuristic sub-division that was too far ahead of its time to be successful, and of course the “block of discord.” We also visited the Sagrada Familia cathedral—Gaudi’s unfinished work that may be completed in our lifetimes—but perhaps not. Unique in all the world, it’s a place that must be seen to be believed. Last spring we had visited the Cathedral as well, and the photos of the cathedral posted here are from that trip, when the weather was colder but clearer. This news program gives a great overview: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50142539n.
A highlight for us was a visit to the Caixa Forum, a terrific museum in a former Modernista warehouse. It was recommended to us by the Massachusetts neighbors we happened to bump into in Palermo—great tip! We would not have known that the Caixa was having a special exhibition of Pissarro’s works unless they’d told us. It absolutely blew us away—67 beautiful Pissarro’s on exhibit, and the best examples of the artist’s work I’ve ever seen—just incredible. If you are fond of impressionist, this exhibition alone would be worth a trip to Barcelona.aOne new experience was to visit Barcelonetta, the beach area that has enjoyed quite a renaissance in recent years. Although no longer really beach weather, the promenade was still busy with people walking and cycling along the waterfront on a beautiful fall day. We found a really great no-frills restaurant there Bar Villoro—we chose it because it was the only one where lots of locals were dining—large groups of men eating and drinking and playing dominoes, business people having lavish lunches and wine, and we three American tourists. I immediately started talking to the owner because his resemblance to my late Uncle Felipe was startling. He assured me that all his family is in Barcelona, so he could not possibly be a long-lost relative. But he took care of us as if he were. We had some of the best rice dishes we’ve enjoyed in Spain. A real feast as the photo will show. Two bottles of wine and some after-dinner drinks too—it was a low-key day after that–we all needed a siesta!
Another memorable meal was at Les Quinze Nits on the Plaça Reial. Every day when we were in the area, we saw the long lines to get in, but we managed to walk right in and get a prime table on November 1, since it was a holiday and the lunch crowd was late getting started. Timing is everything! We enjoyed a starter of mixed fried fish and seafood and two great entrees—one of hake and one of fresh tuna. Now we know why people line up. We had a great three-course lunch with wine in an ideal location for 45 Euros! Quite a bargain, and the food lived up to the hype.
We did our share of tapas crawls in the evenings as well. A couple of our favorites were Basque-themed. Even in independent and proud Cataluña, the Basque style of cooking and eating has caught on. You can imagine the craziness on the streets—especially on LaRambla, for Halloween. Another post will include a video of a bicycle “parade” –shaky as it is while being jostled and almost knocked down in the festivities.
On the day we visited the Palau Guell, one of Gaudi’s first significant architectural achievements, we walked the couple of blocks from our place and walked through the incredible building—just the beginning of a career that would transform Barcelona. The whimsical chimney decoration on the roof is that last part of the tour, and we were lucky enough to time it perfectly with a gorgeous sunset over the city—better to be lucky than clever. We adore the photos from the rooftop.
The visit to Guell part was also great—although there was one unpleasant surprise. It seems only a week before we arrived, the city started charging admission to enter this formerly-public park. A huge mistake, I think. We spoke to someone who told us that they receive 10 million visitorsto the park each year, and that the city was being greedy by closing most of the park to the public and charging admission, even to locals. Even within the park itself, there are still rope lines and additional admission charges for certain buildings. A real mess. The lines were long, the staff disorganized and as confused as we were. Hopefully, they will work these kinks out soon, or acquiesce to the local pressure to return the park to the public.
La Boqueria market adds yet another chapter of “food porn” to our collection. What an amazing place to visit and to sample food from the many stands and booths serving everything you can imagine—hams, sausages, empanadas, seafood, sweets, the works. A wonderland for foodies—and again, just steps from our door on La Rambla.
The best part for us, though, was being able to explore Barcelona with our son. We’ve been traveling a long time, and were starting to miss the family. Having one family member come to us was a wonderful treat!
From Barcelona, we picked up the Ryndam for our long slow trip back home. Will 14 days on a ship be too much down time? We’ll keep you posted.
Click on a thumbnail and use the arrow to scroll through the Barcelona pictures.
anitaandray 