3 Days in Barcelona

We spent 3 days in Barcelona before taking a Mediterrean Cruise. Barcelona turned out to be one of our favorite ports!

 

Apsis Atrium Palace

We stayed 4 nights at the Atrium Palace near Placa Catalunya. Overall we thought the hotel was a very good value. It was a very nice place to stay and it was centrally located to most of the attractions.
	The hotel is located on a major boulevard near Placa Catalunya. There are numerous shops and restaurants within a few blocks of the hotel. There is also a nice supermarket across the street.
The hotel room was large, for Barcelona, and the amenities were very nice. There were some beautiful towels, bathrobes, slippers, and good tolietries.
	The bathroom was marble and even had a bidet.
We chose to have a room on the back side of the property because the rooms on the street do not have King sized beds. The back side rooms overlook a courtyard with a school. Since this was summer, and school was out, it was very quiet and peaceful.
	The hotel was also very safe. Also included was a business center which had two computers hooked to the internet. We never ate or drank anything on property so we can't comment on the restaurant. But we would certainly stay here again if we were in Barcelona.

Places to Eat

We mainly did as the Spainards and had numerous "light grazing" type meals. Barcelona is full of Tapas bars where you can grab a light snack and a glass of cava.
	But one night we did eat at a Italian place called Fratelli La Bufala. It was around the corner from our hotel.
Although a little pricey, the food was very good. We had an appetizer plate and a small pizza with a bottle of Lambrusco.
	There are also numerous beach clubs that are located on the beach and provide decent food with a great view of the beach. We ate lunch at Goa one day and liked it.
Goa is located Barcenoleta. We had a few burgers and a pitcher of Sangria.
	La Cava Universal was a great place for lunch. It is at the end of Las Ramblas, near the Christopher Columbus statue. The food and drinks were very good and not to pricey considering the location. It was very busy with locals which is always a good sign.
One day we grabbed a glass of cava at Taller de Tapas. Nice little place near Las Ramblas.
	The tapas bar included some fresh octopus.
For breakfast we had coffee and croissants at Il Caffe Di Francesco. They didn't speak a lick of English, but we always asked for "Cafe' Americano" and we did just fine. We ate at the one by our hotel and the daily tab was 5 Euros. On the last day we ate at another Il Caffe De Francesco on Passeig de Gracia street and the bill came to 10 Euros. (For the exact same thing) The difference was that the second place had outside tables which they add on a premium charge.

Gaudi Attractions

La Sagrada Familia One of the highlights of Barcelona is the La Sagrada Familia (The Sacred Family) temple that was never completed by Antonio Gaudi. It is truly a masterpiece in the works.
	On one side of the temple is the birth story of Jesus Christ. The vignettes detail the life of Jesus as he is born and preaches the gospel.
The statues are amazingly detailed.
	On the other side of the building is The Passion story of Jesus Christ.
The amount of detail is amazing.
	This was a very impressive structure.
It is really easy to miss a lot of the art that goes into this place. The picture on the left shows the inside and from a far it looks like a forest. But when you zoom in, (picture to the right), you will notice the intregate detail that goes into the ceiling.
This picture shows the difference in color between the new and old portions of the building.
The inside was equally impressive. Floor to ceiling stained glass windows was a nice touch.
Park Guell Another Gaudi masterpiece is Park Guell. The park is located in a residential area of Barcelona high up on a hill.
	The admission to the park is free of charge and it is usually quite busy.
The park is very whimiscal in nature.
	The tops of the towers are decorated with rounded shapes and cut glass. We actually felt like we were in some sort of fantasy amusement park.
Above the park is a large courtyard which has numerous benches that look out over the city. The benches are decorated with broken pottery and glass.
	Above the park is a nice little snack bar. We purchased a baguette and a pitcher of Sangria. The view was spectacular and that will be a lunch that we will always remember. (Even though the food was very simple)
Casa Mila Casa Mila is an eight story apartment building designed by Antonio Gaudi. It is also known as La Pedrera (stone quarry). This was his last work before devoting all of his time to the La Sagrada Familia.
	The entrance fee was about 8 Euros and well worth the price. The fee includes a rather large Antonio Gaudi museum and access to the rooftop.
The rooftop has some very elaborate and magical looking chimneys.
We thought the chimneys oftentimes looked like storm troopers from Star Wars.
The rooftop also affords a wonderful view of the city.
Casa Batllo We did not tour Casa Batllo, also known as the house of bones, because the cost of the tour was a whopping 18 Euros. The rooftop is reminist of a dragon.
	The windows look like they are surrounded by bones.

Las Ramblas

The major shopping area of town is a pedestrian street called Las Ramblas. We weren't really all that impressed with the immediate Las Ramblas Blvd.
	The street consists of street performers, restaurants and small retail stalls. By mid afternoon you will find that this street gets very busy.
One of the highlights of the Las Ramblas area is the La Boqueria. This is a fairly large farmers market that includes lots of fresh fruits, vegetables and meats.
	We purchased some fresh strawberry banana juice which was very good.
We also purchased a tray of fresh fruit which was very refreshing on a hot day.
	Our favorite area downtown was the Barri Gotic area. This is a few blocks off of Las Ramblas.
There are lots of old buildings that really give you a feel for how the old Barcelona must have once looked.
As you can see, the streets get very crowded in the afternoon. This was taken on a Thursday.
	There is art everywhere.
At the end of Las Ramblas is the monument of Christopher Columbus. The monument is located in a busy intersection and it is a popular tourist attraction.

Things to do in Barcelona

While in Barcelona we used the Barcelona Bus Turistic for our transportation. The two day pass was 26 Euros. The buses have a nice open top along with commentary in multiple languages. They are "hop on and off" so that you can get off at popular attractions and then hop back on the bus to the next stop. The fee also comes with a discount book which provides discounts for many of the attractions.
	You can pick up the bus anywhere around town and purchase tickets when you first enter the bus. The buses were very regular. We never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a bus.
One of the bus stops is the Museum National d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). We didn't go into the museum, but the views from the steps are spectacular! This is a must.
	These were the only fountains running while we were in Barcelona. I believe they are currently having a water shortage.
The museum overlooks Barcelona and the Barcelona Fountains. The view was awe inspiring.
	Near MNAC is the Olympic Stadium. This is where the recent Barcelona Olympics were held. The stadium is very impressive.
We also toured the Olympic museum which was somewhat interesting. This could be skipped if you are pressed for time, but we did enjoy it.
	On the second day we got off the bus at Montjuic and took the cable car over the bay down to Barcenoleta. This was great because we skipped some boring bus stops and saw some great views of the city. It was a little pricey at 8 Euros a person, but it was fun.
	You end up at the beach, where we had a nice lunch in the sun.
Barcelonita is a nice little beach which is near the harbor. Great place to lounge in the sun or have lunch.
	Beach art!
Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night there is a show called "The Magic Fountain". The show consists of dancing waters put to music. This was very fun and it is free. We took the subway to the fountains. You will want to exit on the Placa Espanya stop. The show starts at dusk. The music was great and this was another highlight of the trip.
	We stumbled across the Palau de la Musica Catalana. This was a very pretty building which houses many musical events.
There are numerous museums to explore in Barcelona. We visited the Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso museums.
	There seems to be cats everywhere we go!

Carroll's Blog

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Traveling day has finally arrived and Dave and I are heading to SFO. We are finally traveling across the pond to Europe. Our friends have chastised us for years about never vacationing in Europe so we finally booked an almost three week trip.

We left Dixon around 8:00 am for our 1:00 flight to London. Since it was Sunday morning, traffic was light and we made good time.

We had redeemed miles for our flight to Heathrow. The check-in agent was most helpful in checking our luggage all the way to BCN (Barcelona). This made our transfer I London much easier since we were flying British Airways to Spain.

We spent the rest of the morning (until boarding) at the Red Carpet Club. The complimentary drinks helped pass the time. There is nothing like starting a vacation with a bloody Mary!

Monday, June 30, 2008

We arrived in London at around 6:30 am. We disembarked in Terminal 1. We then maneuvered the maze of passages to Terminal 3. What a convoluted airport. Luckily (or unluckily) we had a six hour layover. We had a leisurely breakfast, walked around the shops a bit, and took a cat nap while waiting to find out what gate our flight to BCN was to go out of. Finally our flight took off and we were on our way.

Once in Barcelona we made our way to immigration. We were quite surprised that there were no forms to fill out. The officials just did a visual check of our passports and then stamped them. We had to make quite a long trek to claim our luggage. We breathed a sigh of relief when both pieces came around the carousel. Our next hurdle was finding the Aerobus to transport us to Placa de Catalunya which is the city center and near our hotel. We made a few wrong turns and had to backtrack, but we finally found it and purchased our fare for 4,05 Euros per person. The ride into town took about 40 minutes and we then had a 4 block walk to our hotel, Apis Atrium Palace.

By the time all was said and done it was about 7:30 pm. We were tire and hot so we quickly showered and got ready for dinner.

We strolled down the street and settled on a little pizzeria called Fratelli la Bufala. We had an appetizer of fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, olives, and assorted veggies called muffaletta. We split a pizza that was just okay (it had anchovies on it which made it very salty). We also split a bottle of lambrusco. It was a decent meal and only set us back 35 Euros.

By the time we got back to our hotel it was around 10:00. We were able to fall asleep right away.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

We woke up refreshed and ready for a big day. We walked down the street and had a cup of café and croissant at El Caffe di Francesco. We loved the coffee and decided that this would be our regular haunt for breakfast.

We then made our way back to Placa de Catalunya so we could catch the Bus Touristic’ (Hop on Hop off) to tour around the city. You can purchase a 2 day pass for 26 Euros per person (a one day is 20 Euros). They have narrated tours in several different languages. Our tour started promptly at 9:00 am.

You can hop off at many places and we decided our first stop would be La Sagrada Familia, the famous Temple of the Holy Family, a church conceptualized by Antoni Gaudi. Even though work began in the early 1900’s this complex project is still yet to be finished and work still continues today. Part of the reason is because Gaudi was insistent that no public monies should fund the building. Instead only private donations were to be accepted. Even in its unfinished state the temple is a true architectural masterpiece.

From La Sagrada we made our way to Parc Guell. This is another Gaudi designed project. It started out as a residential project but the venture never really took off so the land with all the Gaudi whimsy was donated to the city of Barcelona. While there Dave and I enjoyed a salami sandwich and some Sangria while overlooking the city.

We then hopped the bus and continued on the red line to Montjuic which was the home to the 1992 and 1929 Olympic Stadium. It also has many museums and gardens. Dave and I decided to tour the Fundacio’ Joan Miro’. The museum has a very impressive collection of many of his original works. I was impressed by the size of many of the canvasses. Dave was not impressed at all. His comment was, “I don’t get it.” We did enjoy a nice refreshing drink in the café which was not all that expensive.

We reboarded the bus and made our way down the harbor and over to Port Olympic which was built for the 1992 Olympics. The area at one time was quite seedy but much renovation was done for the Olympics so now it is up and coming.

We ate lunch at a local chain call Pans and Company. We had a coupon from the bus so the price was right. Dave’s sandwich was reportedly very good. My sandwich, the mediterrani was not. The tuna taste questionable and ws not so good. My insides were questionable the rest of the afternoon.

We walked along the beach a bit and then tried to go to the Grand Casino. Unfortunately Dave did not have on long pants so they wouldn’t let us in. He claimed that he really did want to drop a few Euros in the machines. Dang!

We re boarded the bus and got off at Barri Gotic. It was quite pretty but also overrun with people.Dave and I walked for a while and then decided to stop at one the ubiquitous Cava Bars, Two Tellers. We enjoyed a refreshing drink and rested our tired feet. For 3 Euros a glass we were refreshed and ready to go.

Dave wanted to see what a supermarket looked like. Our map showed one not too far away so we walked to find it. Along the way we viewed the beautiful façade of the Palau de la Musica Catalunya, which was also designed by Gaudi…man that guy was all over Barcelona…kind of like Starbucks in San Francisco. Okay back to the supermarket. We find it and it is basically a tiny store…kind of like a quickie mart without the Slurpees. We did purchase some wine and beer and it was fairly reasonably priced.

By the time we got back to our hotel it was 7:30 pm. We showered and relaxed for a bit. Dave read about all the sights to make our plans for the next few days before we have to leave.

We went to Xampu’ Xampany for tapas and Cava. We really weren’t all that hungry so something light fit the bill. In addition it was close to our hotel so all was good.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

We actually slept in this morning until 7:30. We were in no hurry since our day was already planned. We had coffee and a croissant at El Caffe di Francesca. Yes it is the same place we ate yesterday but we liked the vibe.

After our morning coffee we made our way over to Placa de catalunya to catch the first Bus Turistic of the morning. We hopped on the Blue Line as our main destination was Montjuic. We got off the bus at Museu National d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). Although we didn’t go into the museum we did gaze at the beautiful and palatial architecture. From the front seps you can get a wonderful view of the font Magica (Magic fountain) down the hill and Placa d’Espanya.

From MNAC we walked over to the Olympic Ring which was the main hub of the 1992 Olympics. The grounds are quite large and impressive. We walked into the stadium which was also used during the 1929 Olympics. We made our way over to the Olympic and Sports Museum. We paid our admission and toured through it.

From the Olympic Park we hopped on the bus for a quick ride to Miramar. We strolled through the gardens for a while and then purchased a ticket (9 Euros per person) to ride the cable car across the harbor to Barceloneta. We enjoyed this ride for the great views.

We strolled a short walk down the beach and stopped at a little beach bar called Goa for lunch. How much better can sangria and a hamburger taste when you’re on the beach?

We made our way back to the closest bus stop for the bus and boarded. Next stop…Pla de Palau. The main attraction for us was to be the Museu Picasso. The short stroll to find the museum was just as interesting. Picasso spent many of his early years in Barcelona and the museum showcases much of his work during this time.

From Museu Picasso we walked over to Barri Gotic. After strolling around a few of the small streets we got back on the bus and ended up back at Placa de Catalunya. Hot and tired we made our way back to our hotel to shower and rest our feet.

We decided to stay close to our hotel for dinner so we walked a few blocks down the street to a small corner place call La Tavernade L’Eixample. It was run by a Pakistani many who was quite nice and attentive. Dave had a kabab and I had chicken biryani. We also had sangria. Everything was very good. After dinner, I put a Euro in the little poker slot machine in the corner. Of course I had no idea what any of the buttons meant since everything was labeled in Spanish. Somehow I muddled through and walked away with 1,60.

On the way back to our hotel we stopped at a grocery store which was less than ½ block away. We picked up some reasonably priced wine. One bottle was 1,10 Euro and the other was 2,30 Euro. The cast was amazingly good and the wine wasn’t half bad.

We turned in early since we had had two very full days.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

We slept in and went to our normal place for coffee and croissants. We decided to see what El Corte Ingles was like. It is an extremely large department store. Dave found a shaving brush that was quite reasonably priced. It also had a nice travel case. We also found a nice little souvenir section and made a few purchases.

We then walked down Las Ramblas and found La Boqueria. The market was large and very interesting. We continued on down Las Ramblas and found a pretty square. We sat down at a little Cerveceria but the waiter ignored us so we left.

We then found the Palau Guell and were able to tour a small portion of the house. The rest of the house is being restored so when completed will be a great place to see more of Gaudi’s work.

Lunch was at La Cava Universal Fundada 1858 at the end of Las Ramblas by the Columbus Monument. We had a calamari sandwich and an omlette y patata sandwich, beer and sangria. All was very good. The bill came to 17 Euros which was probably the best and most reasonable lunch thus far.

We then strolled back through Barri Gotic and made our way back to our hotel to shower and rest for a bit before dinner.

We ate dinner at a place called the Irish Rock Café. Dave had a Guinness Steak Pie and I had the Bangers and Mash. We both enjoyed a pint and all was good. We returned to our room to do our last minute packing. Actually I packed and Dave watched.

Friday, July 4, 2008

Happy Independence Day!

Today was our last day in Barcelona. We woke up and prepared our last minute things. We then walked over toward the La Perdera. We stopped along the way for coffee and a croissant.

Once to the Gaudi designed La Perdera we paid our admission and entered the whimsical structure. We made our way to the top of the building. Gaudi designed the many chimneys as Moorish soldier’s helmets. They looked like a prototype for Star Wars storm troopers to me. The next stop was the apartment where Gaudi actually lived. It has been restored with period furnishings. We highly recommend a tour of this unique house.

We then walked back toward our hotel past the Casa Batllo. On our way there were a few times we were approached by women offering us flowers. We knew this to be a scam to distract you so their accomplices nearby could snatch whatever seemed of value. We were approached several times. We made our way back to our hotel to check out and make our way to the cruise pier.

The wonderful thing about Barcelona is you really don’t have to come here for any one thing to do because no matter what you do you will find unexpected treasures around every corner. There is so much to look at and absorb that one can only get the gist and then you wonder how many other things you are missing because you only have 3 days. We had an amazing time!

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Brilliance of the Seas Cruise

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