Getting Around in Barcelona

While we were in Barcelona, Steve and I got around town by foot, city bus, tourist bus, taxi and cable car. The double decker tourist bus covers the most ground in the least amount of time and is particularly enjoyable on a sunny day. The audio presentation, however, is hard to hear and often doesn't synchronize well with the path of the bus. We were stopped in one of Barcelona's numerous traffic jams while the recording was telling us about a site that didn't appear for a while. The ear plugs are uncomfortable so if you have a set that you particularly like, take them with you.

The views of the city from the the cable car that crosses Port Vell from San Sebastia Beach to Montjuic Mountain are incredible. You would think that the station would be relatively easy to find but as we followed the overhead wire to the Jaume I tower, we discovered after walking forever that this station was closed for repairs. So we decided to take a taxi to the station on the other side of harbor at San Sebastia Beach only to discover that it was closed from 2:00pm - 3:00pm for lunch. This gave us an excuse to have a sangria on the beach. In spite of the fact that we walked and waited nearly half a day to board this cable car, the view was well worth it.

Another tip about getting around in Barcelona --- forget about using your iPhone. Although I downloaded the Lonely Planet Barcelona City Guide and thought it would be cool for it to guide me around Barcelona, I found an old-fashioned paper map and my gumption to ask for directions to be far more useful. There are just too many beautiful sites to see in Barcelona to be fooling around with an iPhone as I was doing in this photo.

More photos of Barcelona from above

On the Gourmet Walking Tour

If you're a foodie and ever visit Barcelona, you don't want to miss the Gourmet Walking Tour. It was truly a treat as we strolled through the streets of the old town experiencing sensory overload. The vibrant and hectic Mercat de La Boqueria was the highlight of the walk. Every type of delicacy that you could think of can be found there. Imagine ham costing 158 Euros per kilo -- that 's about $120 per pound! Another particularly memorable shop was the Tostaderos Casa Gispert where the smell of roasted nuts wafted in the air making me very hungry. The head roaster of nuts gave us a presentation on how he worked his magic in an authentic wood-burning oven that is around 150 years old.

More photos of Mercat de La Boqueria

Dining in Barcelona

Barcelona is a gourmet's paradise. The displays of tapas and pinchos made my mouth water. Although the term "tapas" is pretty well known in the United States, I had not heard the term "pinchos." There is a difference. Tapas are appetizers which are shared among those dining together. The term originated from the verb "tapar" or to cover. It comes from the old habit of covering a glass of wine with a slice of bread or ham to keep out the insects. Pinchos are individual tasty morsels with toothpicks in them. When you eat pinchos, your bill is determined by how many toothpicks are left on the plate.

At any rate, I had far more delicious tapas and pinchos in one trip than I could possibly count. Steve and I were lucky to be accompanied by Sharon Assis, who knows the terrain in Barcelona. She and her sister, Sandy Velikonja, introduced us to Orio, a warm and welcoming tapas bar at Ferran 38 located close to the Grand Central Hotel in the Gothic Quarter. Not only did we savor shrimp and deep fried pinchos filled with choice ham, bacon and cheese, we also had no trouble drinking a smooth Paisajes VII Rioja.

On our final evening in Barcelona, Steve and I had another excellent dining experience at Taller De Tapas on the Rambla Catalunya, where we discovered Catalan tomato bread (pa amb tomaquet), a favorite snack in Catalonia. We liked it so much that we barely saved enough room for our tuna and lamb entrees. It's simple fare but it sure is tasty.

Flamenco

When I travel I make a point of participating in an activity that helps me to understand the culture of the country or region I am visiting. So when in Barcelona I decided to take in a flamenco show which included a buffet dinner of many tasty traditional Spanish dishes. Tablao Cordobes, located on the vibrant La Rambla, puts on a spectacular show. From the front row, I was able to get a very personal view of the intricate and dazzling moves of the flamenco dancers who were exhilarating and sexy in their colorful costumes.

You can either book dinner and the show or the show only. However, you have a much better chance of getting a front row seat if you book both dinner and the show. The showroom is a small, intimate setting and the seats aren’t tiered so getting a front row seat is important in order to appreciate the talent and power of the flamenco dancers.

More photos of Tablao Cordobes
Photos of La Rambla

La Sagrada Familia

Barcelona has many unbelievable sites but if you have time to see only one you must go to La Sagrada Família. I was virtually awestruck. Begun in 1882, it is only sixty percent complete and is expected to be finished in 2026. Before I toured La Sagrada Família I wondered how an unfinished church could be so dazzling. It is the exquisite way in which Gaudí depicts the story of the birth of Jesus in the Nativity façade and the death and resurrection of Jesus in the Passion façade. The ornate figures on the façades are carved with such delicate and intense detail that I was drawn in to the story in a mysterious way that has never happened to me in any other church or cathedral.

Inside the church, Gaudí’s use of space, light and stone which gives you the feeling of being under an immense forest canopy is extraordinary.

If you go, be sure to take the audio tour. I don’t think it’s possible to appreciate La Sagrada Família in all its glory without hearing its incredible history and the stories that make its walls come alive.

More photos of La Sagrada Família

Modernista Heaven

We had a good idea that Hotel Astoria was well located when we booked it but quite frankly we didn’t realize it was located in the middle of Modernista heaven in the Eixample neighborhood. Everywhere I looked I got an eyeful of some of the most unusual buildings I have ever seen by such renowned architects as Antoni Gaudi, Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Lluis Domenech I Montaner. I can’t remember how many times I stepped off curbs without seeing them because I was so busy gawking at such marvels as the rippling gray stone façade of Gaudi’s La Pedrera (the Stone Quarry ) which is studded with ‘seaweed’ in the form of wrought-iron balconies.

The Manzana De La Discordia (Block of Discord) was the most outlandish example I’ve ever seen of “keeping up with the Joneses.” Three wealthy neighbors were intent on outdoing each other as they were building their dream homes so they each hired one of the most famous architects of the time (Gaudi, Puig I Cadafalch and Domenech I Montaner) to design them. The end result was three very eclectic houses built right next to one another. Gaudi’s weird-looking house of the dragon stands next to Puig I Cadafalch’s medieval Dutch looking Casa Amatller, which is next to Domenech I Mantaner’s more rounded Casa Lleo Morera. It would be interesting to hear what the city planners in Bellevue thought about this concoction of grandiose homes.


While walking down Avinguda Diagonal, I was struck by the numbers of motorbikes and bicycles. They are very popular because there’s absolutely no place to park. What really struck my fancy was watching a nice-looking woman in a tailored white suit and high heels getting on her motor bike and taking off down the street. She has more guts than I do and I’m no wallflower!

As Steve and were strolling down the Passeig de Gracia (the Rodeo Drive of Barcelona), we saw many sidewalk vendors selling knock-offs of high-priced designer merchandise that was sold at the upscale stores (Gucci, Chanel, Coach, Prada, etc.) that lined the street. Apparently, selling knock-off goods in this elite neighborhood isn’t allowed as we saw one of the sidewalk vendors quickly gather his purses (which were chained together) and run as fast as he could down the street. He escaped but the police ended up with the purses. I thought about making a deal with the police for a great price on a “knock off” handbag but stopped short before I got myself in trouble. I just thought it would be funny to go home and tell my friends that my bag was a real “steal.”

More photos of Barcelona's Modernista Creations
Photos of Gaudí’s Park Güell

Welcome to Barcelona!

Steve and arrived in Barcelona yesterday after spending close to 12 hours in an uncomfortable seated position in a long narrow aluminum tube in the sky. After claiming our luggage, I was thankful that I had arranged private ground transportation. I’ve done this numerous times for my clients but this was the first that I had arranged a limo for myself and Steve. Was I ever glad I did. Our driver was waiting for us with a smile, helped us with our luggage and shared his stories about growing up in Barcelona on the way to the hotel. When you arrive in a new city under the influence of jet lag, it sure is nice not to have to think about negotiating for a taxi.

Hotel Astoria is a charming boutique hotel well-located in the Eixample neighborhood. We arrived at noon and were thankful that our room was ready for us because we were just dying to do such things as brush our teeth and take a nice hot shower. We were also grateful that the water pressure in the shower was generous and hot as we felt pretty grubby after a very long day of traveling. I just love to feel the hot water streaming over me as I slowly begin to relax and rejoice about arriving in an exciting new city.

Newly refreshed, we decided to explore the streets of Barcelona……

Photos of scenes from Barcelona