Last weekend we travelled to Barcelona, Spain with friends. It was quick flight from Nice, France - barely an hour and we were approaching the Spanish coastline. We flew on EasyJet Airlines and the roundtrip flight per person, from Nice (France) to Barcelona, was 73euros (just under $100 roundtrip). The City of Barcelona is well serviced by mass transit into the city: direct line buses to city-center or train. We took a taxi since we were 4 passengers and the short 15 minute ride was quick and easy.
Having been to Barcelona a few times, it is normally our preference to stay near the far end of La Rambla
Torre Agbar
close to Placa Catalunya; close to the action, but not in it. Our hotel on this visit was the EuroStars Cristal Palace (www.eurostarscristalpalace.com). Each couple had a lovely room with a terrace each affording a different view. We looked north to the mountain of Tibidabo where a massive cathedral stands overlooking the city and there is also a turn of the century amusement park (featured in the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona) . Our friend's had a view eastward of Torre Agbar, a 38 story skyscraper located in the new tech center of Barcelona. The modern styled rooms were very clean, centrally located near Placa Catalunya, La Rambla, easy walk to Gothic Quarter and the old town. A pleasant stroll down La Rambla are kiosks filled with souvenirs, fresh flowers and more restaurants than one can count. The food market in Barcelona is a busy one: hams, produce, candies, bakeries, fish mongers, spices and more are beautifully showcased and their low prices prominently displayed! Our 2 day "Hop On/Hop Off" bus tour ticket provided a great overview of the city - highly recommended. (http://www.grayline.com/tours/barcelona/hop-on-hop-off-barcelona-city-tour-1-or-2-days-5885_5/)
At the Palau de la Musica Catalana, we attended a Flamenco Show - what a performance! First,
Exterior of Palau de la Musica Catalana
entering the Unesco World Heritage building was a feast for the eyes; the architecture was beautiful. The interior design could easily compete with any performance - until the were lights dimmed and the stage was filled with the hypnotic sounds of the guitar, followed by the passionate songs and finally, the mesmerizing footwork of the dancers. The entire program left everyone spellbound until the finale when a male dancer brought the audience to its feet with cheers and deafening applause after a performance that defied human ability. Wow! (Palau de la Musica Catalana www.palaumusica.org)
No trip anywhere is complete without a review of food: great, great, great! We could not get reservations to our favorite restaurant (7 Portes) because it was fully booked during our entire 4 day visit - that tells you something about the place! We happened upon a seaside restaurant in Barceloneta "Restaurante Salamanca" (www.gruposilvestre.com) and it was fabulous! Filled with locals and tourists alike, this famous seafood restaurant has been serving up incredible dishes since 1971. We had tapas for lunch one late afternoon and on our last afternoon happened upon another "new" favorite: The Grill Room (http://www.grupandilana.com/es/restaurantes/grill-room). Located in the Gothic Quarter, we dined there last year and loved it. This year we loved it even more: the menu of the day (starter, main, dessert and wine) was 10Euro50cents including tax and tip ($12 and we always leave an "extra" tip for a total $13!). Fabulous, Fabulous, Fabulous!
Time to come home and sort through all the photos....enjoy the video!
"Fifi"
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