{"id":12041,"date":"2012-07-27T08:49:27","date_gmt":"2012-07-26T22:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=12041"},"modified":"2018-05-15T06:36:08","modified_gmt":"2018-05-14T20:36:08","slug":"barcelona-a-how-to-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/barcelona-a-how-to-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Barcelona: a how to guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Our travel extraordinaire Saskia is at it again, making us ridiculously jealous of her amazing travels. Her latest adventure? A summer escape to Barcelona. It\u2019s a tough gig, but somebody has to do it!<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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Where did this trip take you and why? <\/strong>
\nOne thing you should know about my family and me is that when we find something we like, we stick to it! Which is how it happened that we have been spending our summer holidays on a little Spanish island, Menorca, for the past 30 years (lastminute.com.au sell a great hotel there<\/a>).
\nTo get to the island you can just fly in and out but I prefer to add a weekend in Barcelona every time! I lived in Barcelona for a few months when I was 20, and I love going back there. My husband was equally keen for some sunshine so joined me on this lovely break from the crappy Dutch summer weather.<\/p>\n

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Arriving in Barcelona on the ferry from Menorca<\/p><\/div>\n

What are the best things about Barcelona? Why should travellers go there? <\/strong>
\nBecause summer in The Netherlands is pretty\u2026..how do I put this\u2026..unstable, escaping to beautiful warm Barcelona is just the thing these summer months. I love sipping cava (the local sparkling wine) and trying great food after a day of admiring beautiful architecture and hitting the fab shops!<\/p>\n

Where did you stay?<\/strong>
\nI always stay at Hotel Husa Oriente<\/a>. The rooms are simple but clean and modern, and the breakfast buffet is excellent value. But best of all is of course the hotel\u2019s fantastic location: smack bang in the middle of the Ramblas, Barcelona\u2019s famous tree-lined pedestrian street.
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Our room was on the first floor right above this busy street (and it is as busy at 5am as it is during the day) but the room has been soundproofed very well so noise was not really an issue. Staff are friendly and speak English very well.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Any insider tips to share? <\/strong>
\nAs with all big city trips I recommend the hop on hop off bus if you want to see the sights. It is simply the most efficient way to get a lot crammed into one weekend! For one day you pay about 24 Euros, for two days 32. The company we went with drive two big loops, so you could do one loop one day, the other the next.<\/p>\n

We decided to dedicate this weekend\u2019s sightseeing to the wonderful work of Antoni Gaudi, the man responsible for so many of Barcelona\u2019s star attractions. You don\u2019t need to venture far from the hotel to see his work by the way, right around the corner you will find the newly reopened Palau G\u00fcell<\/a>!<\/p>\n

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Sagrada Familia<\/p><\/div>\n

After a quick progress check on the Sagrada Familia (Gaudi\u2019s masterpiece currently scheduled to be completed in 2026 \u2013 SPOILER ALERT it\u2019s still nowhere near finished) we spent some time in beautiful Park G\u00fcell. This beautiful municipal garden is free to enter and the perfect place to take some great photos \u2013 of the weird and wonderful architecture, the lovely mosaics that are everywhere and of course the magnificent views of the city.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Casa Batll\u00f3<\/a> is another of Gaudi\u2019s buildings that\u2019s worth a visit. The entrance fee of 18 Euros is quite steep but the building does not receive any government funding, so I think it is money well spent to preserve this great place. Standing in the living room overlooking the glamorous shops in Passeig de Gracia, you can just imagine what it would be like to live there.<\/p>\n

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Casa Batll\u00f3<\/p><\/div>\n

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Inside Casa Batll\u00f3<\/p><\/div>\n

Speaking of shops, you must drop into Vin\u00e7on<\/a> across the street, a huge store selling really cool designer homewares. Department store El Corte Ingl\u00e9s on the Pla\u00e7a de Catalunya (a 10 minute walk from the hotel) is always worth a visit as well, especially during the sales. Beauty products and leather handbags can be found here cheaper than in other European cities.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re feeling a bit peckish around lunchtime nothing beats a visit to La Boqueria<\/a>, Barcelona\u2019s famous food market located on the Ramblas. Just pick one of the little corner eateries located between the market stalls, order some cava and a few tapas, and eat lunch like the locals do.<\/p>\n

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La Boqueria market<\/p><\/div>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Once you get a taste for cava (and believe me, you will) there is one famous bar well worth a visit around aperitif time (so between 7-9 PM): Can Paixano<\/a>, not far from the Ramblas near Barceloneta beach. Just order a glass of cava and point at a few of the tapas that look appetizing. The bill will be surprisingly low as cava is only charged at one Euro per glass!<\/p>\n

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Can Paixano cava bar \u2013 just point at what you want!<\/p><\/div>\n

For dinner I recommend the 4Gats restaurant<\/a>, which some review sites will have you believe is \u201ctoo touristy\u201d. Don\u2019t be put off by that, OF COURSE a restaurant open since 1897 and frequented by Gaudi and Picasso (who even drew the menu) is going to be popular! The food was great and rather good value, I had the lobster with paella rice, which was beautiful and reasonably priced at EUR24.<\/p>\n

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4Gats Restaurant<\/p><\/div>\n

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Exploring the old city<\/p><\/div>\n

Another restaurant I recommend has been my steady favourite since the 90\u2019s: La Fonda<\/a>, just off the Pla\u00e7a Reial (just across the street from the hotel). This restaurant is a firm favourite with the locals (if you arrive very late you will have to queue), the food is cheap and the atmosphere is great. Try it!<\/p>\n

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Pla\u00e7a Reial<\/p><\/div>\n

For dessert stroll along the old harbour front (Port Vell) and enjoy an ice cream at Vioko<\/a>, the Crema Catalana flavoured icecream is divine!<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

For a drink late at night I recommend one drink by the seaside at Barceloneta Beach. I said ONE drink because the prices here are ridiculous, however the vibe is cool and people watching is a blast. We were at Opium<\/a> which was definitely buzzing that night. There were quite a few Brits on stag do\u2019s there, I dread to think what their bill would have looked like at the end of the night!<\/p>\n

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Drinks at Opium<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What is your best travel tip for visiting this Barcelona? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
To really get a feel for local culture go to the Pla\u00e7a Jaume I in the old city on a Sunday evening around 6pm to watch the locals dance the sardana<\/a>. The young and old dance together in this display of Catalan pride.The people of Barcelona are very proud to be Catalan and the main language spoken here is Catalan, not Spanish. Make some friends by trying out a few phrases<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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