Barcelona – A City of Fun, Food, and Festiveness
Some things go hand in hand; peanut butter & jelly, hotcakes & syrup. When it comes to
travelling, to me, Spain and Portugal go hand in hand for many reasons. One of which is the two
countries are locked together as one big land mass along with similar cultures. I’ve always wanted to do
a Spain and Portugal combo trip and in the end, it was an eventful, well rounded trip of culture, history,
architecture, food, and people. Each stop on our trip had its own separate story. For now, I will talk
about Barcelona.
My wife and I embarked on an 11 day itinerary of Barcelona, Mallorca, Seville, and Lisbon. My
wife got a five day head start in Barcelona for a creative workshop so I had some catching up to do in
terms of what to see. We covered a lot of ground, literally walking everywhere during our 3 day stay
together. After a smooth direct flight from Philadelphia and a shuttle from the airport to our hotel, I
dropped my bags off at the room and freshened up. Before I started my walk, I had to make an
emergency stop at the local camera shop around the corner. It wasn’t until I got on the plane that I had
an issue with my camera from earlier in the year; a tiny dot on the lens that was inside the camera. I
was on mission to take as many pictures on this trip and a new camera was mandatory. 120 Euros later,
the tour begins!
Using the hotel provided map that my wife left me, I introduced myself to the streets of
Barcelona. It was a sunny, warm day that reminded me of the Greek cities of Athens with a side of
Thessaloniki. Rows of apartment buildings with cafes and shops squeezed within each block. My first
stop was to the Sagrada Familia. My wife raved about this place so I had to check it out thinking I’d have
a rare shot to get in despite the long lines. Being new to the city I overshot it by a few blocks but that
was okay because when I walk the streets of a foreign city I like to soak up the scene and make mental
notes of places I will be visiting later.
I finally approached the Sagrada Familia but I did not go due to the long line and timing. I did
take the metro into downtown Barcelona at Las Ramblas. I bought a 3 day metro pass for the both of us
but we only used it once. If you don’t feel like walking a lot, the 3 day metro pass will come in handy. If
not, go a la carte and buy it when you need it. I exited up the steps of the Metro and into the soaking
rays and the noise of downtown Barcelona. A few minutes later I approached the Mecca of downtown
Barcelona; Las Ramblas to meet up with my wife. Las Ramblas is a tree lined main strip of shops and
dining in Barcelona loaded with locals and tourists. The wide cobblestone sidewalk in the center is full
of souvenir kiosks for everyone. The city is full of vibrance. What I love about Barcelona is the mix of
young and old people, diverse architecture, and the feel of being immersed into the bustling scene of a
noisy downtown European city. Turn your head in different directions and you see a plethora of old and
modern architectural styles. After experiencing Las Ramblas, veer off to the side streets to a labyrinth of
cobblestone side streets; areas like Barri Gotic, El Raval, and Placa de Catalunya to name a few. You
don’t know what shops, cafes, or churches you will run into but that’s part of the fun. Having a map to
get you around is important as you can get lost from the angled side streets but don’t worry, you’ll
figure a way out.
I took my first step into La Boqueria; an open air market of all basic food groups. I looked
around until a young guy behind a counter offered a codfish cake. I enjoyed it and I ordered a skewer of
codfish cakes and a cod croquette. It was an enjoyable snack to tie me over until lunch. I finally met up
with my wife at Café Zurich located at the top of Las Ramblas. We toasted to the beginning of a fulfilling
trip and ventured off to the Barri Gotic area to search for unknown gems. My wife led me to a couple of
old churches that had their own designs and histories. One thing for sure about Barcelona, there’s a
never ending supply of churches and cathedrals. The first one was a small one for a 3 Euro fee. The 2nd
church was the church Del Mar that had a courtyard with swans and a little pond.
La Boqueria Market
Later that evening, the first night of dinner, I satisfied my Paella craving at Monticelo 16 located
down the street from our hotel. We had a feeling it would be good since the locals dine here. The
Potatas Tapas as an app was a nice start and washing it down with a stronger than usual Red Sangria.
The large skillet of Paella arrived and it didn’t disappoint. The rice nicely seasoned along with the usual
suspects; mussels, prawns, chicken, sausage, and fish filled us up. It was so filling that we walked further
down the street to the Plaza D’Espana and up Les Arenas; a bullfighting ring that is now a mall and
movie theatre with the structure all lit up. It was getting late and most of the shops were closed but
managed to take the escalator to the top floor where restaurants wrap around the entire floor with
pretty views of the city. Gaze down at the plaza of lights where cars swirl around the circle to their
destinations.
Day 2 started off at a local café for the daily Café Con Leche fix. We embarked on the Avenue of
Discord. It got its name for the unique designs of the buildings. Three of them designed by Gaudi; an
architect whom I never heard of but now I have a fascination for his work (And so will you when you see
his works in person) and would like to get to know him better. The Casa Battlo located on Passeig De
Gracia is a must visit! It would be easier to order tickets in advance to avoid the 20 to 30 minute wait in
line. You enter the foyer and you feel like you’re in a world of Alice in Wonderland meets Willy Wonka.
Definitely get the audio guide to understand what the house is about and how the idea of this house
came about. Each room and floor tells a separate story of its purpose and meticulous designs. So
meticulous to the point where Gaudi designed knobs that exactly fit the human fingers of opening a
window.
My favorite parts of the house were the 2nd floor rooms, patio, and the roof. The 2nd floor was
all wood with a whirlpool ceiling heading towards the light at the center of the room. Don’t forget to
sign your name in the log book on the 3rd floor; I think it was on that floor. The patio was big enough
that they have music performances for a small crowd in the evening. A tiled floor ended to a wall of
flower pots molded into the wall. Explore each floor as much as you can until you reach the rooftop.
It’s not your ordinary rooftop; but then again, this isn’t an ordinary house. So much so that the
chimneys themselves are works of art. The top floor gives nice views of parts of Barcelona.
I was hoping to hit The Casa Mila but I saved it for the next day due to the long line. Morning is
the best time to go. My wife and I had to make a pit stop at Il Caffé De Francesco across the street from
Casa Battlo to recharge with another Café con Leche, fresh squeezed orange juice (Which is the norm
here and loved!), and a bikini toast sandwich; their version of grilled Ham and cheese. We took a walk
down to Las Ramblas but took an alternate route to look into Barcelona more in detail approaching
Citadel Park that began with the Arc De Triumphe. I come to the conclusion that every country in
Europe has their version of the Arc De Triumphe or something close to it. Lisbon had one but nothing
tops the original in Paris. Citadel Park was very expansive with an African Saharan feel to it with palm
trees. It’s nice to go for a stroll but not worth delving into that much.
The walk continued angling off to Avenue del Comerc and onto Passeig del Born in the El Born
district to the Picasso Museum containing his early works of sketches and drawings. It was a long line so
we took a break at Bar De Pla that Rick Steves mentioned in his tour guide of Spain. It was a fairly small,
cute tapas bar with a relaxed atmosphere. Good for a tourist break where you can dine on tapas or just
have a beer or coffee. We sat at the counter as my wife ordered a pair of squid and ink croquettes and I
went with a pair of ham & roasted meat Croquettes washing it down with Cervezas. We returned to the
Picasso Museum and the line was still long but it moved pretty smooth; about 15 minutes. Walking into
the first floor of the museum you feel you had walked into a clean dungeon. Take the steps to the 2nd
floor and explore the multiple rooms of drawings and sketches showing the roots of his craft before
Picasso ventured to Paris where he made a name for himself. After an hour of exploration it was time
for the beach!
Continue south and you will approach Barceloneta located in the Cuitat Vella district of
Barcelona. Barceloneta is a massive throng of tourists and locals filling up the sidewalks and streets with
ample cafes and dining establishments to choose from. We took a walk along the beach and stopped by
a beach bar for a couple of drinks with great views for people watching. In front of us there was the four
box tiered L’Estel Ferit (The Injured Comet or Wounded Star) commissioned for the 1992 Olympics. The
structure pays homage to the area known at the time as the Sailors’ Quarters that makes note of an old
lighthouse that is no longer needed.
(L’Estel Ferit in Barceloneta)
In the distance there’s a Westin hotel and from what I was told a place to check out. Our beach
time was limited so if you plan to stay longer make it a point to do a beach day and visit the Westin.
From prior experience, I would assume the Mediterranean Sea is nice for dipping. An added plus for
plane enthusiasts is plane watching as they descend towards Barcelona International Airport. At the
end of the day it was time to head back to the hotel and refresh. This was the only time we took the
Metro back to the hotel. It’s a pretty long walk from the beach to the Metro so you might need it for
your trip back to your base.
Later in the evening my wife wanted me to check out La Flauta. She went with her workshop
colleagues and raved about the place. I’m glad she got me there. It was about a 30 minute wait so the
host took down my name and we walked up to the end of the block to the Parisi Bistro for a glass of
vino. If your wait is longer than 30 minutes it’s pretty safe to step away for a drink. Unfortunately, we
had an odd situation when we returned to La Flauta 20 minutes later. Our name wasn’t called for a
while but we found out when two different hosts took names down my name was on a separate page.
The issue was quickly corrected as we were seated next.
Food and service here is top notch. There was a pretty impressive wine list where the waiter
recommended one for us. Aside from the seafood we ordered bread with tomatoes and oil; not actual
tomatoes but it was drizzled with a puree and olive oil. Lisa and I mutually agreed on grilled calamari,
grilled cuttlefish, and grilled whole sardines (Not the odorous canned version) all drizzled with olive oil.
Our dishes were fresh. The calamari was tender. The cuttlefish was nicely grilled and draped in oil. Last
time I had sardines like these was in Greece. The Euro version of Sardines is much better than what we
have in the U.S.
Afterward we hailed a taxicab to a place called Quimet Quimet. I read about this in a tour book
and a woman sitting next to me on the flight to Barcelona told me about it too. It’s a liquor library
containing all sorts of spirits but when the cab driver took us to the place it looked shady; not sure if this
was the correct address. Two scantily clad ladies stood beside the door looking out of place. The cab
driver asked them if this was the place. They spoke Spanish and we had no idea what they were talking
about so I decided to nix the plan. To avoid any hair-raising issues I immediately asked the cab driver to
take us to our hotel. It took a minute as they continued to talk but I asked again to take us back to the
hotel and the driver eventually did. Still craving one more drink at midnight, the only place that was
open was down a block at the rooftop bar of the Hotel Emilia.
We got into the elevator and spoke to one of the guests. A fairly big American guy who looked
like he had a full dinner and multiple drinks acknowledging us he was guest at the hotel. We found out
he paid less for his room than ours. Our hotel was nice but this one seemed nicer. May need to check
this place out the next time we return. It was a really nice setting. The elevator doors opened to dark
walls with white string lights, large glass encased candles, and chill electronic music in the background.
It was a soothing end to a fun, busy day. For some reason I craved a Jack Daniels and coke and it
quenched my thirst until the 1:00 a.m. close.
Day 3 turned out to be possibly my most fulfilling day as a tourist. I had a couple more stops to
make that my wife had been to and highly recommended; Casa Mila & Sagrada Familia. I left the hotel
around 8:45 so I could get there by the 9:00 a.m. opening. As I said before and I am a big proponent of;
the best way to avoid a crowd – GO EARLY! When I arrived at Casa Mila (aka La Pedrera) there were
about 12 people in front of me. The outside of the building had wavy edges along the edge of each
floor. You look at it sideways and it looks like an invitation to a rock climbing expedition.
Since I was kind of on a time crunch I did the expedited tour. Rather than taking the elevator I
took the steps to the top floor. That way, I was on my time and pace and avoided any humans in my
path. The climb added to my overall cardio walking during the 3 days here. Before you head to the
rooftop, you walk through a dimly lit museum with rooms of history behind the building, videos and
models regarding the Casa Mila. After a tight spiral stair case up to the top you reach the apex of calm,
quiet, and a soothing sunrise looking out to all corners of Barcelona. I’m fascinated by the ventilation
towers. The tops look like Trojan helmets. They remind me of a sculpture from Doctor Who’s The
Keeper of Trakken. Venture to every corner of the rooftop to see different views of Barcelona. It’s a
pictures galore spot for scenic views. And looking out into the distance is the next stop; the Sagrada
Familia.
Rule number one when going to the Sagrada Familia; get your tickets in advance! You can get a
ticket at specified ATM’s. It’ll spare you from waiting in line for about 45 minutes to get a ticket at the
box office. Conceptualized by Gaudi and built in 1881, the Sagrada Familia is still under construction and
won’t be completed until 2028. You walk into church that is a living breathing piece of art. You sense
the calmness while hearing the drills and hammers pounding on the outside. It’s a place of all faiths, all
ages, all ethnicities, the sick, the healthy, the disabled all converging into this giant piece of solace where
they pray and hope while admiring in awe of this place. I admit I recited the Lord’s Prayer three times;
when I walked in, sitting down, and before I left for good measure.
I slowly walked my way around the church. It was silent, yet bustling. I felt a sense of calm
thinking of my loved ones who passed on. I sat down for a little while people watching admiring the
beauty of the magnificent structure. I can feel the visitors praying and having their moment alone. You
can’t stop taking pictures. I walked alongside the altar past the solid steel organ pipes. I look down to
the floor and below the altar I see a man sitting in the front row in the underground chapel likely
reading what is likely the Bible. He sits alone, reading in such a gigantic structure in silence. Before I left
the church, I notice off to the side a showroom/museum that’s worth visiting that tells the life story of
Gaudi and the influences of his master artistry that led to creating this church. I was about to leave on
two different occasions but I wanted to stay a little longer to admire the views and say another prayer. I
finally left the building never forgetting what I saw.
The Sagrada Familia
As I approached the final stretch of our stay in Barcelona, I felt a sense of relaxation and a
perspective that I brought home reflecting a new chapter beginning in my life after a crazy year of work,
personal losses & health issues of loved ones. After a final solo walk around Las Ramblas I met up with
my wife at Café Zurich as a final meet up and closure to our first meet up at the same spot on the day of
my arrival. We had come full circle and ready to peruse around Barcelona one more day preparing for
the next chapter of our trip. But before we did that, we toasted one more glass of Estrella Beer before
making our final stop at the Boqueria for lunch. We had lunch at the Pinotxo Bar (Translated Pinocchio
Bar, Located on A7, Stall 466 of the Boqueria market map); a popular spot for locals and tourists through
word of mouth and again, thank you Rick Steves. The counter was fully wrapped around with customers
so we were able to get a high top table off to the side of the bar. The friendly waiter showed us to our
table and happily served Cod salad with lentils, octopus and fava beans, and mixed sautéed vegetables,
accompanied with a few slices of bread, and the traditional Cervezas to wash it down. We had a sweet
tooth craving so we stopped by the popsicle stand where rows of brightly colored popsicles stood upside
on their heads waiting to be picked for the customers. I settled for Naranja (Orange) and my wife got
Coconut.
From this point on, it was an on the fly and winging it afternoon of where to go. My wife
wanted to check out St. Joseph square where we sat at a café for a couple of hours enjoying the scene.
St. Joseph is a small square with its minimum required church representing the area along with multiple
shops and cafes. Two haggard-looking yet happy men performed Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and
other songs with a violin and acoustic guitar. We tipped them well for a good performance.
We could’ve easily stayed all afternoon but we carried onward to a local souvenir shop picking up shirts
for our nieces, nephews, and ourselves. It was about to rain and the shopkeeper gave us an umbrella at
no charge as a generous token of appreciation for spending money at his store. Luckily, it came in handy
walking down the streets entering upon a bar called 4 Cats. It was a convenient spot with the rain
coming down harder.
Opened in 1897, this place was also a hostel, a cabaret, and currently a bar-restaurant. Pablo
Picasso would frequent 4 cats during the early part of his career. We only had drinks but the food
looked hearty. The waiters were dressed in their classic old school French maitre’d attire. The place can
get loud due to the high ceiling and it did as people were coming in from the rain. It turned out to be
the final stop for the day before returning to the hotel to freshen up for dinner. My wife wanted to take
me to Tapas 24 but the wait was too long. We tried another restaurant (Can’t remember the name) but
when we sat down and no waiter came to our table it was a sign for us to leave and find something
better. We managed to get to Mont Bar. Located a few blocks from our hotel, my wife wanted to stop
there for coffee during her time in Barcelona but it wasn’t until we passed the place that they serve
dinner. It’s a little fancier, modern, and more expensive than the other places we had dined. The wine
selection was yummy but the menu wasn’t what we wanted since the goal was simple tapas.
The menu was good but a little too fancy for us. We decided on ordering potatoes and ham
croquettes. The potatoes were nicely cooked topped with a ketchup-type sauce and a Thousand Island
type dressing that subtly blended well. The ham croquettes were okay but too creamy for my taste. It
reminded me of creamed chipped beef on toast. We saved room for the final stop; Le Crouet; the first
place my wife ate dinner located across the street from our hotel. I was very happy to end up there.
This place has the best Sangria of all places I tried. It was a nice balance of heartiness and potency. The
baked and fried cod sealed up my appetite and our time in Barcelona with much appreciation. So the
night was over and we bid farewell to Barcelona the following morning. So happy we made it here, sad
that we’re leaving Barcelona but we know that this was only the beginning of our trip knowing there
would be much more to see and enjoy.
Barcelona Summary
Getting there – Within the Philly, DC, Newark, New York region, there are nonstop flights to and from
Barcelona. Based on where you fly out of, Delta, US Airways, and United offers nonstop flights arriving
at Terminal 1 at Barcelona International Airport.
Sightseeing: Sagrada Familia, Las Ramblas, Avenue of Discord (Casa Battlo, Casa Mila, etc.), Gothic area,
Barceloneta, Picasso Museum.
Places to dine and drink: La Flauta, Café Zurich, Bar De Pla, Four Cats, La Cruet, Café Parisi, Café Elena.
These places are a speck of how much is offered in dining or drinking. These are only my suggestions.
Take them for what it’s worth.
Why go? – A mix of cultural and architectural sights and sounds with lots to do, multiple cobblestone
side streets, numerous churches & cathedrals.
Note: Even though I didn’t go, visit Park Guell. My wife went there and the people that I know of who
went there enjoyed it.
This article is property of Paul Laska Consulting, LLC – October 2013.