Thursday, January 03, 2008 Viva Barcelona! By Albert Alvarez
IF one can picture a city that has it all—from beaches, nightlife, museums, outdoor fun and almost everything you desire under the sun, then Barcelona could be the place for you. Beaches are within reach and so are mountains, while the great outdoors are literally at your footsteps. I can’t stress the great appeal of this uniquely designed city. The mixture of old and new blend perfectly well, you’d want to explore every bit of this city! I know a number of people who love coming back to Barcelona over and over again, one of them is me.
And you are?
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, and like Madrid, is a very large city. Finding a good place to stay can be quite important for a budget traveler. By either asking a friend who has been there or through a bit of your own research, you will have an easier time making that decision. Personally, I prefer a place that is central, safe and accessible to most of the tourist spots. Others prefer isolated but peaceful locations which are way too difficult to reach by public transport. But, to each his own!
The city has many different areas, such as Montjuïc, Eixample, Ciutat Vella or Barri Gotic, Les Corts, Passeig de Gracia, Sagrada Familia, San Marti, Gracia, Sarria San Gervasi, Horta Guinardo and Nou Barris San Andreu. In my opinion, Ciutat Vella, would be the most central because Las Ramblas is located here. It may be a bit too noisy for some, who may prefer areas like El Born, with its rustic, old charm feel.
Barcelona can be easily reached from its airport, El Prat de Llobregat Aeropuerto by metro, taxi or bus. Check out http://www.barcelona-airport.com/eng/transport_eng.htm for more information on transport prices.
If you arrive by train, take note that there is more than one train station, such as Barcelona Francia and Barcelona Sants (the main station). Arriving at the main station can be overwhelming, seeing the huge number of people, so your best bet is to go to the information counter for directions to the nearest exit point.
For kicks
If one had all the time and money, one can spend more than a month to enjoy Barcelona. There is so much to do in this city! But if you only have less than a week, let me help outline the “musts” while in the area. Check out Gaudi’s Temple de la Sagrada Familia or his famous Parc Guell, and the Casa Batllo. There is also the busy Las Ramblas where all the action seems to be happening. Explore Barri Gotic where you’ll see Catedral de la Seu, Plaça del Rei, the Catalan and Barcelona government palaces in Plaça Sant Jaume. One must climb Montjuïc to the see the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, which has an impressive collection of Romanesque art. But what is more amazing is the view of the city of Barcelona below. From there you can see the Olympic facilities where the summer games were held in 1992. If you like parks or open spaces, there is Parc Joan Miro, Parc Guell, Plaça Catalunya, Plaça d’Espanya or Parc de la Ciutadella. If you want to know about the city’s development, check out L’Eixample. It is a fascinating part of the city. I enjoyed the Barceloneta because it’s by the beach and the seafood restaurants.
There are other places too if you have more time—Columbus Monument, the Zoological Museum, the Maritime Museum, Port Vell, Boqueira Market, the Chocolate Museum—just a few of the many places to visit in Barcelona.
For more information about Barcelona, check out the city’s tourist page at http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/.
a bite to eat
Barcelona is a part of Catalan, so you will be trying things distinctly, Catalan. The basis of Catalan food lies in its sauces for meat and fish. There are five main types: sofregit (fried onion, tomato and garlic), samfaina or chanfaina (sofregit plus red pepper and aubergine or courgette), picada (ground almonds with garlic, parsley, pine or hazel nuts, and maybe some breadcrumbs), romesco (an almond, tomato, olive oil, garlic and vinegar sauce, also used as a salad dressing) and allioli (pounded garlic with olive oil, often with egg yolk added to make more of a mayonnaise).
Typical specialties of this area are esqueixada (a salad of raw salt cod with onions and peppers), escudella i carn d’olla (special Catalonian stew), espinacs a la catalana (spinach sauteéd with raisins and pine nuts) and bacalla a la llauna (salt cod with tomato, garlic and parsley). Many say one must try the zarzuela, the local fish stew or the paella—the classic rice dish with meat or fish. If you are a sweet tooth, then crema catalana (cinnamon and lemon flavored custard) is a must. This is very similar to what we know as leche flan.
Burning a hole in your pocket
I am not much of a shopper but from what I have observed, the best area for shopping would probably be along Passeig de Gracia and the pedestrian zone of Ramblas. Here, you can find many high end shops, department stores and specialty stores selling flamenco dresses, fans, leather goods, guitars and embroidery.
On speed dial
Always remember, try to take note of some important facts that you need to know about the city, such as business hours and telephone numbers/hotlines of the police, hospitals, banks, credit card companies, embassies, airport and train stations and tourist offices.
Barcelona is a big city, so don’t rush and try to see everything all at once. I suggest spending about three to four days to accomplish the basic to-dos in Barcelona. If you have more than a week, then, you will definitely get to see more of what the city and the surrounding areas have to offer.
Don’t forget, Barcelona is what it is—a fun and beautiful city. Enjoy every bit of it!
