Barcelona's La Sagrada
Familia
Overview:
Barcelona is a fabulous
city that offers something for everyone. It has great
beaches, world class shopping, unbelievable sights and a
completely unique flavor all its own. Barcelona enjoys
warm days and comfortable nights, but can get cool in
the late fall and early spring if you are visiting then.
The currency in Spain the the euro and the best place to
obtain them is from the ATMs that are on just about
every corner throughout Barcelona.
Cruise
Port Location and Information:
Docked in the inner
Harbor of Port Vell
Smaller
ships may dock right downtown in the inner harbor, which
is the most desirable place to be. Larger ships will
dock in the outer harbor and will require a transfer
into the downtown area. Taxis are readily available and
inexpensive. Note that the tower by the building is
actually a tram that can take you across the harbor to
the beach, or up into the foothills for some of the
museums.
Port Vell
Entrance
To get
into the main tourist part of Barcelona all one has to
do is exit the port, walk to the right a few blocks
until they see the statue of Columbus.
Statue of Columbus and
the Foot of Las Ramblas
If your ship is docked at
the outer harbor, your transfer will drop you here, as
well. If you have taken a taxi and do not want a tour,
have the taxi driver drop you here. All of Barcelona is
accessible from here.
Exploring on Your Own:
Barcelona Hop On Hop
Off Bus
Each
European city seems to have its own HoHo buses and
Barcelona is no exception. The difference is that
Barcelona's HoHo bus system is wonderful, inexpensive
and the buses operate on a frequency that one never has
to wait very long at all for the next bus. There are two
separate loops, the North and the South. There is enough
time in a day to do both and this is the very best way
to see the city of Barcelona. You can catch the southern
loop of the bus right by the statue of Columbus.
Barcelona's Las Ramblas
One of
the top tourist attractions in Barcelona is a stroll
along Las Ramblas. This pedestrian street is loaded with
unique shops, street entertainers, mimes, restaurants
and bars.
The Flower Section of
Las Ramblas
Each section of Las
Ramblas seems to have its own marketplace for certain
products. The flower section goes for quite a while.
Las Ramblas Bird Vendor
But it
is the section that features birds that seems completely
out of place. Here you can purchase doves, pheasants,
song birds, chickens, quail and many other types of
fascinating birds.
Shopping Tips:
Plaza Catalunya
Barcelona offers world class shopping and lots of it.
First, you can find tourist shopping on and surrounding
Las Ramblas. At the very top of Las Ramblas you will be
presented with Plaza Catalunya. This is where the
designer shopping starts. If you turn to the right and
go to the next block, you will see some department
stores and boutiques. Turn right down the pedestrian
street and you will find numerous shops and also the
entrance to the Gothic District. The Gothic District is
loaded with specialty boutiques.
Passeig de Gracia
If you
go back to Plaza Catalunya and look across it to the
main street (Passeig de Gracia) that starts at its
complete other end, that is the start of the designer
shopping. From here up to Avinguda Diagonal lies some of
the best shopping opportunities in Spain. If you want
even more, turn left on Avinguda Diagonal and continue
for a block and then continue back to Plaza Catalunya
down Rambla de Catalunya for more boutiques. Look in
some of Europe's finest department stores for fashions
and other excellent buys.
Port
Highlights:
Fabulous Barcelona
Beaches
Barcelona has so much to see it is almost mind boggling.
I would rate Barcelona's beaches as some of the best in
the entire Mediterranean region and certainly worth your
time. Every hundred yards (or so) there are snack
stations set up where beachgoers can order a variety of
snacks (panini and other treats) as well as ice cold
sangria that you can enjoy on the sand. Many beaches
offer lounge chairs for a nominal amount of money, or
you can simply lay on the sand itself.
Barcelona Art
Everywhere you look in Barcelona you see artwork to
feast your eyes upon.
The Art and Architecture in Barcelona
is Ornate
More Artwork to Enjoy
Besides
the wonderful artwork everywhere, Barcelona's buildings
are a joy to experience.
A Typical Barcelona
Building
Of
course, Gaudi's time spent in Barcelona was well
documented by the structures that he constructed.
Casa Mila
A few
blocks up Passeig
de Gracia one stumbles upon Casa Mila. This is one of
Gaudi's finest structures in Barcelona. One can take a
tour of its interior, but just seeing it phenomenal
design is enough to make anyone impressed.
The Detail on Casa Mila
A block
or two before reaching Casa Mila is another Gaudi
building that one can inspect. Looking at Gaudi's impact
on Barcelona is fascinating. Also, be sure to visit Park
Guell on the HoHo bus noth route. They will announce
where to get off and how to get to it. Park Guell is a
mind boggling of architechure created by Gaudi to be a
public park. It is well worth the visit.
La Sagrada Familia
However
Gaudi is best known for his never completed church, La
Sagrada Familia. While there were never any plans for
building the structure, it construction continues even
today.
La Sagrada Familia's
Ornate Design
It is
almost unbelievable that this structure exists today.
The complexity and detail of its design is mind
boggling.
La Sagrada Familia
Be sure
to stop and spend some time at this structure, as you
will find it very memorable. La Sagrada Familia is on
the north bus route.
There
are also numerous museums and parks to enjoy that are
too numerous to mention here. The south bus route will
take you to the beaches, museums and many government
buildings and parks. All in all, a day spent riding the
HoHo bus in Barcelona will make sure that you see
everything Bacelona has to offer.
Off the
Beaten Path:
Barcelona Bike Rentals
Barcelona
has a self-service bike rental business so that tourists
can rent bikes anywhere they want and drop them where
ever they would like. It is a great way to see the city
and explore areas of Barcelona that the HoHo bus does
not visit.
Dining
and Drinking Suggestions:
Ciudad Condal
While
Barcelona is known for its excellent restaurants, we
always make it a point to dine at Ciudad Condal on
Rambla de Catalunya just a few blocks inland from the
Plaza Catalunya. This is the best spot that we have
found for excellent tapas and wine. Given the number of
tapas bars in Barcelona this is really saying something.
Must Do
List:
I would
give riding the HoHo bus in Barcelona a "must do"
rating. It is the best way to enjoy Barcelona for a day
(or more) and see much of what Barcelona is all about.
Reader
ePortReviews
(Please Click the Review you'd like to read)
Barcelona: A Catalan City
of Colorful Contrasts By Nancy Norris:
This is a very
thorough review that should be read by every visitor to
Barcelona. Includes several excellent pictures.
