Tips for Barcelona

Article by Karen Walker
Photos by Mikhail Gherman

• When you’re in Barcelona, get into the Spanish routine of getting up early, having a siesta between one and four in the afternoon (when everything’s closed anyway), eating dinner around ten or eleven and getting to bed by one in the morning. If you don’t fit into this routine, you’ll look like a sad tourist sitting at dinner at eight and worse, you’ll miss the vibe of the place.

• In general, Barcelona’s very cheap so splashing out at the great restaurants doesn’t really hurt.

• On the down side there are lots of pick pockets in Barcelona. In just a couple of days, I saw quite a few police chases and pick pocketing kids following tourists around. Then there are the gypsies. Moral is … mind your purse.

• Also make sure you get a guidebook that gives you the history of Barcelona and Catalonia. It puts everything into context.

Hotels

Hotel Banys Orientals

One of the best mid price hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Perfect location - little cobble stoned street in the gothic quarter. There are five perfect in an old gothic mansion still with its courtyard. They are large with French doors and medieval ceilings though very modern and clean. Perfect breakfasts - tortillas and fresh mango juice like none you’ve ever had before. And it’s cheap - we had the biggest room and it was only E120 including breakfast. Plus they do a 5% discount for cash. There’s also a restaurant in it that is a Barcelona establishment but the food there was a little disappointing so I do not recommend it even though it looks like it’s going to be great.
Hotel Banys Orientals, C/ Argenteria, 37, 08003 Barcelona. + (34) 92 268 84 60;
http://www.hotelbanysorientals.com

Eating

In general the food in Barcelona is great and very cheap and tapas is definitely the best way to go. The best spots I found were:

Restaurant 7 Portes

Old school establishment full of charm. One of the most expensive places in Barcelona but well priced by international standards.
Neighborhood: La Ribera
Restaurant 7 Portes, Pg. Isabel 11, 14, 08003 Barcelona. + (34) 319 30 33;
http://www.7portes.com/

Museu Textil i d’Indumentaria

Situated in the fashion and textile museum in the Gothic Quarter where many of the mansions have been turned into museums. It’s just opposite the Picasso Museum. It’s a great place for dinner or an evening drink. It’s still feels very medieval and is all candle lit and really quite magical. You can almost feel the people who have lived there before - slightly spooky in a black plague medieval kind of way but it is amazing and has very good tapas.
Neighborhood: La Ribera
Museu Textil i d’Indumentaria, 12 Carrer Montcada, Barcelona. + 34 93 310 7403;
http://www.museutextil.bcn.es/

Origens 99.9%

For easy, quick, modern snacks or lunches Origens 99.9% is excellent. It’s all Catalan food and is very good.
Neighborhood: La Ribera
Origens 99.9%, C Calvet 16, Esc. B, Barcelona. + 93 24 11 600;
http://www.origen99.com/web/

La Carassa

Down a little alleyway and is very old. It’s like being in a dusty old antique shop but lit by candlelight and with fondue. I generally hate fondue but for this dusty, musty restaurant in a medieval house I’ll make the exception. This restaurant is run by a guy and his mother. He’s charming and gave me a carnation wrapped in tin foil. Totally not fashion and totally great.
Neighborhood: La Ribera
La Carassa, Brosoli, 1, Barcelona. + 93 310 33 06;

Sight Seeing

Get a guidebook that breaks the different neighborhoods up into walking tours because there’s so much to see in all of them and this tells you all the things you otherwise wouldn’t know.

L’Eixample

• All the Gaudi buildings are in this neighborhood. You can easily spend a day or two with Gaudi. The must sees are La Pedrera (Casa Mila) which is great, also the Casa Batllo is mind blowing and not to be missed. But the most amazing thing, which should be saved till last, is the Sagrada Familia. Allow at least a half-day for this and perhaps even go twice. Words can’t capture it’s magic.

• Also in this neighborhood are a couple of great spots for snacks - La Bodegueta (100 Rambla de Catalunya) is dingy and quaint, a great place for a coffee or glass of wine half way through the afternoon. La Gran Bodega (193 Valencia) is a brilliant place to have lunch or dinner in this neighborhood, always crowded because the tapas are so good. It’s a must for great Catalan tapas.

Barri Gotic

• This is the Gothic Quarter and is fabulous. Don’t miss Catedral de la Seu, especially the geese in the cloisters.

• The best place for a snack here is Bar del Pi on the Placa Sant Josep Oriol - great tapas and fantastic atmosphere.

La Ribera

• Another gothic area, La Ribera is where we stayed and is magical. Again, do a walking tour and don’t miss the Santa Maria Del Mar church, which is majestic in its simplicity.

• This is the area with all the great museums including The Picasso. It’s also a great place to hang out at night. All common sense sight seeing experience tells you NOT to go exploring down the little alleys that are barely lit but this is what’s magic about this neighborhood. Late at night wandering around the tiny little gothic alleyways is great. There are lots of tiny little candle lit bars and cafes and all you can hear is the echo sound of footsteps of other people wandering around.

• Also here is the Palau de la Musica Catalana. It’s a modernist treasure. We didn’t have time to do the tour but the best way to experience it is by going to a concert here anyway.

Montjuic

• The neighborhood on the hill overlooking the city - save it for later in the trip as it’s not an absolute must though it does have lovely gardens and some of the best museums including the Fundacio Joan Miro which I’d recommend simply for the huge tapestry in the main gallery, plus for the view of Barcelona. Just down the hill from here is the Pavello Mies van der Rohe which is really a must see.

The Port and Barceloneta

• The waterfront is, in general, depressing. Developed in the 80’s it’s all wrong and pretty dull. Give it a miss.

Shopping

• Antiques - the antiques are good, especially on Banys Nous. L’arca de L’avia (at no. 20) is great for antique linen and antique clothes. On the same street (no. 14) is Heritage where I bought some Victorian jewelry and is very good for Victorian through to modernist clothes and accessories.

• Antique Markets - the best one we found was at the Avda de la Catedral (Bari Gotic - Catedral de la Seu). It’s only on Thursdays though.