OK OK guys, sorry it has taken me so long. But you know how I roll: even when I’m late, I’m still on time. So first things first. Daphne, your locale is ideal. There are a number of things within easy walking distance. Here are some recommendations.
Day 1
1. Start it off right with some tapas for lunch. There is an excellent place right on the corner down the street from your hotel. It is called Ciutat Comtal and is on the corner of the Gran Via (de les Corts Catalanes) and la Rambla Catalunya. Take a right as you step out of your hotel it is at the corner. Grab a table outside on the terrace in the central pedestrian area for a good view of the city as it walks past. I can recommend the calamares a la romana, patatas bravas, pimientos de padron, and tortilla espanola to start of with the basics. Of course, there’s tons of stuff on the menu to catch your attention. Also, you can check out the bar for other tapas on display. They have a pretty good beer selection for Barcelona or you can opt for a cool pitcher of sangria. Finish it off with a nice coffee (I like mine cortado) You won’t go wrong.
2. Walk it off by heading up the Paseig de Gracia to the Casa Mila (aka La Pedrera). It is one of the most emblematic landmarks of the city and the tour with audio-guide is well worth it. If you only see one Gaudi building, I would make this one it. It also offers some pretty nice views from the rooftop. I don’t know right now, but I also seem to recall that there are rooftop concerts at dusk during the summers. If I find out more details about this I’ll let you know. Otherwise just ask at your hotel or at the building itself when you go.
3. Cross over to the Rambla Catalunya and stroll back down (toward Ciutat Comptal) and go past it until you reach La Rambla proper. This is the beginning of the old city or Ciutat Vella. You could easily spend the afternoon wandering down the Ramblas and into the small pedestrian streets of the Barrio Gotico (left hand side of La Rambla). A good place to stop would be as rod mentioned on Carrer Petritxol for some good thic hot chocolate. As you walk down La Rambla, take a left at Portaferrissa and the first right onto Petritxol. The good chocolate house is La Granja on the right hand side. There are others on the same street if the wait is too long, but La Granja is the real deal and worth the wait. There is a pretty nice set of plazas as you walk down to the other end of Petritxol which might tempt you to stop for a beer or two (ask for “una canya” for a draft beer of “una mediana” for a 33 cl (12 oz) bottle. Some other sights in the old city you may want to check out include the cathedral and the Plaza Real.
4. That should keep you pretty occupied for the remainder of the afternoon and allow you to work up an appetite for dinner. The place Rod mentioned is indeed a personal favorite. La Fonda is on Carrer dels Escudellers Blancs just of La Rambla. A good way to get there if you are going down La Rambla from your hotel toward the ocean is to duck into the Plaza Real at Carrer Colom and (after checking things out) head to the southwest corner. This will lead you down a narrow street. At the corner, take a left and right in front of you on the right hand side is La Fonda. They don’t take reservations so there is usually a line, but it goes by pretty fast. A good way to minimize the wait is to show up around the time of the first seating at 8:30 (ungodly early for most Spaniards) or around 10.
5. If you are still up for it, there is no shortage of bars, clubs, and lounges to hang out in into the wee small hours.
Day 2
1. For the next morning and depending how much time you have, a trip to either the Sagrada Famila or to the Parc Guell might be recommended. Sagrada Familia would be quicker since the metro stop (Line 2) is right in front of your hotel and takes you directly to SF. If you have a bit more time (I would budget at least 3 to 4 hours) you can go to the Parc Guell. This time accounts for getting there and back and strolling the grounds and catching some good views of the city. To get to the Parc Guell I would take metro (Line 4) to the Alfons X stop and then catch a bus (bus barri 116) that takes you directly to the park entrance. The same bus also takes you to Plaza Lesseps afterward where you can catch the metro (Line 3) back to your Hotel. Another option available if time is constrained is the Bus Turistic. This takes you to all the major attractions and you can get on and off at will with your all-day ticket.
Day 3
1. For the return, you may want to do either of the options from Day 2 that you didn’t get to do.
2. For dinner and a night out, I might recommend some of the places along the beach. Shoko is a pan-Asian restaurant/lounge that morphs into a pretty cool lounge and club after dinner. There are a few other similar options along the beach near the Port Olimpic. This will also allow you to get one last night on the Mediterranean before heading back. I might advise that you make sure you are packed and ready to go before going out for dinner since you may well end up heading straight from the club to the airport depending on how early you have to be there. This is not a bad option and is worth serious consideration. Also and for what its worth, it is not an uncommon practice in Barcelona. Here you either come correct or don’t come at all.
Your days are gonna be pretty packed, but not insane. I hope these hints help and be sure to give us a call when you get in just in case you need anything or if there are any worthwhile concerts, shows, exhibitions, etc. in town that I don’t know of yet. We’ll have our hands pretty full so may not be able to come out and play, but we can sure point you in the right direction.
A good sight to check out is the city’s (http://www.bcn.cat/english/ihome.htm) it also includes an interactive map where you can punch in addresses and it maps them out for you (http://www.bcn.es/guia/welcomea.htm).
Well, I think that’s about all I can think of. Like I said, don’t be shy to give us a shout if you need anything. Have a good time and enjoy the trip.
Charles
