My husband and I spent two weeks in Barcelona in a lovely apartment at the Placa de Catalunya end of Las Ramblas. We had been warned that it would be really loud and pick pockets would steal our wallets. People recommended that we eat paella and go see flamenco. This was NOT the Barcelona that we would come to experience. Perhaps it was the time of year – it was the end of spring and it was still rather chilly for the musicians to play their stringed instruments. Perhaps it was too early for tourists such that the pick pockets saw no point of rambling on Las Ramblas. Perhaps it was the lure of the tapas bars and late night clubs that prevented us from eating paella and watching flamenco. Maybe we found a different side of Barcelona because we took many wrong turns (and did not get our pockets picked).

There were a few things that we knew we wanted to do in Barcelona: (1) eat tapas at a bar; (2) see Gaudi architecture; (3) drink Suizo de la Granja Viader; and (4) stay up ALL NIGHT because if we couldn’t stay up all night in Barcelona – then we were real losers (Note – #1 & #2 were my husband’s goals and #3 & #4 – mine)! Those were the non-negotiables. I am proud to say that we successfully achieved our four goals. Of course, goals like that are easy to achieve. In addition, we visited amazing museums and galleries, shopped at the wonderful markets, discovered great local fashion designers, wound our way through endless streets and alleys, had delicious meals and drank LOTS of cava (at least I did – lunch and dinner).

Street outside our window in El Raval

As always, the thing that I like to do most is walk, walk, walk, eat, walk some more, stop at a café, walk some more, go home & rest, have a glass of wine (or cava, in Barcelona) then have dinner. Barcelona is perfect for that. We would spend a day or two in each barrio/neighborhood, exploring the sites, finding small shops, sitting on benches and watching the people walk by (my husband was crazy about the way women in Barcelona wear their hair – great haircuts with baby bangs and cool haircolors). On the last day, we were walking around and realized that we had landed in a barrio that we had not yet discovered. What did this mean? We would just have to return to Barcelona because there is so much more walking, eating, visiting, exploring to be done.

I can remember one day, it was a Sunday, and we had decided to explore the Barri Gotic. As we started out the day, we realized that the stores had changed their window displays to reflect the arrival of spring. Winter browns, blacks and grays were replaced with vibrant, whimsical colors. We turned the corner and came upon a group of singers performing opera in a square. After watching for about 20 minutes, we headed on our way. Just around the corner, there was another square in which the city was holding an environmental awareness festival with games, performances, crafts, and information. Within the span of an hour and a few blocks, we experienced the richness and complexity of Barcelona that continues to beckon me back.

The following are some websites that I find to be really for trip planning. Although there is some overlap, I have found it best to look at a few different sites in order to create a full picture.

General Guides and Information

• Barcelona Turisme is an amazing site that I just discovered after researching for several days!
• Barcelona Yellow
• Barcelona Tourist Guide Basic Facts
• Safety Tips
• Barcelona Card I am not one who purchases these cards but it is always a good option.
• Metro Map and Metro info

Neigborhoods and Maps

• Barcelona Tourist Guide Neighborhood descriptions
• Barcelona Tourist Guide Neighborhood map</em>
• Barcelona Tourist Guide Street map
• Frommer’s neighborhoods – I am a huge fan of Frommer’s, which I find to be very clear and easy to navigate. I also love their walking tours and itineraries, which are always a great starting point and resource.
• Streets & squares by Europe-cities.com

To provide an amazing context for your visit to Barcelona, I highly recommend the following book!

Of course, you can admire this beauty on the way to one of the MANY amazing galleries, museums, or buildings for which Barcelona is famous. Here are just a few:

Gaudi architecture – this is a must. The most famous of the Gaudi buildings are:
Casa Batlló at Passeig de Gràcia 43 (map). Gaudí’s genius transformed a terraced house, characteristic of the district of the Eixample of the 19th century, into one of the most outstanding buildings in Barcelona’s architecture.

Casa Mila, commonly known as La Pedrera, was built between 1906 and 1912. It is located at Carrer de Provença 261, (map). Visitors to the building can see the patios, the Espai Gaudi (attic and roof-terrace) and The Pedrera Apartment.

La Sagrada Familia, located at Plaza de la Sagrada Familia, nearest metro stop L2 & L5 (map). Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia is Barcelona’s most significant symbol, and the most visited building in Barcelona. In 1883, the architect agreed to continue a cathedral project that was already under way. Gaudi redesigned it completely and he worked on it until his death in 1926. La Sagrada Familia presents a wonderful juxtaposition of artistic styles and periods.

Parc Guell is a whimsical and beautiful architectural park situated on the hill of Carmel in the Gràcia district http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Olot%2C+7+Barcelona++08024 (map). The nearest metro is L3 Vallcarca. The Parc is home to many of the iconic Gaudi artistic elements.

There are many more Gaudi sites. Here are 2 links to websites that will provide a comprehensive listing.
Barcelona Yellow: Gaudi
Gaudi Sagrada Familia
Official site of the Gaudí year 2002 in Barcelona

Art Museums
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, or MACBA) is located in El Raval in the Placa des Angel (map). All the art dates from the mid-20th century onward. There are three periods of modern art represented: the first one covers the forties to the sixties; the second spans the sixties and seventies; the third period is contemporary. The collections focus on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art, although some foreign art is also represented. All the art dates from the mid-20th century onward. MACBA is also known as a great skateboard park, which is a show in and of itself.

The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), located in El Raval next to MACBA (map), is an amazing cultural platform for artistic and creative experimentation. A multidisciplinary center, with exhibitions, film, courses, debates, lectures, music, dance, etc., this is a don’t miss!

The Francisco Godia Foundation, located at C/ Diputació, 250 (between Rambla Catalunya and Balmes) (map), was set up in 1998 and looks after the legacy of the businessman and collector Francisco Godia Sales. It specialises in medieval art, ceramics, Modernist drawing and painting, and 20th century art. It is a real treat. This museum is a real treat. Don’t be put off by that fact that it doesn’t “look” like a museum!

Fundació Antoni Tàpies is closed for renovations. The Fundació was created in 1984 by the artist Antoni Tàpies to promote the study and knowledge of modern and contemporary art. It combines the organisation of temporary exhibitions, symposia, lectures and film seasons with a range of publications to go with the activities and periodic shows of Antoni Tàpies’ work. If you are in the Eixample neighborhood, talk a walk by (map) because the building has an amazing façade.

City History Museum exposes the roman history of Barcelona. I am a history nut – I love historic houses and architectural ruins. The Monumental Ensemble of the Plaça del Rei is just one part of The Barcelona City History Museum collection (map). This “Monumental Ensemble” is made up of the 11th century Palau Condal (“Count’s Palace”), which later became the Royal Palace. At the beginning of the 20th century the monumental ensemble was completed when the Gothic palace of Padellàs House was moved to the Plaça del Rei. Below the Plaça del Rei square is a MUST-SEE visit to the 4,000 square meter archaeological site displaying the 1st century B.C to 8th century A.D. Roman colony ruins. THIS IS TOTALLY COOL! The official City History Museum website is in Spanish.

Barcelona Connect has a great little article about Roman Barcelona.

The National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, MNAC) is a museum of Catalan visual art housed in the Palau Nacional. Situated on the Montjuïc hill at the end of Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina (map), it was rehabilitated by the 1992 Summer Olympics. MNAC’s impressive collections reflect the reuniting of the old Museu d’Art de Catalunya (Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art collections) and the Museu d’Art Modern (19th-and 20th-century art collections) under one roof, and declared it a national museum, incorporating the Department of Drawings and Prints, the Gabinet Numismàtic de Catalunya (coinage and medals) and the Biblioteca d’Història de l’Art (General Library of Art History) into the new museum structure. Later in 1996, the Department of Photography was created and this artistic discipline was included in the museum project.

The Joan Miró Foundation (Fundació Joan Miró, Centre d’Estudis d’Art Contemporani) is a museum of modern art honoring Joan Miró also located on Montjuïc (map) and (hours). This is a wonderful collection not to be missed.

Free museums on Sunday

Smaller museums

The Dali Museum is not in Barcelona but it’s only a short train journey away
1.5 hour (by car or train) in a small town called Figueres, Dalí’s home town. The museum houses one of the largest collections of his work and the building, itself, is worth the visit. Directions and route to the Dali Museum from Barcelona.

Galleries
Iquapop is located at c/Comerc 15 (map) in El Born. This contemporary urban gallery features exhibits of pop surrealism, graffiti and a broad-range vision of new pop art. Iguapop provides an interesting insight into modern Barcelona. Iguapop is located very close to the Museu Picasso and Mercat Santa Caterina, which is a great city market.

Shopping
I am not one to look for specific stores. Rather, as I walk, walk, walk and walk, I believe in stopping in any place that catches my eye.

Barcelona Tourist Guide: Shopping provides a good, overall sense of shopping. If you go to the Shopping Directory, you can find the pages with specific shopping items.

Here are a few suggestions for shopping areas and a few specific places:
5 KM Shopping walk stretches from the top of the Ramblas, through Placa de Catalunya along Passeig de Gràcia and up Avenue Diagonal. You will find most of the high end designers and stores along this walk.

El Raval was my favorite area for shopping. You can find great, young designers and interesting items on every little street. I would like to mention Giménez & Zuazo at Elisabets 20 (map), which features these Barcelona creations.

El Corte Inglés is the most famous shop in the city. In Barcelona, the biggest one is located on Plaça de Catalunya. El Corte Inglés is a full-service store, including a great supermarket and is open from Monday to Saturday, 10 am until 10 pm and also every first Sunday of the month.

Pa amb Tomàquet, a Catalan specialty, is ubiquitous in Barcelona. My first experience with this tasty delight was our second day in Barcelona. My husband and I stopped in a tiny bar/café to get a Cortado (coffee shot with milk). The lady behind the bar was pressing tomatoes through a sieve and collecting the juice. When we inquired about this, she took out some good crusty bread, rubbed some garlic on it, poured some tomato juice and topped it off with olive oil and salt. YUM. So simple and so delicious because it is all about the flavors and quality ingredients. Read this mouth-watering article on SpanishJourneys.com about the art of the Pa amb Tomàquet.

Our eating experiences could be broken down into the following categories: tapas bars, restaurants, sweets and markets.

Tapas bars – forget what you were told about not eating while standing up. I say pony up to the bar, order yourself a glass of cava and start bringing me some small plates of Catalan treats. To familiarize yourself with some basic tapas, here is a small list of tapas. I am tapas simpleton – give me some Tortilla de Patata, good olives and cheese, Boquerones (marinated white anchovies) and I am good to go. The great thing about standing at the bar is that you can see it, point to it and try out things that just look good. Here are a few places to get tapas:

The bar at El Xampanyet

El Xampanyet is a traditional Catalan bar in El Born, the very oldest part of town, and has not changed one bit in 100 years. This is a tiny space that can get rather crowded but that makes for a great experience. El Xampanyet is known for their cava and marinated anchovies and I can vouch for them – lots of them. Note that El Xampanyet is closed in August. El Xampanyet is located very close to the Picasso Museum at C/Montcada 22 (map). Closed in August.

Quimet i Quimet is a little out of the way but totally worth it. Quimet i Quimet, another place where you eat standing up, specializes in combinados, a tapas plating practice that you’ll only see in a traditional bar. Make your way to the bar and ask for a little of this, a bit of that and a few of those, and it all goes on a combinado plate. Quimet has a great selection of Spanish and Catalan cheeses. Quimet i Quimet is located at C/Poeta Cabanyes, 25 in the Poble Sec neighborhood (map). Read this review in the New York Times Travel review.

The next place is a transition between tapas bars and markets.

The bar at El Quim

El Quim de la Boqueria is a tiny tapas bar located right in Barcelona’s Mercat St. Josep La Boqueria on Las Ramblas. There are only 18 stools so you can expect a wait, and then some. But when it is your turn, you will understand why people take their time at this great place. El Quim uses fresh ingredients from the La Boqueria to create their mouth-watering dishes. Favorite El Quim dishes include fried artichokes, Tortilla (especially the spinach & potato), white beans, grilled asparagus, and eggs prepared with tiny squid. Prepare to spend some time at El Quim (both waiting and eating) and don’t feel rushed by the people waiting behind you! They will understand the wait.

This brings me to Markets. Barcelona has several markets – the most well-know to visitors being La Boqueria, off of Las Ramblas. As I said in my Montreal post, markets are great places to taste local/regional cuisine, find great gifts, and mingle with the locals. Here is a list of all the major markets in Barcelona (list).

From the markets we move to the more “traditional” style restaurant but that does not mean traditional food.

Anima, located near the MACBA Museum of Modern Art at C/Àngels 6 in El Raval (map), is a gastronomic experience. The food is as beautiful to look at as it is to eat. The interior is very clean and minimal and there is a wonderful terrace where you can sit when the weather is beautiful. Although I don’t remember all of the specifics of my meal, I do remember that it was delicious. I do remember, in great detail, the absolutely divine mozzarella ball filled with roasted eggplant and a sweet tomato jam. I also remember that when the door to the kitchen would open, you could see a poster that said “The only Bush that I trust is my own.” Even if the food was terrible, I would still love this restaurant! Read a great review on Find.Eat.Drink a wonderful blog that has great information.

Calcots at El Glop

Taverna el Glop is a low-key, rustic restaurant that serves hearty, traditional Catalan food at several different locations. I went there for one reason – their calcots – grilled spring onions served with romescu sauce. I had read about their calcots, searched out the original in Gracia, at c/de San Llouis 24, and was not disappointed. The waiter was most confused when we said that all we wanted was one order of calcots, a glass of wine for my husband and a cava for me. Calcots are a spring feast not to be missed – whether it is at El Glop or any other place.

Foodball is a quirky “healthy” restaurant located in El Raval at c/Elisabets 9 (map). Foodball, owned by the Camper group that is known for its shoes and innovative design concepts. serves rice balls stuffed with delicious fillings and various dipping sauces, such as soy and ginger or coconut curry. There are also sweet balls made from dates or carob and various organic drinks such as hemp beer and bancha tea as well as microbiologically pure filtered water. FoodBall is strictly environmental, ecological, organic and local. It is “built on the principles of bioconstruction, using non-contaminating materials and renewable energy sources.” Even the plates, cups, and take away boxes, made from sugar cane and corn, are biodegradable. Don’t be put off by the word “healthy.” The balls are compact sources of yumminess.

Granja M. Viader – one of best memories. Located at c/Xuclá 4 (map), in a little alley off Las Ramblas, Granja Viader is oldest of the city’s granjes (literally, farms) cafés that specializes in dairy products and sweet delights such as Suize (thick hot chocolate topped with whipped cream) and mel i mató (cheese curd with honey). The evening we went to Granja Viader, it was cold and misty, perfect for a hot, thick Suize that requires a spoon. This charming café, with its century- old fittings and enamel adverts, where marble- topped tables, and decorated tiles, was host to the most diverse crowd I had seen: a group of young students, a father with 3 daughters, a mother with her older son, and other countless fans of all good things rich and creamy. When you slip that spoon of mel i mató into your mouth, you are tasting the history of Barcelona.

Bubo is a sweet shop that I wish I had gone to but did not get the chance – NEXT Time.

This was just a small sample of the delicious food that we ate in Barcelona. There are so many wonderful traditional restaurants that have been around forever mixed with innovative chefs that are setting the standard for international cuisine – it is hard to choose. Check out the Barcelona: 1wrongturn post where I have placed links to great websites that will lead you to all kinds of new and wonderful culinary experiences.

Other helpful links from Find.Eat.Drink:

• Restaurant List that can be downloaded as a PDF

• Map of restaurants that can be downloaded as a PDF

Sometimes the best wrong turns are not physical but virtual. I cam across the following websites that provide great suggestions places that you would find only by taking wrong turns. Check them out!

• Spotted by Locals

• Barcelona.unlike