CATALUΡA

Today in Barcelona

Barcelona    Barcelona hotel suggestions    Monserrat    Tarragona    Costa Brava Resorts 
Typical Food   Shopping    

Comprising the Costa Brava north of Barcelona and the Costa Dorado south.

BARCELONA
Hotel/bar suggestions  
A happening city full of astonishing architecture.  One visit won't be enough.  The main attractions to see are:

• Las Ramblas
• Gaudi buildings - the Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, Casa Batllo, Parc Guell
• Barri Gotic
• Montjuic and the 1992 Olympic stadium

GETTING THERE:  Easyjet from Stansted or Luton is usually the cheapest option - but book early for school holidays! Also Ryannair into Girona or Reus - but these are around an hour away by Ryannair bus. 

Barcelona for Kids!
A really good weekend break if you have to take the kids.  Ideas to keep them happy (of course you may want to try them too!):

1 Sagrada Familia - quirky enough in itself.  Can they spot the turtle and the tortoise representing sea and land on the Nativity facade?  A lift ride up the bottle towers to see the views and fantastic mosaic colours used on the some of the towers will delight older kids.

2 Guell Park - plenty of unusual space for running around.  Have a picnic lunch on the longest park bench in Europe.

3 Zoo - containing the only albino gorilla in captivity - Snowy.

4 Beach - no comment required!

5 Ramblas - plenty of street entertainment and pet stalls

6 Poble Espanol - a tour of all Spain for older kids

7 Roof top of La Pedrera - a fantasy rooftop to run around

8 Cable car from Montjuic to Port - who can resist a ride in one of these?!  Go up via funicular/down in the cable car!

9 Tibidabo - take the tram then the funicular up to the old fashioned funfair.   Metro Av de Tibidabo, then tramvia blau (every 30 mins/15 at weekend) to Placa del Doctor Andreu.  Funicular runs noon to 10.30pm.

10 Camp Nou - The famed football stadium, home of La Barca, for football fans.  Carrer d'Aristides Maillol - Metro Collblanc.

Sagrada Familia
Perhaps the most astonishing of Gaudi's buildings.  Started way back in 1882, it came to a halt with the early demise of Antoni Gaudi under a tram in 1926.   It is funded by public donation and your entrance fee.  Work has been restarted over the last 20 years to finish it.  Gaudi left no plans and there is much controversy over whether it should be finished. 

It is a fantastic sight and well worth the €5 or so to get in.  You can ride up one of the 'bottle' towers in a lift and then walk further up spiral staircases (definitely not for the claustrophobic or those with vertigo!) to get a good view of both the immediate city and also the intricate, colourful detail of the building itself. 

At present building work is being concentrated on forming the nave inside the church. 

Las Ramblas
Great for a wander anytime.  They run from the Placa de Catalunya down to the Christopher Columbus monument at the sea.  They are a string of different markets/stalls: flowers, livestock, artists.  Lots of street performers.  Hold onto your handbag.  

It's always busy but try to look out for the following:

- La Boqueria covered food market's entrance on the right as you go down - marvel at the abundance and variety of produce.
- Joan Miro's colourful pavement painting about half-way down
- The quirky ex-umbrella shop on the left just after Placa Reial with its modernista adornments

You can climb the monument to Christopher Columbus (or Cristobal Colon as he is known in Spain) and ponder why he is pointing out to Mallorca!

Turn off left about half-way down into Placa Reial - you'll see the palm trees peeking out of€6

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Passeig de Gracia is home to 2 Gaudi buildings - La Pedrera and Casa Batllo.  The last one is at the end of 2 other modernista buildings by Puig i Cadalfach and Domenech i Muntaner.  The 3 are known as the Block of Discord in that they don't really go together.  It looks particularly pretty at night, but unfortunately is privately owned so you can't tour the inside.

La Pedrera (which is its nickname, meaning 'stone quarry' - real name is Casa Mila) is an enormous undulating building on a corner on the opposite side of the road, now owned by a savings bank.  You can visit the roof for around €4  to see the most amazing vents and chimneys.  The views are also good, including the Sagrada Familia in the background.  Brilliant photo opportunity! There is also a fascinating exhibition detailing how Gaudi worked and his rationale for his buildings.  Originally La Pedrera was designed not to have any straight lines, and to let in as much light as possible.  See it and bear in mind that it was constructed at the beginning of the century!! 

Do return to Passeig de Gracia after nightfall as the buildings are all really well lit.

Modernisme
The Spanish Art Nouveau movement gave rise to a host of wonderful architecture in Barcelona.  Apart from the Gaudi buildings, there are plenty of other beautiful buildings around the Eixample - keep your eyes open for scraffiti - the painted patterns on the walls.

Parc Guell
Gaudi's park is a bit of a pain to get to - there's still a fair walk (and uphill) from the nearest Metro station - but well worth it. 

Eat a picnic sitting on the longest park bench in Europe, all covered in the gaudy (is that where the word comes from?) mosaic known as Trencadi.  Metro Line 3 - Valcarca stop.

Palau Guell
This is the house that Gaudi was commissioned to create for his wealthy patron Eusebio Guell.  It is tucked away on Nou de la Rambla, right off the Ramblas as you go down towards the sea.  Snr Guell choose the, what was then, not a very salubrious location to be near his parents' house, and Gaudi's task was to make this fairly cramped house appear a palace.  Once you're hooked on Gaudi, this is a must see: Gaudi has used amazing tricks to make the house seem larger, lighter and more palacial than it is.  Innovations such as using wood imitating a stone floor to reduce the clatter of horses hooves and carriages (inspect the floor at the entrance - can you tell it's not stone?), abound.  The stables alone, under the house, with their forest of 'mushroom' pillars merit a visit.  Naturally there's a good roof with chimneys!  Look out for the cast iron bat on the roof - the Guell family emblem.   A brilliant way to start the day!

Open Mon-Sat, 10-2pm and 4-8pm.  Entrance €2.4.  Guided tour only, which takes 45 minutes.  Here are the times:  10.15, 10.45, 11.30, 12.00, 12.30, 13.00, 14.15, 15.30, 16.00, 16.30, 17.00.

Tibidabo
The hill at the back of the city offers a wonderful panorama and a funfair. Entry is quite expensive (around 20€ each)  and the rides are quaintly old fashioned rather than white-knuckle.  Of course you don't have to go into the fair: the viewing platform is free both to admire the city spread out below you and to watch others enjoying the rides.  

At the foot of the funicular is the bar Mirablau (Final Avda, Tibidabo.  Tel 93 418 58 79 - open every day) - the drinks are a touch expensive but the views are worth it!  Always packed, try to get a seat on a stool at the huge window and dally over your drink spotting landmarks in the city.

Metro Av de Tibidabo, then tramvia blau (every 30 mins/15 at weekend) to Placa del Doctor Andreu.  Funicular runs noon to 10.30pm.

Montjuic
Take the escalaters (they start working as you approach them) up from the Placa d'Espany.  There's the 1992 Olympic stadium, the Joan Miro museum  the Poble Espanol (a sort of model Spain) to see, not to mention fantastic views over the city. 

More importantly there's a cable car down to Christopher Columbus with great views of the now cleaned up beach.

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Shopping
There's great shopping to be had here - there is a Corte Ingles on the Plaza de Catalunya (do go to the cafe/restaurant on the top floor for a wonderful view of the Plaza), to the right of Corte Ingles, Avinguda Portal de l'Angel has good clothes shops - Mango, Cortefiel, etc.  Also good is Rambla de Catalunya north of the Plaza and Passeig de Gracia and their intersecting streets.  Carrer de Mallorca has flower shops.  24-hr chemist in an alleyway on the right off Passeig de Gracia, walking north from Via des Corts Catalans.  Mango outlet (seconds and old stock at ridiculous prices) on C/Girona, 37.

Hotel / bar suggestions

Plenty of hotels in Barcelona, but I can recommend the Catalunya Plaza, Plaza Catalunya, 7, 08002 Barcelona (0034 93 317 71 71 / fax 0034 93 317 78 55) for sheer location alone.  Right on the Placa de Catalunya, at the top of the Ramblas.  A 3* hotel with extras!  The breakfast room is at the front of the building with views over the plaza.  Rooms are the same price, front or back, you just have to book early enough to get a front one.  Although part of the H10 chain, staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome - nice touches like a personally addressed welcome note and rose on your pillow make you feel you booked 5* not 3!   Prices if you book direct: double room €145/single €120 (+ 7% tax), however using the hotel booking engine www.hotelsearch.com , I have managed to reduce this to as little as €90 for a double off season.  Also part of the H10 chain is La Gravina (5 mins walk away) which is comfortable but not a patch on the Catalunya in terms of both service and location.

Hotel Gran Via, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 642 (0034 93181900) for convenience.  The public rooms are extravagent luxury, much less so the bedrooms.   There is a roof terrace however.

You might consider staying in Sitges, 20 minutes' train journey from the centre.  It's a pleasant seaside resort, very popular with the gay community.  A particularly recommended hotel is the Santa Maria, right on the sea front (double rooms from around €72).  The hotel restaurant is particularly recommended.

Bars
Make sure to pay a visit to El Xampanyet at Carrer Montcada, 22, close to the Picasso museo.  A tiny establishment serving champanoise by the glass and freshly made tapas to die for.   Ancient tiles and decor whisk you back to the 50s  -  the prices have stayed there too!  A family run concern opened in 1929 by granddad.  His son is now 71 and handing over to his son when he hits 75 - let's hope it doesn't change!  Open at lunchtime and from 6.45 (ish!) in the evening - expect it to be full and buzzing by 7.00!

Restaurantes
Do try C'an Culleretes, Quintana 5 (tel 93 317 64 85).  Just off the Ramblas, they offer good regional food at a reasonable price.  The most interesting dishes are printed on a separate sheet within the menu, in Catalan - suckling pig with pine nuts and raisins, wild boar.  Aperitifs, 3 courses, wine and water, approx 48€ for 2. The queue forms outside before 9 pm, but if you phone or pop in during the day to reserve, you will be given a table away from the hoards!

Typical food to try

Pa amb Tomaquet - tomato bread
Arroz Negro - rice cooked in squid ink
Fideua - a sort of paella but made with broken spaghetti instead of rice
Espinacs a la Catalan - spinach with raisins and pine nuts
Suquet de Peix - fish and potato soup
Sarsuela - seafood stew
Carn a la brasa amb al i oli - chargrilled meat with garlic mayonnaise
Botifarra - blood sausage
Crema Catalan - Vanilla creme brulee

MONSERRAT

If you're in this area you really must try to fit in a visit to the monastery at Monserrat - just for the stunning views and scenery.  The setting high up in the Monserrat sierra is breath taking.   

A cable car will take you up to it from station FC Aeri.  If driving, you can park here in the car park.

Once up there you can buy a sandwich and bun at the bakery/patisserie to take even further up via funicular to have a tranquil, lofty picnic.  Or you could have lunch in the restaurant!  Oh and choir boys sing at 1 pm each day.

COSTA BRAVA

Estartit    Tossa del Mar     Pals/Peratrallada    Figueres   Market days    Top of page

GETTING THERE: Ryannair.com fly to GERONA (GRO) from Stansted; lots of charter flights land at Gerona during the summer; or take a flight into Barcelona airport - it's about 2 hours' drive to Estartit.
A company called Islanders also charter Saturday flights from Bournemouth airport - click here to go to their online booking.

Estartit
Street plan

A lovely resort with a long, wide, sweeping sandy beach, a pretty harbour and a pedestrianised old town with plenty of shops and restaurants.  This is an ideal family resort which is not too big.  It's also a centre for scuba and snorkeling, with boat trips to the Islas Medes. 

Bars/restaurantes

Bar el Molinet, Carrer de L'Esglesia - Not particularly inspiring to look at but incredibly cheap tapas.  The house wine is whatever he has to hand!

Can Cervera, Carrer de Santa Anna - Excellent food at excellent prices.  Usually full by 9.00!  Try the Arroz Negro - rice cooked in squid ink (much better than it sounds!!)

Restaurante Robert, Passeig Maritim - For a more formal meal, but reasonable prices.  The 15€ fish menu is exceptional.

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Tossa del Mar
Although Tossa is one of the very first tourist resorts, it retains a picturesque atmosphere.  The beach is large and of tiny stones, with crystal clear sea.  The Vila Vela (old town) is as pretty and picturesque as anywhere for a wander and the winding streets behind the beach teem with restaurants, bars and shops. 

Tossa can be reached by a hair-raising, hair-pin cornered coastal road from San Feliu to the north.  It's a spectacular drive, but you'll probably want to return by the inland route - once is enough!  I would recommend a day trip to Tossa, or an out of season stay.  The Hotel Diana is right by the beach.

Pals / Peratrellada
Two picturesque medieval towns of the cobbled streets/golden stone variety - well worth a wander.  Look out for the ruts beneath archways, made by the passing of 1000s of chariots in times gone by. 

There are a few upmarket 'pot' shops and a choice of places for lunch or dinner.  In early summer, Pals is a riot of flowers.  

Excellent photo opportunities.  Just the right sort of excursion for late afternoon when the sunbathing starts to bore!

Figueres
The main reason for going to Figueres is to go to the Dali museum, for whatever the books may say, there's not much else there!  Even if you don't think you like Dali much, the museum has to be seen for sheer spectacle.  Drive into Figueres and bear left as you approach town centre: you can't miss the museum, a dark red affair, decorated with bread buns and topped with giant eggs!  The collection is both quirky and clever and the early artwork makes you appreciate what a great artist the man was.   Look for the repetition of shape in the surreal pictures and the duel interpretative qualities of many of the works: be sure to use the viewer in the main hall to view Dali's wife become Abraham Lincoln's face! 

The museum is closed on Mondays during the 'winter' - which includes May!

La Bisbal
The place to go if you're into Spanish pottery - more ceramica shops per square metre than anywhere else!

Market Days

With Ryannair now flying into Reus airport, Tarragona makes for a pleasant cheap weekend away.  Take a ten minute taxi from the airport to the centre of Tarragona for around 20€.

Places to stay
Most guide books will tell you the best place to stay is the Imperial Tarraco, and it does have a good position overlooking the beach and Roman amphitheatre.  It is a '50s built hotel with front facing rooms having balconies.  However, if you're in Tarragona for a weekend break you will stay more cheaply at the Ciutat de Tarragona, a well-appointed 4* on the Plaza Imperial Tarraco roundabout at the end of the Rambla Nou.  Through www.hotelsearch.com we secured a room here for 50€ (twice) which is excellent value.  Good buffet breakfast for 9€.  Hotel Ciutat de Tarragona, Pl Imperial Tarraco, 5, 43005 Tarragona.  (Tel 977 250999 / fax 977 250699.)http://www.hotelciutatdetarragona.com/eng/index.html

(use this link to a street plan of Tarragona - http://www.tarragona.creativeweb.es/planol/tgn_i.html)

Start with a walk along the Rambla Nou, a typical rambla with a pedestrianised centre and traffic on the outside.  It doesn't have the bustle of Barcelona's rambla, but nevertheless there are several kiosks and a marvellous statue celebrating the Catalan tradition of castellers - a sort of human towers thing.  There is a big castellers competition held in the bull ring in Tarragona on the first Sunday in October every other year (even years).  You can also see castellers during Tarragona's main fiesta - 23/24 September - in the Plaza de la Font.

The rambla ends at the Balcon de Mediterranea for a view out to sea and of the beach.  Unfortunately the view to the right takes in the railway station and port, so look left! 

There is a market along the Rambla Nou on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but always flower stalls and newspaper kiosks.

At this point, if you head left you will arrive at ..

Roman Ruins
Probably the photo everyone has seen of Tarragona will be of its Roman amphitheatre above the beach.  Impressive more for its backdrop of brilliant blue sea, it is nevertheless the must-have photo even if you don't actually pay the entrance fee to go in.  Closed on Mondays and at lunchtimes during the winter (Oct - May).

There are further Roman ruins just over the busy Via Augusta which begins and heads north from the roundabout opposite the amphitheatre.  The roundabout is also the site of a tourist information office.  The main office can be found on c/Fortuny, 4, which can be found half-way down the rambla on the right as you head towards the sea.  Tel 977 233415.

From the amphitheatre, you are well placed for a wander around Tarragona's old town.  Head up the Rambla Vella (old rambla) and off to the right.  Streets climb towards the cathedral.  Head up the Carrer Major and look out for the trompe l'oeill down a left-hand side street.

Catedral
The cathedral can be found at the top of Carrer Major on the pretty Plaza de la Seu.  The impressive Gothic main entrance and surrounding facade depict the Last Judgement.  The tourist entrance to the cathedral, however, is around to the left just before you enter the square.  This entrance takes you first into the cloister running around the peaceful central garden, then via side door into the cathedral.  There is an entrance fee, but by chance we got tacked on to the end of a large coach party and included in their entrance.

The retablo is an intricate carving by sculptor Pere Joan depicting scenes from the life and martyrdom of San Tecla, the patron saint of Tarragona.  Look out for the tiniest of carved creatures, including a spider, cricket and snail!

If you are in need of some refreshment by now, wander back down through the narrow streets to the Plaza de la Font, which is ringed with bars and restaurants.  There is a Lizarran here but if you enjoy Spanish ham, you might also try the Amigos del Jamon, where you can choose your combination platter of ham, sausage and cheese.

City Walls
Re-energised, you might like to stretch your legs around the ancient city walls which date back to 200 BC.  Entrance is at the top of the Via de L'Imperi Roma and there is a small entrance fee.  Unfortunately, it's not a circuitous route, but finishes behind and just beyond the cathedral.  You can either return to the beginning or exit here and walk back down through the old town.

Shopping
Most of the shops are located between the Rambla Vella and the Rambla Nou.  There is a quaint collection of shops in the old town, the like of which have long since disappeared in the UK - wool shops, corsetry, haberdashery - as well as a couple of home-grown department stores.  No Corte Ingles I'm afraid!  There is a Zara on c/Cristofer Colon (right off the Rambla Nou, heading towards the sea).  However, shoppers needn't despair as there is a reasonable centro comercial called Parque Central which you will come across if you head 500 m down the Avinguda de Roma from the main Placa Imperial Tarraco.  Here you will find another Zara, Mango, shoe shops and the usual array of other Spanish clothes shops.

Restaurants
Naturally the evening meal is a high spot in the weekend away, and you will do very well to do as we did and go to Passadis on C/ Estanislao Figueres 36 - which runs down from the Pl Imperial Tarraco (tel  977232455) .  They serve Catalan cuisine in a rustic, cottagy atmosphere.  Their set menu is a bargainous 7€, but going a la carte is not going to break the bank.  Their wine list is good, with a selection of regional wines - we had a stunning Priorat crianza for around 16€ - so good we ordered a second!  They serve a selection of regional specialities, including the much-loved calcots (spring onions).  Check out their website for a better idea -  http://www.tinet.org/~passadis/.  Otherwise, head for the fisherman's port area known as El Serallo where there are several fish restaurants and tapas bars.

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