Lauren Tabbron shares her favourite things to do in Manchester
Jess Astbury regales tales of festivities in warmer climates.
Written by Gemma Rowland
There seem to be cities within cities, as the modern and enterprising city preserves its historic Gothic centre, and there is a curious contrast between the maze of narrow streets and the grid-like layout of the Eixample. Barcelona sits on the Mediterranean coast, boasting 4.5km of beautiful coastline, with a beachfront boardwalk which is split into seven beaches. The seafront, which was completely transformed for the 1992 Olympic Games, is beautiful on a sunny day.
When to go
With a wonderful Mediterranean climate Barcelona is pleasant all year round. It’s best to visit in Spring or Autumn, so you can walk around without getting too hot, or having to fight off too many tourists.
Getting there
Use low-cost airline Ryanair to fly to Girona-Costa Brava airport rather than Barcelona airport, which goes from Doncaster. You’ll save pennies, but you will have to spend the two and a half hour flight in close proximity to a number of chavs! You can then get on a direct bus to Barcelona bus station, costing around twenty euros return. Once there the metro system is easy and cheap to use, with a ten-ride ticket giving you good savings, although you’ll find you can walk most places. There are also hundreds of rather groovy bikes to rent, or, for the more adventurous, roller blades!
Where to stay
Everyone loves a good hostel, and on La Rambla, a tile-covered, tree-lined walkway which makes up the spine of the city, there is a fabulous one to be found. Centric point is the new kid in town; cheap and funky, it comes highly recommended. You can book online.
Daytime
Take a stroll down La Rambla to the seafront, and you’ll glimpse street performers who jump out at unsuspecting tourists, colourful flower stalls, and crazy pet stalls. Venture off the main thoroughfare to see the winding streets and hidden squares.
Make friends with Gaudi by visiting the infamous Sagrada Familia. It is breathtaking yet curiously unfinished, so cranes are interspersed with the graceful spires. Visit Gaudi’s Parc Güell to see the brilliantly coloured mosaic dragons and houses which look like they’re made of gingerbread. Appreciate the art by visiting the Picasso museum and the Dali museum.
If you have more time, you could head out of the city a little to visit the National Palace, the Olympic stadium or, for animal lovers, there’s a brilliant zoo. Pay a visit to the football stadium, Camp Nou, the biggest stadium in Europe. Or leave hard ground and ride a cable car from the sea front to Montjuic Mountain. And don’t forget to shop: head to the impressive Maremagnum, a shopping mall situated on the seafront. What does one buy in Barcelona? Well, I would say designer clothes, art in any form, leather goods, spicy sausages, cava, Catalan almond fudge and honey.
Evening
The Olympic Port is your best bet for a good ole dance - head to a ‘discoteca’ rather than a ‘club’, which in Spain often refers to a sex show. With many discotecas open till 6am remember to bring your stamina. Immerse yourself in ‘Spanishness’ by visiting a flamenco show, and leave the Strongbow behind: your tipple of choice is now San Miguel, Cava or Sangria.
Food and drink
Your tummy may soon feel it has abandoned all time zones, as people eat at peculiar hours here, with lunch around two till four, and a typical evening meal rarely before nine. Have coffee and pastry for breakfast, followed by tapas for lunch. Barcelona’s cuisine is hit and miss, as we painfully found. Seriously, why buy a huge restaurant and forget to hire a chef? Anyway, look for eateries out of sight where locals can be found.
Don’t eat on La Rambla, where you’ll pay higher prices for lower quality, instead venture off down side streets. Born and Barceloneta are great areas for quality food and drink. Visit La Boqueria, a massive, colourful market with food as far as the eye can see, for fresh fruit, fish, meat and chocolate. Seafood is great in this city, as is the Catalan staple, pa am tomàquet, which is toasted bread smeared with tomato and garlic, seasoned with olive oil.
Learn the lingo
Forget speaking, the Spanish love gestures. Pursing the fingertips and kissing them means ‘this is wonderful’ and making a fist with the thumb and little finger extended and imitating drinking means ‘let’s have a drink.’ See how many times you can whip these out. In fact they’ll probably see you right through!
The bottom line – a few dos and don’ts
- Remember that Barcelona is in Catalonia, and so many people speak Catalan, rather than Spanish. Do not make remarks in favour of Madrid - you will be met with a very angry look!
- Think late. Don’t expect your evening meal at seven, and don’t contemplate going to a club before midnight.
- Do note the nearby town named ‘Tossa de Mar’. It provides a laugh every time!
For a useful travel guide aboutbarcelona.com
You must log in to submit a comment.
