Barcelona Favourites

Here are some of my favourite memories of Barcelona.

1. Eating in Barcelona

There are so many delightful food places, especially in Gracia and El Raval, and I had an amazing time eating. What I would have loved to do is eat at the following places:

1. The food markets combine my love for architecture and eating. It’s wonderful being snap happy and then stopping for something delicious when I get tired (which I didn’t end up doing). My favourite ones are in La Llibertat in Gracia and La Boqueria on the Ramblas.
2. Escribá: so famous they have their own plaque on the floor of Las Ramblas. It will be chock full of tourists but don’t let it discourage you from pushing your way in and getting something yummy.
3. Bar Central: I walked past it a couple of times before finding out it was one of Barcelona’s iconic bars. If you end up coming here, have a tapas and beer for me.

2. Sleeping on the beach, Sitges.

We had so much fun eating that all we wanted to do was lie in the sand on the beach in Sitges. The beach was nice and quiet, the sand was warm, and the breeze was cool. Be warned that Sitges becomes a very crowded and annoying place once summer hits. Probably not recommended in the summer months!

3. Wandering thorugh El Raval

El Raval is a very interesting neighbourhood to walk through: the large immigrant section population there gives it great character (and some of the best food), and the closer you get to MACBA (the Modern Art Museum of Barcelona), the more arty and funky it becomes, with young skateboarders and artists hanging out on the streets and the hip bars and cafes.

Frommers has a walking tour for El Raval that takes in most of the cool sights I saw. It is a great neighbourhood to get lost in and I had a fabulous day out when I was there in April 2009, sans tourists.

4. Wandering thorugh L´eixample

I loved the Lonely Planet Modernista walking tour, but try this one from Frommers of Modernista Léixample. The lonely planet one is much longer and more complete, though. So if you have a LP guidebook, use it.

My favourite place on the tour is the:

• Palau de Musica Catalana. One of the coolest Modernista buildings from the outside. There are organised tours of the complex in various languages for 10€ (adult). They can be obtained from the box office but were sold out the day I went, so try and book ahead. You cannot take photos during a tour, which sucks big time if you’re a photog. My photos of the outside did not do it justice, so I decided to skip the tour and buy a souvenir book for about 4€ instead. I would love to attend a concert in the gorgeous concert hall, preferably while they are playing the pipe organ!

5. Shopping

1. Lefties: You might not have heard of Grupo Inditex, but you would have heard of their stable of iconic brands such as Zara, Massimo Dutti and Pull and Bear. Well, this is where all their retired clothes come to rest. (!!!) On my recent visit, baby jumpsuits were 10€ for a set of 5. I bought 2 gorgeous tops for about 15€ each. This translated link of a forum has more information. The 2 most accessible Lefties outlets in Barcelona are:
   At the end of Calle Pelai 2-4, corner of Placa Universitat, minutes from the Paseo de Gracia metro and very close to Plaza Catalunya.
   At Maremagnum, the mall at the south end of Las Ramblas (map). Ground floor, Shop 44. Open Mon – Sun from 10h to 22h.
2. Markets: If your aim is to shop at (rather than take photos of) Barcelona’s many markets, this article should be useful.

Have a great time in Barcelona, and I hope this list has helped take you off the beaten track!