FUN-travel: Barcelona, Spain – Day 4
September 24, 2012 by Susan Clarke
Trip Day 54 – Sunday, September 2 – Barcelona, Spain
What I LIKE
Placa España
- 7:30 – Nespresso coffee in Gallery Hotel is free!
- same as we had in Sevilla
- black label is the strongest
- 9:45 – hop on, hop off bus
- 2nd route (orange line) takes in the west side
- 2 hours covers the sites without getting off – main attractions are:
- Olympic Stadium
- National Palace
- Placa España
- 12:30 – Cathedral stop to see Sardana Dancers
- special surprise treat – only happens on Sunday in August
- locals dance Zorba the Greek-style – with arms raised, holding hands they hop & sway to the live music
- 1:00 – hop off @ beginning of La Rambla to walk entire street
- 1st stop – need food! snack break of Dürüm Kebab – giant flour tortilla filled with Gyros-style chicken & meat, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cabbage & 2 kinds of sauces – heated pannini style – YUMMY! Best value going – only $4 Euro & enough for 2
La Rambla
- 2nd stop – Palau Güell – one of Gaudi’s early works – features his trademark curvy style –
rooftop contains 20 chimneys slathered in bits of glass, ceramic tile & marble - 3rd stop – take side street to venture into Barri Gòtic – Barcelona’s most historic, atmospheric, characteristic & colorful neighborhood
- old walled, medieval part of city has narrow, winding lanes & courtyards – filled with shops, bars
- 3:00 – lunch stop @ Las Mañanitas – having Mexican food craving – guacamole, chips, salsa – taco fiesta plate has chicken, meat, pork – Pacifico
- Siesta
- 8:45 – dinner la Tagliatella – really good for a chain restaurant (ate @ one in Pamplona) – 7 cheese pizza with paper thin crust, veggie stack of eggplant, tomato, mozzarella
What I DIDN”T LIKE
- had no idea how far Las Mañanitas was
- 4th night @ Gallery Hotel cost $179 Euro vs $137 for the 1st 3 days
FF (FUN-fact) – La Rambla is the pedestrian-only Champs-Elysées of Barcelona. It’s great people watching (and watch out for the pickpockets) and includes the usual touristy things as well as a flower and bird market.