Just a Few Notes About Barcelona, Spain

SITES

• La Rambla Street is a great place to see.  You can find anything here from live fish and birds to the perfect treasure for your house.  It is especially alive at night!
• Sagrada Famila – amazing, a must see!
• The Park – if you have the time and the weather is right the park is beautiful and there are little row boats to rent…a bit romantic!
• Parc Gaul – Another one of Gaudi’s works.  Unique as expected.
• The public market off La Rambla.  Our version of Pike’s Place.  Fun if you want the taste of where the locals shop. 
• Gothic Quarter – gives you a feel for true Barcelona.  Wonderful shops and cafes.
• Maritime Museum – if at all interested in boats and the role they played in the Spanish history, well worth it.  We really enjoyed it. 
• Side note: metro is wonderful, very easy to use.  No need for a cab.

RESTAURANTS

• La Fonda Restaurant is pretty yummy! One block off of La Rambla Street at Carrer dels Escudellers, 10.   You must be in line no later than 8:00 pm so you can be in the first seating.  The doors open at 8:30.  We had a three courses each and wine and the bill came to amazing $20.00. 

• Les quinzenity, a block off of La Rambla as well.  In the Placa Reial #6. Dinner was excellent!  Very reasonable. Again, be sure to be in line early. Maybe closer to 7:30.  If there is no line yet there are a few cafes in the Plaza to have a drink and sit under the stars.
• 4 Gats (4 Cats to us Americans) located at Carrer Montsio 3-bis 08002.  We had reservations for this place (finally no line to stand in!) Phone# 93 302 41 40.  A bit more dinero. We had a very nice dinner and there was a violinist and a piano accompanist.
• A great place for breakfast was an open air stall in the public market.  As you enter the market off of La Rambla make the second left that you can and go straight to the back.  You will see a bunch of locals eating these wonderful (greasy) sandwiches and drinking multiple beers.  It was the best breakfast we had while we were there!
• Side note: A wonderful, reasonable bottle of wine: Senorio de lost Llanos, Reserve 1996.  Can’t find it in the States and well worth a glass or two…just go for the whole bottle.  Very tasty!

Hazards of Barcelona

• Too many beers at breakfast!
• Careful of the Jamon – kind of tasty but later realized it is connected to a hoof until served!  Not so appetizing!
• Starving at dinner because you didn’t get in line early enough!
• You will never want to come home!