Sagrada Familia, Barcelona – source: wikipedia
After years of wanting to travel to Barcelona, I eventually made it last August 2010. After our flight we headed for the exit doors. There are buses that will take you into the city centre but we opted for the easier option and hopped in a taxi. Be warned if you get a taxi it will cost you at least €25 plus they will charge you for each suitcase aswell! On arrival at our hotel we dropped our bags and headed out to explore the surrounding area. For our first night we opted to stay at a hotel near Nou Camp. The location is about ten minutes back into the centre of Barcelona but has a great location if you want to take in a Barcelona match but the metro line will bring you back in again to the city centre.
We walked around the area and decided to visit Nou Camp. If you are a football fan this is a great way to spend your evening. The price of the ticket for September when we visited was €22 per adult and this included access into the Museum, visit the Camp Nou and the multimedia area and if you fancy a glass of champagne that can be purchased too! Be warned it can be very busy and if you have children with you, you would not see your money going in the Nou camp souvenir Shop.
The following morning, we checked out of our hotel and hopped in a taxi, as for our remaining nights we decided to stay in a self-catering apartment just off Las Ramblas. Las Ramblas is what you would expect Barcelona to be, 1.2 kilometres of pedestrianized footpath, packed with plenty of tour site, mime artists, flower and gift stands and people sitting at cafes watching the world go by. As it is very busy be warned of the dreaded pick pocketer!
Les Rambles (The Avenues), Barcelona by Sergi Larripa, source: wikipedia
After taking in the atmosphere of Las Ramblas a great way to see the sights of Barcelona is to purchase a bus ticket for the hop on hop off bus. This will roughly cost you €31(price may vary each year) for a 2 day ticket, but takes out the hassle of finding different sites and monuments and get you there quickly. The following morning we headed for the Plaza Catalunya (this is spectacular in the evening time when the waterfalls are activated and they are lit up). This is the boarding point for the Blue Line (www.city-sightseeing.com). Our next stop was Casa Batllo, make sure you go early in the morning as the queues are very busy and you will spend at least three hours in the house, and be amazed as not one room is the same as each other. Do take the Audio guide as it gives great information on each room! After a spot of lunch we boarded the blue bus again and drove down the 5 kilometre’s of Passeig de Gracia and took in the many shops and cafes.
After disembarking at the Sagrada Familia take a walk around the outside of the building and marvel at it’s wonderful architecture. In August 2010 they were renovating the inside of the Sagrada Familia and if you pay to enter there is not much inside only to look at the lovely architecture and a small museum. On hopping back on the bus we were taken to the Gracia area where we walked up a steep hill to Park Guell, here you can also find the work done by Gaudi as he turned his hand to landscaping the 15 hectares of the park. Really nice to stroll around and take it all in! After descending Park Guelli hill we hoped back on the bus and headed for the Gothic area. I found the Gothic area very peaceful in comparison to Las Ramblas, there are lovely cobbled side streets that you can get lost in and be amazed at the beautiful architecture. After a long day of sightseeing we headed back to Las Ramblas and have a bite to eat, there are plenty of restaurants the more unusual and less expensive are off the side streets were you can also get a Mojito for less than €4!
On our last day we walked to the Port Olympic, here you will find plenty of cafes, restaurants bars and shops, this is a lovely way to spend your morning and relax by the pier and take in all the lovely scenery.
I would definitely recommend travelling to Barcelona, as there is so much to see and do. It is one of those cities were you get lost in and you could easily spend a week there and still not get bored. I will be definitely be back in the future!