Weekend Breaks in Spains’ Barcelona City
If you are thinking about taking a weekend break to Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, here are a few things you can expect and a few things to look out for during your stay.
Many Catalans feel they have a separate identity and culture from the rest of Spain. Whether you go for a city break or a beach break, both are very enjoyable in Barcelona. Take in the fine architecture, especially Casa Batillo, with its unusual shaped windows. The outer part of the building is peppered with various colored tiles. Residents call it the House of Bones or House of the Dragon.
The unusual cucumber shaped tower, Torre Agbar, was completed in 2005 and at night glistens with blue and red hues.
Barcelona’s Metro system is really good and with air-conditioning it is well worth traveling on in the hot summers. You can buy a T-10 ticket (10 tickets) which lets you change lines for 75 minutes at a very cheap price. Bicycling is a great way to get around and taxis are inexpensive and most drivers like to help.
The art museums are plentiful, but don’t miss seeing the Picasso Museum (Museo Picasso) featuring more than 3500 masterpieces from the most famous artist of the 20th century. The museum also provides much interesting information about Picasso’s life.
Shopping
Barcelona has everything from second hand shops (even at the Picasso Museum) to antiques stalls found in the seafront market. Its good fun, even if you can only afford to window shop. Visit the Ramblas and see the song birds for sale, buy a bouquet or have your portrait drawn. At Rambla 91 you can buy almost any kind of food in Spain, mostly fresh. It is closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays. The fish market is very good, but not available on Mondays. There are mostly cheap and trendy stores, along with fine goods in the gothic area left of the Ramblas. For the serious shoppers, the center of town is a must. Watch for signs that say “Venda el Mayor” as these sell to wholesalers only, and are not particularly friendly to regular shoppers!
Also, near the Ramblos is the Plaza del Pi, where on the first and third weekend of each month and on Thursdays there are fine cheeses, herbs, and honey sold by vendors. Also, local artists sell their art by the church and usually there are street musicians to enjoy. Further down, on Calle Avinyo there are fine Spanish ceramics. The shop of El Café de la Princessa on Calle Flassadors should not be ignored as it features reasonably priced and different types of gifts from the ordinary. Walk down Calle Flassadors and you will find a number of galleries and fashionable shops.
Festivals Food and Nightlife
In every month of the year there are one or more holidays celebrated, but February is best for Carnival, Fat Tuesday, and Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday are party dates with masked balls, feasts, and parades.
Then there is the food – anything from Tapas (small foods) often enjoyed in bars and clubs to the wonderful cuisine which must have (if you are in a true Barcelonan restaurant) olive oil, garlic and tomatoes. Barcelona cuisine is different to other Spanish regions as the food is more creative, sometimes with raisons and nuts in vegetable dishes and meats cooked with fruit or mixed with escargot (snails).
Don’t forget the nightlife in Barcelona. Choose an area that you enjoy – perhaps with Jazz clubs featuring local musicians and guest musicians from London, New York and further afield. Around midnight there are lots of bars to go to. The Barcelonans like to start their “real” nightlife around 2:00 a.m. and there are many places to dance, drink, have fun and eat Tapas (small foods) which occasionally are free served with ordering of drinks. Many tourists enjoy the two discothèque malls near the old port. Be aware that if you are out in the Gothic Quarter late at night, there are often pickpockets at work, watching for easy targets. For gay visitors the bars on left side of the Eixample near the metro station and above the Gothic area is the place to go, but it offers much to do for everyone with DJ’s film festivals and new artists work. Look for flyers (with their cherry logo) in Eixample to see what is happening and where.
After taking in the many sites and famous art in this fantastic city, have a break and sunbathe at a beach. There are beaches ranging from relaxing to busy, the nicest is considered to be the Platja de la Nova Icaria with its sandy white beach. It’s a very busy area with bars, restaurants and shops when you have your fill of the rays. The beach of Platja de Bogatell is visited by the most people and has the best beach bars on the Mediterranean. Connected by a lovely trail is Platja Mar Bell beach with lots of things to do from playing on jungle gyms, playing basketball, volleyball or having fun at the skateboard parks.
Barcelona is a city of wonders, both ancient and modern, and well worth a weekend break and even longer.
This article was written by Paul Bruce, on behalf of Holidays 365 0 offering a great selection of family holiday parks and accommodation in the UK.