Barcelona

[alicat]

I once got food poisoning in Barcelona. Not sure what the city was like...

 

[BoldonLad]

We enjoyed Barcelona a lot, but........

We also enjoyed......

Budapest
Copenhagen
Berlin
Paris
Vienna
Lisbon
Porto
Cadiz
Brugge
Amsterdam
Delft

in fact, in our experience, most (mainland) European Cities have been enjoyable.

Venice was one exception.

 

[mjr]

1st bar we went in they were handing round all these plates of food.
How kind, we thought, and tucked in.
It was weeks later that we learned that was tapas and we were supposed to have paid for it

Maybe I think it applies more to southern cities (I don't remember it in Barcelona) but in some, it's considered poor behaviour to drink anything stronger than beer without food, so if you don't order any food, a moderately posh bar will offer/give you a "tapeta" (mini tapas) which is occasionally surprisingly big. You get no choice what it is (unlike tapas) and it's "free" but the drinks in such places are expensive enough they're not making a loss IIRC!

Edit: Wikipedia mentions this in passing in its tapas article so I'm not going completely mad :-)

 

[Rusty Nails]

We enjoyed Barcelona a lot, but........

We also enjoyed......

Budapest
Copenhagen
Berlin
Paris
Vienna
Lisbon
Porto
Cadiz
Brugge
Amsterdam
Delft

in fact, in our experience, most (mainland) European Cities have been enjoyable.

Venice was one exception.

I agree with you about most European cities, but I've found Venice very enjoyable the four times I've been there. That's always been in early or late winter when it is less crowded and the waiter at our hotel warned us to keep away from there any other times as it can get very unpleasant. We've been lucky with the weather though and always missed the high tide floods.

 

[Eziemnaik]

With the caveat it is usually less posh taverna or bar that will do this, and it is in general an Andalusian tradition, and even with that more Jaen or Granada than Sevilla or Malaga.

As far as Barcelona it is IMO Spanish anwer to Venice - mass tourism is not a pretty thing (even if thanks to the size it is less pronounced in the Catalan capital)
If anybody is interested in Catalan culture and cuisine I would rather advise to visit Girona or Lleida, or even next door Sabadell

Btw if in BCN visit bar Montse - it is a time travel, with some nice wine and oldschool food it is a mood

 

[Profpointy]

We enjoyed Barcelona a lot, but........

We also enjoyed......

Budapest
Copenhagen
Berlin
Paris
Vienna
Lisbon
Porto
Cadiz
Brugge
Amsterdam
Delft

in fact, in our experience, most (mainland) European Cities have been enjoyable.

Venice was one exception.

I was fully expecting disappointment in Venice but we had a lovely day there - day trip from Padua (I think?). Lunch, beers, coffee etc was all fair enough prices - we avoided St Mark's square for such obviously, and likewise expensive gondola rides. I though it genuinely lovely. We did go in the summer and despite that it wasn't thwt crowded, but I dare say it can be.

 

[Profpointy]

That reminds me of a funny (true) story.
Again with work, MrsD with me, I had driven from Switzerland to a place in the Basque area.........the place was Donastia SanSebastian (spelling ??).
Knackered, we had a drink and crashed out.
We we woken at midnight and the town was alive, buzzing. Like you we got dressed and joined in.
1st bar we went in they were handing round all these plates of food.
How kind, we thought, and tucked in.
It was weeks later that we learned that was tapas and we were supposed to have paid for it

The very late nights thing is strange and takes some getting used to. Staying in more rural northern Spain I remember coming back maybe 9:30 from a caving trip. We were tired and didn't fancy cooking so thought we'd see if anything still open for food. Went to our regular cafe bar and asked if he was (still) doing food, and the guy rolled his eyes and re-opened the dining room. By about 11 or midnight the place was buzzing. We weren't late but far too early. Very small children were out and about with their grandparents at 1am.

On the way back from the same holiday, only 50 miles further north in France everything was totally shut at maybe 7pm

 

[mjr]

With the caveat it is usually less posh taverna or bar that will do this, and it is in general an Andalusian tradition, and even with that more Jaen or Granada than Sevilla or Malaga.

Yebbut are they as big in the less posh bars? 🐖

As far as Barcelona it is IMO Spanish anwer to Venice - mass tourism is not a pretty thing (even if thanks to the size it is less pronounced in the Catalan capital)

I don't think it's quite on that level but it's been years since I visited either so things might have got worse in BCN or better in Venice!

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Take the cable car to the mountain above and walk back down.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

There next week for a couple of days - Hotel Gaudi in Las Ramblas. Anybody any tips on what to see for someone in a wheelchair?

 

[BrumJim]

Barcelona isn't too bad for wheelchair access. The paralympics were held there in 1992, so that gave the city a kick-start for accessibility.

Less accessible if you aren't a regular wheelchair user and need to borrow one, as that facility isn't available in most places, and they often won't understand the need to provide this.

 

[vickster]

Plenty of blogs etc if you Google Barcelona in a wheelchair
Eg https://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv...-accessibility-a-wheelchair-users-dream-.html

Have a lovely trip

 

[Cathryn]

Barcelona is stunning, I love it...but be very careful to guard your pockets/wallets/bag etc. Like a little paranoid about it!!

We loved the dancing fountains (they played the Freddie Mercury Barcelona song and I burst into tears but I was pregnant so that's okay). Utterly gorgeous. There's also a fabulous old-fashioned cocktail bar called Boadas just off La Rambla - feels historic and special, makes lethal cocktails (including non-alcoholic ones for pregnant people etc).

You'll love it. I'd love to go back.

 

[Rusty Nails]

Barcelona is stunning, I love it...but be very careful to guard your pockets/wallets/bag etc. Like a little paranoid about it!!

We loved the dancing fountains (they played the Freddie Mercury Barcelona song and I burst into tears but I was pregnant so that's okay). Utterly gorgeous. There's also a fabulous old-fashioned cocktail bar called Boadas just off La Rambla - feels historic and special, makes lethal cocktails (including non-alcoholic ones for pregnant people etc).

You'll love it. I'd love to go back.

I had our passports pickpocketed from a buttoned pocket on the leg of my cargo trousers on the underground from the centre to the Gaudi park. Looking back I believe it was by a young kid with his family who bumped against me several times.

Wasted much of the last day of the break at the police station near the Ramblas trying to get sorted so we could get the flight the next day.

I'd go back any time, but I'd be more careful in future.

 

[Cathryn]

I'd go back any time, but I'd be more careful in future.

It's such a shame isn't it. We saw two incidents at close hand but somehow avoided it. I had my cards stashed in my bra! (Plenty of space)