As a birthday present last year, Angel and the guys took me on my first ever holiday, to Barcelona. We only spent a week there, but it was the best week of my life, so I thought I’d do a review on it and share the experience with the rest of the Ciao community. I’ve got a feeling this could be quite a long one, so I’ll split it into sections to make it easier both for me to write, and for you to read.

As this was my first holiday, I have nothing really to compare it to, but I cannot imagine any other destination even coming close to the standard set by this magnificent city. The atmosphere, set by an interesting mix of vibrant culture, living history, and the hustle and bustle of the city, is truly amazing.

Barcelona is situated on the North-East Coast of Spain, in the region of Catalunya. The city has a population of around 1,500,000, making it the second largest city, by population, In Spain. Barcelona is also the principal industrial and commercial centre of the country.

The official languages of Barcelona are Catalan and Castilian. However the Catalan language is understood, written, read and spoken by the majority of Barcelona’s population, and Castilian is the lesser known of the two.
It is not necessary, however, to know these languages, as the importance of tourism in Barcelona means that other languages, including English, French, and German, are also commonly spoken.
The signs in most of the shops, restaurants etc. are written in both the official langages, and some are also written in English.

Barcelona has hot summers, which are contrasted by cool winters. Although the winters are still hot when compared to British standards!
When we went, in mid September, I’m not sure what temperature it was, but it was really, really hot, I can tell you! But although it’s hot, it’s not the kind of hot, humid weather that makes you sweat buckets, but more of a dry heat.

In my experience, the locals were all extremely friendly and helpful. Most of the locals speak at least a little bit of English, so there are no real communication problems.
But of course, the best thing about the locals, or at least the Spanish ones anyway, is that, being Spanish, they’re all absolutely gorgeous! They love the English, and being naturally blonde and fair skinned will make you oh so irresistable to the Spanish, to whom Spanish dyed blonde hair (and trust me, there’s a lot of it about, especially on the women) just isn’t the same as a real ‘English Rose’.

There are several ways to get around Barcelona, and unlike in England, the services are cheap, efficient and reliable.

Inter city trains are a great way to explore the coastal towns around Barcelona, or taking trips further out, although they do need to be booked in advance. There are passes available which allow you a certain amount of days travel, saving you money if you are going to travel a lot.

Accommodation

We stayed in the Oriente Hotel, which is situated on La Ramblas, in the city centre. The hotel has 3 stars, it was very good quality, and we had no problems whatsoever. The staff were all extremely friendly and helpful, and eager to make our stay as enjoyable as possible. Each twin room cost us £95 per night, and included a cold buffet breakfast.

There is a restaurant, café, or bar in Barcelona to suit every taste and budget. With wide ranges of different types of food, styles of reastaurant, and atmospheres, there’s bound to be something to everyone’s liking. I found that in general, you can get a meal in Barcelona for a lot cheaper than you would get the same meal for in England.

Shopping

Some of my favourite shops are the ones they have which are very similar to the english ‘pound shop’, selling everything really cheap. Another thing I love is all the perfume shops, where you can buy all the big brand names so much cheaper than in England.

The tour we took was hosted by a lovely Spanish woman, who told us about everything we were seeing. And as there are people from different countries, she said what she was saying 5 times, first in English, then in Catalan, then French, then German, then Italian. Apparently she can also speak Portugese and Urdu, so there’s not many people that wouldn’t understand her.
Our tour started outside the Hard Rock Café, and I can’t remember the order of the places we visited but they were: the Cathedral, Montjuic Area, The Olympic Areas, La Sagrada Familia, Mila House, Mount Tbidabo, and the Harbour.

There are so many different places and sights in Barcelona that you should see, but here are some of the main ones:

Montjuic – A beautiful area of Barcelona, in which you will find The New Olympic stadium, The National Museum of Art, The Archeological Museum, The Miro Foundation, and the Mirador del Alcalde Gardens. A firm favourite for art, culture and sport-lovers alike, there is something for everyone in Montjuic.

La Sagrada Familia – The work of Antonio Gaudi, the Sagrada Familia, or Church of the Holy Family, is a truly amazing sight not to be missed. Despite still being under construction, this is Barcelona’s most amazing piece of architecture, and Gaudi’s most famous work. And if simply seeing this stunning building up close is not enough, you can go inside, for a small fee, and see the museum. There is also a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs and gifts.

Mount Tibidabo – Although it takes quite a while to get far enough up the mountain, once there, you are presented with the most wonderful views of Barcelona’s harbour. It’s a great photo opportunity, and also has a gift shop with postcards and keyrings, and a beautiful garden complete with miniature waterfalls.

Thankyou for reading, and I hope I haven’t bored you too much.
Love Tia. x