Barcelona is wonderful city on the coast of Spain. Its history can be traced back thousands of years, it was a Roman colony in the second century BC and has a very rich cultural heritage. It is the capital of the land Catalonia, which has politically always struggled against the regime of Madrid. The residents or 'Catalans' are fiercely proud of their history and independence. For centuries its port has been an important centre for Spanish commerce. Nowadays it combines this with an enormous tourist industry. This vibrant city has a population of around 1.5 million but with the surrounding area, this swells to about 4 million.
Barcelona is on the Mediterranean coast with four kilometres of excellent beaches in the town and surrounding area. This means the climate is pleasant all year round. Average temperatures between June to September never drop below 20C and the average temperature in November is still 16C!
Arguably the most famous district in Spain is the 'Ramblas'. This is a series of five separate streets which form to create an exquisite tree lined pedestrian boulevard. There are many cafés and restaurants along this promenade and there are markets
selling everything possible including the noisy yet fascinating bird market. There is always music played and an abundance of street performers in this colourful area. The Ramblas is the place that everyone must visit and I found myself going there every day. In between this walkway, there are many attractive courtyard areas, where you will find further restaurants, shops and cafes.
The town has a traditional, sophisticated feel but that is mixed with the vibrant new developments of this thriving town. The artificial harbour area, Marina del Port Vell is a wonder of modern construction. This area is tasteful, elegant and very practical with its shopping malls, huge cinema complex, marina and yet more restaurants.
The artist Antoni Gaudi was born here and there are many examples of his sculptures and paintings throughout the town. As you tour the city, you will find that every strange looking building tends to be attributed to Gaudi or in his style. His work is very different, yet superb. His passion and ambition are a simile for the whole city which continually strives forward. The local residents are incredibly proud of their city and rightly so.
Gaudi's most famous work is the temple Sagrada Familia. This is unlike any building you will have ever seen. It is too complicated, garish and its construction is overly ambitious. Gaudi died in 1926 before it was completed and this project still continues today amid much controversy. Yet it is also a wonderfully exuberant structure and the whole town celebrates its quirky original style. Historically, the people have long been striven to distance themselves from the government of Madrid and consequently revere such individuality.
Barcelona football club is one of the top teams in the world and the fanatical devotion of the fans is apparent wherever you go. Football memorabilia is available everywhere and the city is a buzz on match days. Barcelona's huge stadium the 'Camp Nou' is regarded as one of the world's most famous and tours around the ground are available. There second team in Barcelona is Espanol, who also have a largish stadium, tickets for their games may be easier to come by. However, attending a game will be less of a boast to people back home. Being Spain, there is also a large Bull Ring, which still stages Bull fights.
A city tour by bus is highly recommended, as there are so many things to see, the danger is you might miss something significant without assistance. The tour I took was very good, one of these hop on / hop off affairs and there was commentary via headphones in English. A ticket valid for one day costs around 16 Euros (£13 approx.) but many hotels offer discounts. You can also take one of the many boat trips. I took a trip where you went through the huge dockyard area before briefly seeing the Sea. I enjoy boat trips but felt that this was just a tour of the docks rather than anything truly wonderful to see. However, it was still interesting and highlighted the importance of the docking trade in this area, with your craft being dwarfed by the huge container ships and storage areas.
The pleasant climate means that eating out is highly recommended. I visited in September and was still able to bask in the glorious sunshine. There are many excellent restaurants throughout this city. They cater for every need but it is recommended that you try some Spanish dishes. The Paella's are wonderful as you would expect and being a coastal town there is always a lot of fish to choose from. You should also try the Tapas, which is a mixture of various different small starters. It is currently very fashionable to eat world-wide and you will find this offered nearly everywhere. This is generally excellent, though can be a little pricey in the Ramblas.
As with most of Spain, people dine later in the evening. Normally you start eating at around 10 o' clock at night; this soon feels like a very civilised thing to do, as you can enjoy an afternoon siesta. As soon as the evening draws in, then the infectious atmosphere draws you on to the streets.
The transport system is very good. Finding your way around shouldn't be a problem and many people speak English. Something I found very reassuring, after struggling to make myself understood in Madrid. There is a good underground system and a good bus and rail network. The Taxi fare from the airport to a hotel near the Ramblas is approximately 25 Euros (£17) but of course this varies depending on which part of town you are staying in.
There are various museums and art galleries throughout the town naturally containing many works of Gaudi. Barcelona is also home to the famous Picasso Museum. There is also a large Naval museum, down towards the harbour which reflects the Naval significance of the town. It is near to the wonderful Christopher Columbus monument, that looks out to sea.
Shopping is wonderful. A perfect combination of traditional gift shops along with stylish boutiques and the latest shops. There is also a huge department store chain 'El Cortes Ingles'. The chain was based on English department stores but in my opinion puts most of our stores to shame. The main shopping area is a short walk up from the Ramblas.
There are many excellent hotels and most are reasonably priced. It is worth trying to stay fairly near the Ramblas as every evening you will want to join the locals as they pose and promenade down this wondrous area. It is probably worth getting bed and breakfastaccommodation only as this is a city where eating out is a must. This is also affordable if you are prepared to look around.
The cost of flights to Barcelona naturally vary depending on which airline you use, where you are flying from. Flights from London can be approximately £60 (on a budget airline or special offer), up to around £200. Flight time is about 2 hours. I would recommend that you check weekend newspaper supplements or Internet deals as I decided on a short break holiday package to include hotel & flight.
The climate is wonderful, the people are friendly. The scenery is glorious and the culture and history fascinating. Barcelona is one of those cities that every tourist must see.
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Mar 14th, 2007
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