Have returned again to see if I can rate and yet again Ciao's system doesn't seem to want me to - so...
Have returned again to see if I can rate and yet again Ciao's system doesn't seem to want me to - so sorry folks I am unable to read and rate.
Member since:01.03.2001
Reviews:29
Members who trust:24
Barcelona's Port Vell is a fabulous oasis of restaurants, bars, a huge aquarium (the largest in Europe), a shopping mall, and an Imax cinema. An amazing bridge takes you across to these delights. We came across Port Vell by accident, we had walked along Les Ramblas and as we got to the bottom we could glimpse the sea and a huge wooden wave suspended in air, which intrigued us. The huge wave was part of a fantastic swing bridge, which is as wide as it is long and is on two levels.
Judging by the amount of people making the crossing we decided that there must be something to see at the other end. After stopping half way across and sitting on one of the many benches scattered over the bridge we watched the world go by relaxing with the sun on our faces and the sea and boats swaying in the gentle breeze.A large shopping mall sits on an oasis with restaurants and bars dotted around the edges. The shopping mall is a modern building with nothing special about it, it have two floors with an escalator leading up to the second floor, which has a large selection of restaurants. The public loos are tucked away in the corner, but are clean, if a little battered. The shopping mall itself is a little uninspiring. It seemed to be lacking in sparkle but there were lots of individual shops on both floors. It’s the sort of shopping mall where children like to spend their hard earned pocket money.
As you approach the shopping mall there is a popular open-air restaurant with large white umbrellas this is where we sat enjoying the wonderful views across the Port. This is a popular place and is full of locals and tourists. We ate here several lunch times and found the food excellent, cheap and even better no pressure if all we wanted was a snack. We could have sat there all afternoon. Seafood seemed to be featured heavily on the menu and if you sat inside behind the glass you would see the wonderful display of fresh fish on ice behind the bar.
There are several ways of getting here, two of them are by foot or a route stop if you take the tourist bus, which enables you to get on or off whenever you want around the city the route
Port Vell is suited for all the family - amongst other things the Aquarium features an 80 metre glass tunnel through the shark tank which will keep children happy and cool. The IMAX cinema might be a hit but it’s a shame to miss out on all the other things to see around Barcelona. It certainly is a place where the family can split up and then meet up for a meal or snack. If you prefer to picnic then the benches overlooking the port are a perfect spot.
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Great opinion, and very useful too. Barcelona is so lovely, and your feeling is genuine and beautifully conveyed. Cheers :)
e_l_parker 23.03.2001 10:04
Excellent opinion! I know that there are lots of great opinions on the site that have hardly any reads, and that seems a shame. Apparently Go airline will begin flying to Barcelona from Bristol airport this year - so I may have to go!
flashpointz 22.03.2001 17:07
Sad that this fine op has had so few reads so far - hope they pick up soon.
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