Day 1 and 2: We flew from Chicago O'Hare to Barcelona, changing planes in London. Unlike what this photo of William suggests, we traveled via British Airways. Neither of us had ever flown through Heathrow. We were unaware that, although we did not leave the airport's secure area while changing terminals, we had to go through British security before flying on to Barcelona. This took extra time, but we still managed to grab lunch and make our connection.
We finally arrived in Barcelona mid-afternoon, where we went through Spanish customs. We had prepurchased Air Bus tickets from the airport to the Plaça Catalunya near our hotel.
As neither of us is proficient in Spanish, finding where our bus left the airport was not easy. But, in the end, we were successful.
As neither of us is proficient in Spanish, finding where our bus left the airport was not easy. But, in the end, we were successful.
Day 2: Our hotel, the NH Barcelona Centro, is near Plaça Catalunya, just two blocks off the very popular Las Ramblas. I was a bit worried it would be very noisy but, in fact, the opposite was true. Despite its very convenient location, our street was quiet. We were also just a couple of blocks from the subway and the Gotic Quarter.
We spent our first evening getting a light dinner at one of seafood stalls in La Boqueria. As we were getting to the end of the day, some of the produce and fish stalls started closing shortly after we arrived. But, we managed to get a great overview of the market as we strolled through trying to decide where to eat.
We spent our first evening getting a light dinner at one of seafood stalls in La Boqueria. As we were getting to the end of the day, some of the produce and fish stalls started closing shortly after we arrived. But, we managed to get a great overview of the market as we strolled through trying to decide where to eat.
Once we selected a stall, figuring out how to get a seat was a challenge. There was no queue, but a Spaniard took pity on us and told us who to ask for a table. As luck had it, two seats at a counter opened up minutes after we made our request and we were quickly seated. We enjoyed four different and tasty seafood and vegetable tapas plates and William had a delicious Spanish beer. After our dinner (which, at 6:00 pm was absurdly early for Spaniards), we walked down Las Ramblas to see the Mediterranean Sea and the port area. By the time we got back to the room, jet lag had completely caught up. As we had an early tour booked the next morning to see the Parc Güell, we climbed into the very comfortable bed.
Day 3: Barcelona was rainy, but nonetheless we ventured off by subway for a private tour of Gaudi's Parc Güell. We had to leave early before breakfast was served (it was a holiday), but the hotel put out pastries, juice, coffee and fruit in the lobby for folks who needed to eat early. Our excellent tour guide, Olga Rubio, gave us the full history of the park, a bit more background about Gaudi, and showed us all the intricate design and tile work that went into creation of this masterpiece. We enjoyed talking to her about how she ended up in Barcelona and her work as a guide. The Parc is set up on a ridge north of the city and the views of Barcelona from there are stunning. If you watch Emerald City on NBC, you may recognize the Parc as the location for many scenes in the series.
Day 3: Barcelona was rainy, but nonetheless we ventured off by subway for a private tour of Gaudi's Parc Güell. We had to leave early before breakfast was served (it was a holiday), but the hotel put out pastries, juice, coffee and fruit in the lobby for folks who needed to eat early. Our excellent tour guide, Olga Rubio, gave us the full history of the park, a bit more background about Gaudi, and showed us all the intricate design and tile work that went into creation of this masterpiece. We enjoyed talking to her about how she ended up in Barcelona and her work as a guide. The Parc is set up on a ridge north of the city and the views of Barcelona from there are stunning. If you watch Emerald City on NBC, you may recognize the Parc as the location for many scenes in the series.
We also toured the Gaudi House (located in the Parc), then wandered around before our tour of La Sagrada Familia cathedral, Gaudi's work in progress. The Cathedral is scheduled to be completed in 2026 on the 100th anniversary of his death. Both the Cathedral and Parc were extraordinary in their beauty and creativity. Gaudi's creation is one of the most astounding buildings I have ever seen.
We sought suggestions for dinner from Laura, our favorite staff at the desk at our hotel. She recommended Els Quatre Gats (The Four Cats). It is popular with tourists as it has a Picasso connection (one of his paintings serves as the menu cover). This cafe, around since 1897, served as a popular meeting place for famous artists throughout Catalonia's modernist period. Ramon Casas painted a large canvas (shown on the left), specifically for the interior of the café. We were seated with a perfect view of a copy of that work (the original now hangs in Barcelona's National Art Museum of Catalonia). We had a great selection of tapas and enjoyed bantering with our server.
Day 4: Right after breakfast, we took a Spanish cooking class at Barcelona Cooking School by Sabores. We made tortilla (not a corn or flour wrap, but a potato & onion omelet), sangria, gazpacho, escalivada (roasted vegetables), tomato bread, and seafood paella. While enjoying the feast of our work, we almost forgot we made Crema Catalana (a creamier version of creme brûlée) topped with brown sugar caramelized with what looks like a round branding iron (I got to do the honors). We were full and ready for siesta after strolling back to our hotel. My sister gave me a Spanish paella pan for Christmas. Now, we can recreate that meal at home (except for the branding iron).
Day 4: Right after breakfast, we took a Spanish cooking class at Barcelona Cooking School by Sabores. We made tortilla (not a corn or flour wrap, but a potato & onion omelet), sangria, gazpacho, escalivada (roasted vegetables), tomato bread, and seafood paella. While enjoying the feast of our work, we almost forgot we made Crema Catalana (a creamier version of creme brûlée) topped with brown sugar caramelized with what looks like a round branding iron (I got to do the honors). We were full and ready for siesta after strolling back to our hotel. My sister gave me a Spanish paella pan for Christmas. Now, we can recreate that meal at home (except for the branding iron).
Orientation by Amanda. We got to meet our tour group in the evening, an interesting mix of people from various parts of the US, and a couple from Canada. The group was mostly older couples, with one family group and one woman traveling alone, but no children or teens. We introduced ourselves one at a time. Then Amanda, our enthusiastic tour manager, gave a quick overview of tour logistics and had us pair up for the trip with a "buddy" we did not know (to make it easier when were getting ready to board a bus or train to determine if everyone was accounted for). We picked folks sitting nearby out of convenience. Amanda gave us some recommendations for negotiating Spain, suggestions for things to do in Barcelona, and announced "office hours" for consultations. We had a concert to attend, so we left as she wrapped up.
Palau de la Música Orfeo Català. I had purchased tickets online three months earlier so we could attend a concert at the Palau de la Música. GoogleMaps got us there in the pouring rain, with only one wrong turn. We even had time for a drink before the concert in a lovely bar area.
The concert that night was in two parts. First was Joaquin Arrabul. He played three compositions on a bowed upright bass with piano accompaniment. He got amazing depth of emotion from his instrument. Part two was Daahoud Salin, who played three pieces on piano, including a tour de force rendition of E. Schulhoff's Suite No. 3, written for only the left hand. Astounding! My husband and I view live music as a staple of our mental health plan, so it seemed fitting to try to incorporate a concert into this trip.
Equally captivating to us was the venue. The Palau de la Música Orfeo Català was built in the early 1900s. It's a glorious example of a Spanish Art Deco theater. From my photos, I hope you can see it is stunning. There are daytime tours available, should you not buy concert tickets or only want to focus on the architecture.
Palau de la Música Orfeo Català. I had purchased tickets online three months earlier so we could attend a concert at the Palau de la Música. GoogleMaps got us there in the pouring rain, with only one wrong turn. We even had time for a drink before the concert in a lovely bar area.
The concert that night was in two parts. First was Joaquin Arrabul. He played three compositions on a bowed upright bass with piano accompaniment. He got amazing depth of emotion from his instrument. Part two was Daahoud Salin, who played three pieces on piano, including a tour de force rendition of E. Schulhoff's Suite No. 3, written for only the left hand. Astounding! My husband and I view live music as a staple of our mental health plan, so it seemed fitting to try to incorporate a concert into this trip.
Equally captivating to us was the venue. The Palau de la Música Orfeo Català was built in the early 1900s. It's a glorious example of a Spanish Art Deco theater. From my photos, I hope you can see it is stunning. There are daytime tours available, should you not buy concert tickets or only want to focus on the architecture.
We had dinner after the concert at a small, but delightful brasserie, El Melic del Gotic, with a lovely barrel-style ceiling and stone walls (in the 15th Century, the building was the Montsi convent). I ordered a chicken and pineapple brochette, served on skewers hanging from a rack. I gratefully accepted an offer by our server to take it off the skewers. William had the Iberian pork slice, which he pronounced excellent.
Day 5: One of the highlights of our trip was a balloon flight over the countryside of Catalonia. I made a separate page for this (see Ballooning).
After we got back from our balloon flight, we followed one of Amanda's suggestions. Spain's biggest department store chain, El Corte Inglés, has many stores in various cities. At the Barcelona flagship store, she recommended a gourmet food court on the 9th floor which offers great views. In addition, you can order reasonably-priced and well-prepared food. William and I had a yummy black rice paella (made with squid ink) with prawns. But, the views alone were worth the trip up there.
Day 5: One of the highlights of our trip was a balloon flight over the countryside of Catalonia. I made a separate page for this (see Ballooning).
After we got back from our balloon flight, we followed one of Amanda's suggestions. Spain's biggest department store chain, El Corte Inglés, has many stores in various cities. At the Barcelona flagship store, she recommended a gourmet food court on the 9th floor which offers great views. In addition, you can order reasonably-priced and well-prepared food. William and I had a yummy black rice paella (made with squid ink) with prawns. But, the views alone were worth the trip up there.
On our last afternoon in Barcelona, we took tour of Casa Batlló with an audio guide. Gaudi renovated this building in 1904 (it was originally built in 1877). He used typical materials incorporated into a Modernisme (Catalan Art Nouveau) building, such as forged iron, ceramics, wood, glass, and stone. As in nature, straight lines are in short supply.
This is a spectacular building with a unique aspect to each room. Door handles and cabinet knobs were gorgeous and completely ergonomic. Tile work throughout the building is delightful and the woodwork is stunning. Sensuous curves throughout and interesting angles and shapes all capture the eye. Even the center light shaft of the building is tiled and it's breathtaking. The way Gaudi had light pour into space several floors below was genius. But, don't miss the rooftop. It is fanciful, delightful and surprising! The gift shop also has a lot of quirky and pleasing items. I bought several holiday gifts here, although that was not my plan. At high season, be sure to get tickets for this tour well in advance!
This is a spectacular building with a unique aspect to each room. Door handles and cabinet knobs were gorgeous and completely ergonomic. Tile work throughout the building is delightful and the woodwork is stunning. Sensuous curves throughout and interesting angles and shapes all capture the eye. Even the center light shaft of the building is tiled and it's breathtaking. The way Gaudi had light pour into space several floors below was genius. But, don't miss the rooftop. It is fanciful, delightful and surprising! The gift shop also has a lot of quirky and pleasing items. I bought several holiday gifts here, although that was not my plan. At high season, be sure to get tickets for this tour well in advance!
Why we need to go back: We did not take the Cable Car to Montjuic Hill, were unable to check out the Olympic Stadium, nor visit the Miró Museum. And, there was still more Gaudi left to see before our time ran out. Not to mention all the tasty tapas we did not get to try! Plus, we want to see the La Sagrada Familia when it is finally completed!
Next up: Ballooning (or, if you already viewed that page, go on to, Madrid)
Next up: Ballooning (or, if you already viewed that page, go on to, Madrid)