arrival day: pre tourI landed in Barcelona at 6:00am and found it easy to catch the Aerobus (the express bus from the airport to the city). Directions to the hotel from the Plaça de Catalunya were very good and I arrived by 6:30am... *way* too early to access my room.
TIP 1: Leave your luggage with the hotel and opt to walk around the city until you can check in (typically near 2pm). TIP 2: To best beat jet lag, stay awake and push through your first day without taking a nap. Use caffeine as often as necessary. TIP 3: If you need a restroom, stop into a cafe and sit down to enjoy a drink, cup of coffee, a pastry, etc. Most of them will have restrooms available for patrons. OR find yourself a department store. |
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I fell in love with Barcelona from the moment I arrived. It is a very comfortable city that is filled with art and architecture. Since I booked my trip only two months in advance, I didn't spend much time planning my trip... which is very unlike me. That said, the one attraction I bought a ticket for in advance was Gaudi's Parc Güell. Having no idea how long it would take me to get there, I chose a noon admission to the park. With at least five hours to kill, I followed Rick Steves' advice and walked the city. Happily, there was much to see even though the city was still asleep. I took a stroll down La Rambla and made my way to Port Vell and the waterfront harbor.
sundays in barcelona
A Catalan tradition in Barcelona is to dance the Sardana in front of the Cathedral on Sundays. According to Rick's guide book, the dancing starts around noon. Unfortunately for me, that is the time I booked my entry to Parc Güell which is on the north end of the city on top of a hill... not close to the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic in Catalan). Needless to say, I have no pictures of the Sardana. The picture below is a Picasso drawing of the Sardana which is found above the School of Architecture.
I made my way through the Gothic Quarter as I headed north toward Parc Güell. As I neared the Cathedral, I was surprised to find the gigants. Needless to say, I was fascinated and somewhat creeped out at the same time. I have never seen such a thing and can't seem to find a lot of information on them. They are giant figures that parade through the city, typically for a festival or event. This seemed like a typical Sunday... then again...
Gaudi: Parc Güell
Hard to believe that it's only noon and I've seen so much already. Barcelona is a good size and a very walkable city. I felt very comfortable and safe by myself and had no concerns being alone. I stayed in the main areas of the city and was able to soak it all in. On the Rick Steves website, there is a pre-tour section for each tour which is where I found suggestions of what to see in the city on my own (due to the fact that we wouldn't be seeing them as a group). Parc Güell was my choice and I followed the guide book recommendation of purchasing an admission in advance rather than take my chances when I arrived.
Parc Güell is an excellent example of Modernisme which was a late 1800's movement that encompassed Catalan culture, including its architecture. Gaudi began working on the park in the year 1900... it was opened to the public in 1926. Access to the monument zone requires a ticket and crowds are limited to 400 people per 30 minutes. Tickets are available online and you have 30 minutes after the reserved time to enter. I got there early and walked around the park area, outside the monument zone, until my admission time.
As you can see from the photos, the view is magnificent. I opted to take a cab to get to the park entrance. I generally use public transportation but did not want to exhaust myself walking uphill before reaching my destination.
TIP 1: Make your way north through the city and hail a cab from one of the cab stations. You'll save a bit on your fare.
TIP 2: The gift shop is a great place to buy stamps for your postcards (they're prettier than the ones at the post office).
TIP 3: Use the restrooms before you leave... even if you don't think you have to go. You never know when the next opportunity will be.
Parc Güell is an excellent example of Modernisme which was a late 1800's movement that encompassed Catalan culture, including its architecture. Gaudi began working on the park in the year 1900... it was opened to the public in 1926. Access to the monument zone requires a ticket and crowds are limited to 400 people per 30 minutes. Tickets are available online and you have 30 minutes after the reserved time to enter. I got there early and walked around the park area, outside the monument zone, until my admission time.
As you can see from the photos, the view is magnificent. I opted to take a cab to get to the park entrance. I generally use public transportation but did not want to exhaust myself walking uphill before reaching my destination.
TIP 1: Make your way north through the city and hail a cab from one of the cab stations. You'll save a bit on your fare.
TIP 2: The gift shop is a great place to buy stamps for your postcards (they're prettier than the ones at the post office).
TIP 3: Use the restrooms before you leave... even if you don't think you have to go. You never know when the next opportunity will be.
late afternoon: the tour begins!
After visiting the park, I grabbed a cab back to the Plaça de Catalunya. I walked around to find something to eat. With no real planning, no fluency in Catlan or Spanish, and no idea where to go, I settled for a bocadillo de jamon (ham sandwich) and a bottled water from a to-go type storefront. I found a place to rest and ate while watching the world go by. It felt a bit awkward but I was hungry and it met my needs. I acted as if it was the most normal thing in the world and tried to blend in.
After a bite to eat, I walked back to the hotel, checked into my room, and discovered the welcome message and plans for the group meeting. We were meeting at 6pm in a meeting room at the hotel. I was happy to finally be able to go to my room and freshen up a bit before meeting the other travelers. I had been wearing the same clothes for almost two days now. It seemed like a great time to change.
This wasn't my first time on a trip as a solo traveler. I hoped for the best as I headed to the gathering. Initial meetings are always a bit awkward but Rick Steves' tours are well versed at breaking the ice. As we arrived, we helped ourselves to some light snacks which included little sausages, cured meats, cheese, crackers, and wine. Once we all arrived, we sat down and went through introductions and shared expectations with the help of our guide, Federico. I was happily surprised to learn that most of us shared the same interests and were similarly motivated to visit Spain. I breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and knew it was going to be a great trip.
We were given some time to return to our rooms before departing for dinner. We would depart at 8pm which was early by Spanish standards. Most natives dine at 10pm. With our group of 25, we were a small enough tour group to be able to dine in local restaurants that "normal" people would visit. With early seatings (at 8pm), restaurants could accommodate us easily and probably appreciated the additional patronage.
Our first meal: paella. What a delight! Federico even asked for a show of hands for people that didn't like seafood. There were a couple of them in our group and they were given an alternate option for dinner, which I heard was equally delicious. It was a lovely evening to begin our journey together. Needless to say, I was happy to power through a long day and I slept *really* well that night knowing the next day was GAUDI.
After a bite to eat, I walked back to the hotel, checked into my room, and discovered the welcome message and plans for the group meeting. We were meeting at 6pm in a meeting room at the hotel. I was happy to finally be able to go to my room and freshen up a bit before meeting the other travelers. I had been wearing the same clothes for almost two days now. It seemed like a great time to change.
This wasn't my first time on a trip as a solo traveler. I hoped for the best as I headed to the gathering. Initial meetings are always a bit awkward but Rick Steves' tours are well versed at breaking the ice. As we arrived, we helped ourselves to some light snacks which included little sausages, cured meats, cheese, crackers, and wine. Once we all arrived, we sat down and went through introductions and shared expectations with the help of our guide, Federico. I was happily surprised to learn that most of us shared the same interests and were similarly motivated to visit Spain. I breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and knew it was going to be a great trip.
We were given some time to return to our rooms before departing for dinner. We would depart at 8pm which was early by Spanish standards. Most natives dine at 10pm. With our group of 25, we were a small enough tour group to be able to dine in local restaurants that "normal" people would visit. With early seatings (at 8pm), restaurants could accommodate us easily and probably appreciated the additional patronage.
Our first meal: paella. What a delight! Federico even asked for a show of hands for people that didn't like seafood. There were a couple of them in our group and they were given an alternate option for dinner, which I heard was equally delicious. It was a lovely evening to begin our journey together. Needless to say, I was happy to power through a long day and I slept *really* well that night knowing the next day was GAUDI.