Just got back from Barcelona. Here are a few thoughts, based on a 3 day stay.
I’d been before (on business) but I never realized just how Catalan Barcelona is. In the touristy parts you’ll often get signs in 3 languages – Catalan first and largest, then Spanish, then English. In the regular parts of the city, usually just Catalan. (In between it’s Catalan then Spanish). If you speak a little Spanish, then for the most part you’ll be OK reading Catalan.
There are small Supermercats everywhere. Nothing has a price on it – I’m sure we were ripped off handsomely. In pretty short order we (reluctantly) stopped using them and stuck to the larger chains. There’s a good Carrefour on La Rambla, for example.
There aren’t many public toilets. Use the facilities in the attractions you visit, of course. Cafes have toilets - I wouldn’t normally recommend chains but “365” was very useful – they’re really good cafes for office workers and the like and they’re everywhere. Good snacks and coffee – try a croissant de cereals – and you’re in the proper city; tourists don’t really go there, signage is Catalan only. Stick 365 into google maps and you’ll probably find one within a couple of blocks. On a sample of one I would say Vivari is similar but better, but there don’t seem to be as many of them. BTW, in a 365 near tourist attractions, you’ll have to ask for the key code to get into the toilet (or jump in as someone comes out.).
I don’t know if your preference is for seeing just the tourist areas or taking a deeper dive (or both). My interest in travel is mostly to experience a place, rather than to see the sights, and my choice of eateries reflects this. I’m usually looking for a small family-run place frequented by the locals. Upthread someone mentioned getting away from La Rambla to eat. Good advice, but it doesn’t have to be far – a block or two suffices. Our favourite bar/restaurant (those definitions blur into one other) was La Masia (Carrer d’Elisabets, 16) which is about 200m off La Rambla. Small, friendly, lively, inexpensive, full of locals – but they do have the menu in English. Two of us ate very well for about €45. And if you’re feeling brave…try the Bar de Tapas Atlanta (Rambla del Raval, 13) which is about 400m off La Rambla. It was our first dinner, before the rust got knocked off our Spanish. We arrived on Sunday, which was also Fathers’ Day, and I think they had sold out of quite a few things. As a result the menu didn’t mean much, and the woman running the place just said (we eventually realized) I’ll tell you what we’ve got, you tell me what you want. I mean, we managed, and the food was good, but it was a bit of a baptism of fire. It feels like being in the area social club - €30 for two people (!). BTW – don’t know what days you are in Barca, but a lot of eateries are closed on Sunday, and quite a few on Monday.
Don’t feel you have to eat just Tapas. Places also do Platos - they’re like a mini main course. You might have one of those that you like the idea of, plus a tapa or two to make a full meal.
I see you have skip the line tickets for La Sagrada Familia - they may be helpful; we had regular tickets booked online in advance, and it was still a ruck trying to get in. Security is as bad as an airport. They say that Gaudi buildings look better from the outside than the inside, and (based on the SF) I would agree with that – except that, as others have noted, the light inside La Sagrada is amazing. What’s even more amazing is that I managed to capture it (more or less) in a photo. It’s google photos, so click on the photo for the full image
That was about 10.30AM. While we were there, green also washed into the air – it’s quite a show.
Parc Guell is good. Think: over-flamboyant cake decorator’s fever dream made real in rock and ceramics. Actually, that’s only a small part of what is a large public park. Every palm tree comes with its own parrot’s nest.
Mercado de La Boqueria is great fun to look around. Montjuic has great views. Up there you can stick your head inside the Olympic stadium for free (and there are public toilets in there). You can walk down through an area constructed for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, culminating with the Font Màgica de Montjuïc. From there you’re looking at Las Arenas de Barcelona, a commercial shopping complex in a repurposed bullring. I abhor bullfighting, but I’ve never seen a bullring that wasn’t beautiful, and this is no different; we only realized when we were on the bus out to the airport that you can go up on the roof.
The beaches are pleasant, the harbor area is bustling. The old city is good (not great); there are usually a couple of buskers outside the cathedral. You get a better class of busker in Barcelona.
I think those are the main things. If I think of more good stuff I’ll add it. If you have any questions I’ll try to answer them.
j
