The last leg into Barcelona definitely wasn’t fun – see the earlier post on missing the train – but staying in Barcelona is always a treat. This being a working vacation, we rented two different apartments, in two distinct sections of the city. That worked out well also because our traveling companions could stay only three nights while we stretched our visit to six.
Our first home-away-from-home was in this century-old building in Eixample Dreta, the Right Eixample. This is a typical commercial/residential area and in fact the apartment owners also run a store on the ground floor.
We took two rooms because it wasn’t much more expense than sharing, especially if you want two bathrooms, a relative rarity. Here’s a photo of one of the apartments, pretty much all of which share features like original mosaic tile floors and high ceilings.
This restaurant was nearby; the manager had no good explanation for the name, but it makes a good conversation piece, especially since my son Mark lives in Omaha.
Passeig Sant Joan was at the corner, a broad boulevard that connects to the authentic Gràcia district. An interesting feature for families is the children’s playgrounds that are on nearly every block. A couple of blocks away on Carrer de Valencia is the la Concepció market, with flowers, fresh foods and a supermarket all in one place.
We’d seen some Gaudi sites in the past but not managed to tour his La Pedrera (Casa Mila). This time we made it, and entered after a half hour nursing my sore back while in line. It was fascinating to see it on the inside, where the Modernista master continued his sinuous and organic style. Well worth the price of admission.
Our dates coincided with the citywide La Mercé festival, of which one feature is marching giants. We came across these figures – from saints to Chopin – several times, but this was the last as their life for this year came to an end and they were disassembled before going into storage.
The second half of our stay was in El Raval, alternately described as edgy or trendy. It’s a magnet for immigrants – many illegal our greeter said – and has many Middle Eastern food shops and bars sprinkled along narrow alleys. I have to admit to some discomfort at first but in a few days we had no problems and never felt threatened. This is Rambla del Raval, a wide boulevard lined with restaurants, bars and shops that this day was hosting a craft market. The ear ring vendors always attract Charlotte’s attention – and some of her euros.
One lucky happenstance was finding the restaurant Druida, at the division between El Raval and the Sant-Antoni district. We ended up there only because I was uncomfortable traveling far from our base. What luck! Master chef Antonio Infante performs magic in his open kitchen and his enthusiasm and obvious love for his work is infectious. Read my TripAdvisor review at http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g187497-d1772254-r83058967-Druida-Barcelona_Catalonia.html
On the business front we were fortunate to form a relationship with the family owners of three apartments that add a new dimension to our inventory. Two are off Las Ramblas but situated for calm, and offer great options for families or traveling companions. The third is high above a pedestrian shopping street between Las Ramblas and the cathedral. Sadly it is available only June, July and August, because the rest of the year performers at the Liceu opera house are ensconced there, drawn by its space, style and comfort. To see more of these apartments, visit http://www.likelivingthere.com/
As usual we did not get to do everything we planned in Barcelona or elsewhere on this trip. That is less a disappointment than reinforcement that we need to return, as we plan to do sometime next year, perhaps with new destinations added.
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