Trip to Barcelona

[R154]

Hey guys,

I'm looking for some advice on things to see around barcelona.

I am going in May. So far I have tickets to see quali and practice for spanish gp. I have tickets to see Barca play on race day.

Thoughts?

May7th to May 17th.

[flipstah]

If you're into the architecture, the Familia Sagrada is great to see both on the outside and inside.

Book in advance for the inside tour.

[The_Rural_Juror]

All of the Gaudi buildings and parks are worth seeing.

[rage2]

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If you're into the architecture, the Familia Sagrada is great to see both on the outside and inside.

Book in advance for the inside tour.

Outside yes. Inside was kinda meh, and I'm into architecture.

Drink lots of wine, and eat tons of cheeses and be blown away at how shitty our cheese selection (and price) is in Canada.

[killramos]

Bring extra big pants and eat and drink your face off. Just toodling up and down the Ramblas and stop in for a few tapas and a glass of wine every few. It can be cool at night that far north so make sure to bring a variety of clothes.

Like any big European city be cautious for obvious swindlers/scammers and pick pockets. Just be smart and you will be fine.

Last time I was there the hop on hop off bus was a solid way to get your bearings day one.

I recommend the google translate app to help decipher the Catalan, screws me up every time. Though most of Barća is pretty good about accommodating English.

Consider taking the train to the track, it was really quite simple and very fast. If you are going for the GP there was lots of good bites along the walk through the town up to circuit de catalunya, having a solid Spanish ham and cheese or chorizo sub (or both) while watching the races is awesome.

I find Barcelona is a great city to keep things casual and just embrace it.

If you are into night life just know that the Spanish are next level when it comes to lateness, don’t expect anything before midnight. I’m way too old to stay awake that long, I always disappoint my cousins whenever I am on that side of the pond haha

[flipstah]

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Outside yes. Inside was kinda meh, and I'm into architecture.

Drink lots of wine, and eat tons of cheeses and be blown away at how shitty our cheese selection (and price) is in Canada.

Yes omg the cheese. Is it just me but is the Iberico ham all hype?

[killramos]

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Yes omg the cheese. Is it just me but is the Iberico ham all hype?

It’s just you.

[The_Rural_Juror]

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Yes omg the cheese. Is it just me but is the Iberico ham all hype?

Good iberico is the best.

[Xtrema]

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Yes omg the cheese. Is it just me but is the Iberico ham all hype?

Like wine, there are ones that's $70 euro a leg and one that's over $300 euro.

That said, I was sick of it by week 2, regardless of grade.

Book ahead of time for Sagrada Familia and Gaudi park.

[RX_EVOLV]

Our experience with Barcelona the last few times:

1) Check out Sagrada Familia - make sure you pre-purchase your ticket ahead of time ( at least a week in advance) - they are sold by time slot and usually sold out well ahead of time - you can't even go early to line up for tickets.

2) Check out Park Guell, but also book your tickets ahead of time.

3) La Rambla is fun, especially at night, but it is also a huge tourist trap with overpriced but mediocre food. in our last visit we stayed near Sant Anonti, which is the 'Foodie district' of Barcelona and it was awesome. A ton of local tapas restaurants with better food and prices than anything you'll find by La Rambla. A few famous restaurants there too that will require reservations months in advance, like Tickets by chef Albert Adrià. We couldn't get a reso there but went to Bodega 1900 instead and it was awesome.

4) Eat lots of cheese and ham. Yes Iberico ham IS worth the hype, but there is defintly a difference between the cheap and the expensive ones. The expensive ones are well worth the money. It is also alot cheaper to get at a market (e.g. Sant Antoni Market or Mercat de la Boqueria) than ordering at a Tapas restaurant.

5) We fell in love with drinking Vermouth there, especially since each restaurant has their own version or take on it. I must've drank at least 2-3 glasses at every restaurant we stopped at. Even brought back 3 bottles.

6) They also have amazing and fresh seafood, especially if you have access to a kitchen and are into cooking. On our most recent trip where we had a AirBNB with a private rooftop patio, we would just buy a ton of seafood from the nearby market, cook it back at our AirBNB and enjoyed it under the sun on the patio along a bottle of vermouth, and a few cigars.. ..Life was good...

[killramos]

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Like wine, there are ones that's $70 euro a leg and one that's over $300 euro.

That said, I was sick of it by week 2, regardless of grade.

Book ahead of time for Sagrada Familia and Gaudi park.

I don’t think you are getting real Iberico for either 70 or 300 a leg lol

[davidI]

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I don’t think you are getting real Iberico for either 70 or 300 a leg lol

For Jamon Iberico, there are 4 grades. Barcelona is so touristy I'm sure you'll find a shop to explain and let you sample and then overcharge you for something (you can just buy a few hundred grams - legs go up to 1500 Euros and don't make sense for a household since the meat will go off unless you're eating like 100g/day for weeks:

The finest grade is called jamón ibérico de bellota (acorn). This ham is from free-range pigs that roam oak forests (called dehesas) along the border between Spain and Portugal and eat only acorns during this last period. The exercise and diet have a significant effect on the flavor of the meat; the ham is cured for 36 months. This grade is divided into:
Black-label - jamón 100% ibérico de bellota, produced from pure-bred Iberian pigs
Red-label - jamón ibérico de bellota, produced from free-range pigs that are not pure-bred. The percentage of Iberian ancestry in the animal must be specified on the label
The next grade is Green label - jamón ibérico cebo de campo. This ham is from pigs that are pastured and fed a combination of acorns and grain.
The third type is White label - jamón ibérico de cebo, or simply, jamón ibérico. This ham is from pigs that are fed only grain. The ham is cured for 24 months.

Some good recommendations in this thread. Vermut is typically drunk before lunch (i.e. 12-2pm) then lunch from 2-4pm.

Watch your valuables - unfortunately, there are organized groups of pickpockets given how many tourists there are.

If you want to get away from the crowds it can be nice to go up Montjuic or Parc del Guinardó and walk around. Good place for a picnic or chill-out if that's what you're after.

Sitges is a nice beach town near Barcelona but probably not warm enough yet (definitely not warm enough yet for the Spaniards).

The nightlife is great but as others have mentioned, you're looking at things being good from 2am-8am.

[flipstah]

I guess I had shitty ham. Gives me a good reason to go back!

Pickpocketers you can easily spot because they hover too close to you and if you're a target, you'll just feel like someone's watching you.

The one I regret not getting early is the Picasso Museum.

Yes; agreed on seafood. I liked ordering sardines there, beachside.

[killramos]

For the cost, order iberico once or twice and enjoy it.

The rest of the time normal Spanish Serrano Ham is pretty great too and a fraction of the cost of true Iberico.

[Xtrema]

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I don’t think you are getting real Iberico for either 70 or 300 a leg lol

Lol I'm just a basic bitch... shopping around locals.

[phreezee]

Bring some good sunglasses and hang out at the beach. From the beach you can take the cable car up for views of the city.

[davidI]

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Lol I'm just a basic bitch... shopping around locals.

Supermarkets often carry legs for 50-300 but quality isn't always that great. I think it's better to just buy a few hundred grams of the good stuff freshly cut. Chorizo, salchichon are also good. For queso, look for cabra (goat) or oveja (sheep) and semicurado or curado (cured/aged).

I like Mercadona for supermarket shopping if you see one - not a huge selection of products, just a good quality and good value choice of everything.

Try some red wines as well - Rioja and Ribera del Duero are the most known. Even if just out for tapas, ask for a particular region (i.e. vinto tinto de Ribera) or they'll pour you some the cheaper house stuff. Typical cana (draught beer) is pretty crappy. I think Estrella Galicia is the best of the typical choices (Mahou, Estrella Damm, etc.) but it's not always easy to find. I think that bars who serve Estrella Galicia typically offer better quality food as well but that's just a subjective opinion and nothing I've really assessed in Barcelona.

For tapas, try: Pulpo a la Gallega (Octopus), Morcilla (blood sausage), tortilla (egg and potato omelette) and croquettes (breaded and fried bechamel, usually with filling).

[flipstah]

I only have one city reference point, but paellas were top notch. Had black ink paella...

Edit: Casa de Comidas Nogal is the name of the restaurant.

Don't expect quick service. Spaniards DGAF lol but once you have their attention, you're good fam.

[XylathaneGTR]

Rambla was a bit of a tourist trap, but there were some good restaurants and bars on the west side in La Raval, but it's kind of a shitty area. On Friday evening there was a huge skateboard crew hanging out Museum of Contemporary Art and a few bars nearby, so that was a cool atmosphere to hang out and watch (or practice a kickflip if that's your thing).

Did a walking tour with Sandemans/New Europe tours and it was great. Our guide also gave some great "not-so touristy" tapas recommendations and areas to check out. I agree that Barcelona is a city to take things easy and spend some time wandering to take it all in - was there for 4 days and it wasn't enough.

I'm a huge breakfast fan, and i'd strongly recommend "Milk" and "Citizen Café" - both are in the gothic quarter area.

[killramos]

If you don’t want touristy, don’t go to Barcelona, that’s my $0.02 on the touristy side of things. It’s just the nature of the beast, still a great place but the whole city is a tourist trap.

Travel further down the coast toward Valencia and you will find much more authenticity.