Barcelona Bliss

“There is no night life in Spain. They stay up late but they get up late. That is not night life. That is delaying the day.” – Ernest Hemingway

Barcelona is a truly year round European destination that has something for everyone.  We recently visited there in the summer and it was in the 80’s and gorgeous every day. While other European cities are cold and damp in December their winters are sunny and in the 60s. 

Barcelona is an easy and relatively close European city to visit.  Delta and American offer year round nonstops from JFK to this sunny Mediterranean spot. Flying time averages 7 hours going and close to 8 hours coming home.  Once you land at BCN there is a very inexpensive and easy airport bus into the center of town.  Leaving every 10 minutes and costing only 6 Euros, it takes about 30 minutes to travel to Placa Catalunya, which is the center of the city. From there you can walk to many well-located hotels, which makes your trip to and from the airport easy and inexpensive.  For more information on the airport bus, click on www.aerobusbcn.com.

A fantastic hotel to try that is only a few minutes walk from Placa Catalunya, is the Hotel Roger de Lluria.  The hotel has family rooms that accommodate up to 4 people, which is difficult to find in Europe. Double start under $200. Click on www.rogerdelluria.com for rates and reservations.

Barcelona is a wonderful walking city and the best place to start is on their famous tree lined street named “La Rambla.” Stretching ¾ of a mile from Placa Catalunya to the Columbus statue at the sea it’s a microcosm of all the wonders that Barcelona offers.  Halfway down is the “La Boqueria” which is an amazing outdoor covered market that sells a dizzying assortment of fresh fruit, seafood, the famous Jamon Iberico as well as many other local specialties.  From full service restaurants to walk away treats the Boqueria has it all.

The city’s most iconic buildings were designed by the brilliant Catalan modernist architect Antoni Gaudi (1852 – 1926)  His magnum opus is the still unfinished La Sagrada Familia Church.  Look at www.sagradafamilia.org/en for tours and ticket information. Rounding out Gaudi’s famous landmarks in Barcelona are the Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, La Pedrera and Park Guell.  The fanciful architecture is so different than anything you have ever seen and it truly takes your breath away.

Spend a day at Parc de la Ciutadella – the City Park.  Laid out in the mid 1800’s, it’s a glorious green space in the middle of the city.  You can rent rowboats and bicycles as well as visit one of the most terrific zoos we have ever been to. The animals are so close up.. it’s a real wow! For tickets and info on the zoo look at www.zoobarcelona.cat/en/home.

If you want architecture, history, fine dining, great shopping, and even the beach.. say sí to a trip to Barcelona!