Of all the cities I’ve written about for Travel Notes so far, it would be pretty hard for me to choose a favourite. I love the elegance of Paris, the peacefulness of Amsterdam, the in-your-face history of Rome, the sheer beauty of Venice and the classic British pomp and ceremony of London.
All of these places make me happy but there is one place that makes me really happy, and that’s Barcelona.
By now you might have worked out that I like eating. Some of the best meals of my life have been experienced in Barcelona and outlying towns on the Costa Brava. The region boasts the best of simple, traditional, and truly delicious cuisine. Even simple pa amb tomaquet (a slice of toasted bread rubbed with a tomato and a garlic clove) or a handful of olives tastes infinitely better when savoured under the Catalan sun.
I’m also a fan of wandering around taking in my surroundings, and Barcelona ticks that box, too. I love the city’s style: shopping and residential areas interspersed with pleasant green spaces framed by beautiful purple jacaranda, and intriguing and colourful architecture at every turn.
As well as the gentrified neighbourhoods, grand apartment blocks and modern skyscrapers there are also Barcelona's rough-around-the-edges neighbourhoods.
On one summer visit I walked across to the El Born district on a steaming hot day, with temperatures of around 30 degrees. In the densely packed alleys, draped from side to side with laundry, and home to gently cooing pigeons, the odour was ripe. But every now and then I’d pass an open door leading into an old señora’s kitchen, and a heady waft of cooking garlic would hit my nostrils and restore my olfactory pleasure.
And that's what I love so much about Barcelona: its ability to heighten each and every one of my senses. It's a city I can wander around in awe without having to spend too much money, feeding my brain on culture and my stomach on amazing Catalan food.
This guide is a little shorter than some of my other ones for Travel Notes. This is because a) I keep going back to the same places every time I go and b) I’m not inclined to want to go shopping. Wandering and eating my way around the city is enough for me.
THINGS TO SEE
Gaudí fest
The vibrancy of Barcelona is taken to a new level with the architecture of Antoni Gaudí. I wholly recommend a full-on Gaudí fest, starting at Sagrada Família, Barcelona's beloved cathedral.
Next take the metro to Passeig de Gràcia and take in Casa Milà’s undulating curves and stunning rooftop views.
Across the street is the ethereal Casa Batlló, and the more conservative Casa Calvet is down a nearby side street.
Saving the best until last, take the metro across to Parc Güell at sunset. Beware it’s a steep climb up to the entrance if you’ve arrived by metro (an old lady with a zimmer frame overtook me on the ascent).
Stand at the top of the park looking out across the city, one of my favourite places in the world. I am obsessed with that view, and with the beautiful trencadís tiled benches that circle the perimeter. This is my happy (x1,000,000) place.
Sagrada Família
Calle Mallorca 401
Metro: Sagrada Família
Casa Milà (also known as La Pedrera)
Carrer Provença 261-265
Metro: Diagonal
Casa Batlló
Passeig de Gràcia 43
Metro: Passeig de Gràcia
Casa Calvet
Carrer Casp 48
Metro: Urquinaona
Parc Güell
Carrer D’Olot
Metro: Lesseps
THINGS TO BUY
*Disclaimer: all of my shopping in Barcelona involves food products.
Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boquería
I think the person who coined the phrase ‘feast for the eyes’ was standing in the Boquería market at the time. At the entrance there are stands with row upon row of vibrantly-coloured fruit juices– I tried the delicious pithaya i coco (dragon fruit and coconut) juice in a vibrant magenta hue.
Further in, there are painstakingly dressed stalls dedicated to dried chillies, olives, spices, nuts and kaleidoscopic fruit and vegetables; and then the alley gives way to a circular loop of seafood stalls. The meat stalls are abundant with every animal body part you could imagine.
There are also some great places to eat tapas (see A Bite to Eat).
Rambla, 91
Metro: Liceu
Mercat de Santa Caterina
Santa Caterina market is a much quieter and less bustling market, and it seems to be where the locals shop and dine. I stocked up on boxes of saffron (so much cheaper than the Boquería) and pimentón at Olives Y Torres and had a lovely lunch at Bar Joan (see below).
Avinguda de Francesc Cambo 16
Metro: Jaume
A BITE TO EAT
Can Paixano
Of the small selection of dishes I tried, I wouldn’t say that this bar boasts the best food in town, but it's more about the rustic, bustling experience and the fast-paced staff who miraculously keep track of every glass of cava and plate of tapas that each patron orders. The Barceloneta harbor is just around the corner - a great place to admire the luxury yachts bobbing around on the Mediterranean after several €0.90-a-pop glasses of cava.
Carrer de la Reina Cristina 7
Metro: Barceloneta
Pinotxo
Pinotxo (meaning Pinocchio in Catalan) is an eatery in the Boquería market with a prime place and a steady queue of customers waiting to try its delicious tapas. I, too, lingered around a stack of fruit crates and pallets until a seat was available. I wanted to try the navalles (razor clams) which were a tad on the expensive side but delicious and definitely worth the wait.
The waiter also recommended ‘green potatoes’, which weren’t tubers on the turn, but thickly-sliced potatoes smothered in a parsley, garlic and boiled egg dressing (the waiter wouldn't reveal the exact recipe and I failed miserably to recreate this at home).
Mercat de la Boquería 466-470
Bar Joan
Real simple tapas and a great place to people-watch. I had calamari doused with fresh lemon juice and alioli, nothing more, nothing less.
Inside Mercat de Santa Caterina
Avinguda de Francesc Cambo 16
Metro: Jaume
Any xarcutería
I’m not ashamed to say that one of my evening meals was eaten in my hotel room and consisted of several Estella Damm beers and about half a pound of the milkiest, melt-in-the-mouth Iberico ham I’ve ever laid my tongue on.
