Barcelona in November

[PITAronin]

May have the opportunity to visit Barcelona for around 4 days in early November with my brother. Neither of us has visited Spain before and - while I plan on doing a bit of investigative reading on things to do there beforehand - was wondering if any of the forum members had particular recommendations about especially worthwhile places to stay/eat/see/shop.

Thanks

 

[whenwe]

I posted this in an earlier thread:

I used to live in BCN so I'll do my best here.

Cal Pep, on that list is a very good tapas bar with contemporary/catalan cuisine. The problem is that if you don't know Spanish or Catalan it may be very difficult for you to understand the menu and order. The best places can usually be found by simply looking at the menu and deciding for yourself. Although stay away from places on the rambla or in the vicinity of plaça catalunya. Also make sure to take advantage of the menú del dÃa, which is usually common from about 1-4 (the Spanish eat big lunches and late dinners.) You can get 2 courses, wine, and dessert for less than 10 euro. There are a lot of good menú del dÃa places off the rambla in the neighborhood of el raval. It's a much more run down neighborhood with lots of ethnic restaurants and generally cheaper prices. Careful at night though, because it could get dangerous.

Generally speaking in terms of things to do, it depends on what you want, since there is almost something for every taste. It's best to think of the city in two parts divided centrally by plaça the catalunya. In the direction of the sea, towards the rambla lies the old city, and the gothic quarter. Here you can find the Cathedral which is free I believe, and also the Picasso museum. The Picasso museum is worth a visit, although frankly it's very underwhelming in my opinion, much nicer museums are found in Madrid but that's another story. Anyway, the gothic quarter is nice to walk through although it has it's charm it's not what Barcelona is best known for. That of course is on the other side in the direction of the main artery Passeig de Gracia.

Passeig de Gracia lead up all through l'eixample which basically just means the addition to the old city. This is the more upscale are with neighborhoods like Gracia being one of the better known. The great thing about Passeig de Gracia is that there are so many things to see and do on one street, I'd even dare to say more than the (gasp)Champs. I always recommended people start at the top where Gracia begins and stroll down Passeig de Gracia. Here you will find GaudÃ's famous houses like Casa Batlló and others. I recommend going into Casa Mila to see the inside and what the actual apartments looked like. Also the views from the top are quite nice as well.

Passeig de Gracia also has all the luxury shopping you desire, along with Spanish giants like Zara, Loewe, Massimo Dutti, Camper etc. Off Passeig de Gracia you'll find Cal Pep. Corte InglÃ

s gets a lot of press but it's really just a giant department store with a market at the bottom. You'll find your common luxury items mixed in with Liz Claiborne New York among others. There are two locations however the Plaça Catalunya location should do just fine if you feel inclined.

Other must-sees are the Sagrada Familia of course, the Palau de la musica catalana, and Parc Güell.

Getting to Parc Güell is a bit tricky but you can catch the metro green line and then walk some bit to get there, just follow the signs. Once there enjoy GaudÃ's works, but make sure you walk around and explore as well. I recommend taking one of the trails to a hill which has a mirador basically a watch tower, where you can get the best views of Barcelona in my opinion (out towards the sea.)

If you enjoy vintage shopping there are lots of vintage shops in El Raval, conveniently located on a street called tallers. You can find some cheap stuff and it's always fun to have a look.

Like someone else mentioned, the beach Barceloneta is not really worth the visit. It's usually crowded (when it's warm) and usually only tourists. Most locals head south to the Costa Dorada, or north to the Costa Brava for beaches. Sitges is a short train ride away, and it has nice beaches, also the surrounding areas. Most of the area near the sea and the port are fairly new, as they were built for the olympics, however because of this you'll mostly see convention centers and hotels in this area although the aquarium and the estació de frança with trains heading to France is found in this area.

Finally I recommend making a daytrip if time permits to Monserrat. It's a revered mountain in Catalonia, and a top it has a nice monastery. It is also a nice getaway from the chaos of city life.

Lastly BCN is a very walkable city, I recommend walking as much as possible, although the public transportation system is quite efficient.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you may have and hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[le.gentleman]

I am staying in Barcelona for the next 4 days and I would be happy to get some addresses of bespoke artisans or simply of good haberdasheries or stores that offer accessories.
Also, I am interested in antique stores.

Thank you very much in advance!