[Closed] Barcelona- thoughts?

it's a great song!

How long were you there for? What did you do/see?

It's my fave city in Europe. Fantastic place. Great history, culture, style, food, people and climate!

As above...where did you go and what did you do?

It's one of my favourite cities in Europe.

I'm with you on this one, hora. Good, but not great. Personally I found the locals had quite a bit of attitude and weren't very friendly. I actually like it less the more I go!

Agree with those guys, loved it, in fact I would like to go again which is unusual for me (and I went in December!)

Loved it also. Went in early December to take my father to to see Barca v Valencia.

Stayed in L'Eixample, which was good because it's residential.

Hated the Rambla, but that's hardly surprising.

Same with a friend of ours- shes been there 13 times. She thinks Im almost heretic!

We stayed in the Ramblos (sp?), ate fish tapas in the market there, visited the mount via cable car, Sagrada Familia, Casa Biblos (sp?) - I actually liked that alot, strayed all over on foot drinking in a fair few backstreet bars (i.e. we tried to avoid traps/main drags etc). My observations are everyone smokes there (or seems to), there was a faint smell of sewage just about everywhere, it looks very tired etc. It just didnt grab me like I always imagined it would. Saying that I never thought in a million years that I would like Brugge. I did. I loved it.

We only visited one trap- beer and coke was 7 euros each but this wasnt advertised. Funnily. I actually asked the waiter (alot of waiters there seemed very bored and uninterested) if they were a strip bar with those prices. The joke didnt get through to him. eckinspain- agree.

The two girls I went with loved it. IMO If you took away Gaudi I couldnt see the attraction/reason to go out of your way to visit.

I thought it was ok there but agree with you hora, without Gaudi I don't see a reason to visit.

I also found the people there very unfriendly.

Fair enough. Seems like you only really did the touristy stuff. there's loads more than that. Non-Gaudi? Art galleries, museums, old churches/temples, the history of the Spanish Civil war, Columbus, the Gothic Quarter, the football stadium (rogerredhat; is Camp Nou awesome, or what?!), the markets, loads of stuff. And the countryside surrounding the city is a fantastic place to ride a bike. BarÁelona is also a centre for design, and architecture, and host several international film and music events every year. Very exciting and lively, yet relaxed as well.

And for a major city, it never seemed too crowded, even at rush-hour. Living in London, that's something I really appreciated.

Last time I went, I stayed with a family. Got to see daily life from the perspective of residents. Perhaps gives a better insight. I can understand some of the animosity towards some tourists, who get drunk and lary, and cause grief, like in any touristy place. But most of the people I met were very friendly and helpful. I didn't feel nearly as wary as I've done in some other big cities. On the whole, I'd say its a great place.

We went into a fair few old churches, the markets, Gothic quarter but not the other bits. The streets were absolutely heaving though!! One place I did like- a Veggie bar (I think they are a chain - the name begins with 'M Veggie' and they do stunning Falafel in Pitta

Yes, Camp Nou, full up with families watching a game that kicked off at 10 pm, where Henri scored a hat-trick and Barca won 4-0, is amazing.

But I liked the feeling of space in the city (as well as enjoying the tiny streets of the Bari Gotica), which was helped by the careful planning of the expansions made over the years.

A great example of a modern European city.

But, yes, in Spain people smoke a lot (was the same in Valencia), but no more so that the Dutch in my experience, and there was the odd whiff of sewage over the air-vents. Not all pervading, though.

Went once in winter with a streaming cold, did the touristy things and didn't really like it at all.

Went back in summer and just went to beach, ate, drank and wandered round - and it was much more amenable.

We went a couple of years ago and despite the heat it was great. We found the people friendly, especially if you tried to speak a little Spanish / Catalan...the family on the next table WHO SHOUTED IN ENGLISH got bad service and a big bill 🙂

Les Ramblas is worth a walk along despite the guide books assuring you you will be stripped naked by pickpockets (just be sensible!)

Shame the £ has crashed against the Euro!

SSP

What SSSP said, I speak spanish and always have very well welcome.
Plus there is much more than just gaudi, the MACBA is wicked, and apparently the riding around is ace too

I thought it was great.

I went in May when strolling around was a bit more pleasant. And you could sit on a boat in the harbour and have tapas.

I found the waiters etc friendly. But then it's always a good idea to try to speak a little of the language. Or just shout in english obviously.

"My observations are everyone smokes there (or seems to), there was a faint smell of sewage just about everywhere, it looks very tired"
LOL, pretty much every major city in Europe.

We loved it.
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardstarkie/sets/72157602219212625/ ]Photos[/url]

I've only been once, but I'm sort of with Hora on this. Lots of lovely things to see and do, but the whole city doesn't seem to equal to the sum of its parts.

On the whole, I prefer the Italian cities I've visited (Rome, Milan & Florence) and Paris (and London, come to think of it), but I'd really like to go to Madrid.

Not as nice as it used to be. Has a threatening vibe in certain parts.
Madrid is better in my opinion. It doesnt have te sights of Barcelona but the nightlife more than makes up for that.

Speaking Spanish is fine if you're a foreigner like me but when my (Spanish) wife speaks to them in Spanish they reply back to her in Catalan. Which I think is just a bit rude and unnecessary when you're in the service trade.

The same thing happens here in the Basque country, people claiming not to speak Castellano, but these people are usually decribed as gilipollas even by the locals. More than once I've been given Basque separatism literature to read with my beer mind.

?

Is it 'Raise a Thread from the Dead Day'?

Crap football team. 👿

"relaxed"

That's one word I wouldn't use to describe the place, "manic" would be my choice. I worked there for a year commuting in from a flat on the beach in Sitges. Interesting but not to be repeated.

as one city amongst many thousands to visit, it's over rated in my experience.

Girona up the road is much nicer IMO

Loved the place when I visited, would move there if I thought i could learn spanish/catalan!

they crucified ManU 🙂

Isn't that where all the dogs have no noses? And the joke never stops being funny? 😛

john_drummer - Member

they crucified ManU

Who? Espanyol? When?