Barcelona recomendations?

[Alyssa]

I am going to Barcelona in a few weeks for my annual European birthday trip, & I have never been there before. If anyone has any good restaurant recomendations, I'd love to hear it. Places where locals eat, not touristy crap. I've been told that the Placa de Francesc Macia is a good area to find local restaurants. Any specific recomendations? We've rented an apartment in paseo de gracia-diagonal, so we'll more than likely be in that area for dinner. Any other general recomendations about Barcelona? Is there a good jewelry shopping area? How about a good antique area? How difficult is Catalan? I speak French, my mother speaks rusty spanish, & I understand a bit of Italian. Will we be able to catch on & get by with that? Are there any areas 2 women shouldn't be alone? Are there any sights that we absolutely MUST see? Is Barcelona a good walking city? Or will we have to use public transportation? Spain is one of the few western European countries I haven't extensively visited, so I was hoping someone here could shed some light. If anyone needs any info about Venice, let me know (the crab noodles at Alla Rivetta are worth the entire trip!)
Thanks!

 

[Mudy_ovl]

Alyssa,
I am jealous. I visited Barcelona many years ago and fortunately for me my travel companion (read: ex-girlfriend) spoke fluent Spanish. The two places in Barcelona I highly recommend are the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia and the Christopher Columbus museum. The temple is one of Antoni Gaudi's greatest works. I tried to climb the stairs in one of the towers but woosed out as we got higher and higher. The pictures that my companion took from the top views were amazing. The Christopher Columbus museum is near the harbor. Kind of neat if you are interested in nautical history. Enjoy and eat all the tapas you can.
Chris D.

 

[Bruno]

Alyssa,

Barcelona will offer plenty, but if you are up to a ~100 mile road trip you will be rewarded with one the most beautiful places in all of the Costa Brava, Cadaques is a small village on the Mediterranean Sea - absolutely a treasure, and one of my personal favorites.

Here's some information - http://www.cbrava.com/cadaqueng.htm

Bruno.

 

[Alyssa]

That certainly does look lovely... kind of a cross between Oia & an italian fishing village. I don't know if we're going to be there long enough to go out of town, but there's always next year! I'm actually cutting this trip kind of short this year because I'm also going to MAR & can't miss THAT much work!
We're going to visit the Sagrada Familia, but what is special about the Christopher Columbus museum?

 

[Bruno]

I have not been to the Maritime Museum, the building (at the bottom of Las Ramblas) should be very interesting, having been a working shipyard and home to historical Galleys.

Bruno.

 

[dsstephens]

guadi museum, the picasso museum, La Pedrera, MACBA. FOOD FOOD FOOD.

 

[Drew]

Alyssa,
Barcelona was one of my favorite places I ever visited. If you speak any spanish you will be fine with the catalonia dialect. I walked everywhere with the exception of getting from one district to the next. Defintintely check out the Gothic Quarters and La Ritera. You would think you stepped back in medieval times. Lots of great cafes there for lunch. Gauidi's architecure is amazing. The Picasso Museum is in La Ritera if I remember correctly. Las Ramblas is a main streetway where everyone gathers for shopping, eating, or people watching. There are also many bars off of Las Ramblas for night life. Just keep your eyes peeled if you explore at night for the bars, its not well lit and tourist are a target for pick pockets (outside of the rifraff the people are some of the most friendliest people I have ever met). Bar Marsella is a neat bar that Picasso and Hemingway drank at, and you can order Absynth there. Can Cullereteres has good eats, oldest resturant in Barceleona. Bar Marsella and Can Cullereteres are tourist spots though. Have fun and post some pics when you get back.
Drew

 

[JSQ]

Alyssa,

Barcelona will offer plenty, but if you are up to a ~100 mile road trip you will be rewarded with one the most beautiful places in all of the Costa Brava, Cadaques is a small village on the Mediterranean Sea - absolutely a treasure, and one of my personal favorites.

Here's some information - http://www.cbrava.com/cadaqueng.htm

Bruno.

I'm with Bruno.
Take the train/bus or your rented Opel to Cadaques. I lay on the beach in the above picture for a few hours one lovely summer afternoon.

Barcelona is a very international city. You will be fine speaking English. Spanish will be a bonus. You will NOT be able to pic up Catalan unless you are truely gifted in language accquistion. I found the roots to French and Spanish distant at best and the spoken word seemed totally alien. A tip: if you want to converse in Spanish (with a modicum of respect) instead of being patronized with English remember to insist on "castellano".

Make sure you visit Corte Ingles.
The greatest department store in the history of the world.
I went there every day I was in Barcelona.

 

[Black Dog]

Callafel/Segur de Callafel is a nice beach town that's about 40 min. down the coast. It's popular with the locals and not so touristy. Great fresh seafood market, a big flea market with inexpensive leather goods, and if you're into it, a huge multi-level discoteque open 'till dawn that does the foam machine thing where everybody ends up soaked and stripping of their duds and jumping into the pool.

The great thing about Spain to me is how they live there. Up not too early, roll into work at nine or ten, siesta at three when it gets too hot, back to work at six for a couple of hours, dinner 'till ten, then a little partying 'till one or two, and back to work the next day.

Pretty girls and great soccer for ya too Alyssa!

Watch out on the road though. You exit the freeway there on both the right AND the left. A left (high speed) lane exit has you trying to go from 90 to 0 in about 2 sec.!

 

[Bruno]

Make sure you visit Corte Ingles.
The greatest department store in the history of the world.
I went there every day I was in Barcelona.

Oh shit, how could I forget El Corte Ingles, la mayor cadena de grandes almacenes de Espa?a!

Shame on me.

The road leading into Cadaques is fantastic, winding along the mountain with stunning views of the ocean. When I was last there, I got issued a pretty good spanking from a local riding an old BMW GS that he bought as a basket case. LOL

Bruno.