Barcelona Itinery...attn CruisinGerman

[NYC2FLA]

Hello Gunther! I've been reading posts about Barcelona and you seemed to be very fluent in the subject so Im asking for some advise.

 

Ill be in Barcelona Saturday October 13th from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Ive laid out what I'd like to do and would like to ask you to critique and advise me on it.

 

 

Here goes...

 

Cab from Pier to Park Guell

Walk to La Sagrada

Walk to Casa Mila and Casa Batilo

Walk to Placa de Catalinya

Walk to Cathedral Santa Eulalia

Walk to Picasso Museu

Walk to La Rambla ( North Tip )

Stroll to Pier via La Rambla

 

any information would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

PJ and Amy

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

I'm flattered that you've singled me out. BCNLady and many others are probably much more detailed and patient than I am, but here's my two cents anyway.

 

Cab to Parque Güell is fine

Too far to walk from Parque Güell to Sagrada Familia -- take a cab --

Walking from Sagrada Familia to Paseo de Gracia is probably doable, but I'd take a cab and save a little time.

Go to La Pedrera (Casa Mila) first and start from there. Sometimes the lines are very long if you want to go inside and up to the roof. Casa Batlló is a real gem, and the block it's on is called "La Manzana de la Discordia" (The Block of Discord in English, but actually a play on the expression "The Apple of Discord" because "Manzana" means both apple and block in Spanish).

 

Walk down Paseo de Gracia to Plaza Cataluña and then Las Ramblas. My vote would probably be to explore the Gothic Cathedral and forego the Picasso Museum -- I don't think you'll have time for both since at some point you'll have to have lunch (lots of quaint restaurants and tapas bars and cafés along your walking route).

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions -- I'd be glad to try to answer.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[mountainmare]

Actually I have done the walk just as described from Sagrada on. If you are walkers then it is not that far. The disclaimer here is we took the hike down the Nietzke Path from Eze to the sea, walked through old Naples back to the ship from the main train station and have been known to get off the Statin Island Ferry and stroll over to Times Square. We are walkers and for us the walk you describe is not that bad. We took the metro from the Parc to Sagrada to save time.

Be sure that you study maps and plan your route well in advance, although we found Barcelona very easy to get around on foot.

[sunraiser]

Gunther,

 

I had read all your valuable opinions on this board. They are very good advices on the sensible issues.

[Joy_K]

Gunther,

We will be in Barcelona on Sunday, Oct 14. Can you tell me if El Corte Ingles will be open on Sunday? I have looked at their website and it is unclear to me. It says "10am to 10pm (working days) - 10am to 10pm (holidays)" Are working days Monday thru Friday only? If they are closed, will there be anywhere that is open to purchase wine? Thanks for all your help answering Barcelona and Europe questions and the info you provide.

[NYC2FLA]

Dear friends:

 

I'm flattered that you've singled me out. BCNLady and many others are probably much more detailed and patient than I am, but here's my two cents anyway.

 

Cab to Parque Güell is fine

Too far to walk from Parque Güell to Sagrada Familia -- take a cab --

Walking from Sagrada Familia to Paseo de Gracia is probably doable, but I'd take a cab and save a little time.

Go to La Pedrera (Casa Mila) first and start from there. Sometimes the lines are very long if you want to go inside and up to the roof. Casa Batlló is a real gem, and the block it's on is called "La Manzana de la Discordia" (The Block of Discord in English, but actually a play on the expression "The Apple of Discord" because "Manzana" means both apple and block in Spanish).

 

Walk down Paseo de Gracia to Plaza Cataluña and then Las Ramblas. My vote would probably be to explore the Gothic Cathedral and forego the Picasso Museum -- I don't think you'll have time for both since at some point you'll have to have lunch (lots of quaint restaurants and tapas bars and cafés along your walking route).

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions -- I'd be glad to try to answer.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

 

Your "2 cents" are golden to us. Thanks for all your help. This is great advise. We hope to get everything in while in Barcelona.

 

mountainmare...Thank you as well. We are athletic types in our mid 40's, so walking is prefered to us.

 

Thank you all again.

PJ and Amy

[CruisinGerman]

Years ago the department and similar stores were open every day of the week, Sundays and holidays included.

 

That sparked a protest from unions and from small, mom-and-pop shopkeepers.

 

After that protest, the law changed and each "Comunidad Autónoma" (similar to the U.S. concept of the various 50 states -- in Spain there are 17 "Comunidades Autónomas") gets to set its own hours for Sundays and holidays.

 

There is a place on the El Corte Inglés website listing which holidays and Sundays they are open in each "Comunidad Autónoma". I just checked the Barcelona area, and they are not open on the day you will be there.

 

Anyway, while El Corte Inglés is a great store, with good service and purported to stock everything -- shopping here in Spain for Americans (with the exchange rate at 1.37 right now) is awfully expensive. There are much better bargains and generally better prices on everything in the U.S. department stores.

 

Even if the exchange rate weren't an issue, U.S. shopping has always been much more economical than shopping here in Europe. Right now with the 1.37 exchange rate, Spaniards, by the thousands, are spending weekends in New York City and virtually buying up everything in sight.

 

Even if major stores are closed on the Sunday you will be here, stores aimed at tourists, in the tourist areas, generally will be open.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta