BARCELONA

17 September 2017 – 20 September 2017

A very memorable one – even though the itinerary was not planned at all. No prior research, no advance plans – Simply a vacation.

Traveler tips –

1. There are many tourist centers all over the country, at the airport, at each and every railway station, on the major streets, so stop at each of them – speak to the travel planners here – different people have different ideas, you might end up discovering new things. Even questions like “where can I get vegetarian food” had satisfactory answers.
2. Spain is a very tourist friendly country – the only issue here is the language. Spanish adore and protect their language, not too happy with English. So, I had familiarized myself with the language on an app called “Duolingo”, and I suggest you to do too. And, of course there is the Google translator to help all the time. I think that’s the reason they have several tourist counters all over the city with English speaking travel planners. Cities like Barcelona were still manageable, but in Sevilla almost none spoke English.
3. Get the combo pass (called as HOLA BCN) from the airport / railway station / or online. There are 5 different transport operators here. I bought a 3-day combo ticket for unlimited rides in all forms of public transport, like Metro, City buses, Tram, Regional railway, Urban railway and the Funicular railway. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – makes life super easy when you don’t have to buy ticket each and every time when you are travelling. Also, less tiring – as I would take a tram/ bus even if it was just one stop walking distance, this conserved my energy and time and I could explore the city well. All this for a very reasonable rate, locals claim that its more expensive but for me convenience was more important. Check out the website https://www.publictransport.barcelona/metro_bus_tram/tickets_travelcards/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA89zvBRDoARIsAOIePbCS38m5E51vrdAdzgX80cBHp0jbgfUzZIq2iMn5OIViiPldua2lVJ0aAu-hEALw_wcB for details on the pricing. You can even buy it online.
4. Also buy a SIM card with internet data – internet is highly needed if travelling on your own, as you would need directions and google translator.

DAY 1 – ARRIVE AT BARCELONA

17 September 2017

Stay – Novotel. 3 nights – package included stay and breakfast. Good rooms and property. 5-minute walk to the station

Nearby Landmarks – Placa de les Glories Catalanes (good view of this monumental commercial building from the hotel)

Nearest station – Glories – L1 – RED line

Evening – Stroll around the Las Ramblas street and then explore Placa Espanya. Since, we have absolutely no idea as to what to do, we visit a tourist center on the Las Ramblas and they advise us to visit Poble Espanya and the magical fountain (show timing 9.30 pm – 10.30 pm). Thus, with lots of brochures, maps and other information on our hands, we walk towards the Poble Espanyol (Old Spanish village). It’s a fabricated village created for the 1929 world exhibition, built to represent the architectural styles of different parts of Spain. We visit here after sunset, so most of the shops are closed, but I am sure this is a beautiful place during the daytime – to experience the old-world charm ambience and lots of shopping for local products. If you visit after 6 pm, the entry fee is almost half of the daytime entry fee. There is a fiesta in the evening – Live music, food stalls and alcoholic drinks, though we couldn’t find much in vegetarian options. I would recommend one to experience the Spanish fiesta. If food, booze and music do not excite you and you have Sevilla on your itinerary, Poble Espanyol is easily avoidable.