JaneRetired

@GeorgiaPeach51 I read Carlos Ruiz Zafón "The Shadow of the Wind" on TA Miami to Barcelona (Seven Seas Splendor) April 2022, set in Barcelona, with a walking tour at the end of the book. Cemetery of Forgotten Books 4 Book series. A great cruise read for 4 of us!!

You'll find all menus online, and probably English versions as well. As with any meal suggestions, everyone has different tastes and these are mine. Covid was still causing staffing and supply chain issues in April 2022. 1. Els Quatre Gats (since 1896) Carrer de Montsió, 3. Picasso's first exhibitions were here! We've eaten here about 4 times! Great tapas - Catalan tomato bread and mussels for me, great paella, Crema Catalan. Great atmosphere, fabulous wines, music some nights 2. Nuria Rambla de Canaletes, 133 (since 1926) On Las Ramblas near the square, had tapas and beer Artichoke chips and homemade nachos were delicious! 3. Creps Barcelona - about 5 locations, we only went to one (Via Laietana, 45) and had both savory creps and sweet creps on 2 or 3 visits. Owner remembered us from 3 years ago! 4. Restaurante Santa Anna on Calle Santa Anna 8. Our hotel window looked down on the restaurant and the street one one visit. Excellent Paella and Fideuà and great wines. There are a dozen restaurants on this short and historic street. Have fun exploring!

Hop on Hop off is a smart ship tour, if your port stop is at least 3-4 hours long. I'm a senior (70 in a few weeks) traveled with 3 other seniors on a TA from Miami to Barcelona April 2022 (Regent Splendor), and spent 4 days there. We all read "The Shadow of The Wind " by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, which has "a walk in the footsteps" walking tour of Barcelona at the end of the book, which was set in Barcelona in the 20th century (historical/fiction/mystery/murders/a little fantasy, books, restaurants, bookshops, libraries, Gothic area, Las Ramblas, beaches near the port). Many of the important places in the book (a series of books actually) are real places you can visit or pass by (wave at) on the hop-on-hop-off. There are 2 different hop on-hop off bus tours and each lasts about 2 hours, if you stay on for the full circle. You can hop on a red or green tour from the Port of Barcelona. We did both on one afternoon, not worried about a cruise departing, tho. It was raining, and we were so happy not to hop off!. Had great tapas, great meals on streets and restaurants mentioned in the book (which we also visited 3 years ago, before we read the book). We spent 4 nights same hotel on Las Ramblas as our 2019 visit, on a 6 week land trip through Morocco, Barcelona, Lisbon, Paris, London, Oxford, Brecon Wales, NYC). I would return to Barcelona in a heartbeat, and loved walking Las Ramblas alone day or night, no problemo! Happy to offer names of restaurants if requested. The book is a really fun quick read, even if you are not traveling there. 🙂