Barcelona DIY

[CM2J2R2S]

We are thinking of getting off the ship and finding the shuttle and heading to Sagrada Familia. We will buy the tickets online.

 

We are considering doing a Free Tour - narrowed to three groups - since there is much we would like to experience - Boqueria Market, La Rambla and the Barri Gotic districts and the Barcelona Cathedral. We would like to fit in one of the Gaudi houses either Casa Mila or Casa Batllo. We would also like to pause for food .. and not sure where, how...

 

We have between 9 and 4 to do all of this. Any experienced DIY people out there? Is Barcelona easy to navigate through the metro system? Is everything spread out or very walkable?

 

Is this too ambitious? We don't want to do too much, would like to experience some of the greatness of the city, but we don't want to wander aimlessly either and are unsure how to plan.

 

Any thoughts?

[Pet Nit Noy]

We are thinking of getting off the ship and finding the shuttle and heading to Sagrada Familia.... Boqueria Market, La Rambla and the Barri Gotic districts and the Barcelona Cathedral. We would like to fit in one of the Gaudi houses either Casa Mila or Casa Batllo. We would also like to pause for food .. and not sure where, how...

 

We have between 9 and 4 to do all of this.... Is this too ambitious? Any thoughts?

 

This list would take you about two days to cover, assuming you want to go inside any places like Sagrada Familia, the Boqueria, and Casa Mila. If you're content to walk past all these places I guess you could do see everything.

 

When you buy your tickets for Sagrada Familia, you'll have many options. If speed is your main requirement, buy the Basilica only entry. This allows you inside, but you won't receive any explanation of what you're seeing. The Basilica Visit + Audio guide is a better option than a guided visit if you want some explanation. The Audio ticket allows you to enter any time within the hour of your admission. You can stay as long as you like, but you must be inside before the hour is up. This offers you important flexibility when you're trying to cram a lot into your day.

 

Are you planning on visiting the inside of Casa Mila? Getting a ticket in advance will keep you off the very long line, but the place is popular and the crowds inside will have an impact on the speed with which you can go through the house (e.g. the furnished apartment is small and there are some places where you'll probably have to wait for an elevator.)

 

Your most efficient way to eat would be to eat during your visit to La Boqueria. You can get all sorts of delicious take-away food or you can sit at one of the many small bars throughout the hall. The stalls selling prepared food are obvious, but even the stalls selling food for the locals to prepare at home offer food for tourists. For example, some of the stalls selling the famous Iberico jamon will sell you a small portion of the meat wrapped for take away.

[CM2J2R2S]

Okay, that is what I was looking for!

 

We would like to spend some time in some places but have no idea which ones to walk by and which ones to go into.

 

Any assistance you could provide would be very helpful. I am finding this port a little challenging.

 

Melissa

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I am not sure if you have checked out this site already. It has a wealth of information.

 

http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/

[Pet Nit Noy]

Okay, that is what I was looking for!

 

We would like to spend some time in some places but have no idea which ones to walk by and which ones to go into.

 

Any assistance you could provide would be very helpful. I am finding this port a little challenging.

 

Melissa

 

This is very hard question to answer since we don't know you and your interests. I can offer some broad generalizations, but you're going to have to figure out what interests you most. You simply can't do everything!

 

The Sagrada Familia Basilia is much more interesting than the Barcelona Cathedral.

 

If you go to Sagrada, your next stop should be the other Gaudi destinations in the Eixample district (pronounced "EE-chample with a soft "a"). That means Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. (The two buildings next to Casa Batllo were designed by two other architects who were part of Gaudi's design movement.)

 

Barcelona is unique for its Gaudi structures so my preference was and would be to emphasize them during a visit to the city. In fact, my husband and I took a three-hour walking tour of the Gaudi structures in the Eixample with a Catalan architect. But we spent days in the city not hours so we were able to see/do everything on your list and more. For what its worth, our tour took us inside Casa Mila and we only looked at the façade of Casa Batllo and its two neighbors.

 

I'm not a fan of La Rambla -- I see only crowds and souvenir stalls down the median strip -- but plenty of others disagree with me. You can get a small dose of La Rambla scene when you visit La Boqueria, a real treat in my opinion. I've been to markets in many other places around the world , but the freshness and variety of the food at La Boqueria beat them all. To me, the most fascinating section of the market contained the fish and shellfish stalls.

 

Happy planning!

[calliopecruiser]

I think Barcelona is very easy for a DIY adventure, and I would say the only time walking and transit isn't enough is to visit Parc Guell. Personally, I would recommend taking it easy on the Gaudi stuff and be sure to visit some of the other things that are great in Barcelona and are often overlooked.....I think La Sagrada Familia is rather ugly, and I think passing by would have been enough for me, but a lot of people take a lot of time to get up close and personal. The Barri Gotic area is interesting, and while you're there consider the Picasso Museum - not just interesting art, but in a lovely building. While you do want to experience La Ramblas, you can use it simply as a route to get from A to B - it doesn't really need more time than that. As far as churches goes, there are some lovely ones in the Barri Gotic, and my favourite wasn't the Se (Cathedral), but the Basillica de Santa Maria de Pi (church of Saint Marie of the Pines) http://basilicadelpi.com/postals-del-pi/?lang=en. Stop in a few while you're wandering the Barri - there are many.

 

Ahh, to each his/her own and we all have different tastes. For me, looking at the exterior of some Gaudi places is more than enough Gaudi for me, and I preferred poking around the neighbourhood streets (of Barri Gotic and El Raval) seeing some galleries and interesting architecture, and having lunch at a counter-service restaurant in the Boqueria market.

[Pet Nit Noy]

...I think La Sagrada Familia is rather ugly, and I think passing by would have been enough for me, but a lot of people take a lot of time to get up close and personal. ... Ahh, to each his/her own and we all have different tastes.

 

I've already written about my enthusiasm for our visits to the Gaudi buildings including Sagrada Familia, but I want to share that I came to appreciate the architecture after spending some time at the sites and hearing the explanation. I agree that the façade done in Gaudi's lifetime, the Nativity façade, is really ugly and I like it far less than the Passion façade done by different a architect and sculptor. But I'm surprised you don't like the Passion façade given your appreciation for Picasso. The Passion sculptures are the direct heir to Picasso's Demoiselle and his paintings of Marie-Therese and Dora Mar. The stained glass windows that are being installed are wonderful color field pieces and this, too, was totally surprising.

 

In your original post, you wrote, "I think passing by would have been enough for me" which I took to mean that you haven't actually gone to Sagrada either driving by or going inside. With your interest in Picasso, you might be surprised by your reaction to Sagrada if you ignore the Nativity facade and concentrate on the interior architecture, the stained glass windows, and the Passion façade.

[chipmaster]

We DIY at the end of our cruise and technically were able to do somthing similar to your list in a day. We did not go into any of the attractions but did the cab/metro stop look outside for everything but picked one thing to go into.; La Pedrera.

[Pet Nit Noy]

... With your interest in Picasso, you might be surprised by your reaction to Sagrada if you ignore the Nativity facade and concentrate on the interior architecture, the stained glass windows, and the Passion façade.

 

Calliopecruiser,

 

Please don't misinterpret what I wrote. I wasn't suggesting you needed to like Sagrada Familia! I simply wanted to share my changing reaction to Gaudi's style once I learned more about it and to link information about your enthusiasm for Picasso with the post-Gaudi work in the Basilica. If you've already been to La Sagrada and still feel indifferent or unimpressed by Gaudi then my point of view is irrelevant.

[calliopecruiser]

In your original post, you wrote, "I think passing by would have been enough for me" which I took to mean that you haven't actually gone to Sagrada either driving by or going inside.

 

 

No, actually I have been there. By "....would have been enough for me", I meant it in retrospect.

 

Picasso is interesting from the reverse situation - I enjoy his work much more in person than via imagery, and seeing Picasso's work "live" made all the difference (over seeing photos and prints). He's still not a favourite of mine, but his impact and importance is undeniable, and his work affected me more than I thought.