Semi-live on the Edge, Barcelona-Rome

[Beachlover1989]

Looking forward to hearing what you're doing in Barcelona before you embark as we will be ending our cruise in Barcelona in September.

[Kteacher]

35 minutes ago, hcat said:

Wow..sounds like a great start.. Where is the hotel located ?

Amazing views!

The hotel is located on Ramblas Catalunyas. We had excellent tapas tonight at Cachitas, very reasonable as well. When I researched the area I found that there are 452 restaurants within .3 mile from the hotel, so lots of choices-

[hcat]

Wow..amazing dinner!

Las Ramblas is very interesting....but watch your wallets!

[Kteacher]

8 hours ago, hcat said:

Wow..amazing dinner!

Las Ramblas is very interesting....but watch your wallets!

My handbags of choice while I’m traveling- Travelon , both have metal cords in the straps, locking zippers, and are lined in material to protect ccs from being scanned.

   The hotel breakfast buffet is amazing. I’ll remember to take photos tomorrow! We are off early on a tour that’s part of the Celebrity CityStay package- Montserrat and lunch.

    

[vtcruising]

4 hours ago, Kteacher said:

My handbags of choice while I’m traveling- Travelon , both have metal cords in the straps, locking zippers, and are lined in material to protect ccs from being scanned.

   The hotel breakfast buffet is amazing. I’ll remember to take photos tomorrow! We are off early on a tour that’s part of the Celebrity CityStay package- Montserrat and lunch.

    

 

I have the one on the right and love it! Enjoy your day in Barcelona!

[hcat]

Montserrat will be a treat...we did a Celeb excursion there post cruise...

Have a great day!

[Kteacher]

Today was the first part of our Celebrity City Stay your. The information we received was that we would be going to a winery, and then a visit to Montserrat and the Basilica with lunch. What we didn’t realize was that we would end up with a full day private tour.

   We were met in the hotel lobby at 8:30 am, and taken to a winery in the Montserrat region. Both the driver and the guide were very knowledgeable. When we reached the winery we were given a private tour as well as tastings:

[Kteacher]

The vineyards were gorgeous 

[Kteacher]

After leaving the vineyard we headed up to Montserrat Mountain. We had a tour of the Basilica with our guide as well as a tour of the grounds. Lunch was included and was delicious. Some of the sights from today:

[Kteacher]

More from our tour today:

Edited August 1, 2019 by Kteacher
Double photo

[hcat]

Wow..seems the City Stay is a good deal....great hotel, pvt tours.

 

Was it very expensive?

What's next?

[vtcruising]

Thanks for the lovely Montserrat pictures.  We loved that place. Sounds like a great tour!

[vickykay]

Do you remember the name of the tapas restaurant?  Will also be there in Sept. after our cruise.  Thanks!

 

Vicky

Edited August 2, 2019 by vickykay
Incomplete

[Kteacher]

1 hour ago, vickykay said:

Do you remember the name of the tapas restaurant?  Will also be there in Sept. after our cruise.  Thanks!

 

Vicky

The name is Cachitas, it is about one block from our hotel. There is also an excellent tapas restaurant going in the other direction, Ciudad Contal, but be prepared to wait for a table.

    Today we slept in, had another excellent breakfast (drat, forgot to take photos again!), walked a bit, and then lounged by the rooftop pool. We have an evening tour scheduled for tonight.

   Some more photos of the hotel:

[Sherman793]

Following along! Love the pictures!! Thanks for doing this!

[Kteacher]

   This afternoon was the second part of the Celebrity CityStay tour. Once again we were treated to a private tour with driver. The information we received was that it would be a half day tour, with stops at Hospital Sant Pau, a brief stop at La Sagrada Familia, a stop at Casa Batllo, and then dinner in a local restaurant. We were picked up at our hotel at 3:30, and dropped off at 9:00 pm.

    We had the same guide and driver as yesterday, both excellent (the guide is not only a local, but is an expert in the architecture of Barcelona. We had front of the line/no waiting for Casa Batllo, and La Sagrada Familia. This included a very detailed tour by our guide, who was extremely knowledgeable about every place we visited. What we thought would be a brief stop at La Sagrada for exterior photos ended up being an in depth education on the history of La Sagrada Familia while we were guided through the Basilica as well as the attached museum. All entrance fees were included, and we were brought to the front of the line for all stops. 

    The last stop was dinner at a restaurant by the marina, which include appetizers, main courses, desserts, coffee, and two bottles of a very nice local wine.

    I would say that the City Stay package exceeded our expectations. Was it worth the cost? I think that is an individual decision. I would not hesitate to book this again based on our experience.

   Some photos from today:

    

[Kteacher]

Our view at dinner:

[hcat]

All amazing! We never went inside La Sagrada....lines too long so the City Stay with this tour seems worth it for sure.

 

We did get to see sev  other Gaudi masterpieces,..which were exceptional.

 

Thanks for posting....

Edited August 2, 2019 by hcat

[vickykay]

Thanks for the tapas information.

 

vicky

[vtcruising]

1 hour ago, Kteacher said:

   This afternoon was the second part of the Celebrity CityStay tour. Once again we were treated to a private tour with driver. The information we received was that it would be a half day tour, with stops at Hospital Sant Pau, a brief stop at La Sagrada Familia, a stop at Casa Batllo, and then dinner in a local restaurant. We were picked up at our hotel at 3:30, and dropped off at 9:00 pm.

    We had the same guide and driver as yesterday, both excellent (the guide is not only a local, but is an expert in the architecture of Barcelona. We had front of the line/no waiting for Casa Batllo, and La Sagrada Familia. This included a very detailed tour by our guide, who was extremely knowledgeable about every place we visited. What we thought would be a brief stop at La Sagrada for exterior photos ended up being an in depth education on the history of La Sagrada Familia while we were guided through the Basilica as well as the attached museum. All entrance fees were included, and we were brought to the front of the line for all stops. 

    The last stop was dinner at a restaurant by the marina, which include appetizers, main courses, desserts, coffee, and two bottles of a very nice local wine.

    I would say that the City Stay package exceeded our expectations. Was it worth the cost? I think that is an individual decision. I would not hesitate to book this again based on our experience.

   Some photos from today:

    

Thanks for letting us live vicariously- love most anything Gaudi! 😀

[dis2cruise]

Following..,I’m on the Edge in September!!

[hcat]

1 hour ago, dis2cruise said:

Following..,I’m on the Edge in September!!

 

We're going to be back on her in Nov...can't wait to hear  Kteacher's perspective on the ship...very unique.

[Rhona]

Following 

[h20cruzer]

Could someone tell me how to follow.

[Kteacher]

  Our last breakfast at the hotel, and I finally remembered to take photos- yay! I can’t say enough good things about the hotel. Besides the excellent location, the lovely rooftop pool and bar, the amazing breakfast spread, the staff have all been truly wonderful.

    If I forgot to mention, breakfast was included in the CityStay package. My photos don’t do the food justice. This morning we had mimosas as well as freshly made watermelon smoothies and carrot juice.