Barcelona is a part of Catalunya. The northeast region of Spain. It is foremost, a place I would love to call my second home.

You’ll hear echoes in the fútbol (soccer) stadium at Camp Nou. They are so passionate about this sport. So, if you’re a soccer fan and want to check out the stadium or even watch a game, take the green line Hop On, Hop Off tour bus, it will take you right across the stadium. However, if you’re taking the Metro, which is very convenient, hope on the blue line and take the Palau Reial stop.

I have only really stayed in downtown Barcelona once and it was nice, I got to walk to a local pub and eat Rabbit Stew. Not too shabby. I’m also pretty sure that their McDonald’s offers Pigeon Wings and Beer. The beer is like a regular soda; it doesn’t cost you extra money when you order it with a combo.

As we walked down the pier towards the nude beach area, there were a bunch of restaurants lined up. We picked one and had some paella, it was amazing and so was their fried silver fish. However, my favorite spot to chow down is at Barri Gótic. Yes, I mean Tapas. To enjoy it like the locals would, don’t just stay at one place, think of it as a pub crawl. Before we found ourselves by the cathedral, I wandered the dark streets and stumbled on a street performance of La Traviata. After which, there was this lonely little

Park Guell

Tapas bar with about 2 people inside. Three hours later (yes, we broke the rule but who cares the night was young), we looked around and the whole place was crowded. I don’t really know what happened (I blame their good Sangria) but someone explained to me that the owners gave us free shots of Tequila because we drew customers in. Well, alrighty then! I will figure out what the place was called and maybe it doesn’t even exist anymore. I will definitely update this blog if I come across the receipt.

We usually stay at El Prat during our visit to Barcelona at the Fira Congress. It was convenient being right off the train station and shopping centers. Around 9pm the plaza by the mall comes to life with the locals doing their nightly walk. You will get the feel of being a part of the neighborhood.

My review for FIRA Congress on Yelp.

How to get to downtown Barcelona?

By Air: Barcelona Airport (BCN): There are a lot of flights for Barcelona, especially Vueling Airlines.
There’s a metro that runs from the airport to city centre. Here are more information about ground transportation.

Rail: The Elipsos & Renfe rail usually stops at the Barcelona Sants station (Estacion Sants) or the Franca station (Estacion de Franca). From the Sants station, you can take the Estacio Sants Metro stop. The Franca station is right by the Barceloneta Metro stop, which is by the street, Carrer de O’cata.

Metro: The rail map in Barcelona is easy to follow. However, you might think it’s 2-3 blocks from each other, but it’s not.

Passage at Park Güell © 2011 Sheila C. Valle

It’s still quite a walk from one stop to another approx 25 mins. walk especially if you’re with luggage. See 2013 Barcelona map and

Accessible Station maps. There is pass or Multi-day Travel card for 2 day (€13.40), 3 day (€19.20), 4 day (€24.40), and 5 day (€29.00). They offer 10% off the pass if you purchase it online. For more info about the Metro: http://www.tmb.cat/en/bitllets-i-tarifes. When buying tickets at the ticket machine, it’s always helpful to click on the upper right hand section where they display flag icons. For English, select the British flag.

 Bus Tour: Bus Turístic offers Red, Blue and Green routes for €26/day or if you buy the ticket online it’s 10% off. If you don’t like walking a lot, this might be a good option for you. Plus, their buses have WiFi, though I’ve not seen it work.