Barcelona - places to visit, things to see, photos, top tips and chat

[sim667]

Apparently this is a known scam, advice is to not pull over if you're flagged down no matter how urgent the flagging looks. Hard to ignore though eh.

Yeah, especially when some cunt has just put a dent in your car

 

[hammerntongues]

sorry but it's a bit stupid to have your bags open on a tourist train in a major city!

a bit of a stupid comment .

My wife is far from stupid , at a guess I would say she has been to Barcelona at least 4 or 5 times year for the last 10 years , she knows the ropes so to speak , you can still get taken by surprise , the bags were not open .

 

[sim667]

a bit of a stupid comment .

My wife is far from stupid , at a guess I would say she has been to Barcelona at least 4 or 5 times year for the last 10 years , she knows the ropes so to speak , you can still get taken by surprise , the bags were not open .

Yeah like I said its an art in Barcelona, I know some many people who have been done in so many ways, from getting involved in a kick about with some kids, to scooping up wallets off a table in a newspaper, to just pocket dipping.

Its predominantly in a small area though, mainly the real touristy bits of the ramblas and in the barri gotic a bit, i guess its because there's lots of rat runs for them to scarper down.

The police have worked hard to reduce theft and drug taking in those areas though, I've been about 15 - 20 times..... Touch wood I've never had anything swiped. Even though I haven't been for about 5 years, it was very noticeable last time I went.

I should really go back out tbh.

 

[hammerntongues]

My parents have lived there for 25 years and my brother and family have been there for 15 , actually they are in Sitges which is 30 k South but El Prat is the train change . We have an apartment there too , I love the place . Barcelona became a victim of its own popularity , like a lot of Easyjet type destinations , more tourists more victims , more victims more dippers .

 

[sim667]

My parents have lived there for 25 years and my brother and family have been there for 15 , actually they are in Sitges which is 30 k South but El Prat is the train change . We have an apartment there too , I love the place . Barcelona became a victim of its own popularity , like a lot of Easyjet type destinations , more tourists more victims , more victims more dippers .

Whats sitges like? I've heard the name but never been.

My folks live about an hour and a bit north, halfway between roses and figueres in a estate attached to a little village

 

[ddraig]

a bit of a stupid comment .

My wife is far from stupid , at a guess I would say she has been to Barcelona at least 4 or 5 times year for the last 10 years , she knows the ropes so to speak , you can still get taken by surprise , the bags were not open .

apologies, i wrongly assumed they were open

 

[ddraig]

Whats sitges like? I've heard the name but never been.

My folks live about an hour and a bit north, halfway between roses and figueres in a estate attached to a little village

Sitges is nice can be well busy in parts but there are a few beaches so you can find quieter spots
some decent shops there and nice places to eat (for vegi's anyway)
got the train there and back in a day from Barca

 

[sim667]

There's some really nice towns and cities within a couple of hours from barcelona...... but I've never been to the south.

I really like Cadaques, and Girona.

Just over the border I've been to perpignan a few times (i have family there), thats quite a cool town too.

 

[hammerntongues]

apologies, i wrongly assumed they were open

No problem .

Sitges is a town that any time of the year apart from July and Aug is great to go to , even after 20 years plus of visits there I still get excited about arriving , there are always new places to try , literally 100s of bars and restaurants to cater for all tastes and budgets . Above all , in spite of the tourists , and in July and Aug it is over -run , it still very much remains a Spanish town . My favourite times are May, June , Sept and Oct when it is still full of life but far less crowded .

 

[8den]

Theres a really nice scooter rental place by the artifcal Beach its gorgeous you zoom up and down the quiet beach side road with your missus on the back and feel like Gregory peck and Audrey Hepburn in Roman holiday. V nice if, like me, you have never driven a scooter.

Then you take a wrong turn and end up at the eight land roundabout at the bottom of the ramblas with the traffic going counter than in UK.

I think my adrenaline rush wore off about Piccadilly circus on the tube home.

Anyway I'm trying to thinkmof two good cafes that I found but can't remember the names one was a regional twist on tapas and one was just incredibly nice modern european had english papers very good place o spend a hungover sunday. Really good because if you are there more than five days you are going to being sick of bloody tapas

 

[sim667]

Im gonna ask my folks if they've ever been.

 

[Maharani]

I just came back last week. I went on me tod for a couple of days/nights and met friends there for Primavera Sound.

Although some of the music was just aces at PS, namely the goddess Patti Smith, more Mother Earth these days but still fucking tops, I wouldn't do the festi again. I'm used to going to UK festivals in fields and this one was all concrete. It was more like going to a selection of gigs in a purpose built outside arena...anyway, that's another thread.

I loved Barcelona though. I stayed in Eixample, in the gay district, it was really easy to get to all of the famous places of interest and lots on the doorstep too.

I struggled with the language, although I tried a bit of Spanish, I would love to learn as it was assumed that I was Spanish so had people talking to me and I had no clue what they were on about, almost felt bad I wasn't Spanish!

The Gaudi park was fab and easy to get to from where I was.

I didn't find it unsafe but was being extra vigilant as everyone I know that's been had warned me to the point of me shouting at people that 'I know about fucking pickpockets in Barcelona!!'. I think if you live or have lived in a big city you're pretty savvy to such things.

The food markets were my favourite thing...nothing like them here.

 

[sim667]

The food markets were my favourite thing...nothing like them here.

If you go back, in the big indoor one on the ramblas, you can get a banging breakfast for about £3

 

[Maharani]

If you go back, in the big indoor one on the ramblas, you can get a banging breakfast for about £3

I didn't know that was there and had already stuffed my face, I was gutted. I wanted to sit at one of the tapas places and drink cava and eat mussels.

I have some great food recommendations from I guy I met there...

 

[Libertad]

If you go back, in the big indoor one on the ramblas, you can get a banging breakfast for about £3

FCB? (Full Catalan Breakfast)

 

[sim667]

FCB? (Full Catalan Breakfast)

What for £3?

Nice spanish omelette, some juice, and a coffee

 

[editor]

Some pics from a trip on the Port Cable Car trip

In photos: A cable car trip across Barcelona’s old harbour from Mount Montjuïc to Barcelona Beach

 

[editor]

Some pics

In photos: a look at the Barcelona beaches in the last days of summer

 

[editor]

I've posted up a whopping collection of 90 pics from Barcelona

Barcelona street photos: graffiti, market life, street art and architecture

 

[sim667]

Me and my partner really need a break and was thinking about going to my folks house for a week and having a few days in Barcelona (its been yonks since I've been), but the cost of hotels in Barcelona these days

 

[editor]

This was fun:

In photos: The parade of giants, La Mercè festival, Barcelona, Spain

 

[sim667]

This was fun:

In photos: The parade of giants, La Mercè festival, Barcelona, Spain

Have you checked out the other towns in the north? I think you'd like some of them.

 

[editor]

Have you checked out the other towns in the north? I think you'd like some of them.

Hopefully the band will get more gigs in Spain next year!

The last tour saw us play Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza.

 

[sim667]

Hopefully the band will get more gigs in Spain next year!

The last tour saw us play Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza.

Ah I meant like Figureres, Girona, Empuries, Cadaques and some of the places up in the mountains..... there's some really nice history round there.

The Terra de Trobadores medieval festival in Castello d'Empuries is funny (the town is lovely too, if I ever wanted to move out there, I'd move to Castello)

 

[what]

Was there a couple of weeks ago. Enjoyed the beach at the far end Selva de Mar metro and a 5 minute walk. Bambuu beach bar was great spot on the sand

Also came across Carrer de Blai, near Poble Sec metro. Street full of bars selling Pinxtos at either 1E or 1.5E. Beer in some of them only 1E as well.

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