The insider story of Barcelona

Posted by Admin | Filed under Vacation

This story was told by Shopkeeper Rosa Baneres, who was born in Barcelona and grew up there. Here she shares her treasured spots in the city.

Favorite spot: The Romanesque church and cloisters of Sant Pau del Camp at the end of Carrer Sant pau off Las Ramblas. You can tell by the stone carvings over the main door that this is one of Barcelona’s oldest churches.

Best meal: Flas-flas (La Granada del Penedes) which hasn’t changed since it opened in 1970s. They’re known for their tortillas, but I love their hamburgers, especially the Cadillac - beef with layers of bacon, crapers, and cheese.

Hidden treasure: The Eixample Dreta - the part of this 19th-century area that lies to the right of Passeig de Gracia on the map. There’s so much to see in the buildings here - stained glass-enclosed balconies, cornices and carvings. When the great doors are open, you can see elaborate lamps and polished marble where the carriages used to be.

Best music: jazz Si club for Flamenco on Friday nights. They start at 8.30pm but by 8pm, you can’t even get in. The stage is tiny, but really powerful bailaor (dancer) can leave you in tears.

View: Go up the hill to Tibidabo on the funicular which goes to the amusement park. The whole city is at your feet.

Must have experience: A stroll starting from Jaume I, down the narrow lanes leading to Correos, the main Post Office, passing through Placa Sant Just nad Lledo. There are abandoned places, grand houses, an old shop that still doesn’t seem to have electricity, carpenter’s shops and a Roman tower inhabited by stray cats.

Quiet Spot: The laribal gardens on Montjuic - full of shady corners where you can feel quite removed from the world.

Market: The mercat Sant Antoni. Going to the indoor food market as a child with my grandmother, I used to have my own little basket and stallholders would put one of everything in it, one fish, one peach, one tomato… The encants (street market) were magical, the stalls selling clothes, shoes and toys, and they’re the same today as they were then.

Permalink | June 22nd, 2008

One Response to “The insider story of Barcelona”

  1. Giltan Says:
    June 22nd, 2008 at 7:58 am

    Thanks for the tips, It’s gonna be part of my next trip to Barcelona :)

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