Happy New Year everyone!!
As i mentioned in my last post I spent a few days over new year in Barcelona with my parents and Sue.
Amazing. Good weather(considering the time of year), great food and some awesome sites.
We left early on new years eve so the first day was pretty hectic. We got to our hotel, the sunotel, just about midday. The hotel was about five mins away from Las Ramblas which is basically the main street in the centre of Barcelona.
First off, food. We took a random street on the way to Las Ramblas and found a cafe filled with locals. The menu was completely in spanish but between us we figured out a few things. Chorizo, anchovies, squid rings, patatas bravas, YUM.
On New Years eve we ate at a pizza place on Las Ramblas. Everywhere was busy and had fixed menus. That gave us time to enjoy some bellinis and kir royals.
We spent the New Year countdown in Catalunya Square just at the top of Las Ramblas. Unfortunately even though there was a huge clock in the square the countdown never really happened. Still a great celebration and more than a little boozy. Champagne popping everywhere!
Tired and on the way back to the hotel, Sue spotted a Guinness sign. We went to investigate and found a wee Irish pub just about a minute round the corner from where we were staying. Even though we just popped in for one last drink, we ended up staying till about half five in the morning thanks to an ace DJ hidden below the bar and my dad getting on well with the owner.
Needless to say the next morning we were all a bit tired. On New Years day not much was open. Our first stop was food so we headed to the hard rock cafe we saw in Catalunya Square the night before. Even though we waited a good while and it was heaving we sat downstairs which we found was almost empty. The food was okay but the whole meal was pretty overpriced compared to other meals we had.
The meal we had for dinner was much better. Just beside the universitat metro station we found place called Celler de Tapas. This place was ace. Upmarket Tapas made with Mediterranean food. Delicious.
The second was a more eventful day as more stuff was open and going on. We spent most of the day on a special tour bus. This bus had a set route around Barcelona and you could jump off and on the buses at any point. We stopped at the Port de Olympia, a port used for the racing events in the 92 Olympics. Even though we only stopped for the toilet we really enjoyed this stop. We ducked in to a little place called Marina Monchos. We were the first customers and and the staff were very welcoming. The seafood on display was amazing. Our next stop was the Segrada de Familia. A massive building built by Gaudi. Even though he started work on it in 1882 its still not completely finished. The views from outside were great but the queue was to big to get inside. Our last stop was the Parc de Guell, also designed by Gaudi. This is basically a garden with architectural features. It was more than a little bit crazy. I can imagine it being amazing on a sunny day. On the bus ride back home we saw loads more buildings designed in the modernist style by Gaudi.
On our final night we decided to have a big meal. Tempted by the seafood we went back to Marina Monchos. We had a huge seafood platter and Paellas. The seafood was unbelievable. Lobster. crabs, prawns, shrimps, oysters (which i wish i hadn't tried), mussels, all delicious. After dinner suitable fed and water we spent the night in the casino on the port. None of us really lost much so it was a good night!
Overall I had a great time in Barcelona and would definitely recommend it for New Year time!!
The pictures I took from the trip are still on my camera but as soon as i can link my laptop to the internet I'll link them here!
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