Barcelona recommendation
 

Hi folks,

Once again I'm in need for your help. I am going to Barcelona together with 9 friends and I need some good advise from any insiders. I'm aware of all a tourist "has to do" while in Barcelona but I also would like to find out the hidden secrets. Any suggestions?

Recently I found out about Hi. This is Barcelona. This guy has awsome reviews on Tripadvisor but I wasn't able to verify these informations on FT. Anybody took one of his tours?

Also, I know Barcelona is not the real tapas place but I often read people recommending Taller de Tapas and Cerveceria Catalana. What do you think?

Thanks for your thoughts

One Barcelona museum I find fascinating, but not often on Top Ten lists, is the Museu D'Historia De La Ciutat, the city history museum.

What makes the museum so interesting to me is that it looks at the layers of history that have been built on top of each other in Barcelona, back to Roman times. Thus, in the basement, you can walk on catwalks just a a few feet above the excavated ruins of the Roman town that was here, with audio guides to explain what's what and how the Romans lived and worked. I think it's all very well done, and presented to keep things interesting.

Barcelona is one of my favorite cities - one must walk Las Ramblas - and the Gothic Quarter and visit Mercat de la Boqueria (neat counter-style eateries there using all fresh seafoods and local goods) - I enjoyed eating at Les Quatres Gats in the Gothic Quarter (just don't sit in front of the piano!) one of Picasso's old haunts -
I really liked walking through Park Guell (Gaudi's park - easy bus ride up the hill from The Triangle) - a little hike up to the cross at the top of the path, you can see all of Barcelona and beyond. I enjoyed the Casa Batlló (Gaudi design) more than I did Sagrada de Familia.

Last summer, I visited El Born and the church of Santa Maria del Mar - first time in that area. Brilliant! The stones of the church were carried on the backs of the working men - it was built as a church for 'the people.' Immediately came home and read Ildefonso Falcones's Cathedral of the Sea.

Another treat was eating at Cuines Santa-Caterina restaurant and tapas at the Santa-Caterina Merkat - I was with friends from Lleida and would never have found it otherwise. A treat!

I love Barcelona....

If you would really like to have a tour guide recommended, pm me - some in my party found an excellent guide.

Cheers.