A Weekend in Barcelona — Sense of the City

To see the best of the city it’s good to plan more than just hitting the Ramblas.

Ok, Saturday

Some breathtaking buildings, lunch with the locals, unique souvenir shopping and a seedy nineteenth century bar

Now first a word on Gaudí. The world tends to view him as a unique freak whose fantastical forms may have something in common with the Surrealists. One of the joys of visiting Barcelona is seeing the buildings in context. They may be highly individualistic, but many aspects relate to existing features of the Catalan environment, such as the Monserrat mountains and the work of his contemporaries.

If you’re new to the city, take a walk up the Passeig de Gracia past Casa Batllo and Casa Mila for an introduction to the master. You’ll see he didn’t exist in isolation, but that’s a story for another day (in fact it’s my dissertation…). The work of Gaudi’s contemporary Doménech i Montaner is a good place to start to get the bigger picture, so from here head further into the eixample (a 30min walk or a 10min metro ride), past the crowds outside the Sagrada Familia (unless you’ve never been in - and it is stunning - in which case book tickets in advance) to the spectacular Hospital de Sant Pau. A sprawling complex of elaborately decorated buildings that was revolutionary at the time for its socialist belief in the importance of a beautiful environment for the poor and the sick. Up until this point many of the City’s sick were treated at home in unsanitary conditions.

Recently opened to the public, it’s now part World Heritage Site, part offices for organisations such as the World Health Organisation. You can see the Sagrada Familia from the Hospital, and there is clearly a dialogue between the two.

If this has whet your appetite, head down to the old town to a better known building by Doménech, the Palau de la Musica Catalana. While not exactly off the beaten track, its rarely over-run with visitors, and is even more over-the-top and life affirming in a peculiarly Catalan way. While you’re there explore the barrio of Sant Pere with a stop at La Candela for lunch in a gorgeous square, or a cheap beer in the secret garden of L’Antic Theatre.

Now cross over the Ramblas to the Raval district, keeping an eye out for the street art around here - It’s not limited to spray paint. Look for tiny mosaic tiles (often placed high up, sometimes in space invader shapes - they’re by a French guy known as Invader) and art made of tin cans (by Me Lata - a couple of Catalans). Pick up t-shirts to take home from social enterprise boutique Top Manta, then nip into nearby historic modernista bar L’Almirall (where scenes from Ken Loach’s Land and Freedom were filmed) until you’re ready for dinner on a bar stool at Cañete, with top notch but pricey tapas

Make a night of it - in grungy, absinthe-drinking mode - in gloriously seedy, ancient Bar Marsella, or alternatively La Confiteria for a well-dressed cocktail. If you’re with Catalans, the night will always be young and you’ll want to check out Sala Apolo for live music and club nights.

And Sunday - the Gothic Quarter, churros, a cycle along the beach, a perfect Paella and an essential Vermut

For the best of the Gothic Quarter, visit La Plaza de St Felip Neri, and marvel at what people will tell you are gunshot holes in the wall where anarchists/Fascists (depending on who is telling…) were shot during the civil war. They are actually shrapnel damage. Onto nearby church and square of Santa Maria del Pí and Bar del Pí - a quaint spot with traditionally surly service. Here you’re handy for Carrer Petrixol and several top places for Churros.

Eating churros as you walk..

It’s ten minutes to La Seu, the City’s first cathedral where on Sunday mornings you can often chance upon locals performing traditional dance La Sardana accompanied by a mournful brass band.

Head towards the sea, hire bikes and cycle along the front to Xiringuito Escribá for late Sunday lunch paella (pre-book). Paella is really from Valencia, and not to be eaten just anywhere in Barcelona. If you’re around the first weekend of the month, check out the Palo Alto market not far from here in Poble Nou. Otherwise, find yourself a bar - Sunday is the time for the vermut ritual, often accompanied by live music. Salud!