"Barcelona es bona..." a Barcelona Travel Page by Belsaita

There is an old saying:

"Barcelona es bona si la bossa sona. Tant si sona com si no sona, Barcelona es bona"

(Rough translation: Barcelona is good, if the (money)bag sounds. Even it sounds or it does not sound, Barcelona is good)

Nowadays it's still true, or even more true than ever. Barcelona is VERY expensive (we locals suffer it). But it has plenty of opportunities, even if you don't have a big budget. Come and see!

The picture of the new Agbar Tower appeared in "La Vanguardia" (top local newspaper) on September 18 2005, the day after the official inauguration. In the previous nights, they were doing lighting tests. My friend and I do live quite close to the tower. So, as one of these nights was nice and warm, we came to see, as many neighbours did... You can imagine our surprise when we saw the pic on the newspaper next Sunday!... Wow, look! I'm here!! (the shorter one with more hair... ;o)). Thanks so much to "La Vanguardia" staff for emailing us the picture.

This is the only picture of these pages I did not took (or my friends in the ones I do appear, of course!)

Barcelona is not only Las Ramblas and a few odd buildings from Gaudi. You "must" see these... but with so many tourists around you will not feel the genuine vibe of the city. Dare to explore. Don’t just follow the flock. Barcelona is plenty of nice corners and hidden gems... wander out the main stream... you'll see the real stuff (for good and bad, but I still think the balance is positive).

Discover "your" Barcelona, she's waiting for you! But... be careful... she can haunt you forever.

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If you spend some days in Barcelona, there are many possibilities for daytrips. There are many interesting places not so far away, and most of them easy to reach by public transport, for instance:

- Vilanova i La Geltru
- Pals
- Canet de Mar
- Girona

and many more! I'm working on others like Figueres, Cadaqués, Besalú, Sitges, Tarragona... (but writting tips and uploading pics take time!)

I added as well some tips about the "Route of Wine and Cava", the "Route of Xató", amazing Montserrat, and the gorgeous Vall de Nuria on the Barcelona Off The Beaten Path section. These can be done as daytrips or weekend trips, so you can see a bit of the countryside, and experience the local wine and food culture. Countries are not only cities!

I'll be adding tips, both from Barcelona and surroundings, but I've to find the time!! (do not hesitate to email me if you think I can help you in any way)