Monday, November 11, 2013

Barcelona

Let's start with the tour now. I have chosen Spain for starters. Spain is pretty diverse country with a different type of topography to explore. It can consume your entire holiday time. So if you have to pick one place then it has to be Barcelona. On the cost of Mediterranean Sea, this is the most vibrant and colorful city in Espnyol. It lies in the Catalunya, which is the northern-most province of Spain.


With lovely beaches and colorful sites, you can have time of your life in this city. You can fly down directly from India or you can take a Ryan Air flight from Frankfurt. Remember, RyanAir flies to Barcelona Girona airport which is quite far from the city. Barcelona is famous for it street-side restaurants serving you the most delectable items from Mediterranean cuisine. If you like sea-food then this is the place to be.

La Ramblas street is the place where you will spend the best time in Barcelona with so many street side painters, ice-cream stalls, human statues, etc. You can also shop around for souvenirs here. Make sure you bargain vigorously to land up a good deal. If you are looking for Football t-shirts then you will get only BARCELONA FC jerseys. Barcelona is very fanatical about its football team. You will find lot of Sindhi and Punjabi shopkeepers so you can bargain in Hindi and land up t-shirts and caps for as low as 4 euros. But these are "Made in Bangladesh" stuff and not branded one.


The symbol of Barcelona is a marvel called Sagrada da Familia a church which is constantly under renovation by the architects of Gaudi family. You may have to spare an entire day to visit this marvel as there are long queues of tourists to get inside. But it is worth the effort.


Mediterranean region is known for its fruits and vegetables. Don't miss the biggest fruit market of Barcelona which is near the La Ramblas street. Also worth a visit is the Gaudi Park which is built by the same family which looks after Sagrada da Familia.

Commuting is very easy in Barcelona as there is a robust network of Metro rail. Besides, there are frequent buses as well. So don't use a cab unless you are really tired and don't wish to walk. But if you are on budget then hiring a cab would be a bad idea. You can buy a 3-day ticket or 7-day ticket at any metro station depending on the number of days you want to spend.

At most of the tourist sites, you will find Bangladeshi hawkers selling toys and other such petty stuff. There are few Indian restaurants as well which are actually run by Pakistanis. Beware of  the pickpockets and some of the scams that are very infamous in Barcelona. Never get distracted by any 'cup' games that you might be asked to play, you may end up losing 50 euros. It is not a good idea to venture out alone at late night as there can be unsrupulous elements on the street who may rob you. Also, the metro rail doesn't operate after midnight.

All said and done, Barcelona will be an experience of lifetime.

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