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Book Cover |
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Excerpt |
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Great
Itineraries
Barcelona holds constant
surprises, even for longtime residents, so be prepared to adapt your
itinerary as you discover the city. Markets such as the Rambla's Boquria,
the Raval's Mercat de Sant Antoni, and the Els Encants flea market near
Plaça de les Glories are always good browsing grounds, well seeded with
cafés, bars, and terraces for mid-itinerary breaks. The mystifying
numberless grid of the Eixample is somewhat noisier and more vehicular
than the old part of town, but the Champs-Elyées--like Passeig de Gràcia
and leafy Rambla de Catalunya are sprinkled with Moderniste
treasures--and retail temptations.
Three days is sufficient
to explore the Rambla and the Gothic Quarter, see the Sagrada Família
and the main Moderniste sights, go to one or two important museums, and
perhaps take in a concert at the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Liceu,
or the Auditori. Five days allows a more thorough exploration of the
same, as well as the chance to see more museums and to explore
Barceloneta, Gràcia, and Sarrià. Don't forget to get lost; planned
visits are always enhanced by the joys of aimless wandering, and
Barcelona is not nearly as vast as it seems at first. In fact, a walk
from Pedralbes to the port can be completed in under two hours. If you
have a week or more, consider side trips to other areas of Catalomia or
a hop to Bilbao.
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Synopsis |
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Barcelona contains
information on where to stay and eat for all budgets, must see sights
and local secrets, and has ratings you can trust. The book is divided up
into eight chapters:
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Exploring Barcelona
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Where to Eat
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Where to Stay
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Nightlife & the Arts
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Sports & the Outdoors
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Shopping
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Catalonia: The Costa Brava to Tarragona
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Excursion to Bilbao
Each
chapter is then broken up into smaller sections. There are also sections
on Understanding Barcelna, an Index, a location of all the Maps (and
there are quite a few), and CloseUps of special places. In the front of
the book is a two-page section on About This Book in which is tells you
how to use the book effectively. This is followed with helpful short
sections sections entitled: On the Road with Fador's, What's Where,
Great Itineraries, Where to Go, On the Calendar, Pleasure & Pastimes,
Fodor's Choice, and Smart Travel Tips.
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Review |
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Barcelona is full of enough information to keep you busy for a year
on your trip to Spain. The maps are fantastic and this guide is very
well laid out, making it easy to find the information you require.
Obviously, Barcelona has a lot of offer the traveler, the only question
is: Will you be prepared for your experience? My favorite thing that the
book tells you to do is to get lost. That is when the real adventure
begins. Don't take me wrong, it is important to have an itinerary, but
give yourself time to explore by wandering aimlessly around. You may
just stumble upon a jewel of Barcelona that is not listed in this book.
All I know is that if I were heading out to Barcelona, I would
definitely plan my trip by using Fador's Barcelona
as my guide. |
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