Jump to content

Barcelona: recommendations please


Chick
 Share

Recommended Posts

Las Ramblas has some good places on it, there are some nice restaurants hidden just off it, you go through an archway and it opens in to a massive square, sorry I can't be more specific!

The harbour has some good bars, and somewhere therein half of one of my teeth.

Sagrada Familia for a bit of culture and to scare yourself witless if you don't like heights, and it's a bit queasy even if you don't mind them.

Sadly, while it's a nice place, it has a dark side, it's full of thieving scum, the pick pocket capital of the world, and it completely ruined the place for us, to the point we'd not ever be bothered about going back, don't carry anything with you that you won't need that day, don't wear jewellery or watches, don't put anything in back pockets, or loose pockets, tight pockets like jeans only, and whatever you do, don't put your handbag on the floor beside you even when eating inside restaurants, make sure it's properly under the table and out of reach.

Edited by Tipex
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I presume they pinched your favourite handbag then? ;)

Seriously though, even though our group didn't get 'done' by the pickpockets, it's notoriously bad over there so tipex's advice is spot on. I've heard plenty of horror stories - moreso than pretty much anywhere else I've come across.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I presume they pinched your favourite handbag then?

Lol, not me fortunately, but a couple of our group got done over the three nights we were there.

It really put a dampener on things, the father of the groom, who I've known all my life, and is a really nice bloke, and far too trusting, had his wallet lifted, the police weren't interested, they literally couldn't have given less of a sh1t, and actually threatened to lock us up for catching one of the gang and, erm, showing him the error of his ways.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have booked flights (£76 each return with BA!!) .... hand luggage only so no room for spare handbags etc  :P      

 

But, thanks for the tips, I'm not one for flashing jewellery etc when on holiday as I don't take it, and generally wear those across the body bags rather than a handbag over a shoulder when out and about (so I dont leave it anywhere aswell as for security).     It's well publicised re the pickpockets, hopefully we wont encounter anything too drastic ...  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hopefully we wont encounter anything too drastic ...  

 

Depends on whether you go to the Baghdad Cafe or not :) If the midget cop is still on the door, say hello from me and tell him I'm sorry I 'dropped' that tapas in his hat after he had chased me up the stairs....

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Depends on whether you go to the Baghdad Cafe or not :) If the midget cop is still on the door, say hello from me and tell him I'm sorry I 'dropped' that tapas in his hat after he had chased me up the stairs....

 

 

It's now on "the list"    :secret:  +++

 

 

 

EDIT: I've just googled it, now OFF the list ........ (90 euros entry put me off  :roflmao:

Edited by Chick
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got back a few weeks ago from a boys weekend in Barcelona for a mates 30th that turned into six nights!  Great fun.  My previous visit had been to watch Button grab pole and the race win in 2009, and I shall not leave it six years until my next visit!

 

However, the pickpocketing is bad - absolutely plan ahead.  Best bet is to take a decoy wallet with cash only inside - and keep your real wallet and phone hidden.  Or better still just leave your real wallet in the hotel safe.  Half our group didn't even take their mobile phones on the day we wandered down la rambla!  I ended up putting my phone and a lightweight wallet with some cash and 1 card in a small bum bag I use for cycling and kept it hidden under my shirt.  Nothing to pick pocket!  In Spain you are supposed to carry ID, but if you do get stopped by the law you can just say its in the hotel safe.

 

However, in 2009, one of our group had his decoy wallet lifted, no real loss thankfully, but one had their main wallet taken with 200 Euro and every single card they owned gone.  They should have listened to the endless warnings!

Edited by Ian_C
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A couple of cultural things:

Magic Fountain at Montjuic

Gaudi Tour

Both are good. Sorry there is no links, every time I try to copy a link, Safari refreshes itself and I have to start again!

Big rubber bands - these are great wrapped around wallet / phone as it makes them far harder to lift.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The ladies of the night are ruthless (towards men). When a group of us went it wasn't just constant offers it was full on hands down the trousers and trying to drag us away.

It sounds funny but a group of 10 girls all surrounding you was quite intimidating for some of our group. So much so that one of my mates would always leave the club/bar with a full pint so he could through it over the wild pack if they surrounded him.

I won't go into detail about what my best mate wanted to do. It involves an old hoddie top he no longer wanted, taking a trip to the bathroom and putting something unsavoury in his pocket for wondering hands to find.

Barcelona, great by day (love the gothic quarter and marina) a whole different story once the sun goes down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe we should just stay out til the sun comes back up?     :grin:

 

Currently looking at staying in the Gothic quarter (Hotel Ohla).    Thank goodness for bras .... sounds like I might need to keep my euros in there!!   :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We went there for my 50th and it rained for the first two days so we had to go to C and A for boots and wet weather gear.

I had a group of lads try pick pocketing me but all I had in my back pocket was a map, told them to f**k off and they just walked of laughing.

Lindsay just took a small shoulder bag and we left credit cards and passports in the hotel.two Scottish ladies who were in our hotel lost their purses and said they did not feel a thing.

Gaudi's Casa Batlló is amazing as is Sagrada Familia, we also did the tour bus as it showed a lot of places in a short time and then we could chose what we wanted to see in a bit more detail.

Eating out we tried a few tapas bars away from the main drag but we did find an amazing restaruant calls Citrus on the left hand side of the Rambles which is well worth visiting.

We ended stuck out there due to the Ash cloud for another five days and ended getting a boat home from Bilbao

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They have horrendous knife crime too, something daft like 90% of under 20's carry a flick knife on them, and you can guarantee any pick pockets or bag snatchers will carry them, so never confront them even if you know it was them, the wallet will be long gone already, believe me, we had three of them up against a wall, I'd seen one of them lift the wallet out of one of our groups pocket, and another member of our group saw him hand it to someone else.

 

We had both of them, and another one, but the wallet had gone, quick as lightening it'd been handed along a chain of them to someone who swiftly left the scene.

 

It is such a shame, Barcelona is a beautiful city populated by scum, no other word for it i'm afraid, the police don't give a sh1t either, "you're a tourist, you can f*ck off, we don't want the paperwork" was the literal reply on reporting the crime.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...