Rating: 5 / 5
Pro: vibrant and special, both as people who like architecture
Cons: Not all citizens are "recommended" (but everywhere is so, so ...)
One of the trips that I preferred among those that I did, was certainly the one in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwhere I was in March 2006 for the "educational trip" (as you call formally!) fifth higher.
The peculiarity of the journey lies not in goal, the means of transport: the bus ... for the uninitiated, are in Rome, and there wants to get to Barcelona.
The start was in the early morning of February 28, 2006, at about 8:30.
Since the trip was long, and I have to tell you about "Barcelona", not the "Journey of Hope to Barcelona, \u200b\u200bI will a buttar giù qualche riga sintetica sul "percorso".
Il viaggio, anche se lungo, è andato bene. Abbiamo effettuato una sosta, come stabilito in precedenza, ad Avignone, dove siamo arrivati intorno alle 22:30.
L'hotel era della catena Ibis. Tolto il fatto che il cibo era un misto di plastica e gomma, il resto dell'albergo non era così male.Il primo marzo, dopo una buona dormita (dalle 6:30 alle 8:30), e dopo la colazione ovviamente, abbiamo lasciato l'albergo per fare una visita di Avignone. La città è carina e tranquilla. Molto interessante da visitare il Palazzo dei Papi.
Ma a noi interessa Barcellona, quindi continuiamo con il viaggio...
the hotel, I can not remember the name but I will inform you then know, is located in a small town not far from Barcelona, \u200b\u200bcalling Lloret de Mar. If you are going to save about hotel, especially if you are " driven "(something a bit 'hard though ...), so you do not have problems to get into town during the day and then return in the evening at the hotel, I recommend this small but well equipped, the urban center.
talking about tourism center, is full of shops and entertainment venues. Solita dormitona .... and we are at ... March 2 in the morning is dedicated to visiting the "Barri Gotic, the Gothic Quarter of the city, stands the cathedral, sticklers for "Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia" ... the name is very easy to remember, among others.
Outside there is a square porch, with a central garden with palm trees, very nice.
The cathedral is, of course, in the Gothic style. Inside, without getting lost in tiresome explanations that you can find in any tourist guide, I report only the stained glass windows, colorful and fine workmanship (Gothic and modern), and a curiosity: we say that the crucifix above the altar, goes back to the Battle of Lepanto (1571).
For those interested, the price is 1.20 € per person, times are as follows:
Mon-Fri: 8 - 12:45 / 17:15 to 19:30;
SAT: 8 - 12:45 / 17:15 to 19:45;
Dom & HOLIDAYS: 8 - 13:45 / 17:15 to 19:45
Leaving the cathedral, after a drive through the streets the Barri Gotic, we have slings on a main road in the area, since we have raised the lead to send us to lunch.
advice: do not enter immediately in the first place I found that actually gives the main road, since the price is not exactly cheap. Restaurants of the same quality, but with fewer people and lower price, are scattered within the side streets, just a few meters more to find them. Needless to say that I recommend to try the paella, a typical dish English.
After lunch, we went to the Ciutadella Park, great and unique, where there are, in addition to fountains, palm trees, and various fields, including the Palau del Governador and the seat of the Catalan Parliament, the Museum of Zoology, the Museum of Modern Art, a small lake, the beautiful waterfall and a mammoth stone of considerable size (I have a photo of a friend of mine, up about 1.80, then like me, keeps me on the shoulder next to the statue, and we however, lower leg of the mammoth).
The area is well served: there is a nearby metro station, in addition to the stop of seven different bus routes.
Come back we could see the imposing statue of Christopher Columbus, called the Mirador de Colom ", which is based on a large pillar, 60 meters high in iron and stone. The monument is at the beginning (or end, the matter of point of view ...) La Rambla (which we'll get a few lines), a few meters from the Old Port.
After ... "remarried" (?!?), the morning of March 3 we proceed to the Sagrada Familia, perhaps the most famous of the works of architect Antoni Gaudi, whose city is full.
The church, still under construction, is shrouded in "symbolism": each of his twelve bell has a meaning, as well as its facades, its gates and any other details. It is a monument
unique, and therefore I advise you not only vision but also the access (surcharge). The cost of entry is € 8, hours 9-18 (October-February), 90-20 (March to September).
Do not expect at all, once inside, the classic view you can have when entering the church building you will see metal frames, plastic sheeting, construction materials, fruits and animals carved in half the workers who work ...
short, it is not over, this should be obvious ... and yet people still feel that, once out, complain and express themselves with phrases like "but I paid € 8 to see something that is not even finished ?!?". My advice is to enter ... if you're fit, climb the tower by the stairs (we know, however, that you'll lose a couple of sizes so doing ...); otherwise take the elevator, on which, however, are not informed (I chose option 1).
Climbing the stairs, from windows along the route proposes very beautiful views of the city. Once on top, you have the vision of the city seen from above. Just to inform you ... that intersection between a skyscraper and a rugby ball has a name: Torre Agbar (if you look for pictures on the internet you'll understand why, just look at his form ...).
A little curiosity ... in "night version", the Tower has a very particular color: the base the lights that illuminate it are red, then fade to purple and finally blue. I know this because we have gone ahead with the bus that evening, back at the hotel.
But do not go too far, we have not yet arrived at the lunch ...
After eating (this time at McDonald's ... we had very little time!), We are dedicated to shopping: the area around is full of shops, as the Sagrada Familia attracts many tourists. Point out, among others, an official store of Futbol Club Barcelona (... I misspelled "football" eh!) Is not very big, but well stocked. Speaking of prices ... let's say that the quality you pay for, but the costs are similar to shopping in Italy: a sleeveless I anti-perspiration fabric (the uniform training of the team) and a hat with a visor with the emblem of the club I spent just under € 60.
In the afternoon, we headed to the Eixample, modernist district of Barcelona. Here the atmosphere is one of two works, if it can be defined, once again the genius Gaudi: Casa Mila, also known as La Pedrera and Casa Batlló. Both give up Passeig de Gracia, the main street of the neighborhood, and are not very far apart.
I want to be just part time: if the first is a nice "house" (because we are talking about two real homes), the second is amazing.
Its facade, undulating forms, is covered with shiny ceramic mosaics.
I strongly advise you to get (the price is 10 €, including audio guide, but then I have an appointment to do later).
The interior is mainly made of wood, worked through long and complicated techniques that will be explained by audio-guide. The glass doors are rounded and colorful, classic chandeliers to give more to tell ... so I think it is a "hack" of styles and materials. In fact, I have not sufficiently competent to explain a work of this type, so I recommend a visit!
A note on the price of the ticket: I do not know whether they have recently integrated visiting the actual house to the terrace with that ... if not (and in 2006 was not the case), you must pay a 50% increase (around 15 € in short). Unfortunately I have not visited the terrace for a simple reason: we were given a maximum time to visit the house (say around 45 minutes), we observed that all ... except a teacher of another class, very nicely if they have frigate, leaving a group of about sixty people in front of Casa Batlló, while she visited the remainder, which we poor mortals have not had time to admire. To know before, it would have made me a ride ...
I can only tell you that, seeing pictures in the brochure, on the terrace there sono dei comignoli coloratissimi e particolari...chi può andare vada!
Ora...saltata la visita al museo del Camp Nou, lo stadio del Barcellona, per colpa di una persona a caso che ha passato troppo tempo in Casa Batllò (indovinate chi?!?), ci dirigiamo verso la parte più colorita e particolare della città (parlando della gente che la popola): "Las Ramblas", la strada che collega il centro vero e proprio della città, Plaça Catalunya, alla Statua di Colombo, nel quartiere di Barceloneta.
Las Ramblas è piena, oltre che di negozi, anche di artisti di strada che si esibiscono nelle imitazioni dei più disparati personaggi...potrete ammirare Michael Jackson (in versione completamente dorata), un vichingo, un uomo di marmo che gira in bici con il suo amico scheletro, un cowboy e molti altri personaggi così strani che non sono neanche in grado di descrivere.
Dopo questa giornata, non proprio leggera, si torna in albergo.
Visto che siamo qui in albergo (!), vi specifico che nei dintorni c'era una discoteca piccola, ma molto carina, dal prezzo decisamente economico: per 7 € avevamo entrata e due consumazioni. Il venerdì, inoltre, era "Serata Sangria", quindi per la stessa cifra ci hanno offerto anche un buono per una sangria. A Roma per 7 € ti danno un cocktail, spesso e volentieri in un bicchiere di plastica...spero di aver reso l'idea!
Ormai è inutile dire la durata della dormita...quindi: 4 marzo.
Lasciamo l'albergo, con tanto di valige, e con il pullman ci dirigiamo verso nord, restando comunque sulla Costa Brava. La destinazione è Figueres, una cittadina dove si trova uno dei più famosi musei di Salvador Dalì.
Il prezzo è intorno ai 5 €, ma stavolta non so dirvelo con certezza. Spendeteli pure, ne vale la pena. Il museo contiene opere particolarissime e molto diverse tra loro. In un paio d'ore avrete visitato tutto per bene.
Il ristorante di fronte non vale molto e, anche se il prezzo non è esagerato, il servizio è scadente, quindi se potete spostatevi.
Ripartiamo dopo pranzo ed arriviamo ad Arles, in Provenza, nel tardo pomeriggio.
L'albergo era molto accogliente a giudicare dall'aspetto. Addirittura camere quadruple a due piani, pulitissime e spaziose.
Il personale, però, era di una scortesia inimmaginabile. Non sto a descrivere i particolari in quanto, oltre a non ricordare il nome dell'albergo, è "un tantino" distante da Barcellona...insomma andrei ampiamente fuori tema!
Dopo il riposo, ancora una volta minimo, e dopo non aver sentito la sveglia la mattina, anche se in camera eravamo una decina di persone (quindi una ventina di orecchie in totale), ci avviamo verso casa.
Ritorno a Roma il 5 marzo, in tarda serata.
Devo dire che la gita è stata divertentissima, oltre che molto better in terms of places visited.
only regret is not having visited Park Guell, Gaudi than usual, which you point out, however.
Who thinks we were crazy to prefer the bus to the plane I agree, but if I could go back I'm sure I would choose again the first of two!
The conclusion is obvious: I advise you to visit Barcelona and surroundings.
PS: I confess that for some names I asked for help from Google ... but I was honest, right?!?
PPS: just find the name of the hotel in Lloret de Mar I add to this report, with lots of features and opinions.
Thanks for reading! This time it was hard to write everything! Ciao a tutti! -Daniele-
Prendiamo la Metro a Battistini verso le 6:15...non c'è ancora la folla: una persona che non sapesse dell'evento, a giudicare dalla gente presente in stazione, non noterebbe nulla di "strano". 
