We last visited Barcelona, Spain, on April 16, 2003, after disembarking from our Celebrity Cruises European Cruise (from Dover to Barcelona). At the time, Inna felt unwell and did not enjoy her time in Barcelona.
We decided to revisit Barcelona for 5 nights and drive up the coast to visit Girona and Palafrugell. After extensive research on top hotels, Inna booked 5 nights at Hotel Claris in downtown Barcelona.
Saturday, May 27, 2023
In the morning, Inna and I packed our carry-on suitcases for our long trip. To my surprise, I discovered that my travel pants were missing. Consequently, Inna and I decided to stop by our Saratoga REI to purchase a replacement.
After looking at a few options, I selected the Kuhl Renegade Convertible travel pants in size (34Wx30L), a slightly shorter version (which fits me well and can be converted to shorts). In addition, I also purchased new Hoka Arahi 6 sneakers (size 10.5), and Inna purchased Hoka Clifton 9 sneakers.
The Kuhl Renegade pants were not very comfortable due to the convertible zippers.
We ordered UberX to take us to San Francisco International Airport ($58 fee). Since Inna pre-printed her boarding passes, we walked straight to security. Even though we had Global Entry cards, we still had to go through the same security because the airline did not validate boarding passes. This defeats the purpose of pre-printing boarding passes.
We had some time to eat dinner and stopped by Gotts Roadside at the airport. We ordered the following burgers:
- Alex: Texas Avocado Burger (Lettuce Wrap)
- Boris: California Burgers (No-bun Lettuce Wrap)
- Inna: California Burgers (No-bun Lettuce Wrap)
The burgers were alright (though not as delicious as the ones we make ourselves).
After dinner, we stopped by the Level(Iberia) counter to get our official boarding passes and waited for our group to be called to board the Airbus A320-200 jetliner.
We boarded our 12-hour Level (Iberia) Flight #2622 from SFO to BCN at 19:30 PST with group 3, seated in 26E, 26F, and 26G. Our expected arrival time in Barcelona is 16:30.
The flight took off on time, and Alex, Inna, and I found our activities. Inna was watching a friend's TV show on the jetliner's built-in tablet. Alex was also watching some movies. At first, I decided to continue reading my Kindle book - On Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham. Later, I decided to play video games on my Steam Deck. I played Bioshock and enjoyed it a lot. Eventually, I put on my nightshades and earplugs so that I could sleep through the flight.
I found sleeping in this half-sitting position difficult, but I snoozed for a moment. I still had periods of bloating, which made me a bit uncomfortable.
Sunday, May 28, 2023
We landed in Barcelona at 16:30 and quickly went through customs. Since UberX was not working, we boarded a local taxi and drove to the Claris Hotel downtown.
We checked into room #216. For a 5-star hotel, the room was relatively small and narrow. Most of the space was taken up by the 2 beds, leaving no room to sit. Alex had a separate bed on the 2nd floor. The closets were also relatively small, and we needed more space to store clothes.
After unloading our suitcases, we went to the 7th floor to see the terrace, pool, and restaurants. The pool was small and cold, but the terrace looked pleasant and inviting.
Since landing in Barcelona, we had yet to walk at all. We decided to explore the area near the hotel and stop by Casa Batlló. The streets of Barcelona were packed with people. We decided to walk to Placa de Catalunya to get reacquainted with the streets of Barcelona.
After the walk, we sat down and looked at some options. We decided to eat dinner nearby at Teleferic. After a short walk there, we sat down and ordered the following:
- Tapas: Sashimi de Salmón, Croquetas de Jamón, Buñuelos, Pulpo Trufado, Ravioli
- Alex: Steak, Tapas
- Inna: SangrÃa Barceloneta, Tapas
- Boris: Ensalada De Temporada, Salmón
- Dessert: Cheesecake, Coulant de Chocolate
The tapas were served first and were quite delicious. Unfortunately, I could not eat most of them due to my Keto diet. I did try the Sashimi de Salmon, and it was delicious.
I ordered a house salad, and it was pretty delicious. The Atlantic Salmon was also quite good (though it had a different taste and texture from my usual Wild Alaskan Salmon).
Alex had a large steak with potatoes, which he enjoyed a lot. He also wanted many of the tapas with Inna. For dessert, Alex and Inna shared Cheesecake and Coulant de Chocolate.
After returning home, I took a shower and went to bed. Everyone was quite tired from the long flight.Monday, May 29, 2023
I woke at 07:00, showered, and shaved. Inna took a shower next, followed by Alex.
We dressed and headed for our complimentary breakfast in the below-ground (-1) area. After being seated and looking at the buffet items, we ordered the following:
- Boris: 2 eggs sunny side up with sausage and bacon, coffee, water
- Inna: 2 scrambled eggs with bacon, coffee, and orange juice
- Alex: 2 scrambled eggs with bacon, coffee, and water
We also sampled fresh avocado at the buffet.
After breakfast, we quickly dressed and walked for 5 minutes to Casa Batlló. Inna purchased Gold tickets to see all the best highlights. We really enjoyed touring this eclectic house designed by GaudÃ.
When we finished, we returned to our hotel to decide where to eat lunch. At first, we went upstairs to Hotel Claris' 7th-floor terrace to enjoy lounging by the pool. Then, around 13:15, we decided to try to eat lunch.
We selected Chao Pescao nearby - a highly-rated seafood restaurant - with a unique ordering system. Fresh fish are laid out at the entrance, and you choose the seafood for your meal.
The seafood is cut and weighed, and the rest of the order is fulfilled. We selected the following items:
- 3 Ensalada de Tataki (Green Salad with Tuna)
- 2 Patata Pulpo Con Parmiente (octopus)
- 4 Zamburinas (scallops)
- 1 Brocheta
- 260g Salmon
- 225g Tuna
- 3 Aguas con Gas
The seafood was well-cooked, and Inna really liked her scallops and brochette. I enjoyed my Green Salad with Tuna, but it had too many greens (after which I developed some stomach bloating).
After lunch, we rested in our Hotel Claris until 16:00. We ordered a taxi to take us to the famous Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
I had forgotten how beautiful, magnetic, and impressive the cathedral looked. The stained-glass windows were a marvel inside, casting colorful beams of light everywhere. The design blended modern concepts with religious fervor in a unique way.
We sat down briefly to take in the beauty (and to rest my weary legs). At 17:15, we boarded an elevator to visit the East Tower. The view from the top was spectacular, although I was worried about the walk down.
We took some beautiful photos of the towers and then walked down. Alex was a bit uncomfortable in his pants, which turned out to be too small. We thought about quickly returning home so he could change into shorts, but instead we decided to take a taxi to our concert.
Inna purchased 3 tickets to Palau de la Música for 19:00. The program included a full performance of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and other famous arias from the Baroque era. The Palau de la Música is an exquisitely ornate building with excellent acoustics.
Although Joan Espina (violin soloist) was a skilled virtuoso, I was most surprised by Oriol Roses, a gentleman with a high countertenor voice. I had never heard a man sing so high. He sounded like a female soprano. I enjoyed the Classical music program in such a unique setting.
After the concert finished, we walked back to our Hotel Claris.
We first stopped by Lokal Bar for a late dinner, but it was busy and wouldn't take any more walk-ins. Instead, we stopped by The Sopa Boba nearby. Initially, there were no free tables, so we sat at the bar. After about 15 minutes, a table opened up, and we moved in.
Since it was very late (around 22:30), I decided to skip dinner, so Alex and Inna ordered the following tapas:
- Tagliata with beef
- Gyozas
- Aguacate
- Ceviche
- Tataki Salmon
- Avocado with Curry
Alex loved the Tagliata with Beef and thought it was superior to Teleferic's version. We returned home at about 23:30, quite late, and stayed up longer to let our food digest.
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
In the morning, I woke at 07:15, showered, and dressed. Inna took a shower next, followed by Alex.
We headed to our complimentary breakfast below ground. Alex decided to skip breakfast to catch up on his sleep.
After sitting down, we ordered the following items:
- Boris: 3 eggs sunny side up with sausage and bacon, sauteed vegetables, coffee, water
- Inna: 2 scrambled eggs with bacon, coffee
After breakfast, we returned briefly to our room, where Alex was showering. After he dressed, we ordered a taxi to Parc Güell. Inna had pre-ordered 09:30 tickets.
For about 9.80 euros, we were driven about 15 minutes to Parc Güell. We walked around the park for about 2 hours, taking many photos and admiring the beautiful architecture.
At around 11:10, we decided to return to our Hotel Claris. We found a taxi waiting a few blocks away and boarded it. The cost back to Hotel Claris was 14.90 euros (I was ripped off by about 5.00 euros).
We decided to eat lunch and first stopped by the Lokal Bar nearby. However, we were insulted by the 10% extra charge for sitting on the patio, even though the restaurant was virtually empty. We left the restaurant and walked to the nearby Restaurant Palermo.
After looking at the day's menu, we ordered the $ 14.90-per-day entree-and-dessert meal. We selected the following appetizer, entree, and dessert:
- Alex: Gazpacho, Lamb, Cappuccino
- Boris: Gazpacho, Salmon Steak, Espresso
- Inna: Gazpacho, Pork Loin, Cappuccino
I liked the Gazpacho (though the one in Café Demel in Vienna is superior). The salmon steak was alright, too (but I am more used to bone-in salmon fillets).
After lunch, Inna and Alex headed to DelaCrem to taste some delicious gelato. I headed back to Hotel Claris, as my Keto diet restricts me from eating gelato.
Alex had a lot of college coursework to catch up on and spent many hours working on floor 0 of the Hotel Claris.
While Alex and Inna sampled Barcelona's finest gelato, I rested on the roof of Hotel Claris, enjoying reading my Kindle book - On Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham.
In the late afternoon, around 17:00, Inna and I decided to stroll to the Barri Gòtic part of Barcelona (the original city of Barcelona before its territory was expanded). We enjoyed looking at the narrow streets and the small shops. I hoped to see high-quality baked goods & pastries and gelato, but nothing tempted me to break my Keto diet.
During our walk, we wanted to stop by for a quick look inside the Cathedral of Barcelona, but it was closed at 18:00. We saw a few street performers and two people singing opera favorites (who were not dressed for the part).
After returning to our hotel, Alex, Inna, and I decided to have dinner at Hotel Claris' Japanese restaurant, Oskuro Sushi Bar and Robata. However, it only opened at 20:00, and we wanted to eat an earlier dinner to prepare for a 21:40 visit to La Pedrera - Casa Mila's evening light show.
We decided to try dinner at a local neighborhood restaurant, Josephine. After sitting inside, we looked at the menus and ordered the following items:
- Tapas: Gambas al Ajillo, Croquette de Jamón Burrata quinoa negra, Carpaccio de CalabacÃn,
- Alex: Ravioli de queso fontina y trufa
- Boris: lubina (sea bass) con verduras
- Dessert: Coulant hecho el Momento (Valrhona Chocolate)
I really liked my Sea Bass, and Alex enjoyed his ravioli. The tapas were quite delicious, too.
We were pleasantly surprised by our food. Alex hurried to continue his Northeastern class assignment but stayed long enough to enjoy the Valrhona Chocolate Coulant.
At around 21:30, we walked for 5 minutes to La Pedrera - Casa Mila for our evening tour and light show. At first, our guide told us about the history of this last Gaudà private commission. This house was known as "the quarry" because there were constant complaints about noise and dust for the 6 years it was being built.
La Pedrera was one of the first houses with hot water and an unconventional design. According to Wikipedia:
The building was commissioned in 1906 by Pere Milà and his wife Roser Segimon. At the time, it was controversial because of its undulating stone facade, twisting wrought iron balconies and designed by Josep Maria Jujol. Several structural innovations include a self-supporting stone façade, and a free-plan floor, underground garage and the spectacular terrace on the roof.
We really enjoyed the tour and the light show!
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
In the morning, I woke at 07:45, showered, and dressed. Inna took a shower next, followed by Alex.
Inna and I headed to our complimentary breakfast below ground. Alex decided to join us a bit later.
After sitting down, we ordered the following items:
- Boris: 3 eggs sunny side up with sausage and bacon, sauteed vegetables, coffee, water
- Inna: 2 scrambled eggs with bacon, coffee
- Alex: Scrambled eggs with bacon
- Appetizer: Fried Prawns and Calamari
- Main: Pizza Burrata (with tomatoes), Pizza Pistachio (with Buffalo Mozzarella, Burrata, Mortadella, Pistachio)
- Appetizer: Shrimp Tempura
- Sushi: Sashimi Moriaware (Tuna, Scallops, Salmon)
- Rolls: Uramaki de Salmon
- Sencha Tea
Thursday, June 1, 2023
I woke at 09:00, showered, shaved, and dressed. Inna took a shower next, followed by Alex.
Inna and I headed to our complimentary Hotel Claris breakfast below ground. Alex decided to join us a bit later. After sitting down, we ordered the following items:
- Boris: 3 eggs sunny side up with sausage and bacon, sauteed vegetables, coffee, water
- Inna: 2 scrambled eggs with bacon, coffee
- Alex: Scrambled eggs with bacon
Since I was feeling better and Alex had completed this college homework, we first explored the Montjuïc region at the Joan Miró Foundation museum. We took a short taxi ride of about 20 minutes and started to explore the exciting pieces of contemporary art. I can't say that I am a fan of modern art, but there were a few exciting pieces worth exploring.
After touring the museum, we strolled around Montjuïc, stopping to look at the Larribar Gardens (which were not in bloom). We then walked over to the National Museum of Art in Catalunya. There was a musician playing guitar favorites, including Eagles' Hotel California. We listened for a bit and continued to Santamadre Restaurant de Tapes.
We had the most fantastic waiter, who patiently explained every item on the lengthy menu. We ended up ordering the following items:
- Appetizer: Fresh Shrimp
- Boris: Eggs with Potatoes and Iberian Ham
- Alex: Sirloin Steak
- Inna: Suckling pig
In the evening, we decided to try gluten-free pizza at the Pizza Natura restaurant near our hotel. Unfortunately, we had a disappointing experience. Inna did not react well to the gluten-free pizza dough and had heartburn throughout the night. Also, the pizza was different from Don Kilo's.
We ordered the following items:
- Appetizer: Tenders de Pollo
- Pizza Iberica
- Pizza Burrata
- Mineral Sparkling Water
- Brownie
Barcelona Trip Review
Highlights
- Seeing Sagrada Familia Cathedral once again (and visiting its towers for a breathtaking view of Barcelona)
- Visiting GaudÃ's architectural masterpieces, including:
- Tasting unique tapas at the original Teleferic restaurant
- Enjoying Pizza Burrata at Don Kilo (the best tomato-based pizza ever!)
- Savoring delicious gelato at DelaCrem
Lowlights
- Dealing with constant bloating, stomach pains, and fatigue amid the flare-up of Ulcerative Colitis
- The long, uncomfortable 12-hour red-eye flight on Iberia from San Francisco to Barcelona
- Inna's upset stomach after eating gluten-free pizza at Pizza Natura
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