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Barcelona and Beyond
By Rita Cook
If you ask 10 people whether they prefer Barcelona to Madrid you'll likely have a split decision. It can be likened to New York City versus Los Angeles, Cape Town versus Johannesburg or even Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro. Barcelona is the laid back of the two with a natural, but modernist twist and a history that dates back 2000 years. Of course the city is teeming with things to do; think the Gothic Quarter, La Rambla, the hard to ignore waterfront and of course, Gaudi. That's Antoni Gaudi, modernist architect extraordinaire born in Barcelona and whose works dots the city's neighborhoods and the minds of the people who have admired him for years.
Begin in the Gothic Quarter for a real taste of history. Make sure your first stop is the cathedral, built between the 13th and 15th centuries with marks of the different styles prominent. There are three Gothic-style naves and a nineteenth-century façade also housing the Romanesque chapel of Santa Llucia and the crypt of Santa Eulalia.
Other stops in the quarter before moving on should be a quick look at the medieval building of Pia Almoina, the Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat, City Hall and the Plaza de Sant Jaume. As you walk through the Gothic Quarter you will also be surprised to find flea markets, musicians playing in the streets and sometimes a festival, Spain does indeed seem to celebrate many holidays.
From the Gothic Quarter head to La Rambla, a pedestrian street that runs through the Old Quarter of Barcelona linking Plaza de Catalunya to the city's harbor. Great for people watching and shopping, the name Rambla is an Arabic word meaning riverbed named after the water canals that once ran to the sea from the inner workings of what is left today.
Take a drink from the fountain located in Rambla de Canaletes, said to ensure you will return for another visit to the dynamic city. Keep going and you will find several museums; Centre de Cultura Contemporania, Museu d'Art Contemporani and even the Academia de Ciencies I Arts. For those interested in palaces the Palau de la Virreina is a rococo building from the eighteenth century and it's a must see as well as taking a peek in at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
At the waterfront don't miss the shipyards, called Drassanes. Port Vell is a find as it is linked by the floating footbridge of Rambla del Mar to the Maremagnum, one of Barcelona's largest shopping centers.
Barcelona did not, for many years, want to be identified with its ties to the Mediterranean Sea, but after the Olympics in 1986 the city has once again become a port of call for cruise ships, beachgoers who have the time and those who might just want to enjoy the thriving and vibrant waterfront for a quick bite to eat. If you do nothing else look at the cast-iron monument to Columbus and take the elevator ride to the observation gallery for an excellent view of harbor and the city.
No visitor to Barcelona can leave without getting a bit of a Gaudi fix. Considered by many people to be the intellect behind the modernism movement, his architecture is at the same time both introverted and mystical on many levels. His work in Barcelona includes Casa Vicens in the Gracia District, the pair of pavilions at Finca Guell, Palau Guellon on Calle Nou de la Rambla, the Church of Colonia Guell, Guell Park, Casa Batllo on the street known as the 'block of discord" and the Basilica of the Holy Family. The Basilica is Gaudi's most important work, which he devoted 40 long years of his life before dying unexpectedly in 1923 with it still unfinished.
Before heading out into the nearby countryside or the much visited city of Tarragona stop in at the Poble Espanyol, built for the World's Fair in 1929 and which is, by definition, a recreation of the various types of Spanish Villages throughout the country. The variety of architectural styles, music, foods and handicrafts of every Spanish region are represented here and you can get an ideal of the entire country of Spain in this man-made village.
Of the trips outside of Barcelona there are some amazing Catalonian finds. Tarragona is a must on anyone's list as it was founded in 216 B.C. Roman ruins are incorporated into the city's infrastructure offering a glimpse of daily city life and a UNESCO World Heritage destination in one.
Spend at least one or two days in Tarragona discovering the history beginning with the Paseo Arqueologico built around the Roman walls, the Roman aqueduct called Pont del Diable and the old quarter of the city inside the Roman walls.
For churches there's the Cathedral of Santa Maria, which is the main medieval building in Tarragona and the medieval arcades in Calle Merceria and, for even more medieval, there is the Calle de Cavallers, which is the main street from that period.
Tarragona is also on the water, with an area called El Serrallo or the Fisherman's Quarter.
Of course, the best seafood in Spain can be found here so don't hesitate to find a good spot for both lunch and dinner during your stay.
A surprising new wine region in Spain, Priorat have also been brought to the forefront lately with black wines - deep red really- offering blackberry flavors with a spicy aroma to round out the experience. Take a day trip out to this area and stop in at a few of the local wineries as you explore the countryside.
Whether it be wine, history or just a relaxing drive through one of Europe's sexiest countries, Spain's Catalonia region has the mark of many cultures and the friendly people to entice you to visit again.
Getting There:
Spain's international airline is Iberia, flying in to many cities in the country, a good way to begin to the trip.
www.iberia.com
Where to Stay
Tarragona: Hotel Ciutat de Tarragona
www.hotelciutatdetarragona.com
Hotel Monumento Mas Passamaner in the village of La Selva de Camp (just outside Tarragona)
www.maspassamaner.com
Barcelona: NH Constanza
www.nhconstanza.com
Carlsbad - Tip For A Trip
By Ivana Poulova
The time of long weekend escapes was around the corner and I just started planning my own gateway. It should be something different than our usual - Vegas. I love Las Vegas but it was time to make a change, to try something different and it wouldn't hurt if it was somewhat closer (you know the gas prices are…, well, everybody talks about it so let me avoid this subject).
My candidates were Santa Barbara and Palm Springs. I really wanted to see them, they are so… everybody goes there so I wanted to go too. And I still do, but when I found out about Carlsbad, I got the winner. I was holding the ace in my hand.
Hmm, Carlsbad, it sounds like the German name (Karlsbad) for our Karlovy Vary; I was thinking. I can say: "Hey, I'm going to Karlovy Vary but in California". And there is an ocean too! We don't have any ocean in Karlovy Vary or anywhere in the Czech Republic.
Carlsbad has really something to do with the Czech Republic. Karlovy Vary and Carlsbad are sister cities. And that was the main reason why I fell in love with this town before even being there. Water, found by a former sea captain John Frazier, was chemically similar to one in Karlovy Vary - city of famous spas - and that is how the Californian Carlsbad got its name. There is a statue of John Frazier which is a work of the Czech sculptor Václav Lokvenc.
Carlsbad belongs to the San Diego County and it is also close to Los Angeles which makes it a very attractive seaside resort-town. The trip from LA takes just two hours and mostly you will be driving on a freeway so you shouldn't get lost and you should find your destination very comfortably.
The town offers plenty of lodging. You can stay in a hotel just a minute from the beach or you can rent a house/condo right on the beach. The beach unites such a beautiful architecture. I got stunned by the modern luxurious buildings but even more by charming cute houses in a German style. The beach is just lovely. Omnipresent deck-chairs and colorful umbrellas make you feel like you appeared in one of those postcards they sell in souvenir shops. The sand gently massages your feet while you are watching the waves and enjoying the music of the ocean.
With my husband we took a walk taking pictures of everything and anything. Standing next to each other, two cameras focused on the same object, we must have looked like Japanese tourists. Well we both love photography and I got really nice shots of a beach squirrel which was literally posing for me. But you can never fully appreciate the beach atmosphere without soaking your body into the salty water. And we did it. It was cloudy, foggy and cold, nothing like in the San Fernando Valley. Actually it was pretty refreshing.
I booked us a room in the Motel 6 downtown (we paid $80 something per room per night). I didn't believe it would really be downtown and four short blocks from the beach as stated on the website. But it was. The motel is right off the freeway but my apartment in Sherman Oaks is nosier. Across the motel there is Albertsons, liquor store and plenty fast foods around. Washington Mutual is really close too and Denny's even closer - just couple steps from the motel's parking lot. The room was perfectly clean and had everything you need - A/C, towels, soap, TV, hangers, and you could also get internet for $2.99 for twenty four hours. Plus there is a free coffee every morning.
Besides beach and colorful downtown - called Carlsbad Village - full of cute shops and nice restaurants, Carlsbad also offers a load of fun for every family in the local Legoland. This is the only Legoland in the U.S.A. Nevertheless I am more interested in the Flower Fields which supposedly offer a beautiful flower blanket of all colors, and are open to public only in spring (March 1 through May 10, 2009). And for those, who might need little more action than this little town can offer, there is still San Diego just 35 miles away.
Useful Links
Carlsbad Official Website
http://www.carlsbadca.gov/
Motel 6
http://www.motel6.com/default.
aspx
http://www.legoland.com/cali
fornia.htm
Flower Fields
http://visit.theflowerfields.com/