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<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0Oliver joined us on Monday, October 24, and Karl & Eun-Ha joined us on Wednesday October 26. They all left on Friday October 28. ![\"30571425382_723b121fa2_m\"](\"http:\/\/www.webliminal.com\/webliminalblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/30571425382_723b121fa2_m.jpg\")
<\/a>It was really nice traveling and enjoying Barcelona with them. An excellent trip all around.<\/p>\nArrival<\/strong><\/p>\n Our non-stop flight from IAD arrived at BCN on schedule, \u00c2\u00a0about 7:45 am. After easily passing\u00c2\u00a0through immigration we found the Aeropuerto AutoBus that took us to its last stop Placa de Catalunya<\/a> in downtown Barcelona. The trip cost about 5 euros per person, took about 40 minutes, with wifi on the bus. \u00c2\u00a0Placa de Catalunya was about 5 or 10 minutes form our first lodging.<\/p>\n Where we stayed<\/strong><\/p>\n We rented a small one bedroom apartment via AirBnB<\/a> for our first seven nights. It was very conveniently located in the old city at\u00c2\u00a0Carrer de n\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Amargos 2. A few turns off of a main street, across the street from a local cafe\/bar, a few blocks from the Cathedral<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0de Barcelona,<\/a> and an easy walk to many parts of the city. The apartment\u00c2\u00a0was on the second floor, it was clean, and the bed was comfortable. The people who rented it to us were accommodating and helpful. \u00c2\u00a0Oliver joined us for two nights at the place and when Karl & Eun-ha arrived at the Placa de Catalunya<\/a> form the airport we all went back to our place to store their luggage for a bit and wash some of their clothes.<\/span><\/p>\n After Karl & Eun-Ha arrived we spent two nights at Hotel Andante<\/a>. About 15 minute walk from our apartment. A very lovely place near Las Ramblas<\/a>, La Bouqueria market, and the Para-lel metro stop<\/a>. The hotels bills itself as a “responsible and sustainable hotel.” I think that is accurate. The rooms were modern, quiet, clean, completely functional. The hotel has a small infinity pool on the 11th floor with spectacular views of the city. Really wonderful.<\/p>\n We went to Valencia for three days returning for our last night before leaving. We spent the night at Hotel Colon<\/a>, a very nice hotel facing the Barcelona Cathedral. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eating<\/strong><\/p>\n Barcelona has a reputation for good food and dining experiences from restaurants, to neighborhood bars or cafes, to tapas bars, to the bars and stands in La Bouqueria.<\/p>\n Places we ate included:<\/p>\n Merce Vins 1982 – Right across the street from our apartment in the old city. Very comfortable, very local, very good food. We had breakfast there several days. This quote from captures its spirit. Merce Vins: Home Away from Office<\/a> “Merc\u00c3\u00a8 Vins is exactly between two worlds, located on the quiet, narrow and dark Carrer d\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Amarg\u00c3\u00b3s, close to the shopping area of Portal de l\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00c3\u20acngel, near the Cathedral and Pla\u00c3\u00a7a de Sant Jaume, and on the border between the Barrio G\u00c3\u00b3tico and Born neighborhoods, where there are numerous offices and public institutions, filled with employees looking for a breakfast that goes beyond a sad, ersatz \u00e2\u20ac\u0153croissant\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or for a lunch that approximates the kind of meal they would get if they were able to sneak back home.”<\/p>\n Hofmann Pasteleria<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0– A shop with excellent pastries and candies. The pastries were the most original I’ve seen and tasted.<\/p>\n Ciudad Contal – Tapas, breakfast, excellent selection.<\/p>\n Mil Gritos<\/a> – Restaurant\u00c2\u00a0with modern, imaginative dishes.<\/p>\n Casa Lolela<\/a>. We ate there several times. One of favorites was the orz rissoto with black truffles. WE also had Mojama de Tuna twice. Solid, good food. Well prepared. Excellent sangria. I’ve found the sangria for sale in Fredericksburg at the Old Towne Butcher<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/a>
\nThe hotel had all the accouterments\u00c2\u00a0and personnel representing of what you’d expect in a well-run European hotel. They also had a roof deck with great views of the cathedral. <\/a>\u00c2\u00a0Two are posted \u00c2\u00a0here.<\/p>\n