Post-Cruise: Braving Barcelona (Part I)

We were so excited to see more of Barcelona and we woke up as early as we could the next day. Our first task was to find a hop-on-hop-off bus to take us around the city. Our hotel sold slightly discounted tickets for Barcelona Bus Turistic, so we decided to purchase the tickets directly from them. Barcelona Bus Turistic has three lines, red, blue and green. We were only interested in the red and blue lines, as the green line was a route along the beaches, and we didn't have enough time for it. While this bus stopped running earlier than the other tour bus, we noticed it had more stops, and the stops were closer to the destinations, which is another reason why we chose this bus.

To start our day, we grabbed a baguette from the cafe on the corner and walk to our bus stop, which was four blocks away. The closest stop in to the Best Western in Eixample is La Pedrera on Passeig de Gracia (on the red line). La Pedrera, also known as Casa Mila (below right), is the last civil work of Antonio Gaudi, the famous Spanish architect. The building was initially built for a married couple, but eventually, the widow sold the property, and today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site open to the public for viewing. We never got a chance to visit Casa Mila, but it is a very unique and artistic building, one of many Gaudi designed and built himself. The upper level is covered in white tiles, reminiscent of a snowy mountain.

We got on the red line, and stayed on for a few stops. We got off at MNAC, the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, which offered an incredible view of the city (almost every European city we had visited had an easily accessible site for an amazing panoramic view of the city). MNAC is a museum of visual art and it has the an outstanding collection of Romanesque paintings. General admission is €12 for two days, which is not bad at all. While we didn't have time for the museum this time around, it is definitely on our list for when we return to Barcelona one day. Below the museum is the famous Magic Fountain of Montjuic, which can be seen behind the four pillars in the photo on the right. The fountain is known for its light show during the night.

We hopped back onto the bus to our second stop, Maremagnum at Port Vell. We took a short shopping break at the mall, but came up empty. Almost everything is closed in Barcelona on Sundays but Maremagnum remains open and it stays opened for 365 days of the year. We walked around the waterfront harbour afterwards, and stopped for a snack. While Port Vell is busy, it is filled with illegal street vendors selling fake purses and shoes.

Our third stop was Barri Gotic, the Gothic Quarter, which is known as the old city. Just like Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter is a maze. The first attraction we saw in the area was the Barcelona Cathedral. With the entrance fee being €7 per person, we decided against going inside. We wandered around the area, and took pictures of the buildings.

Turns out the Gothic Quarter is connected to Las Ramblas through a few side streets. A few turns here and there, we ended up on Las Ramblas! Since we were there already, and feeling a little hungry,   we decided to head over to La Boqueria for another late lunch. We ate at Ramblero again, because we felt more comfortable with this bar, and we knew what we were doing, but it seemed busier today, with actual lineups by each bar. We ordered much more food this time...

As I mentioned in my last post, there are many fruit stands in La Boqueria, and many of them sell fresh fruit juice and fruit salad cups for €1. Perfect snack on a hot Barcelona day. Also, this is not an advertised fact (no signage to let tourists know), but if you keep your receipt from any purchase made in La Boqueria, you can use the restroom without paying. Otherwise, it is €0.50.

After our meal, we hopped back on the bus on the blue line. Our first stop was Sagrada Familia. We had tickets for the next day, and I wanted to familiarize myself with the entrance. The basilica is just amazing on the outside. Construction has progressed slowly since Gaudi overtook the project in 1883. As you can see in our photos below, it became an overcast kind of day. (More photos to come in the next post!)

Our stop was a quick one, and we got back on the bus for our next stop: FC Barcelona, a must-see for any soccer fan! The boyfriend is a soccer fan and he was excited to visit the massive team store. We decided against doing a stadium tour because we didn't have time, and it was expensive at around €35. The team store is like a department store as it has three levels full of FC Barcelona merchandise. We walk around Camp Nou and took some photos.

We caught the last bus back to Placa de Catalunya, and we walked around Las Ramblas. We had dessert (ice cream!), and it was almost midnight before we were hungry again. We decided to grab a quick bite before heading back to the hotel, but we wanted something quick and inexpensive. We spotted a restaurant called Txapela, and decided to give it a try. Their menu is extensive with over fifty different pintxos (similar to tapas, but these were bite-sized) to choose from.

When we left, the night life was still going strong in Barcelona. All the stores were closed on Las Ramblas, but the restaurants were all buzzing full of people. We didn't get back to the hotel until well after midnight, and we were exhausted from our long day.

We had one more day in Barcelona, and we had saved the best for last. Stay tuned for our trip to Sagrada Familia. I hope you're enjoying our post-cruise trip report in Barcelona. We are at the end now... Thank you for following along!

Disembarkation in Barcelona

Disembarkation Day

All good things come to an end, and on Friday morning, our cruise came to an end in Barcelona. Disembarkation day was, without a doubt, the saddest day of our vacation. You just gotta wake up so early to get off this magical floating resort you've called home for the last week or so. It's such a bittersweet feeling.

The morning of was hectic and rushed. Even though we chose a "relaxed debark," we were supposed to leave at 8 AM, which is not relaxing at all. We were running late as usual, so I sent the boyfriend upstairs to grab some snacks for breakfast as I tried to pack the rest of our belongings in our carry-ons. We lined up for the gangway, and we were off the ship in no time. There was no wait or no hold-ups - no customs. We went straight for the luggage area, and there they were! Our suitcases on the floor, waiting for us, by themselves. No need to search through a sea of suitcases! I guess we were the last ones to disembark in our number group... Oops!

We headed outside to the taxi line. It was a very long line, but it was moving steadily and it seemed very organized, so we felt quite optimistic... until it was our turn. We had waited for about 50 minutes before we got to the front of the line. We needed a van, because of our luggage (eight suitcases in total, we don't travel light!) so we had to wait even longer. At this point, the port workers became very disorganized and forgot about us (and another family), and began letting other people ahead of us. I don't know if it was just plain bad luck, but it's super frustrating watching people behind you in line get into the van that was meant for you. When we finally spoke up, and were assigned a car (not a van), the driver claimed not to know where our hotel was (we were staying at the Best Western Premier Hotel Dante in l'Eixample area, which is a pretty popular area), and so we had to wait for another van. Long story short, if you need a van, be aggressive (or assertive) or you may have to wait a while. Needless to say, our disembarkation experience with the Vista was a bit challenging.

Barcelona

Our hotel ended up being literally 12 minutes away from the port. We arrived at our hotel shortly before 10 AM. We were tired from the events in the morning, and we really wanted to take a nap. But unfortunately, our rooms were not ready until 1 PM. We grabbed a sandwich and cappuccino from the cafe around the corner, and visited the supermarket down the block to kill time. When we finally got into the room, we both passed out immediately.

We woke up a couple of hours later, ready to take on Barcelona. Barcelona was humid, but also breezy. There was a strong wind so I wanted to keep my hoodie on, but when we were in the sun, it was very hot. Our hotel was a ten minute, five blocks away walk from Las Ramblas. Once we reached Plaça de Catalunya, we really felt like we were in Barcelona. The busy square is where the old city and modern Eixample met. It was a true European metropolitan city feeling. We didn't have a plan, we just wanted to explore and see what Barcelona had to offer. Las Ramblas is the first attraction tourists think of in Barcelona. It is a lively street filled with shops and street vendors. We walked down Las Ramblas and stumbled upon La Boqueria. Barcelona's famous public market is known officially as Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria. There are fishmongers, butchers, and fresh fruit and vegetables, in addition to food bars (quick service restaurants with fine dining). It is a food lover's paradise. We were mesmerized by the sights and smells in the market, and we wandered through the stalls for hours. We wanted to sit down at a bar to eat, because we could see the delicious foods being served, but they were all packed. Finally, around 4:30 PM, we miraculously spotted two empty seats at Bar Ramblero.

Lemme tell ya, food is not cheap in Barcelona. We ordered two dishes, a grilled octopus and grilled razor clams. I've never had razor clams before, so I was pretty excited to try them. They were delicious! I'd been missing out all this time! The octopus was delicious as well, it was very tender and juicy. Our bill came to about €35. I highly recommend trying out one of the restaurants in La Boqueira, their seafood is so fresh and everything tastes delicious!

After our late lunch, we raced back to meet the boyfriend's parents. We were supposed to meet for dinner, but seeing that we had just eaten lunch, we decided to shopped around for a little bit. There are so many side streets branching off from Las Ramblas with hundreds of stores to shop in. It is very easy to get lost, and you may end up going around in circles (which is what we did). If you're planning to shop, you really do need a full day. We only ended up getting through one small area close to the beginning of Las Ramblas.

The boyfriend wanted paella for dinner, so we found a restaurant along Las Ramblas towards the direction of our hotel where it was less congested. The food was alright. Our tummies were content, but we later found out the restaurant was a tourist trap, and did not have very good reviews. On our way back to the hotel after dinner, we stopped by Haagen Dazs for ice cream.

As I mentioned previously, our hotel was located in l'Eixample area. It was "off the strip" and it was away from the busy tourist areas, but it was a very safe walk even at midnight. It's not eerily quiet during the day nor is it completely dead in the nighttime. There are a few restaurants between Las Ramblas and our hotel, so there are people out and about. We felt very safe walking in the neighbourhood at all times of the day.

Barcelona was absolutely rocking our world. There was so much to see, so much to do, and so much to eat! We have two more days in this amazing city, stay tuned...

Vista Vacation: Meet Me in Marseilles

Here we are, Marseilles, France, our last port of call.

Sadly, Marseilles was my least favourite port - as in, I should have just stayed on the ship. We were aware of the transit strike prior to arriving in Marseilles. It wasn't going to affect our excursion, but many other Carnival excursions were cancelled. In hindsight, I wish ours had been cancelled as well.

None of the excursions really stood out to us in Marseilles, so this was another last minute decision for us. We ended up choosing Top 10 of Marseilles. I know, I don't know why. I had said the Top 10 excursions felt too rushed, but this was a short one (4 hours) so we figured everything must be close together (which we were mostly right about) and it was also cheap ($70). Our tour guide had a very heavy French accent and a deep, hoarse voice. Most of the tour group had a hard time understanding her.

Marseilles is a large industrial port, and the tour started off with our driver not being able to find an exit. Due to the strike, several port exits were closed. So we circled around to find another exit, it took us about 15-20 minutes to get out. Not a great start.

Our first stop was Palais Longchamp. The building is centered on the beautiful chateau d'eau fountain in the middle of the park. There are two wings, both of which are museums. The panoramic view is magnificent. During this photo stop, our tour guide stayed on the bus. There were two other buses on this particular tour, and I saw the other two tour guides walk with their tour group, and explain the history of Palais Longchamp. I was very disappointed that our tour guide didn't bother to do so.

From there, we drove to Notre Dame de la Garde. As we drove up the hill, we could see the bell tower from afar. On top of the bell tower, we could see the infamous gold leaf statue of Mary carrying baby Jesus. Notre Dame de la Garde is located at the highest natural elevation in Marseilles, and there are about 170 steps to climb to get to the entrance of the basilica. Our tour guide did get off the bus this time to walk us up to the basilica. There were a lot, and I mean a lot, of people during our stop, so foot traffic was moving quite slowly. The view on top of the basilica is just truly breathtaking. You can see all of Marseilles. We also took a quick walk inside the basilica. The exterior of the church reminded me of the cathedral in Florence, but the inside of the basilica was decorated with mosaic with lot of marble. Unfortunately, we didn't a chance to visit the crypt due to time constraints.

Look at this gorgeous panoramic view from Notre Dame de la Garde!

Our tour continued on the scenic coast along the beaches until we reached our final stop in Old Port. For such a short distance to drive around, and the fact that there was not much traffic due the strike, it sure took a long time. We were dropped off at a mall, and given 45 minutes of free time, with no map. Our tour guide wasn't helpful at all, she pointed in one direction and said "Souvenirs that way," and another, "Restaurants that way." None of us had any clue as to where we were going. A lot of passengers were angry. The boyfriend and I walked towards the water for some pictures, and turned back to look for a snack. We found a busy street with many shops, and a few coffee stands, so the boyfriend grabbed a few croissants while I took a quick look at a nearby shop. I really wanted to try on a few things but we were short for time. We turned back, and ended up at a different entrance at the mall, so we decided to take a quick look inside. It was the loneliest mall we had ever seen. More than half of the mall was under construction and inaccessible. We found a busy bakery on the other end, so we bought some more pastries to hold off our hunger.

Because of the strike, we didn't want to take a chance with finding our way back on our own. We walked back to the motor coach, and back to the ship we went.

As we headed inside the terminal, we spotted a Carnival shuttle bus that was going to Old Port. We approached the tour guide at the bus, and asked if there was a fee for the bus. She replied €15. Crazy! No thanks, we thought. As we walked away, the girl called us back. She had seen our excursion stickers, and told us it was free of charge for us. At that time, more people were coming back to the ship than leaving the ship, so we waited for about fifteen minutes before the shuttle left with us and two other people. The bus dropped us off right at the entrance of Old Port.

We wandered into the side streets, and found a few corner stores, and a supermarket! We both have a sweet tooth, and we love buying candy from abroad. This supermarket had all the best candy. I stopped by a Mango outlet and Leonidas chocolates. The pier is where you want to buy your souvenirs. There are a lot of soap shops; soaps are a popular souvenir in Marseilles. After grabbing some soap, postcards and souvenirs, we took the last shuttle back to the ship.

Our last supper... the boyfriend had French onion soup to start, prime rib for his entree and carrot cake for dessert. I had the beef carpaccio, beef stew and fruit. Our dining staff serenaded us with a rendition of "Leaving on a Jet Plane."

We stopped by the Liquid Lounge to take a quick peek. A band (jazz, I believe) was performing a variety of music from rock to pop, and classical to country. Unfortunately, it was time to get ready for disembarkation so we rushed back to our cabin to pack up our luggage. We ended our night at the comedy club. We just made it about five minutes into Steve White's last show. Before we headed back into our cabin, we stopped by Guest Services to close out our accounts...

What a bittersweet feeling! Thank you for continuing to read my trip report on the Carnival Vista... my next entry will be Disembarkation Day, then our three-day stay in Barcelona. Stay tuned!

I'd love to hear from you! Please leave me a comment.