Spain What to Expect

I stayed in Barcelona for a week in November 2006. My friend and I rented an apartment in Las Ramblas and had a blast. If you are looking to stay up late, meet great people and drink, then this is the neighborhood for you. It's almost impossible to sleep with all the street activity, so you're forced to join in, or lie in your bed pissed off. We chose the 'join in' route and stayed up until about 6am each day. Bars are everywhere, though they are tending to get a bit trendy instead of traditional. There is a great open air market that sells fresh vegetables/ fruits, tapas, kitchen gadgets, fresh seafood, flowers, bread and cheese. we shopping there when we could and did all of our own cooking in the apartment. If you stay in Las Ramblas don't eat at the restaurants that have sidewalk tables. While it was reasonably priced, the food wasn't good, or authentic. Those were great places for sangria and beer, though. I highly recommend going onto craigslist and finding your own rental. It's much less expensive, you have your own kitchen and bathroom and you have no hotel curfews. This goes for Paris and Rome, as well. The locals were extremely friendly and gracious. We were warned about pickpocketing children, just like in every large European city, but we carried small over the shoulder/ across the chest purses that we were easily in control of. Must visit Parc Guell on the hill! We chose to walk, which was quite a trek, but we also got to see some wonderful architecture along the way. When you get to Parc Guell you will immediately appreciate it's beauty and creativity; almost dr. Seuss-like with the bonus of a great view of the city and ocean. To get the most street cred, bring skirts, pants and shoes that are in fashion. I stay away from shorts and tennis shoes. That's a total give-away and you can't blend in as a local. Pack lightly; it's pretty warm and you can hand wash your clothes without issue. It's hard to cart around two pieces of luggage on cobble stone. It is a hilly city, so be prepared for walking. They have a great transportation system, but I felt like I would miss out on something if I didn't walk everywhere. If the Picasso museum is still on display see it! I typically don't recommend spending vacation time on something you can see in a book, but this exhibit was worth it. I have been to Madrid and the Canary Islands before and didn't think much of them, but Barcelona is completely different. I would go back in a heartbeat and I would feel safe going alone. Memorize the maps and know the names of the streets before you go; reading a map in public makes you a target to unwanted children and men. Being lost is okay if you don't have an appointment. It also brings you to sites you may have overlooked. My best advise is to absorb everything; sights, sounds, scents, tastes and appreciate the relaxed approach to life.

Beautiful place.....take ya kids its ideal for people with families

One of the best things to do is rent a car (for about 30 bucks the whole day) and drive around the island. It allows more freedom and more time to do what you want. Also check out the Dolphin show at the Marina near Palma. If you have kids, they'll love it.

what a blast, 24h trip on train to get there..hell was that loooong.. while my fam were hanging in the bed, i was in the bar all time, cause i couldn't get any sleep... was to exciting and couldn't await to finally arrive.. but cartagena, small town, kind of dirty and absolutely no touristic place.. the beach was nice, not a dream and not too busy but full of home families and kids..everyone knows each other..interesting.

unbelieveable city! A great place to take your kids. they would admire all the special buildings.

best nightlife is at the Benalmadena port, I will suggest the mana disco with 70% of female visitors, also try to win a bottle just for register on www.manaesmana.com
but have in mind that the drinks are relatively cheap and if get pissed go with friends, if not is not so save

If you're female, be prepared to be hit on! Those Spaniards don't hold back...even policemen and customs officials.

Have you ever went to Spain, Seville and you always wondered where the great places to hang out. Well, I have to give you a tip here. Unfortunately outsiders can't just enter a club. A bar but not a club. Why? Well, if you are wondering you must befriend a Spaniard who knows the doorman and yes it is easier to get in when you are a female, and hang out with the Spanish men. That is what I did. We hung out with guys who knew the doorman, when it was crowded they don't let us in but they let us know that when there is no one at the door, we get in. It took me three months to get into an exclusive clubs. You have to understand this, this is a great tip for abroad students who are club goers like myself. Also, another social tip, never go out and get drunk. This is considered to be rude behavior to your Spanish friends. They will get a cab and give your money to the driver and send you home. If you do this, you will be considered to be banned. So those who are currently there, please enjoy your stay and have a blast. Plus, you will be hanging out with them at other bars that the locals only go. Buenas

Someone recently asked me for any advice on running with the bulls as a female. Honestly, I've only done it once, but this is what I came out with:
1.) Don't attempt to run the first day. It's way to crowded and they tend to pull people from the route...first to be pulled: Women...followed by the obnoxiously drunk, ill-prepared and just plain drunk.
2.) Walk the route ahead of time. Do you want to make it to the arena afterwards? If so, you need to start as far down the route as possible. That would be the Plaza Consistorial (sp). They give you 30 seconds to a minute or so to get as far down the route as you want before they release the bulls.
3.) Be aware of Dead Man's Curve or Corner (can't remember what they call it)--it's the 90-degree turn that the bulls can't make, so they tend to crash into the left side of the wall. Yes, it is a false sense of security, but I started just around this corner and jumped up into a crevice along the right side and didn't jump in until I saw the first set of bulls coming, then I jumped in, outside of their path.
4.) If you are standing along a wall waiting for the bulls to get close, if you don't have a clear shot of the route behind you, watch the people on the balconies: the cameras start flashing and the runners coming toward you start having that "Oh Shit" look on their faces. Now you know the bulls are coming.
5.) Run like hell. Don't look behind you and be consiously aware of what and who is in front of you. If someone goes down ahead of you, jump the hell over them.
6.) If you fall, stay down, head covered and do not get up until someone tells you to. I saw a guy fall, get up, then immediately get gored in the back. Also, you then impede the runners behind you. Not cool to jump over someone who decides to get up.
7.) They release 6 bulls, plus the mother cow. Don't forget about her. The first day I watched, the 6 bulls ran by, people stood in the street like it was over and then she came plowing through.
8.) Don't hesitate to jump out of the route after it starts. You're only option is via the makeshift fences put up along the route.
9.) If you just want to watch, if you can get your hands on a balcony, do so. Sitting on those rails sucks like there is no tomorrow. If you can't get a spot on one or don't want to sit for 4 hours to watch, I suggest standing in the route near a fence a bit aways down the route. Then, when they set off the rocket to let you know the bulls are coming, wait about 15 seconds and jump out. Now you can watch from b/t the spectators and the medics.
10.) If you can, watch a run the day before you decide to. It took 2 days of watching before I had the guts to do it.
11.) Don't try to run w/your camera out or camcorder--the cops will take it away and it can be a pain to worry about. If you're able to have it on you though and make it to the arena, it's cool to have. But don't try to get a shot during the run.
12.) Have fun. It is an adrenaline rush unlike any other!

Having lived in BCN for seven good years, i will need to focus on a few insider tips: 1. Go to Sarria: a former village now enclosed in upper Barcelona. Beautiful, relaxed, few tourists and great bars/restaurants including Bar Tomas, famed for its Patatas Bravas (and little else) 2. For nightlife amongst the locals (and not just the tourists and expats hanging around the old town) go to the area around Maria Cubi and Santalo 3. For a lovely walk overlooking my favourite town take a hike op the hills and walk on the Carretera de les Aigues (busy with locals on Sundays, but always bring your own water) or go for a longer walk in the Parc de Colserola straddling the hills 4. My favourite restaurants: Agua, Barceloneta, Ciudad Condal, La Polpa ... and sooooo many more 5. Summer festival: Grec

BCN juste incroyable!!! une ville de fête, riche en culture, pleine de trésors architecturaux...juste un régal! inoubliable et indémodable!

This is the most lovely place on Gran Canaria. All fish restaurants in the marina are outstanding

No island like Eivissa...party, sun and sea. A place beyond...

Pack up for the beach! I have found there to be a universal feel about beaches in most of europe- You can find hip-hop American music, beaded necklaces, beach bars, although in Torremolinos, for women, topless is the way to go.

Having lived in BCN for seven good years, i will need to focus on a few insider tips: 1. Go to Sarria: a former village now enclosed in upper Barcelona. Beautiful, relaxed, few tourists and great bars/restaurants including Bar Tomas, famed for its Patatas Bravas (and little else) 2. For nightlife amongst the locals (and not just the tourists and expats hanging around the old town) go to the area around Maria Cubi and Santalo 3. For a lovely walk overlooking my favourite town take a hike op the hills and walk on the Carretera de les Aigues (busy with locals on Sundays, but always bring your own water) or go for a longer walk in the Parc de Colserola straddling the hills 4. My favourite restaurants: Agua, Barceloneta, Ciudad Condal, La Polpa ... and sooooo many more 5. Summer festival: Grec

BCN juste incroyable!!! une ville de fête, riche en culture, pleine de trésors architecturaux...juste un régal! inoubliable et indémodable!

This is the most lovely place on Gran Canaria. All fish restaurants in the marina are outstanding

No island like Eivissa...party, sun and sea. A place beyond...

Pack up for the beach! I have found there to be a universal feel about beaches in most of europe- You can find hip-hop American music, beaded necklaces, beach bars, although in Torremolinos, for women, topless is the way to go.

Dro til Grand Canaria på påskeferie 15 mars 2008, tok taxi fra flyplassen i Laz Palmas til Mogan og drosjesjåføren kjørte så for at man skulle tro at han hadde politiet i hællan,( 140 km i timen,) va liv-redd for at vi skulle komme borti andre biler selv om det var trefelts-vei, men heldigvis gikk turen fint og vi kom fram like hel, men var "døds-redd.Der ferierte vi sammens med Kenneth og familien i 2 uker, det var varmt og deilig, var på flere turer rundt omkring på øya, bl.a delfin-safari , veldig fin tur for oss sjø-ulker, men flere av turistene ble kjørt på land fordi dem ble sjøsyke og kastet opp.(Pingler,thi,thi) Veldig mange restauranter, god mat og drikke, stilt og rolig, nydelig strand, nært til bank, butikker, etc.Anbefales:) Der

la mejor en todos los sentidos.

Parador Santiago de Compostela, also known as Hostal dos reyes catolicos, a must  to see and stay.  My daughter got very sick during our stay and the local Hospital Real admitted her, administered a shot and all necessary medications with just a thank you from me. I offered to pay and they declined. They did not bother to submit a claim to my insurance company either.  Their farewell comment: '"you are visiting us and we want you to come back".  Of course we will.

A great sunny place, just to relax :)

De la crème solaire à protection maximale est nécessaire ! Croyez-en mon expérience :p