Journey to Iberian Peninsula: 03. Barcelona

After 2 months planning, finally I completed my 17 day journey to Spain and Portugal, 24 June - 10 July 2009. I spent 3 days in Portugal, then 3 days in Barcelona, 1 day in Granada, 2 days in Ronda and Seville, 3 days in Madrid, 1 day in Bilbao and San Sebastian, 4 days in Pamplona, 1 day in Segovia, and 1 day in Toledo.
As usual, I made a hard schedule, since I always wanted to see as many as possible in my limited time.
My main destination was San Fermin Festival with the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. Despite of few problems, I was able participate in the Running with the Bulls on 9 July 2009, though I did it very safely (cowardly :p). Later on, I heard from the news that one person (27 year old Spaniard) died gored by the Bull on 10 July 2009 (15th person since 1924).
I loved this crazy fun festival. From 6 - 14 July, everyday is full with bull running in the morning, bull fight in the afternoon, and fireworks in the evening, with so many other events between.
The city was full with songs, dances, laughter, craziness, shangria shower ...
I loved also the city of Lisbon, beautiful city, compact, and its Trams was wonderful...
I loved also Spanish bars and the tapas, or pinxtos...
Lots of festivals and events in Spain in summer. Besides the San Fermin, I was able to see Madrid and Barcelona Pride, also Kylie Minogue Concert in Madrid, also Broadway musical "West Side Story" coming to Madrid for the summer festival.
I enjoyed also the bull fights, though I felt pity on the bulls killed, also the Flamenco in Seville.

My best five experiences for this travelling:
1. San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, with its bull-running, bull-fights, fireworks, dances, songs, and crazy people
2. Spanish bars and tapas, especially the ones in Granada for its free tapas, and delicious pintxos in San Sebastian
3. Lisbon, with its functional Tram 28 and tasty sweets
4. Plaza de Espana in Barcelona with its music-light-fountain and Pride Party on 29 June 2009
5. Gaudi's Gauel Park in Barcelona with its street music show

二ヶ月かけて、少しづつ計画した、スペイン・ポルトガルの17日間の旅も、2009年6月24日～7月10日終わった。
ポルトガルを3日間、バルセロナ3日間、グラナダ1日、ロンダとセビージャ2日、マドリッド3日、ビルバオとサンセバスチャン1日、パンプロナ4日、セゴビア1日、トレド1日でした。
格安航空券をたくさん利用して、移動時間を短くした。宿は、一泊20ユーロのドミトリー。

今回のマインは、パンプロナで、7月6日～14日に行われる、牛追い祭りとも知られるSan Fermin祭。
いくつかの悔しい問題を乗り越えて、9日の日に、牛追い祭りで走ることができた。
帰ってきてから、10日に、牛に刺されて、15年ぶりに死んだ人が出たとニュースでみた～

しかし、この祭りは、とてもクレイジーやったけど、楽しかった。
毎日、朝は牛追い、午後は闘牛、夜は花火、その間は、盛りたくさんの、ダンスなどのイベントと、ストリートパフォーマンス。
町中、歌・踊り・太鼓・シャングリアのシャワー・ばかげた人たち。

旅の最初に行ったポルトガルのリスボンも気に入った。
たくさんの丘から成り立つこの町は、いろんな交通手段が用意された。
可愛いトラムをはじめ、地下鉄、バス、Funicular、エレベター。
また、甘いお菓子がおいしかった。

スペインの夏は、祭りとイベント盛りたくさん。
San Fermin祭以外に、マドリッドとバルセロナのプライドも見ることができた。
またマドリッドで、Kylie Minogueのコンサートと、ブロードウェイミュージカルWest Side Storyもみてきた。

スペインのバーは最高！
特にグラナダの。
グラナダ在中のぎんいろおねえさんと一緒にバーめぐりした。

またスペインといえばの闘牛とフラメンコも楽しめた。

今旅のベスト５の体験をあげてみます：
１．パンプロナのSan Fermin祭。牛追い、闘牛、花火、踊り、シャングリアとクレイジーな大人たち、本当楽しかった。
２．スペインのバーとタパス。特に、タパスが無料でついてくるグラナダと、ピンチョスがおいしいサンセバスチャン。
３．リスボン。ちんちん電車が狭い坂を上ったりしたキュートできれいな町。
４．光と音楽の噴水が綺麗な、バルセロナのスペイン広場。6月29日のプライドパーティがこの広場で開かれて、楽しかった。
５．バルセロナにあるガウディの、ガウエル公園。ここで聞いたバイオリンのストリートパフォーマンスは印象的やった。

Complete Itinerary

24 June 2009 (Wed)

from Doha, I flied to Lisbon via Madrid with TAP Portugal Airlines.

In Lisbon, I went to Belem.

25 June 2009 (Thu)

with train, I went to Sintra.

from Sintra, I went to Cabo da Roca by bus and returned to Lisbon via Cascais by train.

26 June 2009 (Fri)

sightseeing Lisbon, including Ponte Vasco da Gama, the Expo site.

at night, I flied to Barcelona by TAP.

27 June 2009 (Sat)

sightseeing Barcelona, visiting Gaudi's Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. at night, watched Flamenco show at La Rambla's tablao.

28 June 2009 (Sun)

joined tour to Montserrat and Sitges.

at night, joined the Pride party at Plaza de Espana.

29 June 2009 (Mon)

sightseeing Barcelona, visiting Gaudi's Eglesia de la Colonia Guell and seaside area.

30 June 2009 (Tue)

flying to Granada, visiting Alhambra, and bar-hopping with Japanese Ginironeko-san, at night, watching Compania Nacional de Danza show at Generalife.

1 July 2009 (Wed)

by train, going to Ronda, sightseeing a few hours, and by bus headed to Seville.

joined free walking tour and watched Flamenco at Los Gallos.

2 July 2009 (Thu)

sightseeing Seville, and went to Madrid by train.

Kylie concert at Madrid.

3 July 2009 (Fri)

sightseeing Madrid. at night watched Carmen, the opera and flamenco show.

4 July 2009 (Sat)

sightseeing Madrid, watched the Pride march, watched Broadway's West Side Story.

5 July 2009 (Sun)

flied to Bilbao by Iberian Airlines.

visiting Guggenheim Museum and Puente de Vizkaia.

went to San Sebastian by bus.

sightseeing San Sebastian, visiting Monte Igueldo and bar hopping.

6 July 2009 (Mon)

by bus to Pamplona, joined the San Fermin Festival opening ceremony, watched horse-back bull fight in the afternoon and fireworks at night.

7 July 2009 (Tue)

watching the Encierro (bull running) at the Bull Ring.

enjoyed the various events and street performance.

watched the bull fight in the afternoon, and watched fireworks at night.

8 July 2009 (Wed)

failed to join the Bull running after being kicked-off by a police since I didn't wear running shoes.

i decided to stay one more night in Pamplona to join next day running.

9 July 2009 (Thu)

joined the Running of the Bull.

by train, returned to Madrid, met Jose.

with Jose, we went to Segovia and La Granja.

at night, we had very nice dinner at Jose's pretty house.

10 July 2009 (Fri)

with Jose, we went to Toledo and Aranjuez.

at night, i flied back to Doha

my best five! experiences

1. San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, with its bull-running, bull-fights, fireworks, dances, songs, and crazy people
2. Spanish bars and tapas, especially the ones in Granada for its free tapas, and delicious pintxos in San Sebastian
3. Lisbon, with its functional Tram 28 and tasty sweets
4. Plaza de Espana in Barcelona with its music-light-fountain and Pride Party on 29 June 2009
5. Gaudi's Gauel Park in Barcelona with its street music show

１．パンプロナのSan Fermin祭。牛追い、闘牛、花火、踊り、シャングリアとクレイジーな大人たち、本当楽しかった。
２．スペインのバーとタパス。特に、タパスが無料でついてくるグラナダと、ピンチョスがおいしいサンセバスチャン。
３．リスボン。ちんちん電車が狭い坂を上ったりしたキュートできれいな町。
４．光と音楽の噴水が綺麗な、バルセロナのスペイン広場。6月29日のプライドパーティがこの広場で開かれて、楽しかった。
５．バルセロナにあるガウディの、ガウエル公園。ここで聞いたバイオリンのストリートパフォーマンスは印象的やった。

Tips and Info

Transportation

- Flights inside Europe, now is becoming really cheap and easy to book through internet at each company website. The low cost airlines are Vueling (Spain), Easy Jet, and Ryan Air. TAP (Portugal), Iberian Airlines, and Span Air (Spain) have some offers that really cheap. I paid about 90 euro with TAP to fly Madrid-Lisbon-Barcelona, about 70 euro with Iberian Airlines for Madrid-Bilbao return ticket, and about 60 euro with Vueling to fly Barcelona-Granada.

- I don't know the logic, but it is much cheaper to buy return tickets rather that one-way ticket. For example, Madrid-Bilbao with Iberian Airlines, the price of one-way ticket was about 110 euro, but the price of return ticket was 70 euro. So I bought return ticket even I only intended to fly one-way.

- To travel Spain by RENFE train, it is worth booking online through its website (www.renfe.es). It is easy and much cheaper than buying at the station.

Temperature (July)

Seville was hot and humid, Madrid (including surrounding Segovia, Toleda, Aranjuez) and Granada were hot but dry, Pamplona was cold.

Lisbon and Barcelona were pleasant.

Schengen Visa

It is valid also to travel by air to other Schengen countries.

Accommodation

- To book cheap hostels, I used the following websites:

www.hostels.com

hostelbookers.com

www.hostelworld.com

or directly to each hostel websites.

- To book accommodation in Pamplona during San Fermin festival, try the Notice Board at www.sanfermin.com

Website

Madrid: www.esmadrid.com

Pamplona San Fermin: www.sanfermin.com

My Review

Accommodation

Lisbon Poets Hostel (www.lisbonpoetshostel.com)

recommended by Lonely Planet.

it is a nice, clean, well located in Baixa Chiado (near subway Baixa Chiado), nice staff, breakfast included, free internet.

about 20 euro per night in dormitory 4 bed room.

my review: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Madrid Albergue Juvenil (www.ajmadrid.es)

recommended by Lonely Planet.

it is a new, clean, managed by Madrid municipal government. located not far from the center and 5 minutes walk from Metro Bilbao and Alonso Martinez.

the cost depends on the age (cost about 25 euro per night at my age in dormitory 6 bed room).

my review: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Madrid Barbieri International Hostel (www.barbierihostel.com)

recommended by Arukikata.

dark and located in gay area of Chuenca, near Metro Chuenca.

cost less than 20 euro, with breakfast included. there is free internet (only 1 computer).

my review: 2 stars out of 5 stars

Granada Pension Britz

recommended by Lonely Planet and Arukikata.

this good value economic hotel, with single rooms (shared bathroom) only costs about 25 euro is located just down the hill of Alhambra. It is the only hotel I stayed in a single room since for the same price, in other places I only had a dormitory bed. it is cheaper to book through booking website rather than directly book to the hotel.

my review: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Seville Samay Hostel (www.samayhostels.com)

this new and clean dormitory style hostel was located well near the old city, offering free internet but no breakfast.

it costed about 20 euro for ensuite (the bathroom is inside each room) dormitory room. there is free walking tour.

my review: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Eating

San Sebastian La Mejillonera

recommended in Lonely Planet.

i love its seashell pintxos, especially the one called "Tigres".

costed 3.5 euro for one plate of pintxos, the beer was 1.5 euro.

the branch is found also in Pamplona.

my review: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Madrid Botin

recommended in Arukikata.

famous for the oldest restaurant in the world and that Hemingway ate the roasted pig and drank the rioja wine here.

its menu of the day costs 40 euros with the above Hemingway favourites.

my review: 3 stars out of 5 stars

The Mercado

Cathedral and the Catalunan Dance

Plaza d'Espagne and Barcelona Gay Pride Festival

Montserratt, small town in the mountain, outside Barcelona

Sitges, a daytrip to small beautiful beach town

Contents

Fiesta de San Fermin

Complete Itinerary

my best five! experiences

Tips and Info

My Review