TOURISM

How many days do you plan to stay?

4 or 5 days ( Wednesday - Thursday – Friday – Saturday - Sunday):

The wedding will be on Friday afternoon-evening… and it will last until pretty late (let’s say around 4am), so forget about waking up early in the morning on Saturday.You'll have time for tourism in Barcelona on Wednesday or Thursday and the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday, Friday morning/early afternoon could be a good time to walk around Mataró, do some shopping or stop by the local market, enjoy the beach, the port, etc...From Mataró you can reach Barcelona by train, it takes about 40 minutes to reach Plaza Catalunya (Barcelona’s main square).


6 or 10 days
If you have more days available and you've never seen Barcelona, you could spend the day of the wedding in Mataró then either move to Barcelona or commute from Mataró.
You can definetely spend 2 or 3 full days just visiting Barcelona, and then travel around.
If you like the coast and the beaches, the Costa Brava (1-2 hours north of Barcelona) is the place to go. You'll also be able to visit the Dalí museum.
Or you could go farther and visit Madrid, Andalucia, Pais Vasco, etc ...
Here's more information on places to go to and things to see:

MATARO		Mataró, the capital of the Maresme region, is an ever-changing, lively city with an important cultural heritage that gives it a personality of its own. Its privileged geographic situation -by the seaside and the Serralada Litoral mountain range- makes its weather conditions ideal to enjoy the city. http://www.mataro.org/ The origins of Mataró goes back to the Roman Times. The valuable heritage of this period can be seen at the Roman villa known as Torre Llauder, from the end of the 1st. century B.C., and at the ancient ruins recently found at the old part of town. When strolling around the central streets, one manages to do a quick trip through its history. This trip allows the visitor to travel from the Roman Iluro -the original name of the city- to the Baroque Mataró and through its colonial architectural influences and to contemplate a remarkable example of the Modernist movement thanks to the works of one of its most important representatives: the architect from Mataró, Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Mataró is a city to live in.  Everything invites one to have an enjoyable time, day and night, specially in the summer. The food offered in the city is varied, from the RICE to the Frankfurt  (hot fog) One can also enjoy its waterfront -with a more than a thousand berth marina and fishing port-, the restaurants, the open air areas to eat and drink and the beaches. The city also has a great commercial offer: the traditional Mediterranean markets and shops where one can find all types of products, international trade marks, souvenirs and design products. Mataró is a modern city and well-connected to its metropolitan environment and to the rest of the regions in Catalonia. The communication network allows an easy access to the city not only by public transport but by private transport as well. These are the main reasons why Mataró is a city with an excellent quality of life. Its services, the green spaces, its privileged situation by the sea and the wide range of activities –cultural, entertaining, sports and leisure-, common to dynamic cities, make it a great place to visit and live.
BARCELONA		Visit http://www.bcn.es/ There is always something happening in Barcelona, there was one time we went to run an errand and there was a small street parade and Castells forming in the street. What exactly are castells? Castells –a Catalonian word that means castles– are a cultural phenomenon particular to Catalonia and consist of erecting human towers. This tradition originated at the end of the 18th century in Valls, Tarragona, when rival groups of people called colles, began to compete in constructing the different kinds of human towers that we recognise nowadays. It is amazing and people of all ages participate in this great tradition.  It is normal to see these during festivals and holidays.   Barcelona Touristic Bus This is a great way to see the sights..take your time and pick your route.  You can buy a 1 or 2 day pass.   I really enjoy this bus and still need to take the RED route.  It covers all the major tourist sites in Barcelona.  Take the train from Mataro to Plaza Catalunya, when exiting the train station look for the Passage de Gracia exit El Corrte Ingles there is a bus stop and a booth where you can buy your ticket.    **We are thinking about doing this on Saturday, September 1st if anyone is interested let us know maybe we can get group tickets. TOUR 1 Walking: From Plaza Catalunya  (train stop): Walk Passeig de Gracia towards the hills ("go up"). You will see two modernist houses: Casa Batllo i La Pedrera. Casa Batllo La Pedrera Another Gaudí masterpiece, La Pedrera was built between 1905 and 1910 as a combined apartment and office block. Formerly called the Casa Milà, it's better known now as La Pedrera (the quarry) because of its uneven grey stone facade that ripples around a street corner - it creates a wave effect that's further emphasized by elaborate wrought-iron balconies. Visitors can tour the building and go up to the roof, where giant multicoloured chimney pots jut up like medieval knights. On summer weekend nights, the roof is eerily lit and open for spectacular views of Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a modest museum dedicated to Gaudí's work. La Rambla Five separate streets strung end to end, La Rambla (also called Las Ramblas) is a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard packed with buskers, living statues, mimes and itinerant salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to jewellery. The noisy bird market on the second block of La Rambla is worth a stop, as is the nearby Palau de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century rococo mansion, with arts and entertainment information and a ticket office. Next door is La Rambla's most colourful market, the Mercat de la Boqueria. Just south of the Boqueria the Mosaic de Miró punctuates the pavement, with one tile signed by the artist. The next section of La Rambla boasts the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the famous 19th-century opera house. La Rambla terminates at the lofty Monument a Colom (Monument to Columbus) and the harbour. You can ascend the monument by lift. There take the metro line 3 (green line) from Drassanes to Plaza Catalunya TOUR 2 Walking: Starting from Plaza Catalunya, take Portal del Angel street and walk towards the Cathedral. Barri Gotic The Barri Gotic contains a concentration of medieval Gothic buildings only a few blocks northeast of La Rambla, and is the nucleus of old Barcelona. It's a maze of interconnecting dark streets linking with squares, and there are plenty of cafes and bars, as well as the cheapest accommodation in town. Most of the buildings date from the 14th and 15th century, when Barcelona was at the height of its commercial prosperity and before it had been absorbed into Castile. Around the Catedral, one of Spain's greatest Gothic buildings, you can still see part of the ancient walls incorporated into later structures. The quarter is centred around the Plaça de Sant Jaume, a spacious square, the site of a busy market and one of the venues for the weekly dancing of the sardana. Two of the city's most significant buildings are here, the Ajuntament and the Palau de la Generalitat. Then start walking towards Via Laietana, cross that street and enter in the Borne neighbourhood (it is the trendy and fashion neighbourhood in Barcelona). Other things you can’t miss: La Sagrada FamiliaLa Sagrada Familia is truly awe-inspiring. Even if you don't have much time, don't miss it. The life's work of Barcelona's favourite son, Antoni Gaudí, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. They are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaudí died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed, and since then, controversy has continually dogged the building program. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, with four more towers, is almost done, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing. Parc Guell Museums: Museu Picasso http://www.museupicasso.bcn.es Museu Mares http://www.museumares.bcn.es Museu Nacional d'Arte de Catalunya http://www.mnac.es Museu D'Art Contemporani de Barcelona http://www.macba.es   MontjuicMontjuic, the hill overlooking the city centre from the southwest, is home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions, soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites. Approach the area from Plaça d'Espanya and on the north side you'll see Plaça de Braus Les Arenes, a former bullring where the Beatles played in 1966. Behind it lies Parc Joan Miró, where stands Mir?'s highly phallic sculpture Dona i Ocell (Woman and Bird). Nearby, the Palau Nacional houses the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, which has an impressive collection of Romanesque art. Stretching up a series of terraces below the Palau Nacional are fountains, including the biggest, La Font Màgica, which comes alive with a free lights and music show on summer evenings. In the northwest of Montjuic is the 'Spanish Village', Poble Espanyol. At first glance it's a tacky tourist trap, but it also proves to be an intriguing scrapbook of Spanish architecture, with very convincing copies of buildings from all of Spain's regions. The Anella Olímpica (Olympic Ring) is the group of sports installations where the main events of the 1992 games were held. Down the hill, visit masterpieces of another kind in the Fundacio Joan Miro, Barcelona's gallery for the greatest Catalan artist of the 20th century. This is the largest single collection of the his work. Shopping in Barcelona The best shopping areas in central Barcelona are Passeig de Gracia and the streets to its southwest, including the Bulevard Rosa arcade just north of Carrer d'Arago, and Barri Gotic streets such as Carrer de la Portaferrissa, Carrer de la Boqueria, Carrer del Call, Carrer de la Llibreteria and Carrer de Ferran, and around Placa de Sant Josep Oriol. Eating out When? Lunchtime (dinar/comida) is basically from 2pm to 4pm and is the main meal of the day. No local would contemplate chomping into dinner (sopar/cena) before 9pm. Where? Many bars and some cafes offer some form of solid sustenance. This can range from entrepans/bocadillos (sandwiches) and tapes/tapas (bar snacks). For a full meal, you are most likely to end up in a restaurant/restaurante, but other names will pop out at you. (like marisqueria, it specialises in seafood).
COSTA BRAVA		The rugged Costa Brava stretches from Blanes (about 60km northeast of Barcelona) up to the French border. Although parts of the coast are truly awful holiday resorts that are jam-packed with the cheap charter-airfare crowd in search of sand, sun and drinks (Lloret de Mar is a prime example of what to avoid), there are some equally spectacular locations. If you're driving, it is quite possible to choose a spot anywhere along the coast for a day trip. Those relying on public transport will find it a stretch and should plan on staying over at least one night. In the peak months of July and August, finding some lodgings can be difficult. If you are looking for a high-end hotel, here are a couple of spectacular options in Costa Brava (use IE to visit their websites):   El Far   Mas de Torrent
FIGUERES		Another 40km north from Girona along the A-7 autopista, or by train, is Figueres (Figueras), a bit of a dive with a one-man show - Salvador Dali. In the 1960s and '70s he created the extraordinary Teatre-Museu Dali here, the town of his birth.
GIRONA		Northern Catalunya's largest city, Girona (Gerona), sits in a valley 36km inland from the Costa Brava. Its impressive medieval centre seems to struggle uphill above the Riu Onyar (Onyar River). The Roman town of Gerunda lay on the Via Augusta, the highway from Rome to Cadiz (Carrer de la Forca in Girona's old town follows it in part). Taken from the Muslims by the Franks in AD 797, Girona became the capital of one of Catalunya's most important counties, falling under the sway of Barcelona in the late 9th century.
PAIS VASCO		Visit http://www.euskadi.net/turismo/sit_c.htmVisit the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao
ANDALUCIA		Visit http://www.andalucia.org/Visit the Alhambra in Granada Visit Ronda Visit the Grand Mosque of Cordoba (the Mezquita) Dance Flamenco
MADRID		Visit http://www.munimadrid.es/Goya and Picasso's Guernica at the Reina Sofia. Velazquez in Prado Gallery. Flea market: El Rastro.

Catalan Cuisine

Catalunya is geographically diverse and enjoys a variety of fresh, high-quality seafood, meat, poultry, game, fruit and vegetables. These can come in unusual and delicious combinations: meat and seafood (a genre known as Mar i Muntanya - 'sea and mountain'), poultry and fruit, fish and nuts. Quality Catalan food tends to require a greater fiscal effort.

The essence of Catalan food lies in its sauces for meat and fish. There are five main types: sofregit (fried onion, tomato and garlic); samfaina or chanfaina (sofregit plus red pepper and aubergine or courgette); picada (based on ground almonds, usually with garlic, parsley, pine or hazel nuts, and sometimes breadcrumbs); allioli (pounded garlic with olive oil, often with egg yolk added to make more of a mayonnaise); and romesco (an almond, tomato, olive oil, garlic and vinegar sauce, also used as a salad dressing).

Bread: pa amb tomaquet - bread sliced, then rubbed with tomato, olive oil, garlic and salt - is everywhere…YUM YUM.

Tapas

Do tapas! It is one of the best and most uniquely Spanish things to do: sit in a bar in the evening and eat tapas (picka picka) while you have a drink.  

Drinks

Beer = Estrella  or Mortiz

Clara = Beer + Lemon    

Sangria:   Red Wine fruity 

Cava Sangria:  White and bubbly with fruit

Cava:  The Local Bubbly

Sit outside in a cafe and watch the world go by!