Since my favorite wife had to attend a large trade show in Barcelona, I thought I would tag along and extend the trip to Lisbon and Marrakech. This is a bit of a role reversal for most males I know bring along their wives when they have to travel to a trade show. I also viewed it as a blow for male liberation (not really but I thought it sounded good). Actually, we have done this a number of times, combine business with pleasure and it is always nice to be together at the end of a long day.
BARCELONA:
We had been to Barcelona several times; in fact, my first visit was over forty years ago so I had a fair familiarity with the city. Luckily for us, some wonderful friends of ours from Belgium joined us and their experience with the city really made the trip quite memorable.
There is a major push to make the city a major location for trade shows, but they have a way to go. While the convention center is large, the surrounding hotels and restaurants are not up to par and there is a major shortage of taxis (and few of the drivers speak passable English, let alone German, etc.). Waits of 1 ½ hour for a taxi after a show are not unusual and Uber, etc., is not allowed in the city. While younger people are more conversant with English, there are a large number of immigrants from Asia (many in the food industry) who are not conversant in various languages. Barcelona is not ready for prime time as a business convention center. Additionally, the Spanish are a bit more guarded in their approach to strangers.
No visit is complete without a visit to the Gaudi Cathedral, aka the Sagrada Familia. Construction started 133 years ago and the goal is for the project to be completed on the one-hundredth anniversary of the death of Gaudi in 2025. I first saw the Cathedral some forty plus years ago when walking through the cathedral was literally walking through a construction work site. One had to be careful of the scaffolds, workmen pushing wheel-barrels of concrete, electrical wires and other possible methods of harm all while trying to figure out how six foot tall what appeared to be bunches of grapes or other fruit seemed to place helter-skelter about the place. Today, it is much different, as the beautiful building appears to be nearly complete. The floors shine, light comes in through magnificent multi-colored stained glass windows and all is in order. For an extra charge (yes, it costs to enter but it is well worth the experience), you will be whisked up into one of the cathedrals’ towers to get amazing views not only of the city, but also of the details of the spires. Those huge bunches of grapes are now at the very top of the spires and you cannot help but be amazed at the engineering skill exhibited in the building. In fact, when the cathedral was first designed by Gaudi, the technology for its construction was in some areas lacking but it is a tribute to true progress that his design has come to fruition. Be forewarned however, that one must walk down some four hundred steps, many of them on a narrow winding stone staircase within a tower and flanked on your right by the ability to look down the hollow center which ends hundreds of steps below. Talk about cheap thrills!
Thanks to our Belgian friends, we visited the Palau de Música, a beautiful semi-art deco building which was the first building in Barcelona to use a steel skeleton. The result was the ability to create outside walls of glass which allowed in sunshine through windows which represent flowers and trees and which creates a wonderful mixture of colors and patterns throughout the building.
Barcelona is a walking city, full of wonderful architecture, twisting streets which open onto plazas with beautiful monuments and of course, very friendly and helpful locals. While many tourists are available with La Rambla, a long street with a nice wide strolling sidewalk down the middle, it is and can be a bit shabby. The best shops on La Rambla and Paasseig de Gracia (Dior, Gucci, etc.) are just north of Gran Via. I would recommend the area adjacent to La Rambla called El Gothic. It is the older section of Barcelona, full of twisting streets, beautiful surprise mini-plazas and interesting restaurants. Spend some time and just wonder away from the tourist crowds.
One needs to adjust to the eating times of the city, as between two to four PM is when many of the locals gather at various restaurants (aka as tapas bars) to sample a wide range of individual plates of sea food, vegetables, breads with cheese, etc. These plates are reasonably priced so that in our case a party of four could have nine different tapas places, two bottles of wine, four desserts and four coffees for about $125.00! And, as is the custom, we sat, discussed and enjoyed the experience for over 2 ½ hours! Not your typical U.S. eat and run experience but snot unusual for Barcelona where a meal or even a cup of coffee is an excuse for a lengthy visit with a friend.. A couple of specific recommendations:
- Catalana, 236 Mallorca: If you go at the prime time (2-4PM) but be prepared for a wait, especially during the week end. Excellent collection of sea foods and nice combinations.
- Sagrada,s Argenteria, 62, a more “earthy” tapas bar but less expensive (1.50-2.50 per plate) where various tapas plates are laid out and you simply inspect and take what interests you.
- Murivecchi, C/Princesa 59: If you tire of tapas, this Italian restaurant is very nice, with options on a two course lunch for about 15 Euros, plus a nice selection of traditional Italian entrees. The closer you get to the 2-4 magic hours, the more I recommend making reservations.
- We even experienced a Georgian tapas bar, so don’t worry about getting bored.
Dinner is more formal and many restaurants do not open 8 PM with dinner starting at 9 and ending near midnight. The prices are still reasonable, probably about 30-40% of what an entrée would cost in a major U.S. city. Rest up and hopefully you do not have to get up too early! As long as we are talking about food, we mind as well mention tipping. It varies in Barcelona on the type of restaurant, the service, etc. Normally in a nicer restaurant, 10% will do while at a store front tapas grill, leave a few small coins or the small change if you pay cash. Cabbies do not expect a tip but I have found that a Euro or two really lights them up, especially if you know they did not take you the long way home!
Misc. thoughts, etc.
- The last evening we stopped in at Stravinsky, a bar in the old section which serves “craft cocktails”. After receiving a menu and explanation (sorry, Martinis were not available that evening ??), we ordered and were warned that the “New Fashion” cocktail was “strong”. Being used to living on the edge I ordered it and it was fine, but hardly worthy of a warning (was it a micro-aggression?). A nice small bar but hardly worthy of a line waiting to gain entry. I guess I am just not “with it”.
- Picasso museum. I must admit, I prefer the early Picasso but after visiting the main art museum, I understand why Picasso struck out along a different track. His early paintings were good, but hardly unique and he could easily have been stuck in the pack of contemporary artists. Enough said.
Lisbon
Having never been to Lisbon we were especially looking forward to the visit. Portugal is often portrayed as a poor country but there was no indication of poverty in Lisbon. The streets are clean and in good repair, yes, there is the usual plague in Europe of too much graffiti, but other than that, the city is very pleasing. In the first day I saw more high-end autos in Lisbon than in a week in Barcelona and the average person on the street dresses better than in Barcelona. English is widely spoken as students have to take English from the 5th grade on. The locals are very proud of their city, noting it’s safety, diversity of population (a real haven for Brits, Russians, etc.), beauty of its monuments and wide selection of restaurants. We stayed at The Ivens hotel in a central part of the city and an excellent restaurant and gather spot, the Rocco served as a great base for explorations. After a day of exploring, it was great fun to sit in a corner of the Rocco and watch the comings and goings of obviously well-heeled and fashionable locals as they prepped for an evening of fun.
Another walking city, climbing the winding streets to the old Moorish section provides a great view of the city and dock area. Take your time, enjoy the climb and stop at the numerous small, locally run coffee and pastry shops for rest and refreshment (please, no Starbucks, don’t be a tourist).
Mealtimes are more in line with what we would expect with lunch starting at noon and running until about 3PM. If you are looking for fresh fish, I recommend See Me with offers a variety of fresh fish served the way traditional ways or as recommended by the locals. I ordered Tiger shrimp and they were the size of a small lobster, smothered in butter and garlic, outstanding. It carried me through the day although I did give into a very tasty hamburger (the first in two weeks) at To Burder or not to Burger, a small local shop favored by, you guessed it, the younger crowd. Very tasty! We had a wonderful lunch at the restaurant at the Lisboa Carmo Hotel; two entrees bread and water (as in most of Europe, you are charged for bread and water, an excellent bottle of white wine and of course, some of the local Port, all for about $70.00! I have been told that away from the capital, such a meal would cost about a third of the total! If you are from LA, NYC, etc., you will be stunned by the food value.
Dinner starts at various times, from six to eight depending on the restaurant. Both Prix Fix dinners and open menu options are available. Even though the evenings got cool, the locals love to enjoy the evening air and eat al fresco so bring along a jacket for those more chilly evenings.
There are no end of excellent castles, monuments and palaces in and around Lisbon. Some are only thirty-minutes away by train and are unique in their colors and design. The old royalty of Portugal certainly were not afraid to experiment with their architecture and they can give good King Ludwig IIs’ Neuschwanstein a run for his money. Plan your day out and if possible get your tickets on line as wait times can be long, especially during the prime season. If you can travel during the off time, such as January-March, lines are much shorter. The weather is cooler but the lack of tourist crowds allow you to enjoy the sights at your own pace.
Portugal is definitely a “must see and explore” place for the future; the locals are warm, gracious, helpful, the value is a wonderful surprise and there is a feeling of hope for the future in the air. No wonder so many Europeans from France, the U.K., the Netherlands, etc. retire in Portugal.
MARRAKESH
If you have not been to a major Middle Eastern city before and are use to the orderly cities of Europe, Marrakesh will come as a culture shock. Marrakesh is two cities, the old city or Medina and the new city. The new city is very western, but the old city is like traveling back in time, hundreds of years. Many of the streets are basically one lane with no sidewalks, so walking is a constant process of watching for motorcycles driven at crazy speeds, donkey carts carry various building materials, other pedestrians, and an occasional auto, each going their own way, sure that the other person or vehicle will move; yet, no one seems to be hit, a sixth sense of when to move and in which direction seems to rule the day.
There are various sections of the city; the tanners’ sections, wood working, leather crafts, etc. each an island onto itself, but all connect to the Souks where thousands of small traders ply their wares. With so much competition, you will find a number of selling techniques. Individuals will come up to you and say, “How have you been, I have not seen you in a while”, or they will ask if they can help you with directions, or query you on where you are from, etc. It helps to wear sunglasses as if you are looking in the direction of an object, you will immediately hear a sales pitch on that item, while if you look at another item, the pitch changes. Everything is a deal, everything is up for negotiation of price (discount the offer by 60% and you will probably end up paying 50% of the original cost). As you wander through the souk or open air market, you will be approached dozens of times but remember that all each one is trying to do is make a sale, to make a living. If you speak French you are at an advantage as French is taught along with Arabic from first grade. My wife who speaks Parisian French was wonderful at disarming the pitchmen, wishing them well with a smile and we moved on. Look at it like a game and you will do well.
We did take one day to travel to the Atlas mountains which I highly recommend. The area is inhabited by the various Berber tribes whose women come down to Marrakesh once a week bringing the various products they make at home. The people are all smiling, the children friendly and playful while the villages look like something from Napal, with the houses build along the canyon walls. There is a good hike to a series of waterfalls which is not like a hike in a U.S. park. No, it is not a rock climb but if you think you are in good shape, it is a hike that will test you. A great way to spend a day.
There are numerous restaurants who cater to the Western tourists, one of the nicest is Nomad; it is well known and in the Madina. Or you can stop where the locals eat, as many have menus in several languages (remember, everyone in the city sells). The meals are delicious and inexpensive.
Where to stay: Of course you can stay in the newer part of the city and there are many excellent and beautiful hotels, some even offering a Bentley to and from the airport. If you want a real taste of the city, choose one of the Riads; these are small, often 6-10 room hotels within the Madina. Impossible to find your first time to the city, be sure that the Riad arranges your transport from the airport. Unpretentious from the outside, they offer a world of calm and quiet from the street. Accidently I happened to pick the Riad Noir d’Ivoire which was a fantastic piece of luck. Beautifully decorated with an excellent staff, it was the perfect place to start and end each day. Yes, they do have a bar managed by Abdessamad who can make any drink known to man (and he does it well). One starts the day by coming down the stairs from your room to an open area with a lovely pool of water surrounded by alcoves where you sit and are served a tasty breakfast. Be sure to savor the Moroccan tea and have the Moroccan omelet. I am sure that other Riads are excellent, but the Noir d’Ivoire will be our home during the next visit.
It was a great trip, visiting three different cultures and attitudes. While they were all great, there still is no place like home where we have the most choices and the most freedom and opportunity. No, this is not me be patriotic, but I appreciate how in many other cultures making a living can be a challenge. Keep that in mind, smile, be open and you can get along anywhere in the world. Thank you for reading this.
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