The Funky Site

I visited in late October, primarily to play in an Ultimate tournament rather than hit the town! The weather was fantastic - roughly nineteen or twenty degrees with strong sunshine, and well above the seasonal norm. The tournament was played on Castelldefels beach south of Barcelona, so unfortunately I had limited time to explore the city. Visiting the Sagrada Familia was something I'd wanted to do ever since seeing a photo on the cover of the Lonely Planet guidebook, although they've taken an old shot which doesn't show the extent of the building work currently underway. Completion is expected (hoped?) for sometime around 2030! We stayed at the Hotel Bansys Oriental, just off La Ramblas - stylish, well located, and well priced. Late afternoon was spent in the Can Paixano, an extremely popular champagne bar in Barceloneta, near the docks. Bottles of cava champagne cost €4, although you must also order two 'bocadillos' with every bottle - hardly a problem as the food is generally good and also cheap.