European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse Barcelona travellers tips like the rest of Spain the catalonian capital in t cheap anymore but it s Money Well spent. The local currency called pesetas Are currently trading at about 100 to the Dollar so at least it s easy to calculate How much Money you re shelling out. The Public transport system is excellent and easy to use. Five subway lines twist and Snake under the City so you should find a Good tourist map about $5 that shows the routes. Fares Are 100 pesetas $1 a ride but you can get a discount if you buy multiple trip tickets. Unexpectedly in four taxi trips we did t run into a single cab Driver who spoke English or German. Fares Start at about $3, More expensive at night and we got lots of mileage out of the $6 we paid for a Berlitz dictionary. Rule of thumb for hotels if you re a Light Sleeper you re going to have to pay More for a Good night s rest because the More inexpensive hotels and hostels Are close to the noisy nighttime Street life. Youth hostels in the Plaza real Start at about $9.50 each for a four person room. We stayed at a place recommended by other travel writers the hotel Jardi which turned out to be slightly rundown but steeped with atmosphere. It straddles two medieval courtyards Plaza i and Sant Josep Oriol on the Edge of the gothic Quarter. Price was $45 a night for a room with a Balcony and private Bath but breakfast Cost extra. Its Telephone number is 3-301-5900. If calling from outside Spain be sure to add the country code. Any of the City s Many tourist offices can also help you find rooms. Reservations Aren t necessary except during the olympics. Food will Cost whatever you want to pay beginning with a couple of dollars for a Sandwich on the Street. Sit Down restaurants Aren t cheap but you get what you pay for. Ignoring the guide books our favorite find was a no frills eatery called la Poste on a Dingy Alley called Gracina in the gothic Quarter. Lunch for two was $17.75, including bread salad Paella and baked fish plus water Beer and wine. The place was clean considering the floor is the ashtray and it appeared to be frequented mostly by construction workers. The grizzled proprietor looked like a survivor of the Pequot in moby Dick. A bit tawdry perhaps not a great place for a first Date but Good sturdy Chow. For the less adventurous $5.95 will get you a big Mac Fries and a Beer. A Vince Crawley a Small Waterfall tumbles into a Pool at the Plaza d Espana creating a Park amid a Busy thoroughfare. The splashing fountains on the Plaza de Cataluna form a backdrop for pigeons and a Friend. Morning Light filters through the columns of the Cathedral s Annex a restful spot outside the Church. Two Sisters vie for the attention of a flock of pigeons. A amps photos by Jim Derheim june 111, b if he a Naif it a Ine 1.1
