Dear Peter,
I have come to Barcelona to do some reporting for Born to Shop Provence Plus, since Barcelona is my secret weapon for getting to the South of France.
If you are going to rent a car and drive anyway to get to Provence, why not do some Spanish shopping and drive from here?
It’s only three hours to Avignon from Barcelona and saves having to change trains at the border.
BANKING MATTERS
As you’ve read, Spain has suffered enormously in the recession. Many banks have gone under and been turned into either retail stores … or bars. We spent a night at the new Mandarin Oriental, right on the main shopping street and were impressed with its luxuries—the best of which was drinking Spanish bubbly (calledcava) in the Bank Bar of the hotel—the former vault of a local bank. The reason Mandarin Oriental was able to get the best location in town had to do with that bank being available.
Many other stores on the Passeig de Gracia, the main promenade filled with all the big names, are in former bank buildings as well, although things didn’t seem too depressed and stores were jammed with happy shoppers. The city is also crammed with new hotels.
WHERE TO SLEEP
There is a new W hotel on the beach in Barcelona—with extraordinary architecture—but this is not the best shopping location. I have always stayed at El Palace Hotel, which was The Ritz and was built in 1919 by Cesar Ritz. The hotel has just been renovated into glorious period style with willow green velvet everywhere; our room was so unique that the mirror over the fireplace became the television screen. This location is perfect for the shopping goddesss; just two blocks from the Passeig and El Corte Ingles and near a metro stop.
A nearby new hotel is the Murmuri, also in a good shopping district on the other side of the Passeig and down las Ramblas. Of course, it’s the Mandarin Oriental that is the talk of the town with its bankers’ bar. The entire area just off the Passeig is awash with hotels—all perfect for those who want to get around to the sights and to shop.
Want more travel information on Barcelona? Check out:
OLIVE OIL TO GO
One of the reasons I regularly go to Spain is to buy olive oil. French and Italian olive oils may be more famous, but I prefer Spanish because it has more intense flavor.
I brought duct tape with me to tape up the plastic bottles and then wrapped them in newspaper and plastic bags—it is totally legal to bring olive oil into the U.S.
Most of the oils on the supermarket shelf are sold by varietal. While I know grape varietals, I was at a loss for Spanish olive types, so interested shoppers might want to research this before their taste tests. I bought anything labeled “intense” or those liquids that were more green than golden. One liter of ordinary oil from the supermarket costs about €4-€6, versus $20-40 in the U.S. This is not the kind of oil that you will cook with, but you happily use it in dressings and sauces.
While you can buy your oil in specialty markets, I go to the modern supermarket in the -1 level of El Corte Ingles, the big department store around the corner from The Palace Hotel and down the street from The Mandarin Oriental. There were also olive oils for sale at the airport.
Suzy’s shopping BFF Sarah Lahey offered her own take on the capital city of Catalonia in Barcelona Shopping & Outlet Malls.
HOT DESIGN
Barcelona is known for its young looks and its use of sophisticated but hot color—the Custo Barcelonaline in fashion is now well known in the U.S.
I spent a lot of time inspecting stores named Desigual, which years ago I would have called a Custo-wannabe. Now I was impressed by their originality and clever trade dress.
Desigual has branches in all major shopping areas as well as the airport and does splashy colors and prints and wonderful tote bags.
The most interesting concept store I found in Barcelona is called Happy Pills, a candy shop. You get a medicine jar and fill it from the hundreds of bins of colored candies and then pick a label.
The label is printed like a prescription but in hot pink; the one I chose said it was “for Sundays without football.” There are stores all over Europe, but I had never seen one before, so it was very innovative and visually appealing.
Spain-bound? Don’t miss our Spain & Portugal Travel section.
TO MARKET TO MARKET
I needed the medicine jar as a stash for the fresh fruit confits I bought my son as a taste of Barcelona at the Boqueria Market on las Ramblas de Catalunya.
This is the most famous food market in town; located right in the promenade path of the tourist. It is, alas, quite touristy, but much fun for hams, fruits, candies and local specialities.
Nearby is the Merkat Santa Caterina, which is not at all touristy. This, too, is a food market, known for the architectural features of the roof line laid with colored tiles. There are vendors that form an arcade on the outside, and then food stalls inside.
From there, it’s an easy walk to the Picasso Museum and its wonderful gift shop.
Cubist kisses,
SuzyKG
By Suzy Gershman for PeterGreenberg.com. Visit Suzy on the Web at www.suzygershman.com andwww.borntoshoplady.blogspot.com and of course, check out her latest book Suzy Gershman’s Born to Shop California Wine Country.
Related links on PeterGreenberg.com:
- Shopping section
- Off the Brochure Travel Guide: Barcelona, Spain
- Barcelona Art & Architecture Guide + Barcelona Hotels
- Barcelona, Mexico City & Santa Fe: Museums, Restaurants & Art in Latin Cultural Capitals
- The Trains In Spain: A High-Speed Rail Review
- A Guide To Touring Spain By Train (& Walking)
- Spain & Portugal Travel section
