Going to Europe for the first time (fina-fuckin-ly). Barcelona - for a couple of days - then a cruise of the Western Mediterranean including Malta, Naples, Rome, Livorno, and Cannes.

Anyone been to any of these places? If so, have any advice of what to see and where to go? I'll only have about 12 hours in each (longer in Barça), so please consider this in your suggestions.

10/24/2009 12:49:13 AM

Jealous! I'm planning on going in two years, spend most of my time in Germany.

10/24/2009 12:50:22 AM

Jealous! I spent almost all my time in the northern part of Western Europe when I went.

10/24/2009 12:51:54 AM

Yeah I can get there for $40 round trip, and I'm finally taking advantage of that. Got a killer deal on the cruise too. I wanted to go to Germany during Oktoberfest, but didn't conjure up the balls to go solo.

10/24/2009 12:53:18 AM

techno bars

titty bars

coke dealers

bring lots of cash and condoms

10/24/2009 12:54:20 AM

^^^ As in northern Spain or Great Britain?

I heard Ireland is the mad note. I might even consider going there next month on a separate occasion.

[Edited on October 24, 2009 at 12:55 AM. Reason : ^^^]

10/24/2009 12:55:23 AM

scandinavia is the fucking bomb. highly recommended in the warmer months.

10/24/2009 12:56:43 AM

if you only have a couple of days in barca, i'd devote one to walking around the gothic quarter/las ramblas and the other to some of the museums; swing by la sagrada familia at some point

10/24/2009 1:00:02 AM

Quote :

"Yeah I can get there for $40 round trip"

HOW?!?!

10/24/2009 1:00:32 AM

Yeah, this is already booked. Talked to a coworker who said Norway is amazing.

Malta, Naples, Pisa/Florence/Livorno, and Cannes anybody?

I already have a full slate for Rome, obviously.

Any lesser known surprises/tips/hints you've encountered in the aforementioned places is appreciated.




^ I'm an airline pilot. However I will be furloughed (pretty much laid off) after this month, but still keep my benefits for the following month. So November is my full blown vacation month.

[Edited on October 24, 2009 at 1:03 AM. Reason : .]

10/24/2009 1:02:15 AM

Quote :

"if you only have a couple of days in barca, i'd devote one to walking around the gothic quarter/las ramblas and the other to some of the museums; swing by la sagrada familia at some point"

Yeah this was pretty much the plan. Any especially good restaurants to go to? Ever been to La Boqueria?

10/24/2009 1:06:19 AM

do tapas and try paella while you're there; it's touristy as shit, but you've never been and they're good, so who cares

[Edited on October 24, 2009 at 1:08 AM. Reason : i don't remember any places in particular, it's been a couple of years]

10/24/2009 1:07:08 AM

Quote :

"techno bars titty bars coke dealers bring lots of cash and condoms "

thats pretty accurate

10/24/2009 1:08:13 AM

why has no one else mentioned this?

Quote :

"fina-fuckin-ly"

10/24/2009 1:09:00 AM

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN??

10/24/2009 1:09:30 AM

Because double lls are inherently Spanish?

[Edited on October 24, 2009 at 1:10 AM. Reason : oh and I'm slightly intoxicated?]

10/24/2009 1:09:40 AM

I thought it was pretty stellar, brah.

10/24/2009 1:10:37 AM

Why, thank you, brahslovsky.

10/24/2009 1:11:28 AM

Quote :

"As in northern Spain or Great Britain?"

England, Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and Belgium.

10/24/2009 1:12:51 AM

Quote :

"I thought it was pretty stellar, brah."

+1


and i'm really sorry you're only staying in barcelona for a couple days. that place is worth it's own trip. fuck a cruise, that place is the shit. have fun on your boat.

10/24/2009 1:12:52 AM

Also, my used-to-be-decent Spanish has gone to shit. What should I do so those Catalonian bastards can understand me?

10/24/2009 1:13:45 AM

that's prolly a lost cause. but if you didn't already know, they do speak with distincion in castilian spanish, so if you're trying to understand someone it's helpful to keep that in mind

"bon dia" is hello in catalan, you can practice that if you want

[Edited on October 24, 2009 at 1:22 AM. Reason : &c]

10/24/2009 1:16:46 AM

you need to spend longer in Rome, cut Florence out and possibly Pisa and add Cinque Terre

10/24/2009 1:19:21 AM

<-----JEALOUS!

10/24/2009 1:19:47 AM

Yeah this is definitely not my dream list, but the cruise deal was so good that it was almost impossible to pass up. ^^

12 hours in Rome is going to be like 12 seconds at a buffet.

Quote :

"and i'm really sorry you're only staying in barcelona for a couple days. that place is worth it's own trip. fuck a cruise, that place is the shit. have fun on your boat."

Might actually be more like 3 full days. Is that really not enough time? Besides the usual tourist things that I know about, what should I do/see?


[Edited on October 24, 2009 at 1:28 AM. Reason : .]

10/24/2009 1:22:34 AM

you might as well hop on one of those tour buses with all the elderly types.

but no, florence is nice...definitely worth a day. verona is even better if you can make it.

10/24/2009 1:27:07 AM

Quote :

"that's prolly a lost cause. but if you didn't already know, they do speak with distincion in castilian spanish, so if you're trying to understand someone it's helpful to keep that in mind"

'entonthes', i can expect everything with an 's' to be pronounced without the normal king's castellano lisp? yet watch out for the 'c'?

10/24/2009 1:38:53 AM

s is pronounced like s, soft c and z are pronounced th

10/24/2009 1:42:56 AM

es lo que quise dethir

grathias

10/24/2009 1:43:56 AM