Barcelona and surrounding areas

We are currently in Barcelona for a week and I have today the there certainly is plenty to do here! If you like architecture, the Gaudi locations can keep you busy for most of that time! On a previous trip I did go to Montserrat and loved it, but we went in May. I would check the climate in January and make a decision based on that. Monserrat is mountainous and as such could be cold, windy, and maybe slippery if it is raining. We are planning a day trip to Figueres, which is Dali's boyhood home. That should be easy to do at that time and it is on the coast, so the weather might be more moderate. But realize that I am guessing here! You can always make the decision after you get here!

Public transportation is great in Barcelona! Between the metro and the buses, it is really easy to get around. Make sure that you bring comfortable walking shoes, though!

The walking tours in Rick's Barcelona book are great and lots of fun.

Re: dietary restrictions: Spain is all about jamon (ham). I would search the Internet for vegetarian restaurants in Barcelona (check also Trip Advisor and Yelp). There is lots of cheese here and you can find yogurt. But not so many salads and vegetables. There is a LOT of seafood, though, if she will eat that! Prepare a "flash card" to take with you to each country using "Google Translate" or a similar site. It helps to be able to communicate the issue in the local dialect. Remember that Barcelona in Catalan, not Spanish (although Spanish is spoken most places).
I have not felt unsafe in Barcelona. But there is lots of petter crime. Definitely wear your money belt! Also check out PacSafe purses. Pickpockets are common. On our first visit, we encountered our first one on the train coming on from the airport. Always be aware and don't leave your luggage for a second! Never put your purse on the back of a chair. I wear mine cross body even at dinner.

But Barcelona is a wonderful city!

I can help a bit with Barcelona, having spent some time in Catalunya this summer.

First as to food: Catalunya shouldn't be too tricky for a vegetarian. And English is spoken relatively widely, so the server is likely to be able to help. Tapas spreads are nice because you get a chance to eyeball the food and decide whether each is a "Yes", a "No", or an "I'd better ask". Just about every bar has a thick potato omelet on the counter, which you can order by the slice. Double check, but it's usually pretty bland and ham-free. I confess that I don't know what they use to grease the pan, though.

Still, alertness is advised because of the local fondness for all things pig. Bits of ham are often used to flavor vegetables. I'd be a bit concerned about use of lard in some baked goods (cookies, pie crusts, etc.) Salads are often main-dish salads rather than side salads and are quite likely to include ham or tuna, though the protein might be limited to cheese and/or hard-boiled egg. One useful dish that often shows up on two-course lunch menus is a "revuelto", which is scrambled eggs with things mixed in, the basics of which should be mentioned on the menu. Ham is popular, of course, but I also saw vegetable revueltos and mushroom revueltos. (Incidentally, mushrooms are considered vegetables in Spain.) Those daily lunch menus (often on a blackboard) can be pretty cryptic, so it's best to double-check that there are no meat or fish products included in the dishes your daughter is considering. Printed menus tend to be more detailed.

In 10 days in Barcelona I observed no crime. Pickpocketing is always a possibility, especially in crowded areas popular with tourists, but Barcelona does not feel like (and is not) a crime-ridden city.

I liked Girona a lot; it's a real city and will not be dead in the winter. There are quick and frequent trains from Barcelona. I'd spend at least two nights there, more if you want to take multiple day-trips. Walk the wall, see the two important churches and the very fine small art museum, then wander the very atmospheric medieval quarter.

Besalu is very picturesque but not large. 2 to 2-1/2 hours should do it. It's easily reachable by bus from Girona. I've linked to the Teisa main page so you can access different schedules if you need to. For Besalu you'd take the Girona-Olot per Banyoles route. That bus runs more frequently on (green) Monday-Friday (non-holidays), less frequently on (orange) Saturday, and so seldom on (red) Sunday/holidays that I wouldn't try the trip then. Don't plan on the last trip of the day; I got left twiddling my thumbs at the bus station in Ripoll because the only direct bus of the day did not show up.

Besalu has no bus station; the bus drops you on the road skirting the edge of the old town. There's a local bar just a few doors up the street where you can stop for a beverage and wait for the bus back (which I assume stops on the opposite side of the street, but check). The bar closes for part of the afternoon, I think at 2 PM. My bus left Besalu at least 8 minutes early; get to that bus stop well ahead of schedule. As you come into town on the bus, the tourist office will be visible on your left, near the end of the fortified bridge. The bus stop is perhaps 1/4 mile or so beyond. I'd print out a map ahead of time and take it with you so you're comfortable wandering around the old quarter if you want to do that on the way to the T.O. In the summer, at least, the tourist office has daily English-language tours. If your group is interested, email the T.O ahead of time about your proposed date(s), because that tour will be in French if French speakers ask first.

I'll put a few comments about other parts of Catalunya in a separate message.

I really appreciate the thoughtful responses. It helps so much to hear other travelers' actual experiences!

Looking back at my previous post, I see that I wrote far more about Besalu than Girona. That does not mean that I liked Besalu more--just to be clear! They're both worthwhile, but there's much more to see in Girona.

I only transited Figueres (which is near but not on the coast), not caring enough about Dali to go to the Dali Theatre and Museum there. The trip from Barcelona to Figueres can be made by either train or bus. Cadaques has no train service, so a bus must be used for the onward leg.

Cadaques is a former fishing village that is now given over to tourism. In the summer it was beautiful, full of whitewashed houses with dripping bougainvillea. I don't know what it would be like in January. I hope Enric can help us out here. The museum in Cadaques is, in my view, something to be skipped. Have a map (paper or electronic) with you so you know how to find your way from the bus station down to the port.

You can walk from Cadaques to the Dali Museum-House in Portlligat, but I imagine it could be chilly and drafty (and possibly wet) in January, so I'd consider a taxi if not taking a Dali-focused day-tour from Barcelona. I use public transportation almost exclusively when I'm in Europe, but I'd lean toward a bus tour to hit Figures/Cadaques/Portlligat. I think it would be a bit tricky to see both Dali sites and Cadaques in a day-trip via public transportation.

I also visited Sitges, another former fishing village, this time south of Barcelona. Sitges has a different look from Cadaques but is also attractive. It has some modernista buildings mixed with older ones. I enjoyed the Museu Maricel a lot. The trip from Barcelona can be made in 30-45 minutes by either train or bus. Again, I'm not sure how lively the town would be in January.

I haven't been to Tarragona, but it is a sizable coastal city known for Roman ruins and is only about an hour from Barcelona by train.

If I had a week for Catalunya in the winter, I'd spend it in Barcelona and Girona, but as I said, I'm not a big fan of Dali.

Just about every bar has a thick potato omelet on the counter, which you can order by the slice.

That is tortilla, a staple of Spanish bars and restaurants. It is fried in olive oil. You can also find a "stewed" variety called tortilla guisada that comes with tomatoes, onions, and peppers on top.

Last question first: If your flight leaves at 7 AM, you can just stay in your central hotel and get a taxi to the airport. At that early hour, it will take about 35 minutes, and cost (according to Enric, our poster who lives in Barcelona) about €35. Much easier than changing hotels, then getting a "shuttle" from an airport hotel to the airport.

I love Girona, and it's easy to visit from Barcelona. I made a mistake buying a round trip ticket on the AVE (all reserved), so I was locked into returning before I was ready. Enric says that AVE tickets on this route don't require advance purchase, so I could have bought one when I was ready to return. Or, there's a local train (Rodalies) that is unreserved, although it takes longer.

In Barcelona, don't just see the Gaudi sights, but look at Modernista sights from other architects. In particular, be sure to see the Palau de Musica Catalana, and look into the old St. Pau Hospital as well.

The MNAC (National Museum of Catalunya) is huge; the fact that your ticket is good for 2 days over a 30 day period was my first clue that I should have allotted more time for it. It was one of my favorite things in Barcelona.

If you have the clear day, the views from Tibidabo and from Montjuic are great.

As for the vegetarian question, while a lot of food in Spain is ham and sea creatures (not fish, but things like squid, mussels, langostines, shrimp, etc), Barcelona is a large and cosmopolitan city, so your daughter shouldn't have difficulty finding food she can eat. Many restaurants for lunch (and a few for dinner) will have a menu del dia, a set menu for about €10-12. This is a great deal and often has a lot of variety, but may not have vegetarian options; if it doesn't, she will have to order off the a la carte menu, which will cost somewhat more.

I was in Barcelona last year in February and this year in March, as a solo woman. I felt safe everywhere, though I did take precautions against petty theft. My only advice is to not wear flashy jewelry and be sensible with day bags, cameras and other electronics, like don't hang them on chair backs or leave them lying on an outdoor table.

You can take a day trip to Figueres to see the Dali Museum if you are fans of his work. I very much enjoyed Girona. In season, it's possible to visit both in a day, but because of shorter winter hours you won't be able to. Girona has one of the best preserved medieval neighborhoods in Catalonia and an excellent Jewish museum.

I had no trouble getting vegetarian food. Most restaurants have a set lunch menu, many offer a vegetarian option. There are lots of cheese and veggie options for tapas too. My favorite place was a small chain called Orio Tapas Bar that serves Basque tapas (aka pintxos). The staff everywhere I went understood the concept of "vegetarian" and were able to identify the items that were veggie. Since dinner in Spain typically begins at 9.30 or later, I usually dined on tapas. Instead of going out of your way to find a winery, just go into a tapas bar and discuss the options with the waiters. There are 3 of you. Get 3 glasses of different wines/cavas and share them. Do order cider once just to watch how it's poured. Have your camera ready. I don't know if they do it everywhere, but they certainly do at Orio.

Also, if you want to visit the Gaudi sights, you should plan to buy tickets in advance. Even though in January you can probably get tickets on the day, you are likely to end up standing in line for an hour waiting to buy them.

I took 2 TI walking tours, one was the old city and gothic quarter and the other was the Moderisme tour. Both were very good. I also enjoyed the rooftop tour at Santa Maria del Mar (though it was a little chilly and windy in March). You can find all the tours (some are TI, many are not) on the TI website.