Barcelona?s renaissance can be traced back to 1992, the year the Olympic torch arrived in the city, but 14 years later the Catalan capital is still seeing phenomenal growth in the number of visitors.

It?s easy to see why though, as it offers visitors a mild, northern Mediterranean climate, a healthy dose of culture, and what seems like an almost infinite number of bars and restaurants. It is also easy to see why Barcelona was chosen to host the ?92 Olympics as it is home to one of the greatest sporting clubs on earth, Futbol Club Barcelona.

Getting there

Barcelona was first made easily accessible to the UK by easyJet and the dramatic increases in tourism is surely as much due to the availability of cheap flights as to the desire to visit Barcelona. These days there are dozens of flights to Barcelona operated by budget airlines in the UK, Germany, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, while Ryanair flies into Girona-Costa Brava airport and Reus from a number of countries including the UK and Ireland — both these airports are less than 2 hours from Barcelona. The latest country to be able to easily experience the charms of Barcelona is the United States, with Delta now operating direct flights from New York and other locations.

Where to stay

Probably your first thought will be a hotel, but there are also good deals on short-term apartment rentals. Usually massively renovated, apartments can be suitable for up to 10 people, although some of them are in Barcelona?s less salubrious neighbourhoods ? if in doubt you should ask your rental agency.

Barcelona has a decent list of hotels too, although award winning Hotel Arts is a little too far from the real action to be considered by anyone wanting to get in the thick of it. Hotel Majestic is just a few minutes from Pla?a Catalunya though and so perfect for seeing the sights ? Gaud??s Casa Batllo and La Pedrera are a stone throw away — and has a first-class restaurant and rooftop pool too.

Other notable hotels include Le Meridien, just off the Ramblas, while directly opposite Barcelona?s cathedral is Hotel Colon. Of course there are plenty of hotels offering slightly less in the way of luxury too.

Sightseeing

Although your time may be short, there are some things you just cannot afford to miss in Barcelona. The first of these is a simple walk down the Ramblas. Although rather touristy these days, it remains somewhere to watch life go by while soaking up some of Barcelona?s atmosphere. There are plenty of bars and cafes on the Ramblas, so when you feel like a rest for a coffee or a beer you just need to grab a table and attract the attention of a waiter.

You should also not miss any of Gaud??s fantastic architecture, from the iconic Sagrada Familia cathedral, still unfinished after more than a century, to Casa Batllo and La Pedrera on Passeig de Gra?ia. And one much overlooked Gaud? project is the Parc G?ell, again uncompleted, but fantastic to walk around to marvel at his designs. There you can also visit a museum dedicated to his life and work.

As these sights are rather spread out you are best off taking the tourist bus from Pla?a Catalunya. The bus allows you to hop on and off where you like, on a tour of the city that allows you take in all the best sites, including the Gaud? wonders. For around 15 Euros for a day it is excellent value and its route allows you to get an overview of much of Barcelona without wearing your shoe leather too much.

Food and drink

One of Barcelona?s great benefits is the number of restaurants and bars, and good restaurants abound. Many visitors are surprised at how cheap restaurants can be, perhaps compared to the menus in London, Paris and Rome, but to find good food for a reasonable price you need to follow one simple rule ? stay away from the Ramblas, Maremagnum — near the old port — and the Port Olimpic.

One area that has been gaining in popularity for a few years now, first with the locals and now with tourists too, is the area known as El Born. Consisting of a maze of streets that at one time were virtually a complete no-go area, the area today has a real buzz and the best restaurant to eat in is any that has a table for you. Remember that the Spanish eat late and so restaurants will be empty before nine o?clock, but where is the fun in that? And instead of a sit-down meal you can also trail from bar to bar eating some any of delicious tapas that appeals to you – particularly recommended are the Basque tapas bars you find in the area.

David Leigh has been a frequent visitor to Barcelona for most of his life, finally settling there in 2001. You can visit his two Barcelona-related websites at http://www.catalunya.co.uk and http://www.simplybarcelonatickets.com

In the small town of Miyanoshita in the Hakone Area (close to Mount Fuji) there are limited eating options. Many people come here to stay at the Fujiya Hotel, enjoy the surrounding nature and relax from the city life. Mount Fuji is right at the doorstep here and if you are lucky and the weather is clear, you can see this mountain in all its glory. We stayed at the Fujiya Hotel but were not in the mood to pay for the pricey meals here. Hotel staff recommended several options around the hotel. The tempura restaurant was the only one open on this evening so we went there …

It is located just ’round the corner and uphill from the Fujiya Hotel (to be exact). The sign says Tenpura and it is lit up at night luckily. You have to walk up a flight of stairs before you enter the small restaurant. It was obviously a family run operation. The mother took orders, the father prepared the tempura and the daughter worked in the kitchen … well … maybe they were not related at all … It was close to closing time and we needed to order quickly. As with any place in Japan, we were thankful for picture menus. We selected several shrimp tempura entrees which were around fifteen dollars each. We sat at a table close to the counter. Behind the counter we saw a very intense chef preparing the batter, selecting the shrimp carefully, dropping it in the hot oil afterwards … Rarely have we seen this kind of focus in a tempura restaurant. Shrimp was served in a sweet sauce over rice. It was sooooo gooood. We immediately proclaimed this restaurant as having the best tempura in the world. The batter was just right, it was hot, the shrimp was large and fresh, the atmosphere genuine Japanese. We have tried tempura in many other places but this was just the best …

So, if you ever find yourself in Miyanoshita, ask where the Tempura place is with the Tenpura sign. Go in there for some really good tempura. Enjoy yourself and relax. Very authentic, very good and very recommended.

Tenpura
Turn left from reception and go uphill from the Fujiya Hotel
Miyanoshita, Japan

Michael Philip is one of the editors and contributors for the SeeTheGlobe.com web site. SeeTheGlobe.com is a travel information web site and community. Reviews of restaurants, hotels, airlines and other travel resources are provided from first hand accounts.