c/ ferran

c/ ferran is another of barcelona's busy and touristy streets, though not as well known as its neighbors las ramblas or passeig de gracia. ferran connects las ramblas at metro liceu with laietana at metro jaume i. if you have to make the connection from the green to yellow metro lines, i recommend skipping the long hot underground switch at passeig de gracia (if you have an unlimited pass) and just taking a leisurely stroll from liceu to jaume i.

ferran is lined with shops, restaurants, and an entrance to plaça reial. there is a leather shop that always has very nice wares on display in the window and even a pet store with puppies! my favorite gelato shop in the whole world is also on this street, and you can get absolutely delicious gelato for much cheaper than some of the other nearby shops, despite the convenient location. it's called lato gelato. try the rich rich rich chocolate and the wonderful banana. i wanted to link to another online review, but there is absolutely nothing online, so you'll have to find it on your own as i don't remember the address. it's on the north (as in the side farthest from the sea) side of ferran near las ramblas!

also, if you are on an extreme budget and/or a vegetarian and cannot cook for yourself, you can get a falafel at pita inn (right near lato gelato) on this street for 1.99. i know a lot of people are loyal to maoz, a hipper and flashier shop on las ramblas, but pita inn serves up nearly the same product for half the price (though it completely lacks the atmosphere and...cleanliness). as an added incentive, pita inn often lacks the late night, well, questionable clientele that maoz seemed to attract around closing, due to its location near the dark alleys around la boqueria. not a threatening crowd, but you'll see what i mean if you find yourself there past 1am.

if you're in barcelona for a short while and are looking for a good walk through the city, I'd recommend starting at plaça catalunya, walking down las ramblas, taking a left on ferran, crossing laeitana and making a slight left onto c/ de l'argenteria, passing the church of santa maria del mar and making a u-turn at the end of passeig del born, you'll have a nice little intro to some of barcelona's big stops! even better, keep this route as your base route, and wander off course if you can amongst the streets of the ciutat vella. as long as you can find the big streets, you'll never be too far from the metro. in the next post i'll go over some must-do's, must-tastes, and must buys along the rough route just mentioned.