Emirates SIN-DXB-BCN in Y: Paella, Xuxo & FC Barcelona vs Sevilla@Camp Nou (Part I)

[yflyer]

After lunch, we headed back to the Gothic Quarter, La Ribera and El Born area for a stroll, just to enjoy the atmosphere along the narrow streets and distinctive architecture, with some buildings in the area dating back to Medieval times.







While there, we headed La Xocolateria...





...where we paused for thick Spanish-style hot chocolate, churros, and an ultra-rich chocolate ice cream...



...my timestamp on this photo says it was taken 2 hours and 10 minutes after we finished our black rice paella...probably sufficient time to avoid indigestion, especially after the long walk through El Born...

[yflyer]

The next day, it was time for Mrs yflyer to head back to Singapore. I would stay on for a few more days, and that evening, I would head to Camp Nou to watch FC Barcelona play Sevilla FC...

I accompanied Mrs yflyer to the airport by subway. A fairly painless experience, on a brand new subway line, and a lot cheaper than taking a taxi, although it takes probably 75-90 minutes, compared to about 35 min by taxi and 45-60 min by bus.



Do note that this new subway line connects to existing lines at stations a little further out from the city center, and not at popular stations like Placa Espana or Placa Catalunya. Also Google Maps does not guide you to take this new subway when you use it for directions to the airport. Possibly because it takes a lot longer than the bus service, for example.



Don't let these points deter you from trying the subway to the airport, though. It will take probably 75-90 minutes via subway from Placa del Catalunya to get to El Prat Airport T1 from the Barcelona city centre, but it is inexpensive, and a fairly smooth and seamless process.

The subway station is right next to the airport terminal, with escalators and lifts taking you right to the departure and arrival levels.

As Mrs yflyer was travelling alone, and did not have priority check-in privileges, we got to the airport fairly early, just about 3 hours before the flight. We had also done an online check-in before hand to ensure we could join the online queue if the regular Y queue was too long. Thankfully, here was only a very short queue at the Emirates check-in area when we arrived, and so check-in was smooth.

But just minutes later, when we strolled past the check-in area, there was a massive queue that had formed in just a few minutes, and the queue was likely to get longer as well as we approached peak check-in period. That's what happens when you need to process a full A380's worth of passengers in a check-in window less than 3 hours in duration...



We said our goodbyes, and Mrs yflyer headed into the airside area, with clear instructions from me on where to go shopping (Shop in the EU Schengen area down the escalator first, then head back up the escalator to clear passport checks prior to entering the international departures area, because there isn't much shopping in the international departure zone) and also where the best spots were to relax i.e. the outdoor smoking area, which is great even for non-smokers because it is open and airy, with a cafe serving decent food.

[yflyer]

I headed back to the city by subway, and headed to Las Ramblas in search of lunch.

By that point, it had been at least a week since my last Asian meal, and a craving for rice or noodles had started to develop.

My plan was to head to an outlet of "Wok to Walk", a chain of Asian/Oriental restaurants...but to my dismay, there was a long queue of customers there...



Amazing...this was just low to mid-range Asian convenience food...and lines were snaking out the door. While there are a fair number of Chinese (And Indian) restaurants in Barcelona, there appears to be a business opportunity in this city for anyone who can offer Asian cuisine in a casual / fast food setting. Certainly the demand is there, and based on the queues outside this branch of "Wok to Walk' that day, demand exceeds supply!

So scratch that option...I strolled aimlessly through the area looking for an acceptable alternative, and simply could not decide what to have, until I eventually reached Bar Celta Pulperia...a pulperia being a restaurant specialising in Octopus (Pulpo...).



This was a very casual place, more like a diner or bar...



No menu...you pick from food on display in glass cases...



Or simply go for their speciality...pulpo!



The octopii they eat here are fairly large...



The octopus is sliced into small chunks, boiled and served with paprika...



This was amazingly delicious...the octopus was tender, with great texture and flavour...



I ordered a small plate of croquettes to go with my order.

Some other popular dishes that others were having were these deep fried chilli peppers, and battered calamari, taken from the counter and deep fried once again when ordered, so that they were served piping hot....



A simple, yet very satisfying lunch!

[yflyer]

Finally, it was time to watch football...



I had purchased my ticket from an authorized ticket agent along Las Ramblas a few days before the match.



For most matches that FC Barcelona plays in Camp Nou, their home stadium tickets are usually available right up to the last minute. All except for matches with Real Madrid, their archrival. For those matches, tickets are much harder to come by!

Camp Nou, which translates to new field, is located to the northwest of the Barcelona city centre, and is quite easily accessible via metro, tram and bus.

I was advised by the staff at the Four Points Sheraton to take the subway to Palau Reial in order to get to the stadium.



The trains were packed with football fans, the vast majority being FC Barcelona supporters, all wearing scarves, jerseys and camps in team colours. A surprising large number of visitors were also headed to match.



I got off the subway at Palau Reial and walked to the stadium alongside a huge but very orderly crowd of fans. Fans had also gotten off at the two stations prior to Palau Reial -- these earlier stops also provided easy access to Camp Nou. I would realize the significance, and benefits of using the last subway stop after the match...

[yflyer]

Camp Nou is a massive stadium, with a mindboggling capacity of 99,000...



Thankfully, given that this is FC Barcelona's home stadium, with matches played on a regular basis, both the stadium and the city's transport planners, have got a really good idea of how to manage large crowds.

The stadium itself is superbly designed to allow large numbers of people to easily enter and exit the stadium.



There are no chokepoints or bottlenecks. Fans enter and leave the stadium through designated numbered entrances, of which there are many all round the stadium.



There are security checks enforced on belongings, with rules on what you can or cannot bring in. I had no issues bringing in my Olympus camera, but alcohol was banned, and anything which could be thrown or used as a weapon was not allowed. I had a plastic bottle of water with me -- it was allowed in, but the bottle cap was removed.

Food can be brought into the stadium. I bought a hot dog (Delicious!) and french fries. They even had FCB-branded potato chips...



No alcohol was sold there. Beer was available, but it was non-alcoholic. The expression on the faces of fans when they realized the beer they purchased had 0% alcohol was priceless...

[yflyer]

Once through the ticket/security check at your designated entrance, you reached an internal service corridor, with facilities such as restrooms on one side (Again, very good planning here, with restrooms well equipped to handle large crowds) and stairs leading to the seats on the other.



I entered my seating area in search of my assigned seat.



When I arrived in the stadium, it was fairly early, and spectators were still streaming in. By the time the match started, the stadium was very well filled.

The atmosphere in the stadium was incredible...



There was excitement in the air: If FC Barcelona beat Sevilla FC in today's La Liga match, they would equal the Spanish record of 34 games unbeaten, a record set by arch rivals Real Madrid in the 1988/1989 season.

[yflyer]

Before the match, both teams came out onto the pitch to warm up.

First on the pitch was Sevilla FC...



Then came the home team, FC Barcelona, to loud cheers and applause...



A star-studded line-up from FCB today, with the dream team of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all playing that day.



The referee and linesman also jogged in step around the pitch to warm up...



Before the match, hidden sprinklers moistened the pitch...



Finally the players emerged, now in their match attire, and posed for photos before heading to their positions on the pitch.

[yflyer]

Kick-off!



There was an electric atmosphere in the stadium as the match got underway. How is this different from watching matches on TV? Apart from seeing your star players in the flesh, and up close, it was really being surrounded by cheering and singing fans. And Barca fans sing a lot! From the FCB anthem to a whole range of tunes and cheers, the constant cheering and singing is something that the experience on TV will never be able to replicate...





Weeks after the match, the songs and chants of the Barca fans are still ringing in my ears.

Neymar and Messi with their markers...



Sevilla FC actually scored first, in the 20th minute. The home team was a goal down. But this was still fairly early in the match, and neither players nor fans appeared especially worried...the cheering and singing never flagged...It seemed that everyone in the stadium was an Barca fan.



Barcelona were constantly on the attack, although Sevilla looked dangerous as well every time they counterattacked.

A foul just outside the penalty box led to a Barca free kick.



Neymar and Messi lined up behind the ball. Who would take it?



It was Messi who curled the ball right into the net, a spectacular free kick that brought everyone to their feet.

Here is a video of Messi's goal.

It was now 1-1.

[yflyer]

No more goals in the first half...



The second half was as exciting as the first...





...with Gerard Pique scoring in the 48th minute to give Barcelona the lead.





Messi sizing up the Sevilla defence before taking a corner...



Full Time! And a 2-1 win for Barcelona, who have notched up their 34th unbeaten run, to equal the current Spanish record.







Fans were very orderly leaving the stadium. It was crowded, but there was no pushing or shoving.



Full match highlights available here.

I headed to the same subway station for the ride back to the hotel. Apart from a few minutes queuing at the subway entrance, where they let fans into the platform area in batches to avoid overcrowding, heading onto the subways was smooth.

And the benefit of catching a train from the furthest station along the line, Palau Reial, was that the trains that arrived to pick fans up were empty, whereas at the two next stations, where fans from the stadium were waiting, the trains were practically full, and few, if any, fans from those stations were able to board.

Overall, an enjoyable and truly memorable experience.

[yflyer]

The next morning, I headed to the airport to catch my Air Berlin flight to Munich via Dusseldorf, to be covered in Part II of this TR.

Final reflections on the trip so far?

Travelling with Mrs yflyer is always special, and it was great to see the sights, and enjoy the cuisine, together with her.

The flights to Barcelona on Emirates were fine as well, all things considered.

On her return flights to Singapore, Mrs yflyer said that the A380 was chock full on the BCN-DXB sector, and there were many babies onboard, but she did enjoy the inflight meal on that leg. And the A380 DXB-SIN sector was very comfortable as she had a row of seats to herself.

As for Barcelona itself, it remains a great city to visit, with a lot to see and do, not least Gaudi's Sagrada Familia and his other masterworks.

A return visit to this beautiful city is certainly in order, perhaps many return trips, so that we can track the Sagrada Familia's progress towards its completion in 2026!

Thanks for reading!

[Hajimbo]

Nice TR as usual Yflyer!

I've never been to BCN - but seems like the city is incredibly vibrant! I have to say the Tapas you've had with Mrs Yflyer looks very scrumptious. Now, you make me think of coming back to Spain again.. (last visit was in 2009! lol)

[yflyer]

Nice TR as usual Yflyer!

I've never been to BCN - but seems like the city is incredibly vibrant! I have to say the Tapas you've had with Mrs Yflyer looks very scrumptious. Now, you make me think of coming back to Spain again.. (last visit was in 2009! lol)

Thanks Hajimbo!

Yes, a very lively, vibrant city, and yet relaxed and laid back. Very visitor-friendly...

The food we ate that week was outstanding...and we were just scratching the surface. I didn't get to eat their unique steak..."chuleton" vaca vella, a thick cut bone-in rib steak, from mature dairy cows, which have a more intense flavour and a fair amount of fat. I didn't get to try the percebes (Goose barnacles) on this occasion either!

Where did you go the last time you were in Spain? Madrid? I've only been to Barcelona so far, and I am looking forward to visiting Madrid, Bilbao and other cities on future trips...

[CarbonMan]

Great TR of Barcelona, yflyer! Spain has some of the best airports in Europe; I was stunned by the money they threw and building infrastructure like airports and roads. No wonder they have financial issues.

But the tourists are coming and the tapas and paella are great. Apart from the stress of maneuvering the Ramblas, Barcelona is a great place, though I love the smaller Spanish cities more than the bigger ones.

[yflyer]

Great TR of Barcelona, yflyer! Spain has some of the best airports in Europe; I was stunned by the money they threw and building infrastructure like airports and roads. No wonder they have financial issues.

But the tourists are coming and the tapas and paella are great. Apart from the stress of maneuvering the Ramblas, Barcelona is a great place, though I love the smaller Spanish cities more than the bigger ones.

Thanks, CarbonMan!

Yes, I quite like the airport in Barcelona...very spacious and airy.

Here is a pic of the Schengen airside area at BCN, just before my Air Berlin flight to Dusseldorf...more on that in Part II of the TR.




I have never visited Madrid's Airport (I have not flown Iberia either, for that matter)...if the airport infra is good, I might consider flights on IB to European destinations from BCN in future, since connecting via Madrid is usually fairly inexpensive compared to the alternatives.

I've never actually been to Spain on a proper holiday (This one doesn't count. It was still a work trip with vacation time added on...)...if you have suggestions on the best places to visit, do share the info!

[Hajimbo]

Thanks Hajimbo!

Yes, a very lively, vibrant city, and yet relaxed and laid back. Very visitor-friendly...

The food we ate that week was outstanding...and we were just scratching the surface. I didn't get to eat their unique steak..."chuleton" vaca vella, a thick cut bone-in rib steak, from mature dairy cows, which have a more intense flavour and a fair amount of fat. I didn't get to try the percebes (Goose barnacles) on this occasion either!

Where did you go the last time you were in Spain? Madrid? I've only been to Barcelona so far, and I am looking forward to visiting Madrid, Bilbao and other cities on future trips...

I've manage to visit to Madrid (very much like a shopping central - i think its more or less like Milan) and I spent 3 months in SE part of Spain (Andalusia, Almeria, Caboneras - but this more like during the days when I was doing my thesis work there) SE part is really laid back and quite bit of a mini british town. Loads of british normally have their second home there and they normally folk during the Summer periods.

I'm thinking of going to BCN and Canary Islands next time If I were to visit Spain again.