This is the main outlet in Vilanova for the cooperative of the same name, specialising…read more(unsurprisingly) in their own produce. This includes fresh meat, eggs and poultry, all produced to higher quality and welfare standards than average supermarket produce. There's also an in-store bakery, a delicatessen section specialising in 'artisan-produced' products and they sell both locally-produced beer and wine. The quality is generally higher than other stores, as are the prices, although it's still cheap by UK standards. We bought some olives and olive paté, a selection of locally-produced bottled beers, cheese and free-range poultry, all of which were excellent. NB: They can't handle UK credit cards with Chip+PIN.

This cable car takes you up to one of the MOST beautiful spots in Spain. For only a couple Euros,…read moreyou get brought up to the top of Montserrat, a Benedictine Monk retreat carved into the mountains. Located right outside of Barcelona, you can either take a train or drive to this area as a day trip. At the top, you'll find a few food shops, a huge church and some amazing hiking trails. We picked up some bread, meet, cheese, water and cookies from their little market store, hiked for about twenty minutes and had lunch overlooking the stunning view. We stayed up here for about three hours and could have done four or five, but that's it. It is truly magical and if it isn't on your bucket list, you should add it!

Ticket blew away from wind. Was told even with a receipt with proof of purchase that it could not…read morebe replaced and had to pay again for everything. Extremely unhappy with this services

My wife and I made our first visit to Barcelona and, more specifically, Sitges Spain for the…read moreholidays. While we mostly planned to relax, we did have two excursions we definitely wanted to do. One was paella cooking and the other was a winery tour. While booking a paella class in Barcelona was easy, we struggled to find a good tour in the region until I stumbled across an Open Guide Tours website. Albeit a little apprehensive because this place wasn't connected to the big box sites like Viator or Open Guide, I decided to roll the dice and reach out. I'm so glad I did! The owner Rob Pinto responded to my web inquiry with an email almost immediately. After a few email exchanges we settled on a date and to do a two winery plus lunch tour of the Penedes Wine Region in Catalonia Spain (just northwest of Barcelona). Rob picked us up from our Sitges hotel and was very punctual. From there he engaged us in pleasant conversation about himself and the region en route to our first stop: Pere Ventura to explore their Cava operation. The bottling site went three floors underground and was appropriately described as a labyrinth given the bottles wrapped around turns and tunnels almost endlessly. Rob did not join the tour but met up with us at the end while we sampled various versions of cava paired with breads, meats and cheeses. From there, he took us to their sister site Can Bas where he led the tour himself (apparently he also does professional tours for the company along with running his own operation). He did a masterful job of explaining all the various wines as well as the entire grounds we explored. After sampling a few wines there we went to a local restaurant for lunch. I admired the fact that he allowed my wife and I to dine alone while he ate nearby. Not everyone masters the art of being both engaging and respectful of distance at the exact same time. He navigated this delicate space with ease. What was most impressive was that on the way back I inadvertently left my phone in his car. He was kind enough to bring it back to the hotel for me promptly and with no expectation of a tip (I tipped him anyway for the inconvenience). We will fondly remember our time on this tour and with Rob Pinto, as he helped make our visit to the region quite special.

A small tourist information office located in a building adjacent to the Abbot's House, part of the…read morecomplex of the town's famous monastery. The office has some good free maps of the area and simple guides in English, as well as information on a number of walking and driving routes around the area, themed along the lines of churches, architecture, old houses, etc. On our visit staff were courteous and helpful and - wonder of wonders, did not do that irritating habit of scribbling all over the pristine map they've just given you...

It's a simple train station…read more Here you get off and walk a few feet and board the rack train to finish your journey up the mountain to Montserrat. They seem to have the timing down to perfection. There's no rush or long wait between the connections. Just be sure you check the board and platform for the R5. There's only one announcement. But it is on the side of the train.

Wish it connected with Plaça Espanya underground but no- you have to emerge above ground and run…read morecaddy corner across the Plaça to another station entrance that says Monserrat and go down into this separate station. Buy the combo ticket for train+funicular= 24.50 euros for adults 18 Euros for kids. Don't even kid yourself about hiking from this station unless you are a world class athlete. There are amazing climbs once you get to the top of the funicular. Start early in the day. It took us the entire day. Take 1L of water minimum per person.

A must visit while you're in Montserrat! This funicular will get you to stairway to heaven. Great…read moreplace to hike and walk around. If weather permits, try to hike up and take the funicular down or vice versa. Either way, it's a great way to enjoy the views. The steep rail is also fun. Try and sit in front if you go up and down.

We rode this up but not down on our way from St Jeroni- but we wish we had! The steps from the…read morefork in the hike where you choose to go back to Montserrat on foot or by funicular is particularly brutally steep with many downward sloping steps. Lots of this part are nice and shady but the last section down is a killer especially at midday. I highly recommend letting Sant Joan do the work for you. The hike to San Jeroni is challenging enough without the added work on your way down unless you are an athlete. We left Barcelona at 8, rode the first cable car around 9am and got back down the hike around 4:00 when all the restaurants closed! Take at least 1.5 L of cold water per person and good hiking shoes, and ibuprofen for after

StaySitges SL is the premier vacation property rental service in Sitges. Eileen and Tricia manage…read moreover 50 lovely private apartments and villas throughout Sitges and the surrounding communities. They provide full service letting, cleaning, managing and travel coordination for those looking to rent a wonderful flat or apartment in Sitges.

Sitges is a beach resort west of Barcelona and a good spot to escape from the rain and gloom of the…read moreBritish summer. It's about 45 minutes by train from Barcelona. The town centre is quite busy, so I opted to stay just outside, about 10 minutes walk away. Hotel Los Globos is set one street inland from the beach and promenade, which is literally about a minute's walk away. The quiet residential area is lovely and peaceful. Phiippe, the owner, was really friendly and wecoming. We had a good chat about the Far East, where he used to own property and I even had a chance to practise my French because he's a transplanted Frenchman. He was able to give me some good tips about Sitges and recommended a good Catalan restaurant for dinner, where the locals dine. My room was comfortable with a nice balcony - being on the second floor, there was a nice breeze. Inside the room, there's air conditioning. It was also nice to find some English channels on TV, making it possible to keep an eye on the quickly developing story about the massacre in Norway that weekend. The hotel has a bar open all day, where the continental style breakfast is served in the morning. Reception for the free wifi is strongest downstairs. There's a generous sandy beach with cabanas and sun loungers for hire. The water was cool but not cold. The wide promenade is great for strolling and I found some great spontaneous entertainment on the weekend I was visiting - the incredible 'floating snake charmer' street performer (photos posted) and a percussion band getting people's toes tapping and dancing shoes on. Sitges was a good fun resort and the Hotel Los Globos a good base to explore