How to Plan an English-Speaking French Wine Tour from Barcelona to the Cabardès AOC Near Toulouse and Carcassonne in 10 Easy Steps
Step 3: 10 Things to Do in Barcelona
Barcelona is a the magical capital of Catalonia that is very close to the southern border of France. For people who are visiting Barcelona, a short trip to the South of France can make for a very enjoyable side-trip. Wine lovers will find many distinguished French wine regions and vineyards in the areas of Toulouse and Carcassonne. O’Vineyards Winery and B&B is located in Villemoustaussou and is a short trip by car or train from Barcelona, about an hour away from Toulouse by car, and is just minutes from Carcassonne.
O’Vineyards Winery is a particularly good place for the English speaker to visit. My father-in-law, Joe, is an American, and he is an experienced French wine-maker. Joe gives tours of the winery in English or “en franglais”. My mother-in-law, Liz, is a native French citizen. Liz prepares street foods in the afternoons that are served on the decks overlooking the vines and the Black Mountains. Liz expertly pairs the foods with samples of the various O’Vineyard wines prepared from the vines in your view. So, if you are planning a trip to visit Barcelona, you will also want to consider taking a couple days to enjoy French wines in the South of France. In particular, I hope you will take time out of your trip to Barcelona to visit O’Vineyards Winery and B&B.
My name is Darren, and I am part of the O’Vineyards family through marriage. I am hoping to develop a permanent relationship with the winery, but while the family and I develop the details, I am doing some guest writing on this blog. My spouse and I are currently planning a trip to O’Vineyards Winery and B&B to visit my in-laws, and we are traveling to Carcassonne through Barcelona. In this series of posts, I am sharing our planning process for visiting Barcelona and getting to the vineyard. Here are 10 interesting things that we have on our list of things to do in Barcelona that you may also want to consider doing prior to a wine trip to the South of France and O’Vineyards Winery and B&B:
1.Visit La Sagrada Familia
- This gothic cathedral is Antonin Gaudi’s architectural masterpiece that has been in progress for over 130 years.
2. Take a hop-on-hop-off bus tour
3. View a Flamenco show
- Flamenco shows feature singers, dancers, and musicians, and the shows are usually viewed while dining, particularly on tapas. Check TripAdvisor for an interesting location.
4. Tour Old Town by foot, Segway, or bicycle
- Old Town is easy to tour on foot on your own, or there are several tour companies that offer tours by foot, Segway, or bicycle. Check TripAdvisor for more information.
5. Visit the beaches or take a sailing tour on the Mediterranean
- TripAdvisor features several sailing companies that can help you experience the water breezes. Some offer dining and drinking options.
6. Visit the Picasso museum
- The Picasso museum offers an excellent collection of the artist’s works that can be particularly helpful for viewing the artists development over time.
7. Ride the Montjuïc Cable Car
- The beautiful and popular hill of Monjuïc is accessible by cable car from the city center.
8. Enjoy Tapas
- Tapas is served throughout the city, particularly later in the evening. I suggest using TripAdvisor to find a place to your liking.
9. Visit Salvador Dali’s birthplace of Figueres
- You can take a high speed train to visit Figueres and the Dali theatre and museum.
10. Visit la Boqueria market
- The market can make an excellent visit for the hard-core foodie. Be sure to sample some of the hams, especially Jamon Iberico.
Whatever you do in Barcelona, you are bound to have a fabulous time. Please consider taking a side-trip to France. If you are a lover of wine, you will not be disappointed. O’Vineyards Winery and B&B is located just minutes from the town of Carcassonne. A walled medieval city that is a UNESCO world heritage site and a popular international tourist destination lies at the center of the city. My brother-in-law, Ryan, has previously written about how to plan a wine trip near Toulouse, how to plan a wine trip near Carcassonne and things you can do in Carcassonne.
This series of articles is about planning a trip to Carcassonne and the O’Vineyards Winery and B&B from Barcelona.
I introduced this series of articles in an initial post, and the other ten parts of the series are:
- How to Get to Barcelona
- How to Select a Place to Stay in Barcelona
- 10 Things to Do in Barcelona (this post)
- 10 Foods to Try in Barcelona
- How to Get to Carcassonne from Barcelona
- How to Select a Place to Stay near Carcassonne
Coming soon…
- 10 Things to Do Near Carcassonne
- Wineries to Visit Near Carcassonne
- 10 Foods to Try in the Carcassonne Region
- 10 Souvenirs to Buy to Remember Your Trip to Carcassonne
