SIN-MXP-BCN by 77W and a revieW of W Barcelona

[9V-SIA]

Thanks for sharing your seemingly enjoyable trip with us, 9V-SIA.
I think Barcelona is a great city to visit.

Happy to contribute. Not finished yet!

Tapas: That's Spanish for Dim Sum

Not all our meals were at gourmet restaurants. We usually eat simpler fare.
Tapas was the perfect food.
Reminds me of dim sum. Small bite size morsels they may be, but many, many bites!

We went to many tapas bars recommended by the guide books.
And many more which looked good and were crowded with locals.
Famous restaurant or not, we were never disappointed.

Below is a fraction of the tapas we ate..



Succulent clams..



Bamboo clams (aka Razor clams in the West) overflowing their shells



Iberian ham..



Small fried anchovies



Iberian ham and tomato on toast



Olive wrapped in an anchovy, with pickles



My Mama always said, "You must eat your vegetables." OKaaay..
Fried aubergines in batter with sweet sauce



Black sausage topped with alfafa & onion..
It was goood.

[VanMan]

Barcelona might be in our sights for 2011, or sooner. Many thanks for the excellent TR, especially the great pics.

[kpc]

Great timing....

thanks for the report....
I'm off to BCN in 11 days, flying SQ Syd-Sin-Mxp-Bcn (alas only in Y); I'm there for 6 nights and was wondering what I should see and do Your very visual trip report has given me plenty of ideas

PS I'm salivating in anticipation...

The only time I had paella in BCN was at Port Vell.



Problem is that the minimum order for paella is 2.
And Mrs 9V-SIA was saving her calories for our dinners..

[9V-SIA]

Barcelona might be in our sights for 2011, or sooner. Many thanks for the excellent TR, especially the great pics.

You're welcome .
Glad my pics came out well..

thanks for the report....
I'm off to BCN in 11 days, flying SQ Syd-Sin-Mxp-Bcn (alas only in Y); I'm there for 6 nights and was wondering what I should see and do Your very visual trip report has given me plenty of ideas

PS I'm salivating in anticipation...

Lucky you. More pictures to salivate over..

More Tapas!

The most pleasant surprise was that a lot of restaurants open earlier than the reputed 10pm.
Indeed Tapas24 off PdG opens at 9am till late.
Pinotxa Bar in La Boquera from 7am to around 4pm.
A notable exception was Moo. We were looking for lunch at 1230h, after a long morning at La Sagrada Familia,
and they open at 1330h. We just missed breakfast too!

The tourists eat early. The locals later.
What tended to happen is that while we struggled with the menu,
waiter would ask us how many we wanted and we'd leave choices to them.

I love eating by the bar or on a communal bench.
It allows a lot of social interaction with your fellow travelers.
We dined with Americans from Austin and Washington DC ( ex-Australian ),
Canadians from Montreal, Taiwanese.
Notably too, businessmen from Basque in Barcelona for the day.
We got a list of places to eat in San Sebastian from them.

So a great opportunity to share experiences then...

We are foodies so we went to some famous restaurants.
But some of the best were no name "discoveries" that looked good or were crowded.
Inexpensive too..



This is spare ribs.... rabbit spare ribs with garlic mayo dip.



Flounder with salmon eggs



Sardines on toast



Russian salad.. a potato salad with tuna. olives and green beans



Tuna on a bed of very, very sweet tomatoes



Sardines in olive oil


Next up, the flight home....

[9V-SIA]

Hotel to Airport

8 days flew by and soon it was time to fly home.

Booked a taxi to bring us.

A word of warning: they're like Somali pirates, only without AK47s.

Twice I paid more because they got "lost".

"Hello? Isn't that a GPS stuck on your windscreen?"

Once got surcharged 4 EURO. 2 EURO per PAX.

Thought it was a public holiday surcharge.

ASK FOR A RECEIPT. Stops them in their tracks..



N_Architect taxi shot!



Approaching Departure Hall...

Good Airport Design

Well, Changi was the first but the new build designs combine efficiency with beautiful architecture.



Check In Counters

The gentleman walking towards me is about to tell me no video allowed.

Pictures OK. Passengers were checking in (slowly) for US bound flight(s).


VAT Refund

Important to remember that you can check in, then go get your VAT back.

2 stages:

The VAT Back forms from the retailer.

1. Get forms/receipts stamped ( minimum 90 EURO on a receipt ) at Departure Hall.

Far left hand corner of the hall as you walk in through the front doors.

2. With the forms/receipts duly stamped, proceed to get your money back at the bank in the Arrival Hall.



Arrival Hall (Public Area)

Leave air side at 12 o'clock

1st escalator/lifts to taxis

2nd set of escalators/lifts to buses and trains

Bank for VAT Refund 2 rectangles to the left of the "you are here" red dot.



The queue for cashback...


Security Screening

Worthy of mention is the way BCN deals with the screening.

Some distance from the X-ray machines, there are multiple spots where you can empty your belongings onto a tray for inspection.

Whoever is ready proceed, with your tray, to X-ray machine and metal detector.

Whoever is not ready can take their time emptying their stuff onto the trays.

This way no one holds up the line.

The best solutions are sometimes the simplest.

No one holds up the line this way.

How about it, Changi?


Airside BCN

Thank you for the next picture, Dent@SUB



It does look like a sword.
The "blade" are the domestic departures.
The "handle" are the international departures.

For sense of scale, "public zone" in his picture same as my preceding "Arrival Hall (Public Area)" picture.

There are 3 levels:

1. Check In /Security/Immigration/International Departures. "The Handle"
2. VIP Lounges.
3. Domestic/EU Departures. Airside Shopping. Arrivals. The "Blade".

Once international PAXs clear immigration, they descend to level 2.
I went to check out the lounge.
Different from Dent@SUB lounge reviewed here..

Spanair VIP Lounge

No lounge access means a wait at the gate.

Future SQTalkers visiting BCN please confirm this:

Once you clear immigration, you have no access to airside Duty Free Shopping???



View of Duty Free Shopping from Level 2, the international departures level.
Looking straight at the "blade".

You can't access the shops for international departures.

Please say I'm wrong..




Lounge Entrance




Nice lounge, quite empty. On level 2. Window overlooks level 1.
Domestic flights and Shopping..



Dining area



Bar counter



Continental breakfast was being served

[LOWJHG]

Small fried anchovies

It looks like japanese Shishamo

[sabian]

Thank you 9V-SIA for a great preview (and the hard work)!

I will be trekking in the same direction and your detailed TR has made Barcelona feel more 3D-like, even before I am there.

[9V-SIA]

It looks like japanese Shishamo

Smaller. And no fish roe

Thank you 9V-SIA for a great preview (and the hard work)!

I will be trekking in the same direction and your detailed TR has made Barcelona feel more 3D-like, even before I am there.

Thanks. Momentum slowing....

[9V-JKL]

Thanks for sharing! BCN is one of my fav cities.

Future SQTalkers visiting BCN please confirm this:

Once you clear immigration, you have no access to Air Side Duty Free Shopping???

It was the same for me back in 2007. BUT.......
Back in 2007, there was an immigration counter between the schengen and non-schengen air-side (I did FRA(LH)-BCN(SQ)-SIN and passed thru this counter) to get to the SQ flight.
If its still possible, perhaps you could pass security for Schengen flights, do your shopping and pass thru this immigration counter. Whether you get into trouble with immigration, I don't know.

[HUGE AL]

Sucks that I can't jump on the MXP-BCN segment.

[9V-SIA]

BCN Terminal 1

Thanks for sharing! BCN is one of my fav cities.



It was the same for me back in 2007. BUT.......
Back in 2007, there was an immigration counter between the schengen and non-schengen air-side (I did FRA(LH)-BCN(SQ)-SIN and passed thru this counter) to get to the SQ flight.
If its still possible, perhaps you could pass security for Schengen flights, do your shopping and pass thru this immigration counter. Whether you get into trouble with immigration, I don't know.

Glad you are enjoying it.

So it's true. International departures, no air side shopping.

I guess I should be grateful...

Sucks that I can't jump on the MXP-BCN segment.

That was my Plan A. But I must say Plan B wasn't too shabby.




All 3 levels seen from the lounge:

1. Immigration/international departures
2. Lounges
3. Domestic/EU departures

Shopping looks good.

Pity could not partake...



Courtyard seen from International Departures

Dark blue rectangular block on Dent@SUB airport map



Serious contenders for my vote of World's Best Airport must include Haagen Daz outlet.



Interesting aerobridges serve international departures.

Since the waiting area is on level 3, "steps" (actually escalator) bring passengers to level 1 of the aerobridges



View of the "Blade" of the terminal from gate E71



And my ride home.. 9V-SWG.



Taxi to runway

The aerobridges are the giveaway:

Simple straight bridge = "blade" = domestic flights

"Stepped" bridge = "handle" = international flights



77W-eye view of BCN Terminal 1. IMHO Gorgeous looking

Times like this I wish for a DSLR with a long lens



My final glimpse of BCN.

Sit on left side of a/c then for this shot.

[9V-SIA]

BCN to MXP

Views from my seat... 19A



I find this extra shelf next to the TV monitor very useful to put my stuff.

Absent on the A345 and A380.



Looking back



Looking forward



Looking across

My neighbour was coughing his lungs out, which freaked me out with this H1N1 thing floating around.

It was a very pleasant flight into MXP and I spent the time looking out the window..



The refreshment menu between BCN and MXP.

Sorry forgot to take a picture but had the foccacia.



MXP.

We were on the ground for 1.5 hours, all the time confined to our a/c.

I suspect the 77W flies SIN-MXP-BCN-MXP before it needs to refuel,

which accounts for the longer stop compared to our flight to BCN.

Can anyone confirm this?

There was no IFE so I turned my attention to the scene outside..

..and watched the airline world go by

It was noon when we arrived but look at the shadows cast. Winter is approaching...



Middle East Airline A319..



Egypt Air 738 was revealed when the MEA plane departed..



Then this Royal Air Maroc A321 arrived. Not as pretty as 757.



Finally we were on our way home..

[kpc]

MXP.

We were on the ground for 1.5 hours, all the time confined to our a/c.

I suspect the 77W flies SIN-MXP-BCN-MXP before it needs to refuel,

which accounts for the longer stop compared to our flight to BCN.

Can anyone confirm this?

There was no IFE so I turned my attention to the scene outside..

..and watched the airline world go by

That is a lot of time to sit on the ground on an aircraft, esp with no IFE.

I asked this Q re the stopver at MXP previously and was told:

On SIN-BCN, pax have to get off at MXP to clear EU immigration.
For BCN-SIN, pax must stay on-board at MXP while there is a crew change.

I note on both legs you had to stay on board, so things at MXP must have changed!

[9V-SIA]

MXP-SIN

I was not looking forward to this flight.

1. For one thing, the flight was full. Every cabin was packed to the rafters.
2. For another, it was a day flight so I expected not much sleep and too much food.

I was wrong on the first count. I expected the service to be slower.
However, this was the best crew I have had the pleasure of flying with.
They were fast, courteous and efficient despite a full load.
Brilliant! And gorgeous...

Smiling a lot too. Which is nice.
I've flown a lot since the pay cuts and saw a lot of sullen faces.

But I was right on the second count. I ate too much.

I spent my time watching some thought provoking movies as:

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (cried when Eiffel Tower was destroyed)
2. The Hangover (will SQ ever return to LAS?)
3. Taking of Pelham 123 ( they also had the 1974 version; ransom was USD 1 million then compared to USD 10 million in the remake! )
4. The Proposal ( I've loved Sandra Bullock since "While You Were Sleepin")

So the lunch menu..

I would really love to get my hands on the bean counter who eliminated my favorite item for lunch/dinner and give him a piece of my mind...



Smoked duck with melon and mint salad, lime and honey vinigrette



Wok fried sliced chicken in sesame oil and button mushrooms, seasonal vegetables and steamed rice



Chocolate profiterole with whipped cream



Over Afghanistan..



..from the light bites menu..



..focaccia. Warmed, juicy and delicious!



Turbulence can only mean one thing.. breakfast over the Bay of Bengal



Breakfast menu



Sliced fresh fruit



Cornflakes



Braised egg noodles with pork, pickled vegetables and black mushrooms



THE END!! Abrupt perhaps but no more juice!!

[hsf]

Thanks for an enjoyable report once again!