Barcelona Hotels

[Jfultz81]

We are starting to look at hotels for our next cruise out of BCN. We've been here before and stayed at the Hotel Continental Palacete, which we enjoyed but DH wants to stay closer to the Gothic Quarter. I've been trying to price out hotels and they are all showing sold out in January (some the whole month!). Is this normal this far out? We are looking to stay Jan 1-4.

[saddixie]

Hi Jen

The biggest Christmas parade and celebration day in Spain and Barcelona is on 5th January and is called the "Three Kings’ Parade" also known as the “Twelfth Night procession". In Spanish it is called "La Cabalgata de Reyes Magos” and in Catalan it is called "la Cavalcada de Reis Mags d'Orient". The legend is that after the Kings came to Bethlehem on 5th January after following a heavenly star and gave gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus, they handed out gifts to children during their return journey. So in Spain children write to the Three Kings, who bring the presents on 6th January. The Kings' Day Parade is the biggest parade in Barcelona and takes place on 5th January every year on the evening before Twelfth Night - also called Epiphany - on the 6th January: The 6th January is a public holiday in Spain and is the biggest gift giving day of the year in Barcelona and Spain when the children open their presents and the family eats a sweetbread cake called "Tortell de Reis" or kings cake which in Spanish is called "Roscón de Reyes" which means Kings' Ring. Inside the Roscon the bakers hide tiny toys or trinket and a fava bean. The person who finds the toy is King or Queen of the feast and the person who gets the fava bean buys the cake the following year.. The children send their gift wishes to the Kings by sending them or handing them to the Kings' pages, Page Estel or Page Gregori, who can be found at the Barcleona City Hall, at the Three Kings' Post Box in the courtyard of the Palau de la Virreina or at many malls. The Pages Estel and Gregori are also in the parade to collect the last childrens' letters.

An estimated 500,000 people go to see the biggest "Cabalgata de Reyes Magos" in Barcelona, which is a three hour parade with a convoy of eleven parade floats - carrozas - that stretches almost one kilometre in total along a 5km route through the centre of Barcelona. The Kings parade is a spectacular show designed and performed by professional artists from the world of theater, music, dance and circus alongside many volunteers, which are mostly students from 29 different arts schools in Barcelona. In total there are about 1200 costumed participants, eleven floats and 26 dance retinues called comparsas.

 

(copied from Barcalonayellow)

 

May explain why you are having difficulty with hotels being booked!!

[Jfultz81]

Wow! That would actually explain a lot.. too bad we'll be on the ship when that's all going on!

 

I did contact one hotel who said to check back in 2-3 months, but I'm not counting that now!

 

Thanks so much for the info!