Отдых в Испании Holidays in Spain

Rested in this hotel with my wife from 08/04/2012 to 04/14/2012.
In general, I liked the hotel, clean, there are no complaints about cleaning; at the reception - Russian guy Maxim, very friendly. We rented a safe - 20 euros. The food in the hotel restaurant is edible, but a little tastier than Egyptian food and quickly gets boring. We took half board, which we quickly regretted, since in the restaurants in the area the food is much tastier and more varied (the main thing is not to run into fast food). The average bill for two (with wine) is 25 euros. Everything is fresh, prepared in front of you, the portions are gigantic. Just do not forget about the siesta, many close at 1 pm, you will be left without dinner in the restaurant you like... We recommend the Spanish restaurant LAPARILLA and the Chinese SHANGHAI (everything in it is modest and even poor, but VERY tasty). Both establishments are located in nearby lanes.
By the way, almost none of the staff knows English, even at a primitive level, keep in mind. We recommend stocking up with a translator program in your smartphone...

The beach is clean, despite the large number of tourists and the lack of ashtrays: apparently, the sand is sieved daily. The beach is said to have been awarded the Blue Flag. Sun lounger rental - 5 euros. Bought an umbrella. In the evenings, artists work along the coast. You will not regret if you take a walk to the observation deck (two kilometers along the coast).
From trips: I liked the fortress in Tossa (neighboring town, half an hour on a boat). In Girona, in my opinion, there is nothing to see, they walked in the heat, took pictures of empty streets (siesta). We looked at the Dali Museum: we liked the hall of jewels the most, but you have to look at the paintings for a long time, this is art for an amateur. We also recommend a trip to Mount Montserrat: adrenaline on the serpentine, indescribable beauty. To the statue of the Black Madonna, the queue is an hour and a half. THEREFORE: in no case do not go there with a local excursion! You will not have time to really see anything; do not repeat our mistake! For 40 euros, you will simply be taken by bus, and then you will run headlong after the guide. You only need to go by yourself, it is cheaper, and you will manage your time yourself.
Another mistake of ours: to go to Barcelona for one day. We recommend that you travel for at least two or even three days, having previously booked an apartment or a room in a hostel. Then there will be time for shopping, and for the Sagrada Familia, and other creations of Gaudí .
Summary: I liked the trip very much, but, having visited the “real” Europe for the first time (before that, there were Egypt and Greece), we made three conclusions for ourselves:
1. You should not take half board, you need to have lunch and dinner at local restaurants, it is tastier, more varied, and quite affordable.
2. You should not go with organized excursions: this is running after a guide, two hours to inspect the place and running back. So either by car or by bus, but by yourself.
3. It is not necessary to settle on the first line and not necessarily in a hotel (this, again, is not Egypt). It will be cheaper a little in the depths of the town, it can be either an apartment or a hostel, and the road to the beach will take an extra 5 minutes.
Good luck to all!! !