Gaudi Master pieces

The Sagrada Familia cathedral (still being built) – impressive modernist architecture – best to go there by metro (L2 - purple line). If you fancy a break while you are in the area there are a lot of nice cafes up the hill from the Cathedral in the pedestrianised avenida Gaudi. If you carry on up the hill you will also find another modernist marvel the Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau my son was born in one of the pavillions! Casa Batlló and Casa Milá (La Pedrera) in Passeig de Grácia – are more modernist buildings designed by Gaudí.

The famous street

Take a stroll down Barcelona's centerpiece La Rambla – you can walk down the Rambla de Catalunya (where it meets Avenida Diagonal) to the main square Plaza de Catalunya and then continue down the Ramblas pedestrian street all the way to the Columbus monument and then on to the Port Vell marina. There are plenty of street entertainers in the Ramblas – some of them are excellent and some not so good. I feel safer in Barcelona than in most other big cities, but if you are walking down the Ramblas and in the port area watch out for your bags and wallets - my cousin’s husband got pick-pocketed here, but then he did have his wallet in his back pocket.

Halfway down the Ramblas there are two sights that are really worth seeing – if you are into food, the market the Boqueria (on the right hand side as you go down) is supposed to be the best in Europe – certainly the quality of the food is amazing. Remember that there is not much fresh fish on a Monday, and Saturdays are really busy; so go early in the morning. Very close by is the opera house the Liceu. On the left hand side is the Plaza Real square – really nice with tall palm trees. You can stop for a coffee here if you can find a spare table in the shade!

When you get to the bottom of the Ramblas you will be at Plaza Colón – a big statue of Christopher Columbus pointing West(-ish??) You can climb to the top of the statue, but I haven’t tried it yet. If you cross the road here towards the harbor, and then follow the pedestrian path to the left you will reach the Old Port (Port Vell), which has some big expensive yachts in the harbor. If you walk round the port towards the Barceloneta area you will get to a large red-brown brick building the Palau de Mar which has lots of really good seafood restaurants. There are a few typical dishes here in Cataluña the fideuá which is mainly the same as the traditional paella but the rice is substituted for thin short pasta strings or the black rice which again is sort of a paella but the cooking sauce is made with the ink of the squid or cuttle fish. You can walk all the way along the Barceloneta until you reach the beach, which isn’t bad, but can get very crowded during the summer and in fiestas.

If you follow the beach round to the left you will eventually get to the Olympic Port (near the big copper-coloured statue of a fish), which is where all the stag parties head for late-night boozing session.

The Gothic Quarter

The Barrio Gotico – fantastic old medieval streets around the medieval cathedral where you can easily get lost and lots of small, interesting shops. Have a good look at the medieval Cathedral of Barcelona and the church of Santa Maria del Mar.

El Borne area - See the beautiful Palau de la Musica just off Via Laietana Visit the Picasso Museum– really good, but the queues can be quite long. Don't forget to visit Santa Maria del Pi another fantastic church

Parks

Parc Guell (another Gaudí design) one of the most impressive public parks in the world. You’ll have to get there by bus or taxi – it’s quite an uphill walk from the nearest metro station. The Ciudadella park for a nice closer to home walk especially on Sundays and for really spontaneous entertainment like tango, salsa, martial arts etc. The park has a large number of century-old trees and a wide range of elements: the monumental waterfall, 19th-century buildings now used as museums, a lake for rowing boats, pathways and numerous sculptures. It shares the site with the city Zoo

Museums

Located in the beautiful park of Montjuïc are the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and close by the Fundació Joan Miró. If you have time the Museu d'Art Contemporan. that brings contemporary art to life! check the guided tours at the Picasso museum so you can get to know all the details of the collection.

Some shopping

Shopping! The main shopping streets are: Paseo de Gracia (all the designer shops). Avenida de la Diagonal (more designer shops) and Rambla De Catalunya. There is a large department store the Corte Ingles. It is Barcelona's answer to Selfridge's or Macy's. Check the gourmet club - the store's luxury delicatessen area and the take away area with really great food choices all in the basement floor. Remember that most shops are open until around 9 pm and that most shops are closed on Sundays.

Last notes! check the Barcelona City tourist card save time and money with the card! To explore the city with someone who knows its history, secrets etc check the guided walking tours run by the Tourism Barcelona Consortium.