Barcelona!

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My wife and I just spent 4 days and had a blast!! We are Americans and in our early 40's on a holiday from home and the kids. I hope this is helpful other Barcelona touristas.

Our favorite site was the Sagrada Familia. This temple was unbelievable. I think its best to get their early (avoid crowds) and take a guided tour in your language. Our English-speaking tour guide was fantastic. Be sure to go up in the elevators and also get a view of the temple from the far side of the park across the street.

Here are some other things we enjoyed: 1) Tibidabo on a clear day. The church is beautiful, the trip there is fun, and the views are amazing. We could easily see Montserrat and the Pyrenees in the distance. 2) Santa Maria del Mar in the Ribera. Incredible cathedral. The neighborhood is busy, and inside it is peaceful and dark, with soaring celings and arches. 3) Park Guell. The more we saw of Guadi, the more we appreciated his genius, and this park is a fine example. It is important to walk up away from the entrance and see the upper portions of the park. The crowds aren't so bad, the park features are really cool, and the views of the city are beautiful. 4) Picasso Museum. Again, we had an English-speaking tour, which was good. The early work is really great to see, however there are significant gaps in his work. This is disappointing, but understandable. 5) National Museum of Catalonian Art and Mont Juic. This Museum is awesome--the facility itself is incredible, and the art is varied and excellent. The surrounding grounds of Mont Juic are verdant, with good views of the city. 6) Foundation Miro. 7) Museum of the History of the City of Barcelona. Very cool underground exhibits of Roman ruins.

One of the best things was just wandering the city. We spent a lot of our time in the Bari Gothic and the Ribera/Born. The winding streets, squares, and shops are great. We walked down the Ramblas once and that was enough. It is a tourist trap and there are much more interesting shops, bars, restaurants a few blocks off this street in the Bari Gothic and farther over in the Ribera. As for dining and fun, El Born is the place to be. It is touristy, but there are plenty of locals there and it is very very cool. We also spent a lovely eveing in Gracia, which is a real residential neighborhood with pretty squares and good restaurants and bars. We also went to Sarria, which was worth the trip. Barcelonetta was also nice. We used the metro extensively, which was easy to use, safe, and inexpensive.

Our hotel was the H10 on Carrer del Pi (Bari Gothic), and we were very happy with it.

We spent four days in Barcelona, never left the city, never went to the beach, and were not bored for one second. There are a lot of tourists (from all over the world), and I can see why. What a great place!

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