| Barcelona is Spain's second city and the capital of | | | | he was a very busy man! The museum is housed in |
| Catalonia in the north of the country. The city is a | | | | two adjoining medieval palaces. |
| vibrant metropolis with a great artistic and architectural | | | | The Rambla: A mile long walkway built over the |
| heritage. Many of the building are art nouveau with | | | | remains of a dried up riverbed. A bi touristy but usually |
| many being designed by the avant-garde and | | | | populated with street performers and artists. A great |
| occasionally bizarre architect Gaudi, of whom his | | | | place for an evening promenade or an afternoon |
| professor, at his graduation said "I don't know weather | | | | coffee at one of the many outdoor cafes, but in |
| we are graduating a genius or a fool!" | | | | crowded parts keep you hands on your wallet. |
| It is a well laid out city with broad streets and wide | | | | Museu de Geologia: The oldest museum in Barcelona |
| walkways. The city transport and tourist infrastructure | | | | and since 1882 has been home to a large and |
| underwent a massive program of improvement and | | | | fascinating collection of paleontology and geological |
| modernization from 1987 to 1992 in preparation for | | | | exhibits go on the first Sunday of the month when |
| staging the Olympic games, and today that legacy still | | | | admission is free. |
| ensures good quality, plentiful accommodation and | | | | Tibidabo: The summit of the hill Collserola arrive by the |
| good transport links. | | | | tramvia blau to la Atalaya (the old watchtower) for a |
| The people here seem to have a passion for all things | | | | stunning view of the city, also at the top are a |
| artistic and as such you will find many street artists | | | | nineteenth centuary amusement park and a |
| and performers and, as well as a profusion of the | | | | mechanical museum. |
| more usual galleries, concert halls, museums and | | | | Catedral: Work originally started on the construction of |
| exhibitions. The nightlife is also good, Barcelona is | | | | this beautiful gothic cathedral in 1298 on the site of a |
| definitely a party city and the streets are generally | | | | 1st centaury chapel the central spire was added as |
| safe at night although all the usual precautions are still | | | | late as 1913.The elaborate and decorative chorus |
| advisable. | | | | should not be missed. |
| The food is generally of a very high standard | | | | L'Aquarium de Barcelona: Situated on the waterfront |
| especially the tapas, selections of different foods such | | | | this transparent aquarium is one of the largest (if not |
| as olives, spicy chorizo sausage etc which is a good | | | | the largest) in Europe. It has a large collection of marine |
| reasonably priced option in the bars. Seafood is | | | | life from all over the world and especially the |
| especially good, as Barcelona is truly Mediterranean | | | | Mediterranean. You can walk through a transparent |
| city. When eating in restaurants send back anything | | | | tunnel while the sharks move menacingly above your |
| you didn't order, those wonderful looking appetizers are | | | | head. |
| not a gift from the kitchen and you will end up paying | | | | Museu Temple de la Segrada familia: A museum |
| for them! | | | | dedicated to Gaudi's great unfinished masterpiece. A |
| Barcelona has a a temperate climate more than hot | | | | wonderful opportunity to see a great work of art in |
| enough to fulfill most peoples idea of good holiday | | | | construction. Take the lift up the tower to get a good |
| weather but without the fierce heat of the south that | | | | overview of the scale of the project. |
| can render the middle of the day useless for anything | | | | Barcelona people are generally friendly and helpful to |
| other than sitting in a (preferably air-conditioned) hotel | | | | tourists but don't be surprise if your guide book Spanish |
| room. | | | | are not as popular as you thought here as although |
| Must see highlights: | | | | the locals speak Spanish the real language is Catalan. |
| Museu Picasso: On Carra Montcada the museum | | | | Barcelona has all the ingredients for a good holiday. |
| houses a large collection of Picasso's work especially | | | | Good food, good weather, Great culture and |
| his rose and blue periods and the later cubist variations, | | | | wonderful people, A week there will always be a |
| and also his engravings pottery sculpture and lithograph | | | | week well spent. |