BARCELONA

(includes Sant Just Desvern)

BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
Barceloneta
●Forn Baluard – 38-40 Calle Baluart (in Hotel Praktik); 011-34-932-21-12-08; hotelpraktikbakery.com; stellar bakery; among city’s top 5 bakeries.

Barri Gòtic
●Cafè de l’Estiu – 5-6 Plaça de Sant Iu (at Museu Frederic Marès); 011-933-10-30-14; cafedestiu.com/index-eng.php; good stopping point after museum tour.
●Escribà – 546 Gran Via Corts Catalanes; 011-34-934-54-75-35; escriba.es; easy to miss from outside; family-run, Catalan bakery; quiet tea room; other locations throughout city, this is main location.

L’Eixample
●Demasié – 28 Carrer de la Princesa; 011-34-932-69-11-80; demasie.es; bakery, breakfast & candy store; over 150 years old.

El Raval
●Barcelona Reykjavik Bakery – 12 Carrer del Doctor Dou; 011-34-933-02-09-21; barcelonareykjavik.com; organic treats.



BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
Barceloneta
●Carpe Diem Lounge Club – 32 Passeig Marítim de Barceloneta; 011-34-932-24-04-70; cdlcbarcelona.com; elegantly appointed space with lounging daybeds.
●Eclipse – 1 Plaça de la Rosa dels Vents (at W Hotel, on 26^th floor); 011-34-932-95-28-00; eclipse-barcelona.com; for late-night dancing.
●icebarcelona – 2 Ramon Trias Fargas; 011-34-932-24-16-25; icebarcelona.com/en; space cooled to 17.6° F; 45 minute time limit.
●Shôko Barcelona – 36 Passeig Marítim de Barceloneta; 011-34-932-25-92-00; shoko.biz; well-known club/restaurant on beach front, sandwiched between other beach bars; popular among locals & tourists; glamorous setting to dance, drink & eat; popular with groups because offers set menus; book night at Shôko before you go & you have whole night planned right through - from pre-dinner drinks to losing your cloakroom ticket on way out.

Barri Gòtic
●Karma – 10 Plaça Reial; 011-34-933-02-56-80; karmadisco.com; tiny, classic rock bar with good gin & tonics.
●Ocaña – 13-15 Plaça Reial; 011-34-936-76-48-14; ocana.cat/en/bar; cafe, club, cocktail bar & restaurant; Catalan & Mediterranean food; beautiful venue; some nights have flamenco dancing - check website.

El Born/La Ribera
●El Bar de l’Antic Teatre – 12 Carrer de Verdaguer i Callís (La Ribera, at Antic Theatre); 011-34-933-15-23-54; anticteatre.com; pleasant place for drinks (beer garden-y); sprawling courtyard.
●La Luna – 10 Career Abaixadors (El Bron); 011-34-932-95-55-13; lalunabcn.com; best cocktails in town, massive mojitos, as well as good tapas; chic & elegant, must see; very chic, romantic place to start off your evening best way possible; interior has magnificent high ceilings with beautifully lit arches, decorated with bright metal lanterns, elegant dark wooden tables & comfortable leather armchairs, perfect to have some drinks.
●La Vinya del Senyor – 5 Plaça de Santa Maria del Mar (La Ribera); 011-34-933-10-33-79; facebook.com/vinyadelsenyor; excellent wine & tapas; relax on terrace, which lies in Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar’s shadow, or crowd inside at tiny bar; wine list is as long as War and Peace; table upstairs for those who opt to sample by bottle rather than glass.
●El Xampanyet – 22 Carrer de Montcada (El Born, across street from Picasso Museum); 011-34-933-19-70-03; barcelonabook.com/el-xampanyet.html; great bar & great tapas; always packed; eponymous bubbly is actually pretty low-grade cava, if truth be told, but drinkable enough accompaniment to house tapa; saucer of Cantabrian anchovies; lined with coloured tiles, barrels & antique curios, bar chiefly functions as little slice of Barcelona history & has been in hands of same family since 1930s.

Diagonal
●Hotel Diagonal – 205 Avinguda Diagonal; 011-34-93-489-5300; hoteldiagonalbarcelona.com; rooftop bar on terrace around pool; call to make sure open because sometimes closed for private events.

L’Eixample
●Banker’s Bar – 38-40 Passeig de Gràcia (at Mandarin Oriental Hotel); 011-34-931-51-87-82; mandarinoriental.com; more buttoned up than usual; feels like luxurious vault.
●Dry Martini – 162 Carrer d’Aribau; 011-34-932-17-50-80; drymartiniorg.com; laid-back crowd; something of shrine to martini; opened in 1978 by maestro Pedro Carbonell (who still holds reins) & part of Javier de las Muelas empire; institution, with all that entails - dapper staff, dark wood in abundance & bounty of bottles, yet utterly unstuffy.
●Fàbrica Moritz Barcelona – 39-41 Ronda de Sant Antoni; 011-34-934-26-00-50; moritz.com/en; you don’t just have beer here, you have whole culture-food-leisure experience; spectacularly renovated from original Moritz brewery (built in 1864); has become neighborhood cultural meeting point: bakery; brewery; concept store; foosball venue; newsstand (with amazingly rich international selection); restaurant; & wine bar; open pretty much 24/7 (from 06:00 am–03:00 pm daily); for beer, try Epidor, strong, bodied & toasted lager.
●Monvinic – 249 Carrer de la Diputació; 011-34-932-72-61-87; monvinic.com/en; wine bar with huge wine list; ultra-modern; ask for vino tinto from Galicia.
●Morro Fi – 171 Carrer del Consell de Cent; 011-34-934-54-32-36; morrofi.cat and morrofi.wordpress.com; garage-turned-bar; snacks.

El Poble Sec
●Quimet & Quimet – 25 Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes; 011-34-934-42-31-42; facebook.com/quimetyquimet; among city’s quirkiest restaurant; 4^th generation Quim family member works behind counter in space about standard living room size; stand in crowd around stainless-steel counter, with glass of beer or wine in hand & enjoy tapas (e.g., good bread with garlicky beans, little ham & tuna assemblies, pressed beef with tomato jam (this, very sweet, is fantastic) & tapenade, and/or bacalao; 100 types of these montaditos nightly; also, classic tapas like potato croquettes, fried empanadas, or cheese with sweet grilled peppers; unlikely you’ll want “real” meal after this.

El Raval
●B Lounge – 17-21 Rambla del Raval (at Hotel Barceló Raval); 011-34-933-20-14-90; barcelo.com; downstairs tapas bar is big draw; also, terrace club on roof, with 360° wraparound bar.
●Bar Arnau – 9-11 Carrer de Sant Pau (at Fonda Espanya); 011-34-935-50-00-00; hotelespanya.com; located right in Barcelona’s historical heart, next to Ramblas, Gran Teatre del Liceu & La Boquería market; structure originally re-designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, in early 20^th Century, with Eusebi Arnau’s & Ramón Casas’ collaboration; bar named after celebrated sculptor Arnau, whose splendid alabaster fireplace is bar centerpiece; local meeting point to enjoy aperitif & best cocktails in welcoming & unique setting; also has appealing menu featuring sandwiches & tapas.

Sant Antoni
●Xixbar – 19 Carrer de Rocafort; 011-34-934-23-43-14; facebook.com/Xix-bar-Gin-Corner-192113750801163/info/?tab=overview; one-time dairy now bar specializing in gin & tonics.



HOTELS
Barceloneta
●Hotel Arts Barcelona – 19-21 Carrer de la Marina; 011-34-932-21-10-00; hotelartsbarcelona.com or ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/spain/barcelona; sea front, 44 story glass & steel tower with suites perfect for extended stay.
●Pullman Barcelona Skipper – 10 Avinguda del Litoral; 011-34-932-21-65-65; pullman-barcelona-skipper.com; block from sea, near Hotel Arts; great rooftop pool with nice sea view & modern rooms.
●W Barcelona – 1 Plaça Rosa dels Vents; 011-34-932-95-28-00; w-barcelona.com; only hotel with direct beach access; ask for room (at least on 15^th floor) with city & ocean view.

Barri Gòtic
●Hotel Bagues – 105 Las Ramblas; 011-34-933-43-50-00; hotelbagues.com; set in former palace & 1850s Masriera jewelry workshop with original art nouveau & Modernist features; luxe boutique hotel featuring displays of original Masriera jewelry; plush rooms come with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, plus sofas; ornate upgraded rooms have gold leaf detailing & ebony wood; some include balconies; suites add balcony hot tubs; French bistro/cocktail bar, plus rooftop tapas bar; outdoor pool, exercise room & sauna.
●Hotel DO: Plaça Reial – 1 Plaça Reial; 011-34-934-81-36-66; hoteldoreial.com; 18 room, 5-star boutique with 2 restaurants & rooftop bar; in renovated, mid-19^th Century building; great attention to details, like art.
●Hotel Neri – 5 Carrer de Sant Sever; 011-34-933-04-06-55; hotelneri.com; my 1^st choice.
●Ohla Hotel – 49 Via Laietana; 011-34-933-41-50-50; ohlahotel.com/en; starkly modern 74-room boutique; rooftop “chillout” terrace has glass-sided pool; showers are glass-enclosed & in room’s middle; not for modest.

Diagonal
●Hotel Silken Diagonal Barcelona – 205 Avinguda Diagonal; 011-34-934-89-53-00; hoteles-silken.com/en/hotels/diagonal-barcelona; some have said maintenance could be improved - hmmm.

L’Eixample
●Hotel Advance – 180 Carrer de Sepúlveda; 011-34-932-89-28-92; hoteladvance.com/en; close to Universitat metro station & Las Ramblas; upscale hotel in circa-1888 building on tree-lined street.
●Claris Hotel – 150 Carrer de Pau Claris; 011-34-934-87-62-62; hotelclaris.com/#!en/home; among Barcelona’s best hotels; design & tradition icon of connoisseurship; lobby consists of long, curved sectional sofas & ottomans in rich brown leather, set here & there by Japanese water garden, with different spaces defined by 4^th Century Roman statuary & mosaics from owner’s Asian & classical antiquity collection; every guest room has different decor, some with restored 18^th Century English furniture, some with contemporary furnishings from Barcelona’s playful legion of designers & each with accent piece or 2 from ancient world; try to book 1 of wonderful duplex semi suites — especially #204; junior suites have stone sinks, Jacuzzi baths & showers with huge cascade fixtures; rooftop terrace has 1^st-rate restaurant, La Terraza, & decent-size pool.
●H10 Casanova Hotel – 559 Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes; 011-34-933-96-48-00; hotelh10casanova.com; set in elegant 18^th Century building, stylish urban hotel is modern, with understated rooms, free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs & minibars or minifridges; some have balconies; suites add separate bedrooms & sitting areas with pull-out couches; chic restaurant, cocktail bar with tapas menu & rooftop terrace with bar, city views & plunge pool; spa with whirlpool, hammer & gym.
●Market Hotel – 10 Passatge Sant Antoni Abat (alley off 68 Carrer del Comte Borrell); 011-34-933-25-12-05; markethotel.com.es; hard to find; impeccably designed; extremely comfortable.
●Hispanos Siete Suiza – 255 Carrer de Sicília; 011-34-932-08-20-51; hispanos7suiza.com/en; refined, small apartment hotel near Sagrada Familia; modern & new; lovely spaces.

Gràcia & Pedralbes
●Hotel Casa Fuster – 132 Passeig de Gràci; 011-34-932-55-30-00; hotelcasafuster.com; sharing street with 2 Gaudi houses, hotel listed as national landmark building; excellent on-site restaurant, Galaxo.
●Hotel Condes de Barcelona – 73-75 Passeig de Gràcia; 011-34-934-45-00-00; condesdebarcelona.com/en/home-2; 2 19^th Century mansions (palaces) containing 235 rooms.
●Mandarin Oriental – 38-40 Passeig de Gràcia; 011-34-931-51-88-88; mandarinoriental.com/barcelona; interiors by Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola; must see, subterranean spa; has air of pricey-&-privileged inner sanctum; standard guest rooms are light, done in ivory with clean, minimalist lines, hardwood plank floors & accent carpeting; suites (in new wing, opened in 2014) have huge round bathtubs & towel warmers; guests here have access to dedicated concierge service; spectacular interior garden restaurant offers drinks & light meals; plunge pool on rooftop terrace & another, larger pool in spa, which, with its 8 ultraluxurious treatment cabins, is really jewel in crown here: access by separate elevator so guests can come & go in their robes; main restaurant, Moments, is under direction of superstar chef Carme Ruscalleda & Michelin-starred.
●Omm – 265 Carrer del Rosselló; 011-34-934-45-40-00; hotelomm.com/en; sleek, 59-room beautiful people stomping ground; great breakfast; lobby of this postmodern architectural stunner tells you what to expect throughout: perfect comfort, cutting-edge design & meticulous attention to detail; minimalist decor is done in soothing tones of gray, purple & orange; gas fireplace in lounge & nooks for intimate conversation; superior doubles overlooking interior courtyard have long private decks & huge soaker tubs; suites have modern, 4-poster beds, antique wooden desks & armchairs with reading lamps; rooms on upper floors & huge rooftop terrace offer views of Gaudí’s Casa Milá; restaurant, Roca Moo, serves modern cuisine originally orchestrated by Roca brothers (Joan, Josep & Jordi of Celler de Can Roca near Gerona, acclaimed in 2015 as best restaurant in world), now in hands of Roca-trained Juan Pretel.

El Raval
●Hotel Barcelo Raval – 17-21 Rambla del Raval; 011-34-933-20-14-90; barcelo.com; affordable; 189 1970s-inspired rooms, with 4 suites; 360° views from rooftop terrace; sleek addition to Bohemian neighborhood; rooftop pool.
●Fonda Espanya – 9-11 Carrer de Sant Pau; 011-34-935-50-00-10; hotelespanya.com; located right in Barcelona’s historical heart, next to Ramblas, Gran Teatre del Liceu & La Boquería market; Hotel España, considered little jewel of Catalonian Modernism, originally opened in 1859 as Fonda de España; went on to be refurbished by celebrated Modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, in early 20^th Century, with Eusebi Arnau’s & Ramón Casas’ collaboration; restored again in 2010 to revive spirit conceived by Domènech i Montaner; modernist spaces refurbished to their original design, yet at same time equipped with latest comforts & technology.

Tibidabo
●ABaC – 1 Avinguda del Tibidabo; 011-34-933-19-66-00; abacbarcelona.com; award-winning, exquisite 5-star boutique & 2 Michelin starred restaurant.
●Gran Hotel La Florida – 83-93 Centra de Vallvidrera al Tibidabo; 011-34-932-59-30-00; hotellaflorida.com/en; situated 1K feet above Barcelona, lofty boutique hotel with spa and excellent restaurant, L’Orangerie; solid 45 minutes from city center.



RESTAURANTS
Barceloneta
●La Cova Fumada – 56 Carrer del Baluart; 011-34-932-21-40-61; facebook.com/pages/La-Cova-Fumada/167510036619950; best for lunch; longstanding, local tapas stop; no sign & downmarket, but this tiny, buzzing family-run tapas spot always packs crowd; mouthwatering pulp (octopus), calmer, sardines & 15 or so other small plates cooked to perfection in small open kitchen; famous for bombs (potato croquettes served with alioli) & grilled carafes (artichokes).
●La Mar Salada – 58-59 Passeig de Joan de Borbó; 011-34-932-21-10-15; lamarsalada.cat; less touristy; stands out among street’s seafood specialists, offering creative twists on classic dishes at rock-bottom prices; traditional favorites (paella, black rice, fideuá & simple fresh fish); also, delicious desserts by chef Albert Enrich; fixed-price lunch menu changes weekly & offers budget-friendly way to try what’s in season; freshness assured, as main ingredients come directly from long fish quay across street (lively auction where Barcelona’s small fishing fleet sells its wares).
●7 Portes – 14 Passeig Isabel II; 011-34-933-19-30-33; 7portes.com/en; founded in 1836 as cafe & converted into restaurant in 1929; old-world atmosphere with wood panelling, tiles, mirrors & plaques naming famous patrons (e.g.,Orson Welles); speciality is paella, but also try gran plat de marisa (literally “big plate of seafood”).

Barri Gòtic
●Cafè de l’Estiu – 5-6 Plaça de Sant Iu (at Museu Frederic Marès); 011-933-10-30-14; cafedestiu.com/index-eng.php; good stopping point after museum tour.
●Café de L’Académia – 1 Carrer dels Lledó; 011-34-933-19-82-53; barcelona-life.com/eat/restaurants_details/35-Cafe_de_l’Academia; with wicker chairs, stone walls & classical music playing, sophisticated-rustic & excellent contemporary Mediterranean cuisine specialties (e.g., timbal d’escalibada amb formatge de cobra (roast vegetable salad with goat cheese)) are served; popular with functionaries & politicians from nearby Generalitat; call ahead to reserve table indoors or on busy terrace.
●Ocaña – 13-15 Plaça Reial; 011-34-936-76-48-14; ocana.cat/en/bar; cafe, club, cocktail bar & restaurant; Catalan & Mediterranean food; beautiful venue; some nights have flamenco dancing - check website.
●Els Quatre Gats – 3 Carrer de Montsió; 011-34-933-02-41-40; 4gats.com/en; founded in 1897 by Moderniste artists (Bohemians of their day) whose work still graces walls; traditional Catalan dishes, uninspired & overpriced, with perfunctory service; stick to front room gastrobar, which hasn’t changed much since young Pablo Picasso 1^st exhibited here in 1899; in fact, Ramon Casas, Santiago Rusiñol & Picasso among illustrious figures who ate & drank; interior decor was financed by Ramon Casas, who paid for circular chandeliers & medieval furniture designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch; another of his “presents” was painting showing 2 men, establishment owner (Pere Romeu) & Casas himself, pedaling tandem (1 now in bar is copy, original being in Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya); linger over drink, order some pa de coca (thin country flatbreads with tomato & olive oil), cheese, cured ham or pebrots de padre (fried green peppers); building — Casa Martí (1896) — by Moderniste master Josep Puig i Cadafalch with sculptural detail by Eusebio Arnau is treat in itself & no trip to Barcelona complete without at least having drinks here.

El Born/La Ribera
●Bodega La Tinaja – 9 Carrer de l’Esparteria (El Born); 011-34-933-10-22-50; facebook.com/Bodega-La-Tinaja-165565416818280/info/?ref=page_internal; converted wine cellar is strong on authentic charm - entrance is through ancient-looking & heavy wooden door; inside you are transported back centuries to find cool, dimly lit space with exposed stone walls, vaulted roof & wooden beams; name La Tinaja refers to huge ceramic wine vats used for aging wine; excellent wine list & food is traditional Catalan & Spanish: Serrano & other Iberian hams & cheeses, paella, full tapas menu & weekly specials; occasional flamenco guitarists.
●EspaiSucre – 53 Carrer de la Princesa; 011-34-932-68-16-30; espaisucre.com; world’s 1^st dessert-only restaurant, successfully since 2000; attached to creative & pioneering patisserie school of which Willy Wonka would be proud; 30-seat restaurant serves multicourse tasting menus based around sweet-&-savory desserts that never fail to astonish yet somehow never feel overwhelming; consider goat cheesecake with raspberries, red pepper & ginger or squid rice with saffron custard & passion fruit.
●La Luna – 10 Carrer Abaixadores (El Born); 011-34-93-295-5513; lalunabcn.com; cocktails & tapas; best cocktails in town, massive mojitos.
●Taller de Tapas – 51 Argenteria (El Born); 011-34-932-65-85-59; tallerdetapas.com/eng/argenteria; other locations; local tapas bar w/ancient stone walls; original location is safe bet for bite when out on tourist trail; classic Catalan & Spanish tapas dishes here may lack character, but always fresh, competently executed & served by cheerful staff.

L’Eixample
●L’Hostal de Rita – 279 Carrer d’Aragó; 011-34-934-87-23-76; laritarestaurant.com; perfect lunch restaurant; welcoming, stylish little place; great rollito de pollo con damon (chicken rolled with ham) & amazing value €15 fixed price menu (Sun-Thurs only) that gets you tapas appetizers, choice of main course (usual chicken or cod), fruit-topped yogurt, ice cream & wine.
●Can Ravell – 313 Carrer d’Aragó; 011-34-934-57-51-14; ravell.com/en; blocks from La Sagrada Família & settled amid mercado of quotidian businesses, this tiny epicurean paradise has upheld lofty gastronomic ideal for 80 years: perhaps most glorious of delicatessens in city that knows exactly how it likes its ham & high-end foodstuffs; founded in 1929 & run today by Joseph Ravell, deli’s founder’s son, Ignasi Ravell; chef hand-selects hams in Guijuelo & Jabugo & vast wine cellar boasting finest domestic & international vintage, but with upstairs secret; discerning diners push through crowded anteroom, chock-full of French cheeses, jams & mustards, past counters where jamón serrano is thinly sliced & picnic-ready meals are prepared; head to spiral staircase in back; above grocery bustle, large room of long marble tables for diners to share; floor-to-ceiling French doors; business people chatting in 2s-3s; shelves are stocked with full complement of whiskeys; 2^nd-floor restaurant is unexpectedly airy & luminous; meal encompasses full 2 hours; waiters offer only 4 choices per course, chef choosing plates each day; this is high-end Catalan & Spanish comfort food; salmorejo — heartier cousin of gazpacho — is served with choice of jamón ibérico or lobster topped with poached egg; lunch for 2 is about €120, depending on wine; also good for breakfast.
●Cinc Sentits – 58 Carrer d’Aribau; 011-34-933-23-94-90;cincsentits.com/en; multi-course, tasting menu that starts with shot of maple syrup, chilled cream, cava saboyan & rock salt layer; Michelin-starred; elegant setting with original minimalist look, in main dominated by dark tones; no à la carte options here; diners choose from 3 menus, focus being on invention & select Catalan ingredients.
●Federal Cafe Barcelona – 39 Carrer del Parlament; 011-34-931-87-36-07; federalcafe.es/barcelona; chain; rooftop terrace; good place for brunch.
●Restaurant Gaig – 200 Carrer Corcega; 011-34-934-53-20-20; restaurantgaig.com/en; Michelin-starred; among best & oldest restaurants in Barcelona; founded over 130 years by great grandmother of present owner & chef Carlos Gaig; famous for fresh quality & innovative cuisine based on traditional Catalan recipes; enjoyed patio dining in summer months.
●Restaurant Lasarte – 259 Carrer de Mallorca; 011-34-93-445-3242; restaurantlasarte.com; 2 Michelin stars.
●Moments – 38-40 Passeig de Gràcia (at Mandarin Oriental Hotel); 011-34-93-151-8888; mandarinoriental.com; 1 Michelin star.
●Monvinic – 249 Carrer de la Diputació; 011-34-932-72-61-87; monvinic.com/en; ultra-modern, highly original, cutting-edge restaurant with world of wine as leitmotiv; designer-inspired tapas bar, single dining room with 2 large tables & area reserved for tastings; updated traditional cuisine & impressive wine cellar; ask for vino tinto from Galicia.
●L’Olive – 47 Calle Balmes (near Passeig de Gràcia); 011-34-93-452-1990; rte-olive.com; good paella and tapas.
●Tapac 24 – 269 Diputacio; 011-34-93-488-0977; tapas24.net; chef trained at El Bulli; no fuss tapas joint.

Gràcia & Pedralbes
●Galaxo – 132 Passeig de Gràcia (in Hotel Casa Fuster); 011-34-932-55-30-00; hotelcasafuster.com/en/gastronomy-jazz/galaxo-restaurant; terrace dining.
●El Glop – 24 Carrer de Sant Lluís; 011-34-932-13-70-58; tavernaelglop.com; small restaurant chain, of which 1 in Gràcia has most charm & fewest tourists; specializes in grilling; try roasted duck, quail, or rabbit; very affordable; reservations necessary.

El Poblenou
●Dos Cielos – 272-286 Carrer de Pere IV (at Meliá Barcelona Sky, 24^th floor); 011-34-933-67-20-70; doscielos.com; Michelin-starred modern Mediterranean cuisine with light touch; occupies 24^th floor; surprising design includes kitchen incorporated into dining room, steel bar where guests can also eat, as well as terrace; superb views over less-photographed side of Barcelona.

El Poble Sec
●Koska Taverna – 8 Carrer de Blai; 011-34-931-27-03-13; koskataverna.com; rustically simple environment; operated by 2 chefs, 1 Argentinian & other Basque; small venue with only few tables; serve tapas such as ajoarriero & chorizo ​​in cider; good range of wines, carefully selected by owners; ask for txacolí; considered among best tapas bar in city.
●Pakta – 5 Carrer de Lleida; 011-34-936-24-01-77; elbarriadria.com; Nikkei cuisine by Feria brothers; Michelin-starred; contemporary, colorful & informal restaurant that evokes Peruvian culture; name means “together” or “union” in Quechua; ceilings & walls adorned with striking fabrics; cuisine, however, emphasizes Japanese, showcasing lots of technical prowess & meticulous presentation; bookings need to be made online.
●Quimet & Quimet – 25 Carrer del Poeta Cabanyes; 011-34-934-42-31-42; facebook.com/quimetyquimet; with high walls lined top-to-bottom with colorful array of bottles, tiny Quimet & Quimet is among most iconic & charming tapas bars in city; 1^st opened in 1914 as wine shop produced by original owner in village near Montserrat Mountains; through century-long path of taking small, unassuming steps, Quimet & Quimet arrived where it is today: contemporary tapas menu built upon imaginative & unusual ingredient combinations; take, e.g., montadito (open-faced, small sandwich) of smoked salmon with Greek yogurt & truffled honey; especially known for conservas – foods preserved through canning, jarring or other methods – many of which displayed in their containers for sale on shelves behind bar; try “meat combination” plate, warm dish that included soft-as-butter partridge meat, tasty pâté & juicy cecina (salted, smoked & air-dried beef meat), served along with marinated mushrooms, chestnuts stewed in sweet syrup & caramelized onions.
●Rias de Galicia – 7 Carrer de Lleida; 011-34-934-24-81-52; riasdegalicia.com; shellfish is house specialty; Ferran Adria eats here; Michelin recommended; boasts live fish tank, plus meticulously arranged dining room decorated in classic yet contemporary style; extensive à la carte specializes in Galician fish & seafood, always of very highest quality.
●Rosal 34 – 34 Carrer del Roser; 011-34-933-24-90-46; rosal34.com; located in old family wine cellar, where rustic stonework blends in with contemporary decor; seasonal dishes plus interesting tapas with creative touch.
●Tickets – 164 Avinguda del Paraŀlel (in Flotas Building); 011-34-934-23-24-48; ticketsbar.es; Ferran Adria’s newest restaurant; reservations essential; open several years now, but still feels like future of top-end gastronomic dining; sense of fun pervades every facet of this cinema-themed operation, from door staff’s eccentric uniforms to ice-cream cart’s bell that signals meal’s savoury phase’s end; restaurant’s various kitchens masterfully blend Catalonia’s distinctive cuisine with culinary ideas from all over world.
●Restaurante Tragaluz – 5 Passatge de la Concepción; 011-34-934-87-06-21; grupotragaluz.com/restaurante/tragaluz; “tragaluz” means “skylight”; sliding roof opens to stars in good weather, while chairs, fittings & lamps by Javier Mariscal reflect Barcelona’s ongoing passion for playful design; Mediterranean cuisine is traditional yet light; popular stop for well-heeled ladies who lunch & local businesspeople entertaining visitors; entrance from street is through Japanese tavern that rides currently cresting sushi wave in Catalonia; redesigned main dining room upstairs is reached via kitchen & top floor is informal space for coffee or after-dinner drink.
●Xemei Cocina Venexiana – 85 Paseo de la Exposicion; 011-34-935-53-51-40; xemei.es; restaurant specializing in Italian (Venetian) cuisine.

Rambla
●Bar Pinotxo – 466-470 Mercat de la Boqueria (91 Carrer la Rambla); 011-34-933-17-17-31; pinotxobar.com; tapas; try salt cod croquettes; also, excellent for breakfast.
●El Quim de la Boqueria – 606 Mercat de la Boqueria (91 Carrer la Rambla); 011-34-933-01-98-10; elquimdelaboqueria.cat; some of best tapas in city; true insider location where have to wait to get seat at stall; try chipirones (small squid) a la plancha with olive-oil-fried egg.
●Café Viena – 115 La Rambla del Estudis; 011-34-933-17-14-92; viena.es; try flauta d’iberic d.o. jabugo (ham sandwich).

El Raval
●Bar Lobo – 3 Carrer del Pintor Fortuny; 011-34-934-81-53-46; grupotragaluz.com/en/restaurante/bar-lobo; pleasant all-day restaurant on tiny plaza; good for breakfast; Don Quijote combo is good way to start day.
●Restaurant Fonda Espanya – 9-11 Carrer de Sant Pau (at Fonda Espanya); 011-34-935-50-00-00; hotelespanya.com; located right in Barcelona’s historical heart, next to Ramblas, Gran Teatre del Liceu & La Boquería market; structure originally re-designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, in early 20^th Century, with Eusebi Arnau’s & Ramón Casas’ collaboration; Chef is Martín Berasategui.

Sant Antoni
●Lolita Taperia – 104 Carrer Tamarit; 011-34-934-24-52-31; lolitataperia.com; popular Barcelona bar & restaurant known for classic yet inventive menu as well as interesting history; in 2005, celebrity chef Albert Adría partnered with Joan Martinez at Inopia Classic Bar (modern tapas bar emphasizing top-notch fresh ingredients & made-to-order food); became among Barcelona’s top casual dining venues; in 2009, Adría left to open Tickets & Martinez reinvented Inopia into Lolita Taper; dynamic space with flashy decor, drool-worthy food, cocktail bar & depending on hour, live music & DJs; fantastic interpretations of traditional tapas; try meat-stuffed potato croquettes.

Sant Martí
●Restaurant Can Pineda – 55 Carrer de Sant Joan de Malta; 011-34-933-08-30-81; restaurantcanpineda.com; favorite of Mario Batali’s, this Barcelona institution (since 1906) specializes in traditional Catalan cuisine; restaurant boasts 3K-bottle wine cellar & serves home-cooked specialties with emphasis on crayfish, foie gras, lobster, oxtail & truffles; freshest ingredients from market; ever-changing menu, warm atmosphere & friendly service are worth taking trip to Barcelona’s outskirts; try baby squid with fresh fava beans.

Sitges
●Gaudí Garraf Restaurant – 174-175 Carretera C-31 de Barcelona a Sitges (in El Garraf, Bodegas Güell); 011-34-936-32-01-80; facebook.com/pages/Gaudi-Garraf-Restaurant/187222238029002; architectural complex comprising winery & associated buildings; architect Antoni Gaudí received commission for this work in 1882 from his patron, Eusebi Güell, under direction of Francesc Berenguer (Gaudí’s helper); winery has triangular frontal profile, with almost vertical roofs, steep sloping stone slabs, finished off with sets of chimneys & 2 doors that connect it to old building; 3 floors: ground floor for parking vehicles, apartment on 1^st floor & domed chapel on top floor; currently restaurant of beautiful setting (on beach) but average food.

Tibidabo
●ABaC – 1 Avinguda del Tibidabo; 011-34-933-19-66-00; abacbarcelona.com; 2 Michelin stars; superb culinary experience; terrace, designer-inspired bar & bright, contemporary-style dining room; innovative, technically faultless cuisine.
●L’Orangerie – 83-93 Centra Vallvidrera al Tibidabo (in Gran Hotel La Florida); 011-34-93-259-3000; hotellaflorida.com; 1K feet above Barcelona; if the sky is cloudless, must try venue’s terrace dining; otherwise, too much of trip.



SERVICES
●Gaudí Club Tour – 25-bis Carrer Curt; 011-34-934-15-25-66; gaudiclub.com/ingles/i_tour/tour.htm.
●My Favorite Things – 011-34-637-26-54-05; myft.net; personalized fashion shopping tour, led by local costume designer, lasting 4 hours and including drink & tapas.
●Modernism Route – 6-8 Avinguda Drassanes (Institut Municipal del Paisatge Urbà i la Qualitat de Vida (IMPUiQV)); 011-34-932-56-25-09; rutadelmodernisme.com/default.aspx?Idioma=en; Barcelona Modernisme Route is itinerary that takes you through Barcelona of Antoni Gaudí, LluísDomènech i Montaner & Josep Puig i Cadafalch, architects who, together with others, made Barcelona Modernisme’s world capitol; route enables you to get to know thoroughly impressive palatial residences, amazing houses, temple that has become city’s symbol & huge hospital; also includes humbler & more everyday buildings & items such as chemists’, shops, lampposts & benches - 120 works in all that show how Art Nouveau put down strong roots in Barcelona; buy copy of Modernisme Route guidebook, which includes discounts of up to 50% on admission charge to all Modernista monuments in city, as well as for local routes in another 13 municipalities in Catalonia; in addition, can follow route with aid of signs on ground that are part of very urban landscape (these are small red paving stones set into pavement that mark out Route’s main sections); Modernisme Route organized by Municipal Institute for Urban Landscape & Quality of Life, with support of Route’s Honorary Council.
●Public Spaces Information – proeixample.cat; contains extensive list of Barcelona’s often-overlooked public gardens.



SHOPPING
Barri Gòtic
●Escribà – 546 Gran Via Corts Catalanes 011-34-93-4547535; escriba.es; easy to miss from outside; family-run, Catalan choclatier; other locations throughout city, this is main location.

●Formatgeria La Seu – 16 Carrer de la Dagueria; 011-34-934-12-65-48; formatgerialaseu.com; cheese.
●La Manual Alpargatera – 7 Carrer Avinyó; 011-34-933-01-01-72; lamanualalpargatera.es; authentic espadrilles.
●PapaBubble – 28 Carrer Ample; 011-34-932-68-86-25; papabubble.com; you will be drawn by cooked sugar smell wafting down quiet street, where Barcelonans loiter in late afternoon, hoping to grab still-hot, homemade hard candy scraps that Christopher King & Nigel Chouri freely hand out after latest batch pulled & cut; pair began making candy in Melbourne, Australia; 2 young Australians decided to move somewhere new & start over; name came from nickname Mr. Chouri picked up in Australia, after his penchant for blowing bubbles with his molten candy; stands out for unusual window displays but most people come as much for show as for product; working at long table that fills about ⅓ of tiny store, 2 men make sweets old-fashioned way, pouring boiling sugar onto white marble slab, adding finest oils of fruit & spice they can find, pulling molten mass until it changes color & then cutting it, mainly by hand; result is electric-colored candy shaped in small logs & rounds that burst with intense flavors like fiery cinnamon or tart lime.

El Born/La Ribera
●Loisaida – 42 Carrer Flassaders (La Ribera); 011-34-93-295-5492; loisaidabcn.com; men’s and women’s fashion.
●Muna – 34 Career Flassaders (El Born); 011-34-93-310-1356; munakids.com; children’s clothes.
●Mutt – 15 Carrer del Commerc (El Born); 011-34-93-192-4438; mutt.es; art gallery and bookstore; where hipstery hang.
●Suno – 12 Calle Coroners (La Ribera); 011-34-93-319-7939; wix.com/sunoshop/ben; women’s fashion.

L’Eixample
●Bagués-Masriera – 41 Passeig de Gràcia; 011-34-93-216-0174; bagues.com or masriera.es; iconic Barcelona jeweler since 1839; Art Nouveau jewel line; located in Moderniste architect Puig i Cadafalch’s Casa Amatller in famous Mansana de la Discòrdia worth visit just to get closer look at house.
●Can Ravell – 313 Carrer Arago; 011-34-93-457-5114; ravel.com; blocks from Sagrada Familia; tiny epicurean paradise; delicatessen founded in 1929.
●Casa Cubiñá – 291 Carrer de Mallorca; 011-34-934-76-57-21; cubinya.es/en; worth visit to this extensive temple to furniture, lamps & just about any home accessory your heart might desire, in this Lluís Domènech i Montaner building.
●Loewe – 35 Passeig de Gràcia; 011-34-93-216-0400; loewe.com; exquisite leather goods since 1910.
●Vila Viniteca – 9 Carrer dels Agullers (El Born); 011-34-902-32-77-77; vilaviniteca.es; wine shop since 1932 that also sells various gourmet products; open for 3 generations.


Gràcia & Pedralbes
●Amato Sole – 39 Carrer del Perill; 011-34-619-09-81-00; amatosole.com; furniture & housewares; may need to make appointment so check website 1^st.

El Poble Sec
●Koetania – 28 Carrer de Blai; 011-34-933-29-63-85; koetania.com; one-of-kind jewelry.

La Rambla
●Boqueria Market – 91 La Rambla; 011-34-93-318-2584; boqueria.info; shopping locale open in 1 form or another for over 100 years; 100s stalls.
●Joan La Llar del Pernil – 91 La Rambla (Parada 667-671); 011-34-933-17-95-29; joanlallardelpernil.com; cheeses from Emporda region.

El Raval
●Barcelona Reykjavik Bakery – 12 Carrer del Doctor Dou; 011-34-93-302-0921; barcelonareykjavik.com; organic treats.
●Camper – 4 Plaça dels Àngels; 011-34-933-42-41-41; camper.com/en_US; shoes.



SIGHTS & SITES
Barceloneta
●Parc de la Ciutadella – 21 Passeig de Picasso (at Passeig de la Circumvallació); 011-34-638-23-71-15; barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/380/parc-de-la-ciutadella.html; for decades following creation in mid-19^th Century, city’s only green space; 70 acre grounds include zoo, Catalonia Parliament, small lake, museums & park’s bandstand, Glorieta de la Transsexual Sònia, dedicated to transsexual, Sonia Rescalvo Zafra, murdered there on 6 October 1991 by right-wing extremists; large fountain, Cascada, located at park’s northern corner, opposite lake; when 1^st inaugurated in 1881, press criticized lack of sculptures & “meticulous details,” after which “triumphal arch” amended by addition of fountain, erected by Josep Fontsére & to small extent by Antoni Gaudí, at that time unknown architecture student; in addition to Zoo, Museum of Natural Science, sited in park, comprises museums of geology & zoology; Museum of Zoology constructed for Exposición Universal de Barcelona (1888) by architect Lluís Doménech i Montaner.

Barri Gòtic
●Barcelona Cathedral (Cathedral of Holy Cross & Saint Eulalia) – 3 Plaça de la Seu; 011-34-933-42-82-62; catedralbcn.org/index.php?lang=en; constructed from 13^th-15^th Centuries; cloister, which encloses Well of Geese (Font de les Oques,) completed in 1448; in late 19^th Century, neo-Gothic façade constructed over nondescript exterior common to Catalan churches; roof notable for gargoyles, featuring wide range of animals, both domestic & mythical; it is hall church, vaulted over 5 aisles, outer 2 divided into chapels; dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in city, being exposed naked in public square when miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity; enraged Romans put her into barrel with knives stuck into it & rolled it down street (according to tradition, 1 now called Baixada de Santa Eulàlia); her body is entombed in cathedral crypt; cathedral has secluded Gothic cloister where 13 white geese kept, Eulalia having been 13 when martyred.
●Capella de Santa Llúcia – 3 Santa Llúcia; catholicbarcelona.com/2014/03/01/santa-llucia; late Romanesque style with primarily gothic interior; constructed 1257-68 as chapel for Episcopal palace.
●Casa Carreras – 5 Carrer Montsió; arquitecturaxbarcelona.net/listing/casa-carreras; designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch; Casa Carreras was remodeling of existing building; on facade, 2 panels of Modernista painted tiles show Saints Eloi & Joaquin; although added 20 years later, Gothic brickwork in keeping with neighbouring Casa Martí; if lucky, gates to passage between Casas Carreras & Martí will be open & can get better view of 2 buildings.
●Casa de l’Ardiaca (Archdeacon’s House) – 1 Carrer de Santa Llúcia; 011-34-933-18-11-95; barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/489/roman-wall-and-aqueducts-(casa-de-lardiaca).html; 16^th Century structure that houses city’s archives; stroll around supremely serene courtyard, cooled by trees & fountain; renovated by Lluís Domènech i Montaner in 1902, when owned by lawyers’ college; in particular, he designed postal slot, which is adorned with swallows & tortoise, representing swiftness of truth & plodding pace of justice; can glimpse stout Roman wall in here; upstairs, look down into courtyard & across to La Cathedral.
●Casa Martí – 3 Carrer Montsió; webarcelona.net/architecture-barcelona/casa-marti-els-quatre-gats-josep-puig-i-cadafalch; modernista building designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch in 1896, on commission of textile magnate Francesc Vilumara family; striking features, more northern-European than Catalan, are large pointed arches on ground floor containing stained-glass windows, curious ornamentation of upper-floor windows & balconies in Flamboyant style; exterior also notable for sculptures by Eusebi Arnau, wrought ironwork by Manuel Ballarín & on corner pedestal statue of Saint Joseph by Josep Llimona (existing one is reproduction of original, destroyed during Civil War & replaced by City Council in 2000); on ground floor is Quatre Gats restaurant (see above).
●Casa Pich i Pon – 9 Plaça de Catalunya; original structure of this imposing office building was by Josep Vilaseca; Josep Puig i Cadafalch completely renovated & added Catalan baroque elements seen today; currently houses banks & political institutions.
●Casa La Vangarda (now Hotel Petit Palace Boquería) – 12 Career de la Boqueria; barcelonas.com/puig-i-cadafalch-in-barcelona.html; originally commissioned by Casa Martí owners, building has had many uses including being home to Fonda Sucursal del Universe; sgraffito facade topped by parapets & wrought iron by Manuel Ballarín & doorway flanked by 2 sculptures by Eusebio Arnau; building restored in 2009.
●Museu Frederic Marès – 5-6 Plaça de Sant Iu; 011-34-932-56-35-00; museumares.bcn.cat; wild historical curio collection inside vast medieval complex, once part of Barcelona counts’ royal palace; rather worn coat of arms on wall indicates also was one-time Spanish Inquisition seat in Barcelona; Marès i Deulovol (1893-1991) was rich sculptor, traveller & obsessive collector of medieval Spanish sculpture, huge quantities of which are displayed in basement & on ground & 1^st floors; top 2 floors hold mind-boggling array of knick-knacks, from toy soldiers & cribs to scissors & 19^th Century playing cards & from early still cameras to pipes & fine ceramics; shady courtyard houses pleasant summer cafe (Cafè de l’Estiu).
●Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya – 4 Plaça Sant Jaume; 011-34-934-02-46-00; catalangovernment.eu/pres_gov/government/en/president/palau-generalitat/visites.html; historic palace housing offices of Presidency of Generalitat de Catalunya; among few European medieval origin buildings that still function as government seat & houses institution that originally built it; bounded by Carrer del Bisbe, Carrer de Sant Sever & Carrer de Sant Honorat; principal façade gives onto Plaça de Sant Jaume, across from Barcelona City Hall; original building purchased in 1400 by then-president Alfons de Tous, located in former Jewish Quarter (Call); between 1910-1930, architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch (in collaboration with Josep Borí & Joan Rubió i Bellver) renovated & restored to recover original features & spaces; also, some new neo-Gothic creations added, such as bridge over Carrer del Bisbe that links palace with Casa de les Canonges & project to build large alabaster fireplace for Board of Presidency, made by tsculptor Josep M. i Camps Arnau, later transferred to Maricel Museum in Sitges in 1935.
●Plaça Reial – 1 Plaça Reial; barcelona.com/barcelona_directory/monuments/placa_reial; essential part of city tour; walk up Las Ramblas from sea front, Plaça Reial found through alley on right-hand side, about ⅓ way up; Gaudi’s influence on this palm tree-lined plaza extends only to lampposts.

El Born/La Ribera
●L’Antic Teatre – 12 Carrer de Verdaguer i Callís (La Ribera); 011-34-933-15-23-54; anticteatre.com; 55-seat theater that offers plays & pleasant place for drinks (sprawling courtyard & terrace) after or before; must-see for artists, citizens & tourists alike includes; hidden in narrow street near Palau de la Música; theatre plays host to whole range of art shows, book conferences, cinema series, circuses, dance performances, festivals, multimedia exhibitions, music concerts, & poetry readings.
●Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar – 1 Plaça de Santa Maria (La Ribera); 011-34-933-10-23-90; santamariadelmarbarcelona.org; Barcelona’s finest Catalan Gothic church; built in 14^th Century with record-breaking alacrity for time (54 years); construction started in 1329, with Berenguer de Montagut & Ramon Despuig being architects in charge; during construction, city’s porters (bastaixos) spent 1 day each week carrying stone from royal quarries in Montjuïc; their memory lives on in reliefs around main doors & elsewhere in church; walls, side chapels & facades finished by 1350, entire structure in 1383; exterior suffers from impossibility of overall perspective – narrow streets around it are claustrophobic & restrictive; pleasant surprise then, to find light & spacious interior (central nave & 2 flanking aisles separated by slender octagonal pillars give enormous sense of lateral space); interior almost devoid of imagery of sort found in other large Gothic churches, but Santa Maria lacking in superfluous decoration even before anarchists gutted it in 1909 & 1936; keep look out for music recitals, often baroque & classical; at noon, visitors must pay to enter & join guided tour, which includes rooftop.
●Casa Pere Company – 56-58 Carrer de Buenos Aires (La Ribera); 011-34-934-19-22-32; esports.gencat.cat; modernist building built by Josep Puig i Cadafalch in 1911; white period building; looks like odd Tyrolean country house & is marvellously out of place; documents, photos & other sports memorabilia stretch over 2 floors – from incongruous 1930s pair of skis & boots to skull-decorated swimming costume of champion Catalan water-polo player; curio on ground floor is replica of stone commemoration in Latin of Lucius Minicius Natal, Barcelona boy who won quadric (4-horse chariot) race at 227^th Olympic Games in 129 CE; restored in 1986 by Joan Bassegoda i Nonell & now housing Catalan Sport Museum (so you can visit interior & walk round garden); enjoy old photographs of house set apart on its own, before jam-packed into urban environment.
●Casa Sastre i Marqués (2) – 20 Carrer de la Princesa; 011-34-632-27-23-92 (for restaurant Taperia Princesa); building commissioned by Sastre i Marqués for his family; designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch.
●Museu Europeu d’Art Modern (MEAM) – 5 Carrer de la Barra de Ferro (El Born); 011-34-933-19-56-93; meam.es; in 18^th Century Palau Gomis; classical 20^th Century art, paintings & sculpture, with emphasis on Catalan works.
●Palau de la Musica Catalana – 4-6 Carrer Palau de la Música (El Born); 011-34-932-95-72-00; palaumusica.cat/en; should not be missed for architecture alone; designed in Catalan modernista style by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner; built between 1905-08 for Orfeó Català, choral society founded in 1891 that was leading force in Catalan cultural movement, Renaixença (Catalan Rebirth); between 1982-89, underwent extensive restoration, remodeling & extension under architects Oscar Tusquets’ & Carles Díaz’s direction; in 1997, UNESCO declared it World Heritage Site, along with Hospital de Sant Pau; amazing stained glass roof by modernist architect & artist Antoni Rigalt.
●17^th Century Building – 24 Carrer Sant Pere Més Alt; Josep Puig i Cadafalch designed building; reformation of 17^th Century building is practical architecture example & somewhat difficult to distinguish from houses around it; however, setting on Sant Pere Més Alt is more intimate & fact that building is just few doors down from Lluís Domènech i Montaner’s magnificent Palau de la Música Catalana makes it is worth visit.

L’Eixample
●Barcelona Seminary – 231 Calle Diputacion; 011-34-93-453-4338; filosofia.url.edu; gardens open to public; call for hours.
●Casa Amatller – 43 Passeig de Gràcia; 011-34-93-216-0306; modernistespuntcom.blogspot.com/2010/04/casa-amatller.html; Moderniste architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch’s structure; on famous Mansana de la Discòrdia (“Block of Discord”).
●Casa Batllo – 43 Passeig de Gràcia; 011-34-93-216-0306; casabatllo.es; building restored by Antoni Gaudí & Josep Maria Jujol; built in 1877, remodeled in 1904-1906; Illa de la Discòrdia (“Block of Discord”) location; Gaudí’s assistants Domènec Sugrañes i Gras, Josep Canaleta & Joan Rubió also contributed to renovation; building’s local name is Casa dels Ossos (“House of Bones”).
●Casa Calvet – 48 Carrer de Casp; 011-34-934-12-40-12; casacalvet.es; building designed by Antoni Gaudí for textile manufacturer; served as both commercial property (in basement & on ground floor) & residence; building is most conventional of Gaudí’s works, partly because had to be squeezed between older structures & partly because sited among Barcelona’s most elegant sections; balance, orderly rhythm & symmetry unusual for Gaudí’s works; however, curves & double gable at top, projecting oriel at entrance & isolated witty details are modernist elements; bulging balconies alternate with smaller, shallower balconies; mushrooms above oriel at center allude to owner’s favorite hobby; columns flanking entrance are in stacked bobbins form, alluding to family business; gallery at ground level is façade’s most outstanding feature, combining wrought iron & stone in which decorative historical elements such as cypress, olive tree, horns of plenty & Catalan coat of arms can be discerned; 3 sculpted heads at top also allude to owner: 1 is Sant Pere Màrtir Calvet i Carbonell (owner’s father) & 2 are patron saints of Vilassar, Andreu Calvet’s home town.
●Casa Casaramona – 48-52 Passeig de Gràcia; poblesdecatalunya.cat/element.php?e=2867; built by Josep Puig i Cadafalch to order of Casimir Casarramona, who had already commissioned his factory (Fàbrica Casaramona), years before; restoration of existing building that already incorporates modernisme style, similar to Casa Guarro (Via Laietana); yellow period.
●Casa Lamadrid – 113 Carrer de Girona; edreams.com/blog/barcelona-art-nouveau-must-see-works-by-domenech-i-montaner; building of great architectural beauty despite small size, designed by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who knew how to make most of space for challenge he had never faced before; built in 1902 in line with Modernista style; Asset of Local Interest, notably for richly decorated facade that characterizes Domènech i Montaner’s work; note semicircular balconies on 1^st floor & ornamental features; crown as well, dominated by Gothic-style coat of arms, is unmistakable hallmark of famous Catalan architect’s work.
●Casa Lleó i Morera – 35 Passeig de Gràcia; 011-34-936-76-27-33; casalleomorera.com/en; building designed by noted modernisme architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner; in 1902 Francesca Morera assigned Lluís Domènech i Montaner to remodel ancient “Case Rocamora,” built in 1864; she died in 1904 & building named after her son, Albert Lleó i Morera; residence of Cuban-Catalan photographer Pau Audouard.
●Casa Luis Guarro – 37 Via Laietana; commissioned by industrialist Luis Guarro from architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, this building of apartments & offices is difficult to distinguish from others alongside it on Via Laietana & among Puig i Cadafalch’s least inspiring buildings in Barcelona; basically yellow period building with Neo-Baroque elements such as columns & garlands of flowers & fruit on frontispiece; much of architect’s work at this time is purely functional & safe say that he had fully turned away from his early Modernista influences.
●Casa Milà (La Pedrera) – 92 Passeig de Gràcia; 011-34-93-484-5900; lapedreraeducacio.org; another Antoni Gaudí masterpiece, built in 1905-10 as combined apartment & office block; formally called Casa Milà, after businessman who commissioned it, but better known as La Pedrera (Quarry) because of its uneven grey stone facade, which ripples around corner of Carrer de Provença; Pere Milà was among city’s first car owners & Gaudí built parking space into this building, 1^st in Barcelona; when commissioned to design this apartment building, Gaudí wanted to top anything else done in L’Example; Fundació Caixa Catalunya has opened attic, roof & top-floor apartment (together called tEspai Gaudí (Gaudí Space) to visitors; roof is most extraordinary element, with giant chimney pots looking like multicoloured medieval knights; Gaudí wanted to put tall Virgin Mary statue up there too; when Milà family said no, fearing anarchists, Gaudí resigned from project in disgust; 1 floor below roof, where you can appreciate Gaudí’s taste for parabolic arches, is modest museum dedicated to his work; next floor down is apartment (El Pis de la Pedrera); elegantly furnished home, done in style well-to-do family might have enjoyed in early 20^th Century; everything from light fittings to bedsteads, from door handles to balconies, might seem admirable to us today, but not everyone thought so at the time; 1 tenant, Mrs. Comes i Abril, complained that there was no obvious place to put her piano in wavy rooms; Gaudí’s response was to suggest she take up flute.
●Casa Puig i Cadafalch – 231 Carrer de Provença (at Avinguda Diagonal); ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Puig_i_Cadafalch_(Barcelona); Josep Puig i Cadafalch’s private at death in 1956; from yellow period, more Noucentist than Modernist; simple 3-story house with relatively plain facade that includes sgraffito above door & curved tribune window; interior is also practical family home & includes studio space where he worked on his projects.
●Casa Serra – 126 Rambla de Catalunya; 011-34-620-96-22-99; poblesdecatalunya.cat/element.php?e=2908; Modernisme style building designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch; built as residence between 1903-08, for Pere Serra, although he never actually lived there; now the home of Provincial Council.
●Casa Thomas – 293 Carrer de Mallorca; barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/1161/casa-thomas.html; reflects 3 of most authentic characteristics of Barcelona Modernisme: stone galleries, balconies with sculpted balustrades & floral decoration, plus use of tiles, net-gothic features & wrought iron; decoration in hallway is lavish & marble staircase outstanding; architect’s son-in-law made some important changes in 1912; without abandoning style mapped out by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, added 3 more stories, raised towers height & built some bay windows on facade side; placed gallery along front of top storey in line with balcony running along main floor; architect Cristian Cirici restored in 1980 & received National Restoration Award that year; ground floor occupied for decades now by furniture designers Casa Cubiñá.
●Casa Terrades (Casa de les Punxes) – 416-420 Avinguda Diagonal; 011-34-934-04-79-00; barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/1160/casa-terrades---casa-de-les-punxes.html; work of modernist architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch; commissioned by Terrades sisters who wanted to join together 3 houses they owned on Carrer Bruc, Carrer Rosselló & Avinguda Diagonal; Puig i Cadafalch came up with medieval-looking design including 6 towers topped by conical needles (its most characteristic elements & how got nickname les punxes (“thorns”).
●Centro Cultural La Casa Elizalde – 302 Calle Valencia; 011-34-93-488-0590; casaelizalde.com; courtyard open to public; palace of Elizalde family; building dates back to 1895, when family 1^st installed in new aristocratic neighborhood; after that, Elizalde House among most emblematic Eixample buildings until 1964 when sold; from that moment began decline until, by mid-70s, in ruins; faced with this situation city council decided to purchase & rehabilitate; currently organizes average of 210 courses per quarter, in which more than 4K register.
●Fundació Antoni Tàpies – 255 Career d’Arago (in Editorial Montaner i Simón); 011-34-93-487-0315; fundaciotapies.org; cultural center & museum dedicated mainly to his life & works; temporary exhibitions, symposia, lectures & film seasons; designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner.
●Gaudi Walk – start in L’Eixample, heading south on Passeig de Gràcia, past Casas Batllo & Mila; continue down La Rambla to Palau Güell.
●Hospital de Sant Pau – 89 Carrer de Sant Quintí; 011-34-932-91-90-00; santpaubarcelona.org/en; former Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; built between 1901-30, designed by Catalan modernist architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner; UNESCO World Heritage site.
●Palau del Baró de Quadras – 373 Avinguda Diagonal; barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/1162/palau-baro-de-quadras.html; Josep Puig i Cadafalch designed (built 1902–06) in exuberant Gothic-inspired style; main facade is intriguing, with soaring, glassed-in gallery; take closer look at gargoyles & reliefs – pair of toothy fish & sword-wielding knight clearly have same artistic signature as architect behind Casa Amatller; decor inside is eclectic, but dominated by Middle Eastern & East Asian themes; palau no longer houses Casa Asia cultural centre, which means much of it is now closed to public; however, still can visit ground floor.
●Palau Güell – 3-5 Carrer Nou de la Rambla; 011-34-93-472-5775; palauguell.cat; reopened in 2012 after several years refurbishment; magnificent example of early days of Antoni Gaudí’s fevered architectural imagination; extraordinary neo-Gothic mansion, being among few major buildings of era raised in Ciutat Vella; built just off La Rambla in late 1880s for faithful & wealthy patron, industrialist Eusebio Güell; characteristic style riot (art nouveau, Gothic & Islamic); after civil war police occupied & tortured political prisoners in basement; building then abandoned, leading to long-term disrepair; tour begins on ground floor (one-time coach house) & from there down to basement, with its squat mushroom-shaped brick pillars; back upstairs, elaborate wrought iron of main doors from splendid vestibule & grand staircase lined with sandstone columns; up another floor are main hall & annexes; central to structure is music room with rebuilt organ that is played during opening hours; hall is parabolic pyramid – each wall arch stretching up 3 floors & coming together to form dome; above main floor are family rooms, some of which are labyrinthine & dotted with piercings of light or grand, stained-glass windows; roof is mad tumult of tiled mosaics & fanciful design in building’s chimney pots; audioguide, included in entry price, is worth getting not only for detailed architecture description, but for musical & photographic illustrations re Güell family’s life; Picasso (who hated Gaudí’s work) began his Blue Period in 1902 in studio across street at 10 Carrer Nou de la Rambla; UNESCO declared Palau, together with Gaudí’s other main works (La Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, Park Güell, Casa Vicens & Colònia Güell crypt) World Heritage site.
●Palau Macaya – 108 Passeig de Sant Joan; 011-34-934-57-95-31; gaudiallgaudi.com/EA203.htm; Josep Puig i Cadafalch building constructed in 1901; former seat of “Obra Social la Caixa,” deep-pocketed, far-reaching cultural & social welfare organization funded by Spain’s major (& most civic-minded) savings bank; now houses foundation’s Espai Caixa cultural center, organizing conferences, discussion forums & presentations on current political & social issues; note Eusebi Arnau sculptures over door depicting, somewhat cryptically, man mounted on donkey & another on bicycle, reminiscent of similar Arnau sculptures on facade of Puig i Cadafalch’s Casa Amatller on Passeig de Gràcia.
●Palau Ramon Montaner – 278 Carrer de Mallorca; barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/1163/palau-montaner.html; modernist building that Ramón Montaner commissioned from architect Josep Domènech i Estapà; designed in 1889 but completed by Lluís Domenech i Montaner, owner’s nephew, & Antoni Maria Gallissà; entire top of building decorated with large glazed tile frieze depicting invention of printing press (beneath overhang); also note carved stone spotted eagle; interior includes main staircase with large ornaments carved in stone, woodwork of Gaspar Homar, large windows of Antoni Rigalt i Blanch & sculptures by Eusebio Arnau; in 1980 restored by architect Marc Carbonell, to adapt building as headquarters of Government Delegation in Catalonia.
●Sagrada Familia – 401 Carrer de Mallorca; 011-34-932-07-30-31; sagradafamilia.cat; Barcelona’s most emblematic architectural icon, Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, is still under construction some 135 years after begun; striking & surreal creation conceived as Bible in stone: gigantic representation of Christianity’s entire history; no building in Barcelona & few in world more deserving of few hours’ investment; bring binoculars because sheer immensity is staggering (final height will be 1 yard shorter than Montjuïc because Gaudí felt it improper for man’s work to surpass God’s; for €4.50 additional charge, take elevator skyward to bell tower top for spectacular views; back on ground, visit museum, which displays Gaudí’s scale models & photographs showing construction progress; architect buried under basilica, left of altar in crypt; work begun in 1882 under architect Francesc Villar, passed on in 1891 to Gaudí (who worked on project until his death in 1926) & still thought to be 15-20 years from completion; after church’s neo-Gothic beginnings, Gaudí added Art Nouveau touches to crypt (floral capitals) & in 1893 went on to begin Nativity facade of new & vastly ambitious project; at his death in 1926, however, only 1 Nativity facade tower completed; Gaudí’s plans called for 3 immense facades, Nativity & Passion facades on northeast & southwest sides & even larger Glory facade designed as building’s main entry; 4 bell towers over each facade represent 12 apostles; between central tower & reredos at nave’s northwestern end will rise 18^th & 2^nd-highest tower, crowned with star, in honor of Virgin Mary; naves not supported by buttresses but by treelike helicoidal (spiraling) columns; Gaudí himself appears over left side of main entry, making notes or drawings; buy tickets online, with reserved entry time.

Gràcia & Pedralbes
●Casa Joan Baptista Rubinat Planas – 44 Carrer de l’Or; poblesdecatalunya.cat/element.php?e=4627; project designed by Joan Rubio i Bellver & Francesc Berenguer; 4-story homes with remarkable sgraffito on facade; worth special effort.
●Casa Vicens – 18-24 Carrer de les Carolines; casavicens.es; will open to public as museum in 2016; built between 1883-89, Casa Vicens was Antoni Gaudí’s 1^st designed house; unique architectural language & exemplifies development of Art Nouveau in Barcelona.
●El Drac de Gaudí at Finca Gell – 9 Avinguda de Pedralbes; 011-34-933-17-76-52; barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/586/.html; Finca Güell is significant property of one of Gaudí’s biggest client, Eusebi Güell i Bacigalupi, Count of Güell; what’s interesting is not so much complex as its entrance iron gate; complex is composed of 2 buildings linked by common monumental cast iron gate adorned with Art Nouveau vegetal fantasies & medallion with “G” for Güell; most astonishing feature is unusual big iron dragon manufactured by locksmith’s Vallet i Piquer.
●Parc Güell – Carrer d’Olot; 011-34-902-20-03-02; parkguell.cat/en; public park system composed of architectonics & gardens on Carmel Hill (Parc del Carmel located nearby); Eusebi Güell assigned design of park to Antoni Gaudí; built between 1900-14; UNESCO World Heritage Site; worth special visit.

Montjuïc
●CaixaForum – 6-8 Avinguda de Francesc Ferrer i Guardia; 011-34-93-476-8600; obrasocial.lacaixa.es; art gallery sponsored by Barcelona bank & opened in 2002; in former factory, houses art exhibits & free to public; originally commissioned as textile factory by Casimir Casaramona i Puigcercós & built by Josep Puig i Cadafalch; has almost 3 acres of exhibition space, media library, auditorium, classrooms & restaurant; visitors descend by escalator to basement lobby, adorned by Sol LeWitt mural, then rise again to exhibition spaces on ground floor, within crenelated brickwork.
●Fàbrica Casaramona – 6-8 Avinguda Marquès de Comillas; 011-34-934-76-86-00; lacixa.es/obrasocial; factory once owned by Casimir Casaramona & Puigcercos, used in cotton industry & specializing in blanket & towel manufacture; Casaramona commissioned Josep Puig i Cadafalch, who designed model, modernist factor; built in brick, following traditional Catalan construction, with wrought iron & limited ceramic & stone as embellishment; special care taken to ensure hygienic conditions for workers: opened windows & raised ceilings to flood light in; in 1976 declared historic monument.
●Font del Gat – Parc de Montjuïc (in Laribal Gardens); in park built for International Exposition of Barcelona in 1929, fountain by Joan Antoni Homs; not very well known due to slightly hidden location draped down side of a steep slope near Olympic Stadium & Miró Foundation; spend tranquil afternoon sprawled on one of benches in wisteria covered pergoda near fountain.
●Four Columns – Plaça de les Cascades (at “Magic Fountain” of Montjuïc, see below); laxarxa.cat/principal.asp?pagina=/campanyes/xarxa1.asp;4 Ionic columns, originally created by Josep Puig i Cadafalch & erected in 1919; symbolize 4 Catalan senyera stripes; because among main Catalanism icons, demolished in 1928 during Primo de Rivera’s dictatorship, when all public Catalanist symbols systematically removed to avoid being noticed during 1929 Universal Exposition, which was to take place on Montjuïc; in 1999, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) commissioned renowned Valencian sculptor Andreu Alfaro to create 4 similar columns for its Bellaterra Campus; in contrast to originals, these spiral up; after 8 years campaigning by Catalanist civic bodies & pro-independence political party (Esquerra Republicana, replica erected in 2010 very close to original site & following Puig i Cadafalch’s original plans.
●Fundació Joan Miró – Parc de Montjuïc; 011-34-934-43-94-70; fmirobcn.org; Joan Miró formed foundation in 1968 with friend Joan Prats; Miró wanted to create new building that would encourage particularly younger artists to experiment with contemporary art; building designed by Josep Lluís Sert to ensure that this work could also be made available to public & exhibited; designed building with courtyards & terraces & to create natural path for visitors to move through building; many works donated by artist himself; in line with Miró’s original idea also promotes other experimental artists’ work, ranging from Peter Greenaway, Chillida, René Magritte, Rothko, Tàpies to Saura; includes Alexander Calder’s 4 Wings & Mercury Fountain, fountain that uses liquid metal mercury to create liquid flow (as mercury is poisonous, kept behind glass).
●Magic Fountain of Montjuïc (Font Magica) – Plaça Carles Buigas; 011-34-932-21-23-30; barcelona.com/barcelona_directory/attractions_in_barcelona/magic_fountain; spouting since 1929; light and music show.
●Palau d’Alfons XIII & Palau de Victoria Eugènia Fira de Barcelona – Plaça de les Cascades; barcelonas.com/puig-i-cadafalch-in-barcelona.html; palaces designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch; built between 1918-23 with view to holding International Exposition in Barcelona in 1929; both same size & despite huge external appearance, interiors very open & welcoming, illuminated from above; outside walls covered with sgraffiti-based columns & each roofs covered with ceramic tiles decorated in Art Nouveau style, glazed in green & brown.

Montserrat
●Santa Maria de Montserrat – Monistrol de Montserrat (about 45 km northwest of Barcelona); 011-34-93-877-7765 or 011-34-93-877-7777 (information); montserratvisita.com/en/history; 1.2K meter-high mountain Montserrat, atop which sits Benedictine monastery; from top can view far into Catalonia; arrive by car to experience well-developed hairpin bends & curves; monastery no specific architectural landmark but many travel there only to see Black Madonna, patron saint of Catalonia; figure of 12^th Century thrones above high altar in monastery basilica; in Museum of Montserrat monastery, can see works of major artists such as Dali, El Greco, Giordano & Money, not to mention Caravaggio’s St. Jerome in Meditation (1605); also archaeological & liturgical exhibits; restaurants in lower parts of monastery grounds; funicular goes almost all way up to summit; several good & well-marked hiking trails lead through nature park Montserrat, some to deserted hermitages.

Poblenou
●Pantheon of Josep Anselm Clavé – Avinguda Icària (in Cemetery of Poble Nou, Pantheon 65); 011-34-932-25-16-61; barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/1484/poblenou-cementery.html; designed by Josep Vilaseca & commissioned by public subscription, Lluís Domènech i Montaner designed railing surrounding monument.

El Poble Sec
●Calle Blai – pedestrian-only street filled with bars & restaurants; comes to life in evenings.
●El Molino – 99 Carrer de Vila i Vila; 011-34-93-205-5111; elmolinobcn.com; theater that has been part of Barcelona cultural scene for over century; colorful & crazy burlesque shows.
●Plaza de las Navas – between Carrer Jaume Fabra, Placa Navas & Carrer Bobila; barcelona.callejero.net/plaza-de-las-navas.html; palm trees & playground in renovated plaza that was once desolate space.

La Rambla
●Casa Figueres – 83 Rambla; barcelona-guide.info/Attractions/antigua-casa-figueras; among joys of wandering Barcelona is to stumble upon gorgeous art nouveau buildings; Antigua Casa Figueras is such gem; located halfway down Rambla, this former pasta factory was built in 1820 & decorated by modernist artist Antoni Ros i Güell in 1902; occupied since 1986 by Pasteleria Escriba branch; elaborately decorated; trencadis (mosaic) on facade & wrought iron & stained glass windows are exquisite as are restored interiors.
●Casa Miele – Carrer de Ferran 2 (at La Rambla); barcelonas.com/puig-i-cadafalch-in-barcelona.html; Casa Miele, that sold domestic objects made of “Miele silver,” German product that had qualities of real silver but improved usage; Josep Puig i Cadafalch totally renovated building that won honorable mention in annual artistic building competition; currently some items have survived: fragments of ground floor railings, balcony decorations & some window features.
●Mercat de les Flors – 59 Career de Lleida; 011-34-932-56-26-00; mercatflors.cat/en; contemporary dance venue; housed in beautiful, cathedral-like building built in1928-29.
●Las Ramblas – street in central Barcelona, popular with both locals & tourists alike; 1.2 km-long, tree-lined pedestrian mall in Barri Gotic; connects Plaça Cataluny in center with Christopher Columbus monument at Port Vell.
●Teatre Poliorama – 115 La Rambla; 011-34-933-17-75-99; teatrepoliorama.com; Cine Marti opened in 1899 as 1^st purpose-built cinema in city; Georges Melies’ Joan of Arc screened here in 1900; closed 1903; re-furbished & re-opened as Cine Poliorama in 1906; 1937 became live theater & name changed to Teatre Catalia de la Comedia; in 1976, became Teatre Poliorama; since 1996, Reial Academia d’Arts i Ciencies part.

El Raval
●Barcelona Center for Contemporary Culture – 5 Montalegre; 011-34-93-306-4100; cccb.org; exhibitions that are more than just work-compilations; exhibitions to transmit ideas that aim to challenge way of seeing.
●Fonda Espanya – 9-11 Carrer de Sant Pau; 011-34-935-50-00-10; hotelespanya.com; considered little jewel of Catalonian Modernism, originally opened in 1859 as Fonda de España; went on to be refurbished by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, in early 20^th Century, with Eusebi Arnau’s & Ramón Casas’ collaboration; restored again in 2010 to revive spirit conceived by Domènech i Montaner.
●Gran Teatre del Liceu – 51 La Rambla; 011-34-934-85-99-00; liceubarcelona.com; 1 of Spain’s best opera houses.
●Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona – 1 Plaça dels Àngels (La Ribera); 011-34-934-12-08-10; macba.cat/en; designed by Richard Meier; city’s foremost contemporary art centre; ground floor permanent collection dedicated to Catalan & Spanish art from 2^nd half 20^th Century, with works by Antoni Tàpies, Joan Brossa & Miquel Barceló, among others, though international artists, such as Paul Klee, Bruce Nauman & John Cage, are also represented; outside, spectacle is as intriguing as inside; while skateboarders dominate space south of museum (considered 1 of Europe’s great skateboard locations), you may well find Pakistani kids enjoying cricket in Plaça de Joan Coromines; across main skateboard-infested square, renovated 400 year-old Convent dels Àngels houses Capella MACBA, where MACBA regularly rotates selections from its permanent collection; Gothic framework of 1-time convent-church remains intact; auditorium & library stage regular concerts, events & talks, all of which are either reasonably priced or free; extensive art bookshop is fantastic for both stocking up on art & art theory books, as well as quirky gifts & small design objects.
●Museu Picasso – 15-23 Carrer Montcada; 011-34-34-932-56-30-00; museupicasso.bcn.cat/en; setting alone, in 5 contiguous medieval stone mansions, makes venue unique (& worth queuing); pretty courtyards, galleries & staircases preserved in 1^st 3 buildings as delightful as collection inside; collection concentrates on artist’s formative years – sometimes disappointing for those hoping for better-known, later works; permanent collection is housed in Palau Aguilar, Palau del Baró de Castellet & Palau Meca, all dating to 14^th Century; 18^th Century Casa Mauri, built over medieval & Roman remains & adjacent 14^th Century Palau Finestres accommodate temporary exhibitions; visit starts with oils & sketches from Picasso’s earliest years in Málaga & La Coruña (1893-95); some of his parent & self-portraits, dating from 1896, evidence his precocious talent; Retrato de la Tía Pepa (Portrait of Aunt Pepa), done in Málaga in 1896 was done when he was 15, as well as enormous Ciència i Caritas (Science & Charity), showcases masterful academic portraiture techniques; in rooms 5-7 hang paintings from his 1^st Paris sojourn, while room 8 dedicated to Blue Period, including Woman with Bonnet, depicting captive from Saint-Lazare women’s prison & veneral disease hospital that Picasso visited when in Paris; see also Terrats de Barcelona (Roofs of Barcelona) & El Foll (Madman), former having been painted during his 2^nd stint at 17 Carrer de la Riera Sant Joan studio in 1903; cubist paintings pop up in rooms 10 & 11: Glass & Tobacco Packet, from 1924; from 1954-62, Picasso obsessed with Velázquez & in 1957 made series of renditions of Velázquez’ masterpiece, Las Medians, now displayed in rooms 12-14 (looks as if Picasso saw original Velázquez painting through prism reflecting all styles he had worked through until then, creating his own masterpiece in process); last rooms contain his dove paintings, engravings & some 40 ceramic pieces completed throughout latter years of his life.

Sant Just Desvern
●La Fabrica – 137 Carrer d’Àngel Guimerà (Esplugues de Llobregat); 011-34-933-723-003; ricardobofill.com/la-fabrica/read; once-abandoned, 19^th Century cement factory converted into architectural firm RBTA’s studios (& Ricardo Bofill’s personal residence); lies directly next to Walden 7; 8 silos transformed into offices, model-making laboratory, archives, library, gigantic space known as “Cathedral,” used for architectural meetings, exhibitions, concerts & professional activities; (above Cathedral lie Ricardo Bofill’s residence, green roofs & terraces, entire complex planted with lush gardens to create oasis within industrial area.

Sant Gervasi
●Casa Muntadas – 48 Avinguda Tibidabo; sites.google.com/site/barcelonamodernistaisingular/sarri---sant-gervasi-3/casa-muntadas; designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch; garden villa type; 2 floors covered with gable roof.
●Casa Mercè Pastor de Cruïlles – 102-104 Carretera Vallvidrera a Tibidabo; barcelonas.com/puig-i-cadafalch-in-barcelona.html; name means crossroads house; modernist building designed by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch; small-town study of Marquise Castle Torrent; built in 1904.
●Casa Rosa Alemany – 6 Avinguda República Argentina; poblesdecatalunya.cat/element.php?e=6282; commissioned by politician Joan Pich i Pon & built in collaboration with Lluís Planas; Noucentista building considered ultramodern at time constructed, owner’s residence being located on top floor; above doorway is statue of Diana; last building by Puig i Cadafalch in Barcelona as political events that would 1^st lead to 2^nd Republic & then Spanish Civil War were beginning to take over.
●College of Teresians – 85 Caller Ganduxer; 011-34-932-12–33-54; gaudiclub.com/ingles/I_VIDA/teresian.html; built in 1889 for St. Theresa nuns, when Antoni Gaudí still occasionally using straight lines, this building, operating school, showcases upper floors reminiscent of those in Francesc Berenguer’s apartment house at 44 Carrer de l’Or, with its steep peaks & verticality; hired to finish job begun by another architect, Gaudí found his freedom of movement somewhat limited in this project; dominant theme here is his use of steep, narrow catenary arches & Mudejar exposed-brick pillars; most striking effects are on 2^nd floor, where 2 rows of dozen catenary arches run building’s width, each unique because, as Gaudí explained, no 2 things in nature are identical; brick columns crowned with T-shape brick capitals (for St. Theresa); look down at marble doorstep for inscription by mystic writer & poet Santa Teresa de Avila (much-quoted todo se pass); not open to visitors, but sisters may organize guided group visits on request.
●Torre Bellesguard – 16-20 Carrer de Bellesguard; 011-34-932-50-40-93; bellesguardgaudi.com/#_=_; modernist manor house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, constructed 1900-09; ground on which Bellesguard stands onetime country residence belonging to Martin, King of Aragon & Count of Barcelona; Gaudí assisted by Joan Rubio while Domènec Sugrañes i Gras created various mosaics adorning house.

Santa Coloma de Cervelló
●Church of Colonia Güell – Calle Claudi Güell; 011-34-936-30-58-07; gaudicoloniaguell.org; unfinished work by Antoni Gaudí, built as place of worship in manufacturing suburb; brainchild of Count Eusebi de Güell, however with Güell losing profits from his business, money depleted & only crypt completed; technique Gaudí used to design church was to hang little bags of birdshot from strings; gravity would pull these bags downwards, giving even weight distribution & stretching strings to form model structure, thus showing him angles & shapes his pillars would need to be; by photographing model, then inverting photograph, Gaudí could then see model as it should look (replica of his model for crypt is in Museum under Sagrada Família); in 2000, local architects set about repairing crypt.

Sarria
●Casa Muley Afid (Consulado de Mexico) – 55 Passeig de la Bonanova; 011-34-932-01-18-22 (Consulate); consulmex.sre.gob.mx/barcelona; Sultan Muley Afid was son of Hassan I, Caliph of Marrakesh; in 1908, exiled to Barcelona after living for long time at Hotel Oriente, Afid commissioned Josep Puig i Cadafalch to build his residence, finished in 1914; detached building surrounded by garden with ground & 1^st floor with terraces & viewpoints; crowned by tower overlooking residential complex; decorated with white walls, complemented by bricks, green glazed tiles & sgraffiti panels.
●Casa Sastre i Marqués – 29-35 Carrer Cardenal Vives i Tutó; sites.google.com/site/barcelonamodernistaisingular/casa-sastre-i-marqus-1; house designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch for Sastre i Marquès (doctor, pharmacist & creator of famous sugar medicine); white period work, combining brick brickwork with sgraffito & glazed ceramic tiles; gazebo in garden corner.

Sitges
●Bodegas Güell – 174-175 Carretera C-31 de Barcelona a Sitges (in El Garraf); 011-34-936-32-00-19 or 011-34-936-32-01-80; gaudiclub.com/esp/e_vida/garraf.asp; architectural complex comprising winery & associated buildings; architect Antoni Gaudí received commission for this work in 1882 from his patron, Eusebi Güell, under direction of Francesc Berenguer (Gaudí’s helper); winery has triangular frontal profile, with almost vertical roofs, steep sloping stone slabs, finished off with sets of chimneys & 2 doors that connect it to old building; 3 floors: ground floor for parking vehicles, apartment on 1^st floor & domed chapel on top floor; currently restaurant.
●Institute of Arts – 18 Carrer Ramon de Dalmases; 011-34-938-94-97-13; iabarcelona.com; founded by Giles Auckland-Lewis & Mark Lethem; inspired & supported, at least initially, by Sir Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts; check for performance schedule.
●Maricel Museum – Carrer de Fonollar; 011-34-938-94-03-64; museusdesitges.cat/ca; in 1969, Barcelona Provincial Corporation bought building of Maricel de Mar to house Doctor Jesús Pérez-Rosales’ collection; he was well-known gynaecologist & enthusiastic collector; more than 3K items of varying origin, collection includes Romanesque murals (like Christ Pantocrator from Santa Maria de Cap d’Aran, dated to 12^th Century), examples of Gothic painting on wood (among them 2 pieces from altarpiece of Sant Pere de Cubells), Renaissance carvings & altarpices, Modernista & Noucentista sculptures by Josep Llimona (Distress), Enric Clarasó (Head of Child Crying, Joan Rebull (Rest, Dawn & Gypsy Child), Josep Clarà, Josep Cañas & Pablo Gargallo (Reaper), 6 allegorical canvas panels by Josep M. Sert on WWI, along with numerous pictures & items of furniture, precious metal, ceramics & porcelain; also houses Vila de Sitges Art Collection, which occupies several rooms on 2^nd floor; some 50 works by Sitges artists of 19^th-20^th Centuries; Catalan painting from Joaquim Espalter to Pere Pruna; Luminist School of Sitges, which provided bridge between Marià Fortuny & Modernistes, amply represented, with items by Felip Masó (amongst them emblematic Saint Bartholomew Procession), Joaquim de Miró (Malvasia Harvest), Josep Batlle i Amell, Arcadi Mas i Fondevila (Corpus Christi Procession in Sitges), Joan Roig i Soler & Antoni Admiral; several works by Santiago Rusiñol, in particular Twilight, painted in Biniaraix (Majorca).