VISITING BARCELONA Let's see... These are THE FOUR THINGS YOU CAN'T MISS. There's no way you can miss any of this four attractions and I think you can manage to do it. 1- Visiting the (still-unfinished) church La Sagrada Familia #1 attraction in Barcelona and the most famous Gaudí building (Gaudí's a very famous architect, really cool stuff). I recommend you to get the tickets online, even before the trip, as it gets really crowded and that way you don't have to do massive lines. You can get there with the tube Line 5 (Blue) stop Sagrada Familia. 2- Walk around the Gothic neighborhood, the actual city centre. Walking this route: http://goo.gl/maps/OECzQ (not more than 1 hour, it's not a long distance) where the stops are:

A- Plaça Catalunya - the city centre, a huge square, you'll get to see it so many times. Where everything happens. B- Cafè 4GATS ("Four cats caffe") - A coffee shop, really cool, where intellectuals had tertulias. It's all in art nouveau style, full of art pieces. They'll let you in even if you don't order anything, 'cause they know it's such an important place. If you get the chance to have something there, check out the two dining rooms, they're really cool. C- Plaça Sant Felip Neri - tiny square where shootings took place. Really quiet, there's only a school and a small church. The walls of the building have holes from the shootings. D- You go pass under really nice arch and get to the Plaça Sant Jaume. This square (plaça) is were the two most important governmental buildings are in the city - the city hall and the house of the regional government, Catalunya. It's a very important place that symbolizes what Catalunya is. In a corner of that street there's a bar calles CONESA, best sandwiches of the city. AMAZING place to grab a cold drink and a sandwich of Spanish ham or sausages, etc. Choose something typical, or ask the bar tender for a good recommendation saying a Catalan told you to come. They'll treat you very well. E-Plaça del Rei. If it's sunset or night you'll get a beautiful view of that little square that was built in medieval times. Small, cute place, I love it. F-Go around that square as it says in the map, you'll get again close to where you started but on the way you'll find a another tiny little square where there's a magnificent acoustic and bands play there all the time.

3- Las Ramblas. Going down Las Ramblas, the most famous street (streets, there's actually three different but it looks like only one) in Barcelona. It starts from Plaça Catalunya and it goes down to the sea, to the statue of Cristopher Columbus. There there's a shopping mall called MAREMAGNUM which is on the sea, right beside the port. Half way through this long street, check out the "Mercat de la Boqueria", cool market where very good food can be bought. It can take you 45 minutes if you get going, more if you wanna check out the Maremagnum shopping mall. 4- Passeig de Gràcia (Paseo de Gracia in Spanish; most names are in Catalan). Very exclusive street where some amazing building are, like one block called the "discord block" because the crazy style of buildings (the art nouveau in Catalunya was called Modernisme and Gaudí was the major architect in this style). Don't forget to check out in this street: 1) Casa Batlló and 2) Casa Milà (commonly named "Pedrera"... if you have to ask on the street, go with this).

EATING. If you want to have "TAPAS", I suggest you to go to Lizarrán in Passeig de Gràcia, not cheap nor very expensive, but it's one of the best places to go in the city centre. The others are normally very touristy. Be careful NOT to eat anywhere in Las Ramblas. They'll rip you off SO much. Even if you think they won't. Food's awful and it's the worst place to eat in Spain. Try to avoid big streets and go to small, cosy places with locals. To eat paella, try the neighborhood where the nicest beach is, "LA BARCELONETA". I don't know of a

specific place but again, any place by the sea which has locals will be good. Order seafood paella (way more typical in Barcelona) or meat paella, the altogether (meat and seafood)

Barceloneta beach

"El bloque de la discordia" - Discord block (Casa Batlló by Gaudí the one on the left.

paella is no good. In general, eating paella is not less than 30-35 euros. About GOING OUT, if indie music is your thing, I'd go either to Razzmatazz or Apolo. If you like commercial electronic music, Opium's your place. Don't get into any of those clubs before 12,30-1 am (they close at 6am, they get full at like 2 am or so). TO STAY. I had a friend staying at the Kabul Hostel, which is a very fun place to stay and easy to meet people. But it's a crazy-hippie-hostel, I mean, don't expect it to be superclean and tidy and have quiet guests. It's quite good located right in the city centre and although it's a safe area (Barcelona is not really dangerous), that square at night gets full of police and prostitutes, apart from the tourists and the club-goers (there's a couple of cool clubs in that square). Just so you know. It's a peculiar spot to stay, if you prefer something quieter, choose any nice hotel that seems nice to you. Also to bear in mind! Because of all the tourism we have, Barcelona is the city with more pick-pocketing in the whole world. Anywhere you go, especially the touristy places you will be all the time, make sure you don't let you stuff out of sight, even having a coffee in a nice a crowded terrace. Have always your bag either on your lap or in the chair right next to you. Not kidding, happened to many people I know, even when I had warned them!