Kerri Jackson spends 24 hours in Gaudi's city and falls for the mad architecture and crazy culture.
KEY POINTS:
Barcelona is a riot - of colour, people, blending cultures and incredible architecture. There's enough here to keep you occupied for weeks; enough enticements to have you seriously considering a permanent move. But if you find yourself in this vibrant Spanish city for a good time rather than a long time, you need a careful plan of attack to fit in a balance of art, architecture, food, scenery and culture.
The heart of the city is La Rambla, the wide, main pedestrian-only boulevard stretching from La Placa Catalunya to the harbour. If you wander down it during the day it's filled with tourists, street performers and flower stalls. But as you walk, you'll also lay eyes on some great Barcelona landmarks, such as the beautiful Liceu opera house, rebuilt in the late 1990s after a fire, and, at the end of short, narrow side street, Placa Reial.
Often labelled the most beautiful square in the city, Placa Reial is filled with tall palm trees and the famous wrought iron streetlamps, designed by Antoni Gaudi after he won a competition in 1878.
But there'll be plenty more of Gaudi and his modernism later.
A block back from La Rambla is the Barri Gotic, the largely intact, medieval centre of the city. The name means Gothic Quarter in Catalan, the city's native language, and here you can wander a labyrinthine network of narrow cobbled streets and squares, filled with old, beautifully maintained buildings.
Back on La Rambla, near the Barri Gotic, you'll come across the wildly coloured waves of the roof to La Boqueria food market.
Part of the city's street life since the 1200s, the market is still a thriving hub, packed to the brim with every kind of produce imaginable.
At the port end of La Rambla is the Monument a Colom, a tribute to Christopher Columbus, an Italian actually, who distinguished himself in the service of Spain discovering the New World. The man himself is at the top of the column, pointing majestically seaward. You can even take a slightly rickety, vertigo-inducing lift-ride to the top for some spectacular views.
But no visit to Barcelona would be complete without embracing the man who made his mark on the city arguably more than any other.
Gaudi's beautiful, chaotic mosaic architectural footprints are dotted all over the city. If you have time and the inclination, visit the weirdly organic-looking Casa Batllo and Casa Mila, but if you're short on time the two must-dos are the iconic Sagrada Familia and the breathtaking Parc Guell.
The catholic church, Sagrada Familia, still under construction some 80 years after Gaudi's death, is mindblowing in scale and detail.
Stepping inside is like going through the looking glass to the inside of the architect's mind. There will, of course, be continuing construction work going on as you tour around (New Zealander Mark Burry is the project's executive architect), but that is part of Sagrada Familia experience. And the museum inside the building is utterly fascinating.
Parc Guell is the perfect place to end your day of Barcelona sightseeing. Its sheer mad beauty is enough to bring a tear to the eye. From the sweeping entrance staircase, guarded by mosaic dragons, through pillared underground caverns and on up to the scallop-edged top terraces affording stunning views across the city, Parc Guell is a place like no other.
If your timing's right you can watch the sunset over Barcelona, which is when you appreciate what a riot of colour the place is.
But this is Spain, baby. Sunset means the party's just beginning, and if you're only in town for a flying visit you're not going to want to call it a day yet.
Head to the Barceloneta district (it's about a 15-minute walk around the harbour from La Rambla) for perfect paella. Alternatively truly embrace the Spanish way by delaying hunger pangs with a few tapas and a spot of sangria, and eat a late dinner.
About 10pm is the standard dinner time here - then party until dawn.
IF YOU GO
The easiest way to get around inner Barcelona is on foot, but, to save time, buy a day-pass (about $35) for the Bus Turistic, which runs in a circuit around key tourist sites.
If you're travelling by the underground, Lesseps is the best stop for Parc Guell, but it's still about a 20-minute walk uphill to the park.
August is Barcelona's busiest tourist season, although many of the city's shops and business close mid-August to mid-September. Try visiting in autumn, when the weather is still quite warm and there are fewer crowds.
The Barcelona Card offers unlimited free .htm on public transport and free admission or discounts for about 100 attractions. Cards cover periods from two to five days for up to $64. But if museums aren't your thing, it's cheaper to buy day bus-passes.
Post-Olympics Barcelona is safer than it used to be, but be wary of pickpockets, and don't wander off the main drags by yourself after dark.
Barcelona Tursime has offices dotted all over the city with extremely helpful and friendly staff or visit its website www.barcelonaturisme.com
