Barcelona is a beautiful city on the water. The main drag, the most famous street of Spain, is the Rambla, a wide avenue lined with stores and restaurants, street vendors and street performers.  Barcelona is also the city of Gaudi, the architect with a rather bizarre, almost dream-like sense of style.  Barcelona also has beach, but even if you don't go to the beach be sure to walk along the water.  Note that as in all of Spain, museums are closed on Mondays, though nearby Montserrat monastery is not.

Barcelona has a large, efficient Metro or subway system.  Your best bet is a ten trip ticket, since day passes and 50 trip tickets are only valid for one person, whereas the ten trip ticket can be shared.  Museums in Barcelona have information in English upon request.  Most are handicapped accessible, with wheel chair lifts for stair cases, and we even went into a tapas bar (Tapa Tapa on Paseig de Gracia) that had a wheel chair lift.  You can spend days in Barcelona just seeing all the sights and museums, or extend your trip to see some of the surrounding monasteries (Poblet, Montserrat, or Sante Deus), spend time on the beach, or see the nearby Catalan Pyrenees.  A good option is the Bus Turistic, which costs about 20 euros for two days, and takes you to all the major sights in the city, plus gives you a coupon book with real discounts for many museums and sights, as well as a couple fast food restaurants.  You can also buy a combined ticket for the museum of Catalan art, including the special exhibits and modren art section and the Poble Espanyol at the art museum for 10.40 euros, or a combined ticket for the Gaudi house (Fundacio Caixa Catalunya), Miro museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Fundacion Antoni Tapies, and the museum of Catalan art, called the Articket, for 15 euros (www.articketbcn.com or call the Caixa Catalunya Tel: 902 10 12 12). 

Unfortunately, if you want to do a tour of Gaudi architecture, you have to create your own tour, since the tourist office does not have specific information.  Do not miss the Sagrada Familia and the Park Guell, which has a small Gaudi museum in a house where he lived.  (See www.bcn.es/parcjardins for information about this and all of the parks and gardens of Barcelona)  Gaudi dedicated his life to the Sagrada Familia, the large church which has been under construction for decades and seems like it will never be finished; the architect lived out his final days there, and is buried there.

For spectacular views of Barcelona and the coastline, take the metro to the Funicular, which is actually part of the subway line, and from there take the cable car (Teleferic de Montjiuc) up the Montjiuc hill.  You will get off at a fort that you can visit, with panoramic views of the city.  At Montjiuc, go to the Catalan art museum, the enormous building at the heart of the Plaza de Espana (metro stop).  The museum contains numerous paintings and frescoes that were actually removed from surrounding churches and displayed in the museum as they appeared in the churches.  The Miro museum contains bright, whimsical paintings that provide a unique glimpse into the life of the artist.  The Poble Espanyol is a mini-Spain, with architectural styles from various regions of the country, shops and restaurants, and displays of some crafts.  The Poble is open at night, at which time it is cheaper, and there is a restaurant with somewhat expensive flamenco shows.  (Open until midnight on Sundays, closes at 4 PM on Friday and Saturday, 8 PM Monday, and 2 PM Tuesday to Thursday)  Also on Montjuic hill, you can see the remaining buildings from the 1992 Olympics that were held here.

The Museum of the City, (Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat) which should actually be called the museum of Roman Barcelona, contains a large underground network of Roman ruins, which you pass through on walkways.  There is very good information in English- most is marked, or pick up the pamphlets located near some exhibit cases that are not in English.  Open October to May Tuesday to Saturday 10-2 PM and 4-8 PM, Sunday 10-3 PM; rest of the year Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 8 PM, Sunday 10-3 PM For another interesting idea outside the normal tourist venues, check out the Barcelona futbol (soccer) stadium and museum, dedicated to the legendary soccer team (which recently is not doing so well).  Soccer season is September to June, if you can afford to see a game.

Barcelona is also one of the major fashion capitals of the world, so be sure to check out the designer boutiques and shoe stores.  As in all of Spain, sales in almost all stores occur in January and July.  Check out www.moda-barcelona.com, in English or in Spanish, about Fashion Week in Barcelona on the Guadi Runway.  Major designer stores and boutiques are located around the Paseig de Gracia.  For another type of shopping, check out the ad hoc vendor stands on the Rambla.

For kids, check out the Barcelona aquarium, the zoo with an albino guerilla, located in the Park de la Cuitadella, and the Barcelona soccer stadium and museum.

A Few Catalan words:  si us plau (please), gracies (thank you), adeu (goodbye), and Visca Catalunya! (Long live Catalunya!)

From personal experience, Barcelona is also a city of pickpockets.  When I was robbed in Barcelona I went to the police department, I waited in line with a bunch of other foreigners who had also been pick pocketed.  Be careful.  Wear money inside your clothes or shoes.  Be aware that some thieves even cut off belt packs.  Be careful around the cathedral area, in Gothic Barcelona, and on the Rambla.

For tapas, try Tapa Tapa at Passeig de Gracia 44, Tel: 93 488 3369.  Authentic, good tapas for reasonable prices.  Located at the corner of Consell de Cent.  Open late.  Part of the ANG group of restaurants in Barcelona, ang@angrup.com for information.

FREE MUSEUM TIMES IN BARCELONA

TOURIST OFFICES: Plaza de Catalunya 17-S; Sants Railway Station; Airport Terminals A-B; Ayuntamiento/ City Hall at Plaza Sant Juame; Palacio de Congresos Conference Center, open during trade fairs.  Airport Tel: 93 298 38 38.  Tourist Information: 906 30 12 82 (toll call).  Catalunya Tourist Information: 93 238 40 00.

Barcelona Bus Turistic: Adults one day 15 euros, two days 19 euros, child 0-4 free, 4 and over 9 euros one day, 12 euros two days.  25 stops on two routes are included. 

Websites about Barcelona

www.bcn.es  General information about Barcelona, including museums, in English.  Also see www.barcelonaturisme.com for accommodation and sight seeing.  www.barcelonahotlinks.com has information about museums and transportation, as well as discount coupons.

 www.tmb.net About public transportation in Barcelona

www.mnac.es  The Museum of Catalonian Art.  Open Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 7 PM, Sunday 10 AM to 2:30 PM.  Tel: 93 319 57 28.  Free guided tour in Spanish 12:30 PM Saturday and Sunday.  Email info@mnac.es 

www.sagradafamilia.org  The official site of Gaudi's unfinished work.  Open October to March 9 AM to 6 PM, April to September 9 AM to 8 PM.

www.poble-espanyol.com  Information about the Poble Espanyol at Montjiuc.  Tel: 935 086 300.  The Poble was built in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exhibition, with 40 artisan workshops.  Email: turisme@poble-espanyol.com 

www.aquariumbcn.com  The Barcelona aquarium, located on the harbor front.  Price is 11.50 euros adults, 7.70 euros children 4-12 and adults over 60.  Open until 11 PM in July and August, 9 or 9:30 PM rest of year.

www.museupicasso.bcn.es  The Picasso Museum in Barcelona.  The museum features many of Picasso's early works, from the time he was a child.  His genius was apparent from an early age.

www.bcn.fjmiro.es  The Miro Museum in Barcelona.  The museum is as whimsical and strange as the works of the artist himself.  The museum houses sculptures and paintings, and is definitely worth seeing.  Open October to June Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 7 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 2:30 PM; July to September Tuesday to Saturday 10 AM to 8 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 2:30 PM, year round on Thursday from 10 AM to 9:30 PM.  Email: fjmiro@bcn.fjmiro.es, Tel: 934 439 470.

www.museuhistoria.bcn.es  The website for the Museum of the History of Barcelona.  Tel: 93 319 02 22.  Email reserves-mhcb@mail.bcn.es 

www.hardrock.com  Check out the relatively new Hard Rock Cafe in Barcelona.  Located at Plaza de Catalunya 21, on the Ramblas; Tel: 93 270 2305.

www.universalmediterranea.com  Tel: 902 20 22 20  Port Aventura and Costa Caribe amusement and water park, by Universal Studios, located 110 kilometers from Barcelona.  Three day ticket for adults is 59 euros, children 5 to 12 or adult over 60 47.  Port Aventura one day adult 34 euros, child/senior 27 euros; Costa Caribe one day adult 17 euros, child/senior 13.5 euros.  Open every day 10 AM to midnight from June 21 to September 14.  Port Aventura has sections with themes from Mexico, China, the Far West, Polynesia, and the Mediterranean. 

www.liceubarcelona.com   The lovely Liceu theater in Barcelona.

www.maremagnum.es  The website for the huge shopping mall that is on the water front at the Barcelona coast.  Worth a visit.  Check out the Barcelona soccer team store.  Also children's activities.