Barcelona—Easy Does It
If cities could teach Learning Annex classes, Barcelona's topic would be "Life: The Wholehearted Enjoyment Thereof." Plenty of resorts and islands and countryside towns have mastered this subject, but few metropolises have got it down like Barcelona.
Its appeal is simple: You don't have to "know somebody" or have the "insider info" to get the most out of it. In fact, you can be brand-new to the city, speak ten words of Spanish, and not even understand how to read a map, and you can still have a great time here. Maybe you'll stumble into a few tourist attractions like Montjuic or the Santa Maria del Mar Basilica, and maybe you'll stay at a legendary hotel like Hotel Claris. On the other hand, maybe you'll stay in some family-run guest quarters and never spot a single monument. Either way you'll leave with only the most fond memories and awesome photos. The only things you must do while in this city are the things you do in your regular life. The difference being, in Barcelona they're better. Below, a short list to get you started.
