Sunny Barcelona

Barcelona is a great city. I have been here twice in a year. I went in August when the temperature can get up to 35 degrees Celcius. The evenings are cooler but still pleasant to walk around without a sweater. If you haven't been to Barcelona before, I recommend taking the Bus Touristic when you first arrive. It costs 20 euros for the day and there are three routes to take. You really do get your money's worth. It takes you round all the main sites in Barcelona, Sagrada Familia, Guell Park, Barcelona Stadium, Olympic Park, Marina and the beach.

For accommodation, the first time, I stayed in a one star hotel called Hotel Commercio which was at the bottom of La Rambla. It was very good value for money, about £200 for three nights and the flights to and from London Gatwick. The second time, I stayed in the NH Duc de la Victoria just off La Rambla, near Placa Catalunya. It was a nice hotel, but on the pricey side between 100 and 200 euros a night.

If you want really good Spanish food, I recommend Taller de Tapas on the Rambla Catalunya. I went there on my last night in Barcelona and the food and service was excellent. Our waiter John Alfano was very attentive and polite and recommended several good Spanish dishes. After dinner we went to a bar called Mojito. A very good salsa bar/club. I went on a Saturday night and it was quite busy but they played salsa music and some R&B. The bar is quite expensive, 10 euros entry fee which includes a drink. Additional drinks are 10 euros each, but in Spain they are very generous with their shots, when you order a whisky and coke you receive a double or a triple shot of whisky.

If you only have time to see one thing in Barcelona, go to Guell park. It was built by Anotoni Gaudi between 1900 and 1914 and is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is free to enter but Gaudi's House, "La Torre Rosa" is 5 euros each. From the park , you can see panoramic views of Barcelona, a beautiful view on a clear sunny day.