Barcelona

Barcelona is an old Roman city that´s built in between some mountains and sits on the beach. The heart of the old city is a ravenous boulevard called La Rambla. La Rambla snakes its way from La Plaça de Catalunya to the sea. Facing the ocean at the end of La Rambla is a monument to Christopher Columbus, his arms raised in victory of Spain over the American Indians.

La Rambla is something that every city should have, a wide tree-laden avenue that both binds and divides the city. A broad pedestrian walkway takes up the centre of the road and two tiny lanes for cars pass each side. Trees, desiduously denuded as it is winter, cower over the road from beginning to end. Buskers and performers rove La Rambla but perhaps the most significant feature of La Rambla is the throngs of people that promenade through La Rambla. From early morning to late evening, a never-ending stream of Spaniards and tourists flow through La Rambla like blood through a vein.

Being an old city, Barcelona is built for walking. Stunning medieval buildings crowd each other leaving enough room for pedestrians to squeeze through the gaps. But these are graceful buildings - balustrades, busts, ornations decorate the buildings. Castles and churches, in high gothic style, are interspersed throughout the city. And being an international tourist destination, shops are found in the base of the buildings.