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EAT:The Catalan staple of pa ambtomàquet (bread sliced, lightlytoasted then rubbed with tomato,olive oil, garlic and salt) is perfectbreakfast or brunch fare. Being sopopular with the locals, it’s alsoeasy to find.

La Gavina, which translates toseagull, is a harbourside gem.Located in the old port’s historicPalau de Mar building thissprawling and buzzing restaurantseats 400 on its open air terrace.It’s busy for good reason. Theseafood is exceptional. For lunchon a fine day, the location is hard tobeat.

At night Catalans flock to tapasplaces across town. Each placehas its own specialty. Always try

the tapas superstar alongsidefavourites like croquetas dejamón (smoked ham croquettes)and alcachofas fritas (friedartichokes). Head to Bar Mut forchef and owner Quim Diaz’supscale montaditos, small servesof delicacies like foie gras on discsof baguette.

EXPLORE:The Barri Gòtic, or Gothic Quarter,dates back to Roman times. Thewarren of laneways and squares isfull of shops, cafés, bars and aremarkable timeline traced inarchitecture. Close by, the Mercatde la Boqueria is one of the finestfresh food markets in Europe and agood place to see the seasonstaking shape.The double-decker open air BusTuristic is a handy way to getaround and take in all essentials:Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia andParc Guell, the Jean MiroMuseum and the waterfront. Thebus travels in different loops andyou can hop on and off as manytimes as you like on a single ticket.

224 Hours in One day in Barcelona just isn’t enough. This is the simple truth for any great city. As afavourite Mediterranean port-of-call for cruise ships, however, that’s all many visitorsto Barcelona manage. We suck the marrow out of a single day.

TAPAS AT BAR MUT. SAGRADA FAMILIA. A MERCHANT IN POBLE ESPANOL.

MAKING PAELLA.LA GAVINA.

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SHOP:Vinçon is the local leading light inBCBG design. From staplers andpaperclips to chairs and lightingsolutions, this emporium of goodtaste sources its wares from thevanguard of industrial design. It’s atoy store for grownups.

Barcelona born Zara is theplace to go for quality, moderatelypriced clothes.

Cotton basics and classic cutsare the drawcards. There are over athousand stores in sixty-eightcountries around the world, butnone in Australia. Sizes are on thesmall side, but at these prices it’sworth the blow to your self-image.

Take the Metro or Bus Turistic toPoble Espanyol. There you’ll find

Susanna Soler Ceramica. Soler’shandmade and handpaintedceramic-and-cork bottle stoppersmake beautiful lightweight gifts.Stop to take in the view of the cityfrom Poble Espanyol. This hasphoto op written all over it.

RELAX: Feel like having someone elseorganise your day? EssentialSolutions is on hand to help. Apersonal concierge service, ESpromises to deliver what you needand when you need it. Transportand transfers, dinner reservations,tickets to shows and sportingevents are the very least you canexpect. No one knows this townlike these guys. You won’t waste aminute of your precious time inBarcelona with this team leadingthe way.

ADDRESS BOOKLa Gavina www.lagavina-rte.com

Bar Mut +93-217-43-38

Vincon www.vincon.com

Zara www.zara.com

Essential Solutions www.myessentialsolutions.com

4Barcelona VINÇON.

NIGHT MARKET IN THE GOTHIC QUARTER.

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