The city of Barcelona has an indelible hold on my heart. What's not to love? The culture, the food, the beautiful people and most of all, the art. It is everywhere. There is nothing drab about this city and the best place to see it all is on foot. The last time I was here was a decade ago and it is as stunning as I remembered it to be. I spent an entire week just living like a typical Catalonian: indulging in a charcuterie plate of manchego cheese drizzled with honey and Andalusian cured meats with a glass of a bold red Spanish wine, shopping along the boutiques that line Gran Via and people watching. December in this city is a little brisk in the morning but by mid-afternoon, it is a balmy 15 degrees Celsius. I do not ever recall experiencing rain in Barcelona. In my mind, it is always blue skies and sunshine. This is Casa Batllo, a product of Antoni Gaudi's whimsical creative genius, interspersed among the ordinary buildings along Passeig de Gracia. The structure is most dramatic to behold at night where the facade explodes in a three dimensional pot-pourri of coloured glass and organic shapes.
