Barcelona

Barcelona sits between a hill and the sea, and it takes twenty minutes to go from Gothic lanes to open sand. Antoni Gaudí left a whole city inside the city: the basilica begun in 1882 and still unfinished, the mosaic terraces of Park Güell on its hillside, the scaled front of Casa Batlló, the twisted chimneys of La Pedrera - Casa Milà. In the evening the crowd drifts down La Rambla towards the port, past flower stalls and full terraces. Barceloneta Beach puts swimming at the end of a metro ride, with rice dishes and grilled fish served along the front. Eating here is a simple pleasure: bread rubbed with tomato, cured ham, small plates shared until midnight. Under the iron roof of the Boqueria market, fish, cut fruit and whole hams are sold from first light. Football is close to a religion, and Camp Nou is its ground.