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Ranjita Biswas

Old Barcelona's Roman quarters merge seamlessly with later-day additions to present a magnificent city with wide avenues and attractive buildings.

Barcelona is said to be the most beautiful city on the Mediterranean coast . And rightly so. The Catalonian capital, set against a cobalt blue sea, embodies the old and new. From here the red earth of Spain's heartland seems very far away indeed.

Barcelona is Spain's second biggest city and also its commercial capital. The city has a hoary past. The port town found favour with the Phoenicians and Carthaginians more than 2,000 years ago. In fact, the Carthaginian ruler Amilcar Barca is supposed to have given the town its name, Barcino, which was later used by the Romans.

Around Plaza Sant Jaume, some Roman relics survive even today. Successive regimes have seen the city's rise and fall. Old rivalry with the Castile province still surfaces in street talk.

What's interesting is how old Barcelona's Roman quarters and later-day additions have merged seamlessly to present an architecturally magnificent city with wide avenues and attractive buildings.

Old Barcelona is best experienced around Barri Gotic or Gothic quarters with its stone buildings and cobbled paths. Cafes and boutiques are tucked into the buildings without disturbing the façades; the atmosphere is such that you forget that modern Barcelona is just round the corner.

From Gothic to Antoni Gaudi and his ecclesiastical modernist architecture is a great jump indeed.

Gaudi, Barcelona's most famous son, broke all rules of the day when he started conceptualising the Sagrada Familia Cathedral more than 100 years ago. It was left unfinished when he died suddenly in a tram accident in 1926. Gaudi was a bachelor and a recluse Catholic. The cathedral was his tribute to his Creator. Looking at the uneven structure still under construction, one can only marvel at Gaudi's `vision.'

It's a cathedral like no other, with pillars resembling trees, birds and animals, and colourful baskets of fruits as offering are tucked into crevices in the stone façade. As Gaudi did not leave behind a blueprint, architects are left to guess how he may have planned it. The project, funded by the local government, is not without controversy. Once completed, Sagrada Familia would be the largest cathedral in Europe.

Gaudi's other Catalan modernismo creations, houses of wealthy families like the Casa Batllo, dot the streets of Barcelona, at once eye-catching, surrealistic and colourful. These buildings are now in UNESCO's heritage list.

Barcelona's essence is best reflected at the ancient Las Ramblas promenade, once a drainage channel, leading from the huge and beautiful Plaza Catalunya right up to the seafront with its huge Colombus Monument (his finger points to America but some say it points to Italy). Vibrant floor tiles, colourful flower stalls, birds for sale in cages and local artefacts brighten up the place.

Artists on the sidewalk sketch busily and music bands play, from Mexican folk to Salsa, filling the air with a heady adventurous mix. Even the beggars look different, standing stock still in many avatars... a Charlie Chaplin here, a silver-painted space robot there, and even a couple doing a Tango. No wonder Las Ramblas is called "a metaphor for life."

Sitting in a cafeteria, sipping Barcelona's strong café con leche (coffee with milk) and watching the constant stream of visitors, I understood why the city's civic motto is Barcelona es teva (Barcelona belongs to you).

However, beware of Barcelona's notorious pickpockets, especially at tourist spots. Montjuic or Hills of Jews, named after a Jewish necropolis there, is the city's lung. The summer Olympics were held in newly carved grounds in the vicinity. From Tibidabo, at 1,650 ft, you can have a panoramic view of Barcelona hugging the sea. There's a cable car if you want to glide across the sea. Montjuic also has Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village), a quaint village showcasing several architectural and craft traditions of Spain. Do not miss sampling Barcelona's famous seafood. A good value for money is `Garduna' located in La Boqueria, a covered food market. It also has a fixed-price menu. For the best local Catalan food, the Los Caracoles restaurant at Placa Reil, Las Ramblas, is recommended.

One of the best, but most expensive restaurants is Botafumeiro, reportedly patronised even by the Spanish royalty. The freshness of the shellfish and the service by white-gloved waiters fussing over you are worth every coin.

Fact file

* Barcelona has a wide network of subway systems. From the main square Placa de Catalunya, it is easy to travel to any destination in the city.

* Barcelona Bus Turistic, the open-air tourist bus is also a good way to see the city. This is a hop- in-and-hop-out facility, covering important tourist spots.

* Barcelona Guided Tours specialise in walking tours of the Gothic quarters and the city's modernist heritage.

* An economical way to travel around the city is to buy a Barcelona Card. It offers free rides in metros, and discounts on entrances, restaurants, etc.

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