Travellers: Shwetha, Karthik, Anika

Day 1: Ramble on! - We landed in Barcelona around mid-morning and took a taxi to our hotel, The Gran Torre Catalunya, near Barcelona Sants, the main train station. Though not walking distance from the key sights, the hotel was very accessible as there is a bus stop for the Hop on, Hop off bus tour nearby. We ate lunch at the hotel, and headed out to La Rambla.

La Rambla or Las Ramblas, is a street in central Barcelona, popular with tourists and locals alike. A tree-lined pedestrian mall, it stretches for 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) connecting Plaça de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell. While opinions on the street vary from, "don't visit, too touristy" to "must-see", we tend to agree with the latter. It is touristy, but instead of being turned off by the merchants selling cheap, illegal and fake goods, stand a while and see how they react to the constant vigil of the Barcelona police. Grab icecream from the many vendors, pick a cafe and people watch. The Rambla is the location for several of Barcelona's cultural establishments like the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona's renowned opera house, opened in 1847 and the Teatre Principal, the oldest theatre in Barcelona, founded in 1568. Also along the way is the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district and one of the city's foremost tourist landmarks. The crowds, the food, the atmosphere, this is a great place to see why Barcelona is so energetic.

La Rambla ends at Port Vell, a waterfront harbor and part of the Port of Barcelona. It was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The Columbus Monument stands at the entrance to the port, and a pedestrian walkway, Rambla de Mar, connects La Rambla to Port Vell. The port is now a focal point of the city and tourist attraction, with Europe's largest aquarium containing 8000 Fish and 11 sharks. Cities on a coast always have an edge, and that edge lies in the contrasting beauty of land and water and Barcelona's edge was as sharp as can be.

To the east of La Rambla, is Barri Gotic, or the gothic quarter. The streets are narrow, neo-classical buildings on either side, bridges that span buildings and every street cornered by plazas. The Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy is in the area as well as the Church of Santa Maria del Pi and the Church of Sant Miquel. It is widely believed that it was on the steps fanning out from the corner of the Plaça del Rei square in the Gothic quarter, that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella greeted Columbus when he arrived home from his first voyage to the New World.

Around the same area, is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, or the Barcelona Cathedral. The present Gothic cathedral was begun on the foundations of the previous churches on 1 May 1298. In the late 19th century, Miguel Girona i Agrafel offered to complete the neo-Gothic facade and towers as inspired by the original 15th-century design and drawn by the architect Josep O. Mestres. This work was completed in 1913 by Girona's children. The area around the Cathedral becomes an important gathering point for people and as the day wears on, musicians, artists, and thus tourists assemble in front. It is great to end the day on the steps of this beautiful cathedral. We had dinner at a restaurant on La Rambla and returned to the hotel to rest.

Day 2: Gaudi, but not a Gaudy day - Barcelona and Gaudi go together. A Spanish Catalan architect from Reus and the best known practitioner of Catalan Modernism, Antoni Gaudí's works reflect an individualized and distinctive style, influenced by his passions in l