Maria's apartment is a very centrally located base to explore Barcelona. The bus stops right in front, but we walked or took the metro which was a few minutes walk by the Sagrada Familia. Maria's friend Angel met us at the apartment for check in. He showed us the guides and maps on hand, as well as recommended several restaurants. We enjoyed staying in a neighborhood with many coffee shops and restaurants. We didn't have a chance to go to all the recommended restaurants, but did enjoy our reasonably-priced lunch at Ole Mallorca. Maria kept in touch with us throughout our stay, and was very prompt in coming to the apartment when we had a problem with the water heater for one of the bathrooms. Having a home away from home made our stay in Barcelona that more enjoyable and we would definitely stay there again!