Maria is a very thoughtful and hospitable host. She openly said to make myself feel at home, and I immediately did! She would offer coffee every morning and always ask if I needed anything. Also, when I desperately needed a place to print out some documents, she was able to point me to a local Internet cafe that provided printing, which was extremely helpful.
Her apartment’s location is convenient. Her apartment is a ~20 minute metro to La Rambla/ Gothic Quarter/ Sagrada Familia, a 10 minute walk to Park Guell, and roughly 50 minutes away from the airport by metro. There are supermarkets by her place, as well as a number of restaurants in the nearby Gracia neighborhood.
Finally, the area was quiet, which was a nice change of pace compared to the packed and touristy areas in La Rambla/ Gothic Quarter. All in all, if you want a quiet, quaint and more local place to stay, I would recommend Maria’s!