Spanish Sensation
I loved the look of Carlo's apartment and it exceeded our expectations. Perfectly renovated in keeping with the architecture of the building, yet boasting a refurbished kitchen with all the amenities. It sits on a corner, 4 floors up (thank goodness there is a lift in the building!) and you have good views over 2 streets full of tapas bars, boutique breweries and restaurants, as well as local artisan designer shops. The full height folding doors have glass to keep out the elements, louvres to let in breeze but keep out the sun and wooden shutters to block out noise and light for the perfect afternoon siesta. I didn't appreciate from the description on line that the apartment works around a central kitchen so some bedrooms have multiple doors for access, or can be opened up in to a more open living style. It is all very spacious.
Our goal was to be within easy distance of La Boqueira markets, and we almost couldn't have been closer. This is "the other" gothic quarter of Barcelona, rich in good quality food and shops, with minimal tacky souvenir shops. It is the perfect place to wander. By all means walk a couple of hundred metres down the street to La Rambla and you can be in the thick of Barcelona Tourist activities to your hearts content. Tourist buses, metro and regular bus services are all within walking distance.
We had 2 families with young children. 4 adults and 3 children aged 15 months to 8 years. The only problem was just having 1 shower, otherwise it was a fabulous space to enjoy each others company without being cramped. Some parents may be concerned that the windows open full length so small children can get on to the balcony, but this was not a problem for our group and our children were never endangered. It is possible to leave the full length doors open, but to close the lower level of the wooden louvres, or just open the windows to prevent children having access to the balconies. There are plenty of options for parents to enjoy this amazing space. Even better, there is a playground around the corner, surrounded on 3 sides by tapas bars. The early evening ambience is very family friendly.
I would move to Barcelona and live in this apartment if I could, but even 5 days was an amazing experience. Carlos was very welcoming and spent considerable time showing us around the apartment and directing us towards the best that Barcelona has to offer. Thank you Carlos.