We had a wonderful time in Barcelona and a great stay at Maria's apartment.
This was the first time we took our small kids to Spain and wanted them to experience Barcelona city life as a local vs a tourist. We were looking to stay away from touristy areas but still be close to major sights, like Sagrada Familia.
Maria was a welcoming and accomodating host and her apartment checked all the boxes for us. It was roomy, with modern amenities and in a nice residential area. Arc de Triumf was a few blocks away and we even walked to Placa de Catalunya and Sagrada Familia. There were plenty of supermarkets around as well as nice cafes and restaurants. Two metro lines are 1-2 blocks away and we used metro extensively during our stay.
Traveling with kids is never easy but we had a great time and Maria certainly helped make our trip a success.