The top floor of this apt. at Carrer Manso is labelled as the attic but this is very far from what many of us know as an attic - usually a dusty storage room in the eaves of a house. This flat is clean, airy bright, and very quiet & tranquil.
The welcome from Mires' sister, Laura, instantly put us at ease after a delayed train journey had us arriving 3 hours late! After showing us the apt. layout, guest info and guides, came the best bit - the roof terrace and the sound system which played out there. We would spend many relaxing hours out there with Mires' excellent, eclectic music selections. The terrace is delightful and definitely the cherry on the cake of this contemporary designed flat. It is secluded and private overlooking a moderately busy crossroads. It does not impact on any way on the peace of this apt. Being above the bats as they soar round the trees is wondrous.
The views of Barcelona from Mountjuic to the Sagrada are superb especially in the evening. An early morning coffee with the dawn compliments the cava with the pink sunset of the previous evening.
The neighbourhood is a working, living, breathing Barcelona. There are not too many obvious tourists wandering this area, but 2 metro stations away will quickly take you to where they are.
There's a wide variety of cafes, bars & restaurants all within a few minutes walk. We would particularly recommend the Bodega (4 doors away and Calder's Bar - not Irish, but very Catalunyan, round the corner. Ask for the local wine - delicious.
This apartment is a fabulous retreat from a bustling, exciting, wondrous city.
To leave from and return to it is one of the high points of your day. Without doubt the roof terrace is the highlight although the apartment itself is excellent. There are many great eating places in the neighbourhood, directly across the road the original food market is being renovated and has been rehoused in a temporary structure to the side. The food is immense. Such seafood, cheeses, olives and vegetables. We intend to return with a better understanding of Spanish and fully appreciate the goods on offer.
We cannot recommend Mires apartment highly enough, we have rented apartments before in Paris, but this one and Barcelona itself exceeded our expectations. We are already planning to visit again next year.
Mires thank you also for making my birthday celebration so good.