Marcela's apt is simply beautiful, and the room most comfortable (king size bed). It overlooks a park with lush greenery, quiet and breezy; we had 4 nights of wonderful sleep. 5 min down the street is the Pl Francesc Marcia and the tram terminal. Take any tram (T1, T2, T3), one stop, and you are at the L'illa Diagonal Mall, where you will find brand stores Zara, Mango, Desigual, Sfera etc... ( for ladies - all the shoes you will ever want)... and the largest sports goods store - Decathelon anywhere. The supermercat in the basement stocks all the Rioja, jamon, oliva, beers... from all over Spain; plus lots cafes and restaurants for R&R. There are buses around the Pl Francesc Marcia to take you to the Bocqueria, Pl Cataluya, the Port Vell, Pl Espana... most spots are only 20-30 min ride away. Get yourself a T-10 ticket for the bus, tram and Metro - cost us euro10.30 when we were there early July 2014 - good deal if you are staying 2-3 days and exploring BCN.
Marcela is a great cook; if you should be lucky and staying over a weekend, she just might cook paella for you - in proud traditional Catalan style. (We loved your potata tortilla too, Marcela!). If you are a foodie, ask her to bring you to a small local eatery nearby - the La Campana - for jamon, fresh seafood, baccalau, squid frito..misc tapas... No English menu, local prices, so bring a good appetite.
We thorough enjoyed our 5-day stay at Marcela's place. Mucho grazias, Marcela.