Firstly, Gracia is a great place to stay in Barcelona, an area slightly away from the main tourist haunts of the centre which allows you to have a more genuine local experience. The area has a village feel and comes alive in the evening with a multitude of small cafes,bars and delightful small artisan food and clothing shops. This is an area you can stroll around in the evening and feel quite safe which cannot be said for all areas in Barcelona. It is about a 15 minute stroll to the Sagrada cathedral and 30 mins into the centre down the main road which passes through the wonderful modernista area containing architecture by Gaudi and others. A metro station, Joanic, is only a few minutes away.
The apartment is on the back of the block opening out onto terraces and patios and removes you from any street noise, so evenings are quiet. It was clean and simply furnished in a modern style and has everything you need for a short stay, including a kettle which Pilar bought for us knowing how us brits like our tea, thank you ! There are plenty of towels supplied and extra bedding should you need it, it was October when we visited and just about needed that extra layer. Pilar is an excellent host, was there to greet us at the agreed time, replies quickly to emails and helpfully arranged a taxi to pick us up on arrival. If there were any problems she was only a phone call away. Staying in this area at this flat was a very agreeable experience.