Alba graciously accommodated our early check in request. She met us at the apartment to explain how everything worked and orient us to the neighborhood. The apartment was spacious, clean and well equipped. It is on a busy street so there is a lot of traffic noise when the windows are open. Closing the windows eliminates much of the noise but may require running the air conditioner. There is a nice pastry shop on the block and you can always find a taxi at the end of the street across from the church. Take advantage of the location by scheduling your visit to Sagrada Familia first thing in the morning. The apartment is centrally located between the Gracia and Gothic neighborhoods which is where we spent much of our time. Our group of four had a wonderful time in Barcelona and enjoyed the comforts of Alba's apartment.