This apartment was amazing for many reasons. First, the location was fantastic. Travel was very easy and the Metro was equal to the tube in London - clean and efficient. It was two blocks away. Buy the day(s) pass. Second, you are in a neighborhood - grocery’s two blocks away, Sants market four blocks away, a bakery every two to three blocks. These bakeries are similar to the ones in France. The croissants are equal in quality. The bonus is that you can look at the Plaza d’Iberia (Plaça d’Iberia) outside the front window. There is a restaurant there that is 4-5 stars, but not expensive, Can Violi. Great food and desserts. The other gourmet restaurant is Arturo’s just one block away. We are foodies so this was a bonus. By staying away from the hotels and tourists shops we feel that our stay was more personal. It was also less expensive being away from the tourist areas. We did visit many areas and travel was very easy. Finding English speakers was never a problem.
Now for the dirt on the apartment. Angeles greeted us immediately. She showed us the flat and gave us some tips that really paid off. The apartment had a comfortable bed and had everything we needed. It is efficient. I cooked breakfast many mornings and we had all of the necessary supplies. We even did laundry very easily. The windows open for a great cross breeze. If you want it extremely quiet, close the windows and pull the shades. The steps were not an issue. We had no beggars in the neighborhood and everyone around made us feel welcome. If we return to Barcelona, we will stay here. This was a very clean, efficient flat that was nicely placed. Angeles made a big difference because she cared that we were comfortable and had a good visit. It is helpful if you know that plaza = Plaça and Calle = Carrer when googling locations. Also, if you are not familiar with skeleton keys, practice opening the door while Angeles is with you.