I couldn't have asked for a more perfect place for my family to stay during our visit to Barcelona. The location was absolutely the best -- steps from the metro and the Barcelona turistic bus stop; in the midst of a veritable cornucopia of restaurants, grocery stores, and cafés; and, of course, just kitty-corner from the stunning Sagrada Familia (the view of Sagrada Familia from the apartment is amazing...exactly as advertised).
The apartment's central location gave us great and easy access to all the sights we wanted to see, allowed us to come back every day for a for a pleasant and re-juvenating mid-day siesta (particularly helpful for the members of our family who are 78- and 82-years-old), and made finding our next meal a totally stress-free experience.
The apartment itself is gorgeous -- airy, full of light, and spacious enough for our family of six (I thought the apartment was even nicer than the photos). We used the small but very well-designed kitchen to prepare our breakfasts and loved the fact that we could hear the bells from Sagrada Familia throughout the day. The artisanal floor tiles in the apartment are particularly beautiful; and the interior design had a lovely calming effect.
Special mention should be made of the cleanliness. The place was impeccably clean. Even the self-professed germaphobe in our family was totally happy in Cristina's apartment!
It was obvious to all of my family that Cristina cares for this apartment with a lot of love. This is NOT some non-descript, impersonal rental property. This is a beautiful, clean, well thought out, peaceful oasis of a home where my family and I were able to relax, re-group and re-charge after our busy days in Barcelona.
This was our first trip to Barcelona, and we have all fallen in love with the city, thanks in part to Cristina's beautiful apartment.
We'll be back, if Cristina will have us!
p.s. Cristina was a fantastic correspondent and was incredibly helpful as I planned my trip.