"Barcelona, more than just great football!" Barcelona by Groentje

Don't know why exactly, but I just love Barcelona. Is it the South-European atmosphere, is it the tapas, is it the friendly people, is it its open spaces? Dunno, but I like it. I've only been here twice, but I feel like I could stay here for a prolonged time too.
City of Gaudi, it's a very arty place with some great cafés and restaurants. It's also famous for its football club, and it seems like a very sportive town (FC Barcelona is not only football, you know, but also basketball, hockey, ...).
The city is made up in a very logical fashion, with one-way streets throughout town.

The first time I visited Barcelona, I was there with my wife Carla on a one-day visit from Salou, our very first vacation abroad in those days. We visited it on a bus tour, and had a fair idea of what the city was like. I went back last June, as I had won a one-day (again) trip to go there! It meant getting up early, visiting a factory in the morning, walking around town in the afternoon and getting some tapas in the early evening with some other lucky winners. A good day, all-in-all, but waaay too short.

Barcelona is also the capital of Catalunya, and this is manifested throughout the city. When I was last there, there was a heated discussion between two groups of people, one supporting Catalunyan-classes in school, the other claiming this was a totally absurd and ridiculous notion. It was all highly entertaining, and it looked like a fight could start at any time, but I'm sure they all went for some tapas and a drink afterwards.

• Pros:Very open, warm atmosphere, seems like a sociable enough place
• Cons:my stays have been too short!
• In a nutshell:Football, tapas and great culture/history!