On our way to southern France, my husband Jon and I met my sister Madeleine and her husband Dick in Barcelona for a couple of nights. None of us had never been to Spain, and we all loved it. Dick speaks Spanish fluently (he’s an interpreter), Madeleine does well from their trips to Mexico; Jon and I have a few words and phrases that came to us like answers to a crossword puzzle.

We did lot of walking that first day, including a visit to the Catedral de Barcelona and the History Museum of Barcelona. The museum is built over excavations of Roman ruins. Conquerors would simply build over existing structures. These included wine making, fabric dyeing, and fish preparation. Very interesting to see and well curated.

After a late lunch and a siesta, we walked on the famous pedestrian boulevard called La Rambla all the way to the waterfront. We stopped at a market on the way back for apples and oranges.

Can Culleretes is a recommended restaurant that was established in 1786, an impressive 228 years ago. Food and service were excellent. Barcelona is a beautiful city where I would love to spend more time someday. Friends who have been there love it, too.