Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is located on the coast of Spain and bounded by the Collserola ridge and rivers Besós and Llobregat. The city is less than 150 kilometres from the Pyrenees. Barcelona's location on the shores of the Mediterranean means that it enjoys a warm, welcoming climate and pleasant temperatures all year round. In November the temperature is around 14 degrees.

In Barcelona, as in the rest of Catalonia, there are two official language: Catalan, the language of the country, and Spanish, the official language of Spain.

As in most countries, the clocks are an hour ahead of solar time (GMT) in winter, and two hours ahead in summer. The clocks change twice during the year.

In Barcelona mealtimes are usually a little later than in the rest of Europe. Breakfast is between 9am and 11am and is similar to other countries on the continent. Lunch is served in restaurants between 1pm and 3pm and dinner form 9pm until midnight.

Map of Barcelona by districts:


Interesting Web Sites
Barcelona Council www.bcn.es
Public Transpor twww.tmb.net
Tourism www.barcelonaturisme.com/


Food and accommodation recommendations in Barcelona
Acommodation Services

Barcelona is a dynamic and welcoming city with a modern hotel infrastructure and an extensive range of flexible and affordable accommodation options.

Following are some options we highly recommend (in no particular order) taking into account location and good quality/price ratio.

Hotel Auto Hogar
Av. Paral·lel, 64
+34 93 443 98 50
http://www.scenic.es/hotel/hotel.htm
Metro: Línea 3, parada Paral·lel

Hotel Roma Reial
Plaza Reial, 11
+34 93 302 03 66
http://interhotel.com/spain/es/hoteles/1699.html
Metro: Línea 3, parada Liceu

Hotel Comercio
C/ Nou de Zurbano, 7
+34 93 318 74 20
http://www.quehoteles.com/hotel-de-barrio-gotico-Comercio-
4C15P116D3574Z11070EF.htm
Metro: Línea 3, parada Drassanes

In the following list, we offer you some Reserve-On Line services .

Atrapalo.com -- www.atrapalo.com
Barcelona Hotels Online -- http://en.venere.com/hotels_barcelona/?ref=38480

Catalan cuisine
Catalan cuisine, Mediterranean cooking at its best, is based on natural, seasonal products and the perfect marriage of the myriad ingredients and the style of cooking, often simple but also intriguing, over a low flame and with just the right final touch: chopped garlic and almonds, a dash of wine , a sprig of thyme or essence of lemon for dishes that appeal to the nose, taste buds and eyes.

Olive oil, vegetables and greens, fruit, fresh fish and shellfish, salt cod, beans, nuts and dried fruits, pork, herbs and a wide range of baked goods are the staple ingredients in the Catalan diet.

The Catalan table is also blessed with a diversity of still wines and sparkling caves, their quality guaranteed by our certificates of appellation: wines from the Priorat, the Penedès or Alella, all made from a unique blend of the most traditional Catalan grapes -Peralada, Samsó and Garró- or using such internationally renown varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

The quality of these basic products and the way in which they are combined make Catalan cuisine rich and healthy, simple and varied, natural and refined, local and worldly, modern and traditional, subtle