After looking at 100's of apartments in Barcelona and settling on one that I thought would be perfect (stylish with balconies and outdoor terraces) I asked myself why I would want to isolate my family and best friend in an apartment, so I looked for a guest house, hotel or b &b where we would have a chance to interact with other travellers and the Spaniards who might live near by (for is this not what travelling is all about?). After much research with only the reviews of the NY Times and Frommer's I booked with Yata. Yata is from Osaka and so his web site is in Japanese, but he promply and uniquely answers all email in English in which he is fluent. The Acropolis is in the Gracia (pronounced Grathia) section of Barcelona which is directly down the hill from Park Guell which we walked to daily stopping for exresso on the way at a small cafe without any tourists where after just one visit the owner greeted us as old friends. Gracia is an area as yet undiscovered by tourists... more