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MT 12 October 2014

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maltatoday, Sunday, 12 OctOber 2014 34 travel A visit to Barcelona is always a de- light. But playing the tourist in this fascinating city is very hard work. Exploring the town is best done on foot, and there's so much to see that after an eighteen-hour day, you fall exhausted into your bed at night for a deep deep sleep. After two days you will need a break from the mad- ding crowd, but where? Simple, take a ten-minute taxi ride to the 'Poble Espanyol' in the Montjuic quarter. The Poble Espanyol (Spanish Vil- lage in the Catalan language) was built for the Universal Exhibition in 1929. The concept was to create a village that harmoniously repre- sented the different types of archi- tecture throughout Spain. It was the brainchild of a group of four Barcelona architects, who spent months travelling to all corners of the country to choose the buildings to be copied. They visited one thou- sand six hundred sites, took hun- dreds of photos, and then set about making the plan fit together. The monumental task of building the project took a mere thirteen months, and the result was astounding. Montjuic is the green lung of Barce- lona, and is often ignored by tourists staying only for a few days. As you enter the village through the central gateway, you immediately have the sensation of being transported back in time to a perfect Spanish village, unspoilt by the demands of modern day living. You will walk into the main square, Plaza Mayor, a large area lined with an eclectic mix of architecture and cafés. Most historic Piazzas in Eu- rope were originally built in one har- monious style, so the main square at Poble Espanyol shouldn't work, and shouldn't be pleasing to the eye. But strangely, it does and it is. The hustle and bustle of Barcelona keeps your heart racing but here, it immediately slows down. The village gives you a sense of inner peace, takes you into another, forgotten world. In a Medieval or Renaissance vil- lage, the streets would lead out from the main square, and that's what they do here. Poble Espanyol is built on the side of a hill, and the streets wind up and down, some of them narrow, some wider, but the impres- sion is of something organised by clever town planners a long time ago. And of course it was, but less than a century ago by our four architects. What a shame that today's modern planners are not as intelligent! Streets leading off the Plaza have more coherent architecture. Instead of the higgledy-piggledy but delight- ful mix, the rest of the village is di- vided into themes. Each area of Spain is represented in its own style. And in general, the different styles represent how wealthy a region was in the past. The regions such as Toledo have more formal and intricate facades, while the poorer areas such as the south-east are more rustic. Strolling through the streets is like taking an enjoyable history lesson. Exiting one of the rear gates will lead you up a small incline to a mon- astery, built in the Catalan style, with swarms of wild parrots chat- tering away to each other. Wander- ing into the chapel, you could be forgiven for believing that you were about to attend mass hundreds of years ago. There are many cafés and res- taurants dotted around the village, where you can stop for light re- freshment. And after about ninety minutes, you will find yourself back at the Plaza Mayor, having made a whistle-stop tour of Spain. There you can treat yourself to lunch or dinner, and probably realise that you must have missed something on your first round, and should do it again! The village usually opens at nine in the morning, and doesn't close until late in the evening. Just check with a Tourist Office for the hours during your stay in Barcelona. The only disappointment with the village is that most of the build- ings are empty shells. Yes, they are made of stone and brick, but only the ground floors are used for shops and cafés. The reason for this is that the vil- lage was originally built for the Uni- versal Exhibition, and was destined to be pulled down after six months. Thankfully it wasn't, but what a pity that there has been no effort to convert the empty interiors to a hotel, along the same lines as Port- meirion. I wouldn't advise anyone to stay in Barcelona in July and August. Not only is it too hot to play at being a serious tourist, but that is the time of year when there will be the most visitors. Spring and autumn are per- fect. Ryanair flies directly to Girona, except during winter. From there, an hour on the bus will get you to the heart of the city. A car in Barcelona is a liability, and expensive to park. So unless you're planning on con- tinuing your holiday into the coun- tryside, use public transport. A Tour of Spain in 90 minutes TOBy ROSS takes you to another fantasy village Montjuic (pictured) is the green lung of Barcelona, and is often ignored by tourists staying for a couple of days

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