I always tell people to just get lost and enjoy the architecture. You can find so many other sights in guidebooks, but Barcelona is a good place to just walk around.
I love the Gothic Quarter. It’s a good place to get lost. It has a special spirit, because it’s the old part of the city, and the architecture is different. In the Cathedral Square, if you go and turn to the right and go inside the Gothic Quarter, there are lots of small streets and squares. I still don’t recognize all of them. You can find cafes and restaurants everywhere. Just go and look for the smallest street you can—it’s like a labyrinth.
The Plaça Sant Felip Neri, a quiet plaza with a fountain and trees, was bombed during the Spanish Civil War in 1938. The scars of the bombing are still visible on the church.
There is one place here that is my favorite. It’s a hidden square, with a church with a primary school. It’s a very calm place, so if you want to take time to think about something, it’s a good place to go. Everything else here is noise and people, and then you walk in and it’s very relaxing.
What do you love about Barcelona?
I love that you can get anywhere walking, and enjoy the walk. The weather is also great, of course. And I like that it is a friendly, multicultural city--I’m Russian. The people are so nice, and open to help and to meet other people.