{mosimage}

I arrived by train from Monaco to Barcelona, 8 years ago now.

The common question asked, "why Barcelona?"

I came to Barcelona for the first time by train 1992, they were in the middle of the Olympic Games, but I was young and backpacking and could care less.

My destination was not Sagrada Familia, nor Ramblas, but the beach, to maintain a well and carefully worked on sun tan.

So after instructions I got on the metro from Sants Estacion, (main train station in Barcelona) down to Barceloneta.

Now which city in Europe do you know where you can take the metro to the beach???

15 minutes later I was walking down Paseo Joan de Borbon heading for Barceloneta beach. City centre behind me, and the beach ahead.