On Friday, we tackled the old town, or Barri Gotic, which is impressively moody and medieval. The area's got a couple of must-see sights, like the cathedral, but the overall effect of the place, ancient hulking building, dark, timeworn alleys etc. makes it a great place to wander for a few hours. And definitely a different feel from the beach.



The Cathedral, or Seu, dominates the entire area. It was built mostly in the fourteenth century, and is a classic example of Gothic architecture. However, the facade, which is its most photographed feature, wasn't built until the nineteenth century. For five centuries this gothic masterpiece sat with a blank wall for a face. But during the nineteenth century a liberal, strongly secular government took power in Barcelona's province, Catalunya, and they proposed inscribing the Catalan Constitution on the blank face of the church. That threat finally got the church to move, and they covered the blankness with a more traditional facade.