Modern Musings

Of course, the museum director encourages a visit to MACBA, but visitors should be sure not to miss Barcelona's other visual art gems: The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) (Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc; +34-936-220-360) was built in 1929 for the International Exposition, the second World's Fair to be held in the city; its dome was inspired by St. Peter Basilica at the Vatican, and inside it houses the world's largest collection of Roman frescoes.
The Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona (Parc del Fòrum, 4-5 Plaça Leonardo da Vinci; +34-932-566-002), Barcelona's natural history museum, boasts four million specimens; and one of Spain's most important artists, Antoni Tàpies, founded his eponymous foundation (255 Carrer d'Aragó; +34-934-870-315), inside a former publishing house to promote the study and appreciation of modern and contemporary art.

Theater flourishes in Barcelona, and in some very interesting halls. The Teatre Grec (Passeig de Santa Madrona; +34 933-161-000) located in a former quarry, opened for the 1929 World's Fair, and in the summer hosts Greek theater and music festivals. At Barcelona Teatre Musical (BTM) in the Ciutat del Teatre performing arts complex, (7 Carrer de la Guàrdia Urbana; +34-934-262-089) everything from comedy acts to Broadway-style musicals entertain inside Palau dels Esports arena, built for the 1955 Mediterranean Games, which was later converted into a proscenium theater in 2001. Mercat de les Flors (59 Carrer de Lleida; +34-932-562-600) presents a performance space for national and international contemporary dance inside a former flower market, hence the name. Take a gander at the great dome, which covers the entrance hall, and is the work of Mallorcan artist, Miquel Barcelo.

When it comes to music, Barenblit's taste is ultra-modern. He encourages like-minded travelers to time their visit to Barcelona to coincide with the electronic music festival, Sonar Barcelona. International in scope, it is where audiophiles come to discover the newest trends in dance and electronic music, with events spanning three days.

Barcelona is known for some of the most stylish cocktail bars in the world. It isn't just the mixology that gets them noticed, but their delivery. Seek out a tiny rum bar tucked away in a narrow lane. Caribbean Club (5 Carrer de les Sitges; +34-933-022-182) is undiscoverable if you don't know where to look. Inside a 12th-century building, owner and bartender, Juan Jose Gonzalez Rubiera, is the congenial host who mixes the city's best mojito. In the same El Raval neighborhood is Boadas (1 Carrer dels Tallers; +34-933-189-592), which its owners have proclaimed the oldest cocktail bar in Barcelona. Founder Miguel Boadas learned the craft from a cousin who owned the still famous landmark El Floridita in Cuba. Open since 1933, its tuxedo-wearing bartenders conjure Boadas's special recipes—more than 300 of them—and they continue the tradition with a special of the day.

After work, one might find Barenblit at Negroni Cocktail Bar (46 Carrer de Joaquin Costa; +34-619-429-271), around the corner from the museum. It may have ultra-contemporary decor, but the service is classic Spain. Here, personal drink preferences are taken seriously. Mixologists start a conversation with their guests to assess each individuals' likes and dislikes, then come up with a tailor-made libation. Of course, as the name suggests, one of those may very well be the classic Italian Negroni, but rest assured, your barman will figure out how to make it special for you.

In every neighborhood in the city, there's a bakery or pastry shop to love. Barenblit says some of the best are within walking distance of MACBA. Check out Forn Boix (23 Xucia; +34-933-022-782) for great homemade, rustic breads and baguettes, and lately, their gluten-free offerings. Pastisseria Escribà (83 La Rambla; +34-933-016-027), one of the oldest pastry shops in Barcelona, is a star for a few reasons; first, for its high-end pastries, and secondly, for owner Christian Escriba, who became a reality star after a television network featured the shop in a series,"Madness at the Bakery." For unadulterated Spanish tradition, Forn Mistral (96 Ronda de Sant Antoni; +34-933-018-037) has the best ensaimadas—coiled sweet bread, topped with powdered sugar, whose origins are in Mallorca.

When Barenblit is searching for a respite from the big-city pace, he doesn't have to go far. The Monastery at Pedralbes (9 Baixada del Monestir; +34-932 563-434) is an oasis of peace, and just a 20-minute drive from the center of town. The monastery's large central courtyard is lush with plants; and inside, a museum of religious art spanning the 14th to 20th centuries is housed in a former nun's dormitory. In the Horta-Guinardó district, visitors will find the city's oldest garden, Parc del Laberint d'Horta (1 Passeig dels Castanyers; +34-666-677-722). There are different parts of the park, but at the lowest terrace is the labyrinth created in 1792, cut out of cypress hedges. For a real dose of nature only 15 minutes beyond the city limits, the magnificent Serra de Collserola (92 Ctra. de l'Església; +34-932-803-552) is the largest green space in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Among the park's greatest attractions are the Torre de Collerola, an observation tower, and the ruins of a 14th-century castle.