"during a discusssion with a Catalan exchange student".

If he also told you that you can join in a sardana even if you don't know how to dance it I'd take what he said with a grain of salt :-))
Seriously now, it is the first time I hear that Catalans are proud to speak Spanish (I live in French Catalonia). For years they considered Spanish as an imposed language. Do you know that some Generalitat employees in contact with the public are instructed to answer in Catalan?
Outside Barcelona where almost everybody speaks both languages Catalan is the norm. Primary school children are taught in Catalan.

I'm going to stay out of the inviting Catalán/Castellano pride posts.

Go right to the top of the Gaudi park, not many people do and the views are glorious. Benches under dappled tree shade. Take some water as its thirsty work.

The Miro gallery, but have the audio guide to make sense of it all.

The textile museum and near by a wonderful, ancient nut shop that still roasts on the premises. Cant remember if its 16th or 17th century, but who is counting?

day trips?
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A day trip to Montserrat via train. It's beautiful!

We liked Girona - an hour by train from Barcelona.

Thank you are so much!
Maureen

In Barcelona, dont miss the Palau Musica Catalana. The tour is very interesting and the building is gorgeous. We were there in May and went to a concert at night and it was hot.

Girona is a great town -- lots to see.

If he also told you that you can join in a sardana even if you don't know how to dance it I'd take what he said with a grain of salt

I have danced the Sardana and I didn't know how do it.

His was a confirmation of what I first learned, saw, and heard forty years and continues until now. The exchange student went on and on how tests and other various comparisons demonstrate that Catalans speak a better Castilian than madrilenos.

Next time you are on the Spanish side of the border, inquire.
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For years they considered Spanish as an imposed.

And that is the point. They can speak a brand of Spanish that is excellent and it is the language that is not spoken in their homes.

We are thinking of going to Amsterdam before Barcelona, then Barcelona, and finally Paris. I know Paris is great. Any thoughts as to whether Amsterdam is worth it?
Maureen W

Whether Amsterdam is worth it or not is in the eyes of the beholder.

It is a very different location from Paris and Barcelona. It has old world architecture and canals and flowers and good breakfasts with lots of cheese. Its museums and shopping are not as exciting as those of Paris, and it does not have Gaudi in terms of architecture.

My daughter and husband took the chance to rent a car in Barcelona to drive to Southern france to stay 5 nights in two tremendous castles for very reasonable cost, recently. they still rave about the medieval villages, the wine and the food, saying Charlie Trotter or Joel Robuchon could have learned a thing or two from the owners of some of the small establishments where husband and wife teams did everything.