Urban Barcelona is
crowded,
filthy and hot. This part of the city is mainly good for shopping, dining (inside) and business (air conditioned.) The metro takes one almost anywhere, but traffic is well organized and a fraction as stressfull as it is in Italy. Most people obey traffic rules, and once in a while it is possible to see police units laying down the
traffic law. The main streets are extremely wide with large sidewalks, lined by trees and bushes. The
1992 Olympics put a lot of cash flow into the city, allowing it to renovate the
subway, plant some trees and install the
Mercury fountain.