One of my favorite things to see in Barcelona, which you won't find in many guidebooks, is the beaux arts styled main post office.
Centrally located off the Barceloneta metro stop, just below the Born and the Gothic quarters and with views of Port Vell, plenty of people pass this building and assume it's a cathedral of sorts.
Yes, you are reading this correctly, this grand building is the
post office!
Since you'll probably be walking by numerous times a day during your stay, take a peek inside with me.
The quiet entry vestibule is efficient but begins to prepare you for the main room beyond with the beautiful details of stone columns, bronze lanterns and a dentil'd cornice (a common Beaux arts design layout).
I thought this stair, while beautiful, was perhaps a bit understated for such a grand building, but I suppose it's not meant to gain attention: guests not welcome in the offices upstairs!
The
piece de reisistance is the main postal room with beautifully frescoed ceiling.
Now THIS is the place to mail your postcards home!
In case you still don't believe me, it is labeled plain as day, Correos.
The space is light filled thanks to the glass dome a few stories above.
Just another close up of the beautiful columns and that ceiling.
Tucked into a corner was a bit of history. I would assume Spanish mail isn't still delivered using these bicycles (but as slow as it is, it just may be!).
Located just outside of the city center, the Museu de Arts Decoratives in the Palau Reial de Padralbes (seen below) is definitely worth the quick subway ride. The museum focuses on the decorative arts and interior design from Barcelona throughout history. The palace also contains a ceramic and a clothing museum, but I'll bring those to you at another date.
Probably my favorite object in the museum was this dramatic decorative screen by Francesc d'Assis Gali. Gali was an artist and educator who practiced in an art school he founded in 1906 until his death in 1965 which produced such pupils as Juan Miro and Josep Artigas.
The screen dates to 1929, a very important year as it turns out (especially for Gali) as it is the year of the Barcelona Universal Exhibition (think Barcelona Pavilion) of which he was the Artistic Advisor.
The fair not only put Gali on the map internationally, but also Barcelona which has such a rich history of design. I'll be sharing with you some of my favorite items in this museum over the next few weeks -would love to hear what you think of them!
Built in the 1850s, the central fountain in the plaza has become one of the prime meeting spots in the city.
Admittedly very touristy, as is much of La Rambla area, the arcades surrounding the plaza are filled with countless (mediocre) restaurants. However, if you don't speak Catalon or Spanish, the menus are available in English and it's a wonderful place to spend an hour absorbing a beautiful space in a central location. 
It's not all tourists though; while not mealtime, locals gather here to soak up some Spanish sun under the stately palms!
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