Such a beautiful horizon

Barcelona is amazing. There's a real vibrancy and energy, with something happening everywhere you turn, yet at the same time everyone is beautifully laid-back and it's easy to find a bench or a cool bar to escape from it all for a while. And nothing prepares you for how fantastic it all looks - not just the crazy Gaudi architecture and Las Ramblas but also the tree-lined wide open spaces of all the main roads and squares, the classical architecture of the old town, and the port with the beautiful blue sea and sky beyond it.

Individual highlights include the Gaudi roof terrace on La Pedrera; the creaky cable car ride across the port to the Olympic Stadium; the square in front of Sagrada Familia where you can sit and watch the locals playing petanque (perfect for shaking off a hangover); the hair metal cinema/bar which plays Twisted Sister, Megadeth, G'n'R, even a bit of Warrant if you ask nicely enough; and the best fountain ever, whose lights and jets 'dance' to classical and pop music including, brilliantly, Freddie Mercury/Monserrat Caballe.

I'm instantly placing it high on a meaningless list of my favourite cities in the world, alongside Tokyo and San Fran. Photos at flickr, as usual.