I don't really like going to the same city twice. There's a feeling about seeing something for the first time that is difficult to replicate. Barcelona, however, is one of a handful of cities I've visited on more than one occasion, and it never disappoints.

There are very few European cities that tick the box of having a nice beach as well as being a city break, Barcelona and Valencia are two of the best that I have been to, with Barcelona offering more of a 'big city' feel.

On the two occasions I have been to Barcelona, I have been with two different groups of friends, and had two different experiences. On both occasions I managed to have long strolls through various parts of the city to get a feel for the place.

Walking through the city centre, buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi really do stand out. Each building is very distinctive, but he's most famous piece of work is located firmly in the Gothic Quarter, the famous Sagrada Familia (Church of the Holy Family). In the middle of a large plaza, the Church is a large, imposing Gothic structure and definitely takes your breath away when you first see it. Construction began on the Church in 1882 but is still not completed, and won't be for at least another decade, a construction period of almost 150 years!

Madrid is a strange city in terms of large European cities. Unlike cities in the UK, Germany, Italy and France, and even another Spanish city like Barcelona, there is not  a large Sikh population in Madrid., this means when you walk around, you will find people looking at you. This is not all unfriendly, as I have found out during my travels, a lot of this is just curiosity. 

Madrid is a city with a lot of history, and every corner of the city seems to be teeming with historically important architecture or monuments, Some of the grandest buildings, including the parliament building and city hall are located by Plaza de Cibeles, with parts of the fountain being built in the late 18th century.