Barcelona's outer suburbs are largely residential. Once they were considered to be country areas, annexed over the years by the city's continuing sprawl. Thus there are a handful of notable buildings that once stood in a village or country estate. The barri of Sarrià, easily reached by the FGC station of the same name, has retained a particularly authentic villagey feel. Located at the foot of Tibidabo, it's a pleasant place to wander around and take in some clean air.
Mes Que un Club (More Than a Club)!
Next to the Picasso, the most visited museum in the city is the Museu FC Barcelona, or the museum of the city's beloved football team Barça. It's inside their home ground Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe, with a capacity of 120,000. Despite its size, tickets to matches are scarce as hen's teeth. Most of the seats are taken by socis (members) of the richest soccer club in the world. As their slogan goes, Barça is "Mes que un club" (More than a club). Membership, which is often handed down through the generations, is a mark of catalanismo (Catalan identity). During the dictatorship, the war was played out on the football field with the capital's team seen as representative of the loathed central government. Madrid is still Barça's arch enemy (old grudges die hard in soccer) and when the two meet at Camp Nou, the whole city stops.
Along with the museum, you can choose to see the (empty) stadium, the chapel where players say a prayer before a big match, the club and pressrooms, and the tunnel through which players enter the field. The collection consists of photos, trophies, documents, kits, and other paraphernalia telling the dramatic history of the club, from its beginnings in 1899 to the present. It's fun, makes for some light relief from other heady, cultural offerings, and is not just for die-hard soccer fans.
Camp Nou stadium, access doors 7 and 9. Arístides Maillol s/n. tel. 93-496-36-09. Admission museum and stadium: Guided Tour: 9.50€ ($12) adults, 6.50€ ($8.10) children under 13. Museum only: 6.50€ ($8.10) adults, 3.70€ ($4.60) children under 13. Monday through Saturday 10am to 6:30pm; Sunday 10am to 2pm. Metro: Collblanc.
