Wyndham Wisdom

Afternoon Delight

Barcelona, Spain

After lingering over café con leche in Barcelona's Plaça Reial (above), take a leisurely walk through the winding streets of the Barri Gòtic. This medieval quarter is filled with history--and some of the city's best watering holes. Two can't-miss places: the grand cathedral in Plaça Nova and the Palau Reial Major, the former royal residence. (It's said that Ferdinand and Isabella received Christopher Columbus in the palace's Saló del Tinell on his return from the New World.) Don't be in a rush to leave, as the neighborhood really comes to life at night. Soak up the energy over cold beers at Els Quatre Gats (3 Montsió), a café that claims to have been the first to exhibit the paintings of Pablo Picasso, back in 1899.