To someone who has never been there, Barcelona seems fittingly described as Spain's second city. Even the one-time visitor, however, realizes how woefully misguided that designation is: Barcelona isn't second anything; a proud, dynamic city, it is the capital of the rich and diverse region of Catalonia, between the French border, Aragon and the Mediterranean.

The city has a long, complex history, distinguished by an unquenchable desire for independence. It has been invaded and occupied by Romans, Visigoths, Moors and Franks, and it, in turn, has done its own invading and occupying: during its first golden age (the 13th century through the 15th) its empire extended as far as Sicily.

In the 18th century it definitively became part of Spain. Twice Castile tried to subjugate the city (and the region), dismantling its institutions and outlawing its language, Catalan. The last attempt, by Franco, ended with his death in 1975.

Since that time Barcelona has entered what might be called another golden age: playing host to the 1992 Olympics was a spur to extensive urban redevelopment, local pride and initiative; the city has become the design, fashion and leisure center of the western Mediterranean, and Catalan culture flourishes. Barcelona is bilingual but Catalan is increasingly more popular than Spanish. Street signs saying "carrer" instead of "calle" are one thing, but when announcements of a change of program in the city's theaters are made in Catalan, you realize how thorough this cultural revolution has been.

And it's a dream city for one who loves urban spaces. My after-image is always one of gracious streets lined with handsome houses and outdoor cafes, sunlight filtering through the leaves of linden trees. Indeed, according to one Barcelona historian, the city has more trees than any other city in Spain, as well as more shops per inhabitant than any other city in Europe.

Add this to architectural gems everywhere you look - its important sights are not ghettoized but are part of the ebb and flow of daily life - and a balmy Mediterranean climate that invites outdoor living. Barcelona's streets are made for walking - even the traffic lights are pedestrian-friendly, with exceptionally long green lights at crosswalks..

The Placa de Catalunya is a handy point of reference. The tourist office is here and the large downtown square is a hub for buses and metros, as well as a boundary between several key neighborhoods, the Eixample, the Port Vell (Old Port), and the Barri Gótic (Gothic quarter). The Eixample -- the name means extension -- was developed in the 1850's, after the old city's walls were demolished. The neighborhood, a lovely ensemble of tony shops, private residences, hotels, museums and cafes, reminds me of the blocks between Madison and Park on the Upper East Side. The Passeig de Gracia, the Rambla de Catalunya and the streets connecting them are the heart of the neighborhood and well worth exploring.

Although the Passeig de Gracia seems to become more like the Champs-lyses each time I visit (a Dunkin' Donuts and a Mc- Donald's are recent additions), it is where the newly wealthy of the late 19th century decided to strut their stuff, making it a great place to get a crash course in Modernisme, Catalunya's variation on Art Nouveau.

Casa Batllo is among the most spectacular examples. Remodeled from an existing building by Antoni Gaudi in 1905, it displays many of the fantastical elements characteristic of his work. No straight lines, no right angles. Its facade is mottled with blue, green and purple ceramics and vaguely recalls Monet's waterlilies. But it's the grillwork on the balconies that has suggested various nicknames: the house of bones, of yawns, of masks. It's Gaudi at his Rorschach- like best..

To celebrate the year of Gaudi, which ended Oct. 31, the first floor of the Casa Batllo was opened to the public and will remain open at least until the end of the year. There's something to grab the eye every second and every element is so tactile you want to stroke it. Hallways resemble underwater caverns; a recessed fireplace resembles a cave hidden under a mushroom cap. A huge curved window looks out on the Passeig de Gracia, where a class of schoolchildren try to draw the building.

Down the road, at No. 92, is Casa Mila. Also known as La Pedrera (the Quarry), it is one of Gaudi's most famous buildings. While the facade looks like waves of stone, the roof recalls a surreal miniature golf course with whipped-cream swirls of white ceramic and chimneys in phallic forms.

Gaudi's most celebrated building, the Sagrada Familia church, is a 15-minute walk. The artist began work on the monument in 1883 and continued until his death in 1926, having finished only the Gate of the Nativity, four towers that look like tall dovecotes in volcanic meltdown. Regrettably, other architects are completing Gaudi's project. Respectful as they obviously are of his intent, their additions - for me - undermine the original.

Sagrada Familia has become the symbol of Barcelona: it figures on most posters of the city. I have a soft spot, however, for two other monuments - Gaudi's Parc Guell and the Palau de la Musica by another architect of the era, Lluis Domnech i Montaner.

The latter, one of the most important Modernist works in Barcelona, is a joy. Nestled in the Sant Pere Mes Alt neighborhood, off the Via Laietana, it has a brick facade, ornamented with mosaics and sculptures that are upstaged by the over-the-top interior. The balustrade of the grand staircase looks like an amber and marble bracelet; the auditorium's wondrous stained-glass skylight, a kaleidoscope. Horses representing the ride of the Valkyries explode from the proscenium wall; busts of various muses of music erupt into three dimensions from flat mosaic bases.

If you've managed to reserve for the 10 a.m. tour in English, you'll be out by 11 and can walk down the Via Laietana, take a left on Princesa and then a right onto the charming, perpetually crowded, Carrer Montcada.

The street was urbanized in the 14th century, and its wall-to-wall palaces now house museums, galleries and souvenir shops. The Picasso Museum occupies three adjoining medieval palaces displaying Picasso's youthful works as well as his series of paintings based on "Las Meninas'' by Velazques. Next stop: Xampanyet, as cozy and friendly a tapas bar as you'll ever hope to find. The house wine is a slightly fizzy, refreshing white, perfect with the tangy sardines.

On the other side of the Va Laetana, the Gothic Quarter begins at the Pla de la Seu, where street musicians and human statues panhandle in front of the cathedral. Although the facade is relatively modern, the present building was begun at the end of the 13th century. Its treasures include a sculptured choir, the ornately decorated stalls of the ambulatory and an inviting cloister with an Amazonian lushness of palms.

The Gothic Quarter is a warren of dark, narrow streets linking squares small and large. The city's most famous square, the Plaça Reial -a vast expanse, lined with cafes - is close by but technically part of an overlapping neighborhood, La Rambla, which takes its name from the mile-long pedestrian street running from the port to the Pla-->a Catalunya.

Frankly, I find walking on La Rambla akin to braving the intersection of Bleecker and MacDougal on Saturday night, such is the human gridlock.

Saturday mornings, however, are tolerable. You can even see the bird cages with birds for sale. It's a great time to visit the Boquera (gateway at No. 91), one of the world's best markets. Who can wander among hams and sausages, tresses of dried red peppers, mountains of wild mushrooms and counters of sparkling shellfish without working up an appetite?

What a pleasure it is to stop at Bar Pinotxo, Stand 66-67 near the entry to the market, for a pick-me-up of the house cava, a bracing sparkling wine, or a plate of gorgeous mushrooms, simply pan-fried, or a tortilla, a frittata-like preparation of garlic and onions just bound with egg. I wish I could sample the entire menu but I have reservations at Passadis del Pep, a spinoff of my favorite restaurant in Barcelona, Cal Pep.

Passadis del Pep, a sprawling place with dining rooms on many levels, is a "white tablecloth'' restaurant but every bit as animated as its less formal cousin. They sit you down, pour you some Torello cava, and bring you plate after plate of appetizers - pan amb tomaquet (bread rubbed with tomato and garlic), then sea snails, clams with sherry and garlic, batter-fried baby sardines, shrimp, crayfish, Palams prawns and grilled squid. When it came time to chose a main course I demurred, deciding upon dessert instead, a crema catalana that looked like a free-form crme brle.

Most of the food I love in this city is close to the water. Passadis del Pep is not far from the Port Vell, or Old Port, which has been transformed into a recreational area with a marina, cafes, shops, an aquarium and the Maritime Museum. Bordering it is Barceloneta's gridlike pattern of tenements, where laundry still hangs from the windows. The historic home of dockers and fishermen, Barceloneta has an abundance of casual seafood restaurants. Most are tourist traps.

But there are gems, among them Can Majo, where I had my last meal on this trip on a brilliantly sunny Sunday afternoon. I feasted on batter-fried squid and suquet, a Catalan stew of potatoes, fish and shellfish in a garlicky tomato sauce while sitting on the terrace, looking out over Barcelona's recently reclaimed beachfront. Strollers, sunbathers and rollerbladers took advantage of the gorgeous weather, as did hundreds of sailboats.

I drained my glass of cava and headed home to cold, rainy Paris.

From modernisme to modern
There are several branches of the tourist office; the main one is at 17-S Plaça de Catalunya, I found the staff overwhelmed and not very helpful. You might inquire from Turismo de Barcelona, (34) 93-368-9730, about Barcelona cards, which can be bought for one day ($16.25) or up to five days ($26) and provide unlimited local transportation and some museum and shop discounts. The Bus Turistic has two routes, north and south; a one-day ticket is $14, a two-day ticket, $18. Passengers can get on and off at any point; discounts for various monuments are included in the fare.

JACQUELINE FRIEDRICH
November 24, 2002