Barcelona

Explore the super-stylish Catalonian capital

Love bites and love potions

A traditional Catalan breakfast is a hunk of bread, rubbed with olive oil and tomato and washed down with a couple of glasses of wine, so unless you want to start the drinking really early, avoid this and go for a coffee and pastry. There are many good fish and seafood restaurants around the Barceloneta area, and paella has become something of a local dish too. Before you eat dinner, head to one of the xampanyet bars, serving local cava by the glass. They're great for getting agreeably tipsy early on. For a romantic touch, order a few plates of tapas to share. They are also a good cheap way to line the stomach if you are really planning to stay the course.

Propose here

On the top of Mountjuic, looking out at the Mediterranean Sea on a balmy evening.

To get you in the mood

Start with a viewing of Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother. In typical Almodovar style, the movie focuses on all manner of impossible love affairs and, on the way, shows off Barcelona at its stylish best. Get to grips with George Orwell's Homage to Catalonia, an honest and forthright account of the Civil War. Then, to lighten the tone again, what better than listening to a few renditions of Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe's Olympic theme, Barcelona?

Language of love

Feliç aniversari = happy anniversary

T’estimo = I love you

Felicitats = congratulations!

Vols casar-te amb mi? = will you marry me?

Stags and hens

Why not visit the 120,000-seater Nou Camp stadium, where Manchester United snatched a couple of late goals to win the European Cup in 1999? The stadium is a spectacular multi-tiered structure and the top floors are dizzyingly high. In the evening, take a trip to the Spanish village on Mountjuic for a salsa class -- it will come in useful when you hit the dance floor at the wedding.

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