Barcelona!

Barcelona definitely has a beat and vibe different from Valencia and Madrid. I found it to be the most full of tourists, less subdued for sure than Valencia, but also light and airy, which may be a factor of being on the sea. Barcelona is in the province of Catalonia, which has an independent and proud history. The native language is Catalan, but Spanish is also spoken. Signs and menus are usually in both.
Barcelona’s dominant tourist attractions are the buildings designed by the architect Antoni Gaudi who lived from 1852 to 1926. His buildings are beautiful with many elements drawn from nature and with many similarities to Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) inspired architecture. In fact they were contemporaries and died within a year of each other.
Health food stores and restaurants are plentiful, and the huge La Boqueria market, just off the La Rambla, is not to be missed – open in the mornings everyday but Sunday. In the back is an organic and vegetarian take-out deli whose motto is “Organic is orgasmic.” Also available at many of the stalls are fresh squeezed fruit juices - kiwi, coconut, mango, pineapple and many more. Cheese stalls are also plentiful – look for the many options of “obeja” (sheep) and “cabra” (goat) cheeses. You can find the 10 Veritas Health Food store locations around Barcelona at: http://www.ecoveritas.es. Other health food stores can be located at the very useful website for vegetarian foods in Barcelona: http://www.sincarne.net/barcelona-health-food-shops.htm
Barcelona is in general a biker friendly city, with many bike lanes and promenades. The inexpensive citywide bike rental system, Bicing, is visible and used by many people.
And I can't forget the Magic Fountains! A color, light and water show put to music - better than fireworks in my opinion - done in the evenings - only Fridays and Saturdays in the winter, but every night in the summer - a must see if you are in Barcelona.