El amor hace que brille el sol

...or, love makes the sun burn brighter.
My first impression is that Barcelona is an ingenious mezcla of California and New York. Mountains spoon the city on one side, while the other spills out into a long beautiful coastline. Santa Barbara, anyone? The air is dry, the sky open, and the pace, well... Spanish. Supermarkets and street markets offer melons, figs, oranges, peaches, plums, tangerines, berries, cherimoyas by the bushel, and fruits I've never even heard of.
But the architecture is that of a big, grand old city, with the remains of Roman structures appearing unexpectedly in side streets and Gaudi's peculiar mirth apparent everywhere. And despite the beach and sun, Barcelona manages a fully urban energy and cosmopolitan feel. So yes, this is day two after the first date, still the fresh blush of infatuation.