Barcelona for people who hate queues

I'm an architect and I live here. Friends visit, and they come back from Sagrada Família angry about the queue. You only need to book two things.

Book: Sagrada Família, 9:00

First slot of the day. The light through the east windows is the whole point, and it's gone by eleven. Add the tower — the Nativity side, not the Passion side. Vale?

Walk: Eixample

From the basilica, walk the grid. Look up: the chamfered corners, the interior courtyards through open doors. This is the city Gaudí was arguing with.

Lunch: Mercat de la Concepció

Locals' market. Eat at the bar inside, not the restaurant outside. Calamari, vermouth, done.

Book: Casa Batlló, sunset slot

The façade changes colour as the light goes. Park Güell can be seen from the free zone if you don't care about the mosaic bench — and you don't.

Don't

Don't go on Monday. Half the museums are closed. Don't buy a "skip the line" tour — you just booked the line yourself, with a guide.