Barcelona is, in opinion of locals and foreigners, an ideal place to live. A cosmopolitan city, without being a big urban area, that obtains a perfect balance between tradition, modernity and design. Its historical and cultural wealth, and its gothic and modernist architecture turn the Catalan capital into an outdoors art museum. Writer Mario Vargas Llosa, who lived the city in the sixties, describes it as "cosmopolitan, snob and provincial" and the novelist Juan Marsé defines it as "the comfortable city".   With efficient transport services and modern communications facilities, Barcelona occupies a centric place in the European map. A safe city, surrounded by beaches and the Tibidabo Mountain, it enjoys an exceptional mediterranean climate and offers an excellent quality of life for a reasonable price in relation with other European capitals.