La Pedrera, the stone quarry, is what Barcelonans call Casa Milà, and the nickname is fair. The building, designed by Gaudí for Pere Milà and his wife Roser Segimon and built between 1906 and 1912, has a facade of pale limestone that rolls along the corner of Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer de Provença like a frozen wave, with balconies of twisted wrought iron that look like seaweed. There are no straight lines on the facade, and no load-bearing walls inside, since the structure is carried by columns and the floors can be arranged freely.
The roof is the most surprising part. The chimneys, stairwell exits and ventilation towers are modelled as strange hooded figures, which people compare to knights or to the soldiers of a fantasy army, and the roof undulates between them in a series of low hills. It is one of the best places in Barcelona to look out over the city, with the towers of the Sagrada Família visible in one direction and the sea in the other. The building was controversial in its day, and the city council even fined the owners for exceeding the permitted height. It is now one of the group of Gaudí works that UNESCO listed.
For riders, the Eixample is the easy part of Barcelona. The grid of wide avenues with chamfered corners makes orientation simple, and motorcycles have designated bays along the pavements, so parking is better than in most cities. Traffic is dense and quick, with taxis, buses and scooters in a fluid mass, and the low-emission zone applies to older vehicles, so check the rules before you arrive. Paint, tram lines and manhole covers are slippery in the wet.
Fuel stations are fewer in the centre, so fill up on the outskirts. Around the building you will find cafés, bakeries and restaurants in plenty, and a slow lunch at one of the neighbourhood places in the side streets is a good deal better than the tourist menus on the main avenue.
Entry is by timed ticket, and the rooftop is open in the day and sometimes in the evening for events. Book ahead in summer. The ride pairs the house with the Cova de Vallmajor.