Perfect Days

Isidra’s Perfect Day in Barcelona ...

When I was young and I lived in Barcelona, my perfect day would have been very different than what a perfect day in the city is for me today. At the time, you couldn’t get me out of L [...]

Day to Day

An Excerpt from Promenade of Desire: A Barce ...

There's nothing quite like reading a memoir that details a place you are living, but not the time. Even more so I think, if you are a foreigner in that place. A place that you now know [...]

Food & Drink

WSET Wine Courses in Barcelona from Rack and Return ...

I never really drank a lot of wine before coming to Barcelona. But since being here it seems rude not to. And Catalonia, I have learnt, has some of the best wines in the world when it c [...]

Out & About

A Kids & Family Walking Tour of the Gothic Quarte ...

There are many walking tours in Barcelona. But I didn't know of any that had a specific tour for children. After all, what did American actor and writer W.C. Fields say, "never work wit [...]
2012 31/08

Wild and Wonderful in BCN

Wild and Wonderful in BCN

Wonderful people doing wild things, (or wild people doing wonderful things) in Barcelona

I’ve been keeping an eye on this video documentary project for a few weeks now. The first episode launches online at midnight tonight, so Saturday September 1st 2012.

From the website…

Wild and Wonderful is a series of short films celebrating the eccentricity of an eclectic mix of residents in Barcelona and all the wonderful things they do. The series will produce a monthly 5 minute short film about artistic and eccentric activities from an eclectic bunch of people all around Barcelona.

Sounds interesting right? Read the rest of this article…

2012 29/08

Sally’s Perfect Day in Barcelona

photo of Barcelo 360 Bar

Sally at the Barcelo 360 Bar

“One of these days, the city of Barcelona will be but an entry in my memoirs. A mere peppercorn in the mill of my life as a whole, but what a glorious little peppercorn it is! Packed with punch, bite and heat. I shall sit in my rocking chair, cast my gaze over the misty English hills and remember a time when I was all over Barcelona like a flannel. I shan’t remember things exactly as they were, rather, I will compose a golden day drawn from all my favourite elements so very perfect that I will almost believe that it was true and tell anyone who will listen that once, I lived like a queen. Read the rest of this article…

2012 21/08

Barcelona Street Art Exhibition: Las Calles Hablan

Barcelona street art by SM172

Barcelona street art by SM172

I like the street art in Barcelona. It adds vibrancy to the city and some of the building pieces are truly amazing. And when the shutters are down I much prefer seeing an amusing piece than a boring metal shutter. I take photos whenever I can and post them to my Barcelona street art Pinterest board.

Katrine Knauer likes the street art in Barcelona too. She runs a group on Facebook and a website called Mapping Barcelona Public Art, ‘an ongoing project to promote the understanding and protect the freedom of expression on the streets of Barcelona’. But now she has launched a project on the fundraising website, Kickstarter, to hold the first exhibition, Las Calles Hablan at the Mutuo Centro de Arte, involving local artists Debens, Kenor, Kafre, Tom14, Btoy, OGOCH and SM172. The exhibition is scheduled for 25th October 2012. Read the rest of this article…

2012 19/08

Festa Major de Gràcia 2012

Festa Major de Gràcia 2012

Festa Major de Gràcia 2012

The Festa Major de Gràcia started last Wednesday (Aug 15th) and is on until this Tuesday 21st August. It is one of my favourite events in Barcelona. So beautiful, so incredibly imaginative. 18 streets were decorated this year and they all looked fabulous. The winner for 2012 was Carrer de Verdi, always one of the better ones.

Take a look at the pictures below for a taste of the festival and the street decorations. And if you haven’t been already I encourage you to take a stroll before it closes on Tuesday.

You can check out the festival website at www.festamajordegracia.cat for a list of the streets taking part and a map highlighting them. Read the rest of this article…

2012 18/08

Pilar’s Perfect Day in Barcelona

photo of Casa Batlló

Casa Batlló

“I have to thank Rob for letting me share on his blog one of the routes I’ve done on more than one occasion when I go to Barcelona. We usually go alone my Nikon camera and I, from now on I will have the feeling that you’re all accompanying me, it will be a pleasure.

I have the great fortune to live 30 km from this fantastic city, which allows me to get there any day of the week. I don’t know why, but I usually choose Wednesdays. I suppose that even though the city is always crowded with tourists and local people, you can still breathe the calm of the beginning of the week.

First of all a good breakfast and if it can be Pa amb tomaquet i pernil (Bread with tomato and ham) all the better. I know! It is very typical, but… the roots are the roots. Once I have the batteries fully charged I start the route. I advise that if you want to follow me you’d better wear comfortable shoes, because the whole journey is by foot. Read the rest of this article…

2012 11/08

Lapin’s Perfect Day in Barcelona

I am very grateful to all the people who have written for this blog. They, more than I, have made it what it is. But I’m very proud to have the French illustrator, Lapin, take the time to write something. His wonderfully reprinted old accounting books full of illustrations are beautiful objects. I have the Barcelona one. If you appreciate his style, I urge you to get your hands on one via the link below – but first…

Illustration of the view from Lapin's apartment

The view from Lapin’s apartment – © Lapin

I woke up around 7:30am, that’s the price of being a father ;). I still felt a little bit sleepy. I made myself a cortado and stepped out onto my terrace. There I had all of Poblenou lying beneath and fulfilling me with its energy. The weather was usual for Barcelona. That’s one of the crucial reasons I fell for this city.

Illustration of the building at C/ Pere IV, 63-67

One of my favourite buildings on C/ Pere IV, 63-67 – © Lapin

I had to go to Mercat dels Encants to look for some second-hand accounting books to use for drawing and it’s a perfect day to wander and do some doodling of course!

I took Bicing. Strangely I found one right away! Sometimes it really drives me nuts finding empty Bicing stations or not finding any proper working bicycles. Arrghh! Anyway I still like it and it was my lucky day! I passed all the graffiti of Poblenou and one of my favourite buildings on Carrer de Pere IV, 63-67. Read the rest of this article…

2012 04/08

Doodling & Sketching in Barcelona

A fab article from illustrator, Kat Cameron, on the delights of sketching in Barcelona (including some of her even fabber illustrations).

Barcelona landscape illustration

Barcelona Landscape – © Kat Cameron

A mosaic of green, blue, and red emerges in my mind when I visualise Barcelona. A city of flat terracotta roofs, encircled with the olive-green forests of the Collserola rolling down to the aqua Mediterranean. From first touching down in the glass airport to a wander through the textured gothic alleyways or a glance at the modernista architecture, you know you have landed in a city of art. Miro, Gaudí, Dalí and Picasso all spent time here, and as you meet the locals you discover that Barcelona is filled with architects, designers, graphic artists and illustrators, so really it is the perfect city to go for a stroll with your sketch pad and pencils, find a spot and record your surroundings. Read the rest of this article…

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