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 well, but that you didn’t grow up in. It opens up a world you know, but from a very different perspective and time. And this memoir from Catalan-born Isidra Mencos is just that. It is an absolute joy!

“A lush memoir and richly detailed exploration of a pivotal time in Spain.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Promenade of Desire is many things at once: a page-turning coming-of-age tale, a gutsy examination of family, a vivid portrait of a vanished time and a place, and a profound meditation on the nature of desire. Mencos is a sure-handed, open-hearted storyteller whose yearnings reflect our own.” — Aaron Shulman, author of The Age of Disenchantments: The Epic Story of Spain’s Most Notorious Literary Family and the Long Shadow of the Spanish Civil War.

“Promenade of Desire sets the author’s sexual coming-of-age story against Spain’s sexual and political awakening in a unique and intriguing pairing.” — Julia Scheeres, NY Times bestselling author of Jesus Land

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I could spend my entire life just wandering around the coloured streets of Gràcia, so if I had to choose where to spend 24h, it would definitely be there.

I’m an early bird and would start the day around 7am, walking my dog Ed in the neighbourhood. Carrer de Mozart, Carrer de Sant Pere Màrtir, Carrer de Manrique de Lara… I find it so invigorating to simply walk in the streets when everyone is still asleep. Sun is there, but quite shy and you can feel the light summer breeze.

The coloured streets of Gràcia, Carrer de Manrique de Lara

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WSET wine courses in Barcelona

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 comes to quality versus price. Catalonia has 10 wine regions, the most famous being Priorat. But it is some of the lesser known regions that have become my favourites.

But outside of Catalan wine I knew very little. So I snapped up the chance to get some basic wine knowledge with the guys from Rack and Return. Read the rest of this article…

The kids at Temple d’August

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 with children or animals”.

Even the simplest jaunt with children can, depending on their mood, become worse than a visit to the dentist. So, it was with more than a little trepidation that I agreed to go on the Kids & Family Barcelona Tour from Runner Bean Tours.

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Puente del Diablo (The Devil’s Bridge), Martorell, Catalonia

“A compelling and eclectic narrative full of the unexpected”, is how Nick Inman from Rough Guides describes Barcelona journalist Brett Hetherington’s new book, “Slow Travels in Unsung Spain“.

Reading the book, I myself felt like a bird sitting on his shoulder, seeing all that he sees in wonderfully vivid detail. Because the following paragraphs are also funny as well as entertaining and informative, I chose them from near the end of the book where Brett tells us about what he finds after leaving Barcelona Sants station on RENFE’s Line 4… Read the rest of this article…

Pica pica tapas and vermouth tour

We meet Esther, a Barcelona native, outside El Cafetó, a bakery on Ronda de Sant Pau in Sant Antoni. This is purely our meeting point, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it, and so after introductions amongst our group we’re on our way.

I’m on a tapas tour organised by Context Travel. We are experiencing the local tradition of “pica-pica”, enjoying small plates over a glass of vermouth (or wine) before a meal. Our guide is Esther, who grew up cooking with her mother and grandmother. Catalan traditions and cuisine are in her blood. She is bubbly, and clearly very passionate and proud of Catalan produce and cooking. Read the rest of this article…

Déu n’hi do, com parla català!

To learn or not to learn Catalan? If you are an expat in Catalonia, you might be in this common dilemma as you constantly hear different opinions about the topic.

In this article I’ll share with you the difficulties, the benefits and insight into Catalan culture and society that has come from knowing it, the reception I’ve received from local people and more.

I moved to Catalonia 3½ years ago and decided to study Catalan after finishing my course in the Spanish language. Obviously, as an expat I also had the same questions and doubts: should I learn the Catalan language, do I really need it, is it practical, will I get into society? In my Spanish school, I heard from many international students that Catalan people are very closed and even if you learn the language, that’s not the way to get into the society and make local friends. Well, that depends. Read the rest of this article…