“Fantasy comes from ghosts. Fantasy is the people of the North.
 We are concrete. The ideal is from the Mediterranean.
 Orestes knows where he is going, while Hamlet wanders lost in doubt.”
“La fantasia ve dels fantasmes. La fantasia és de la gent del Nord.
 Nosaltres som concrets. La imatge és de la Mediterrània.
 Orestes sap on va, mentre que Hamlet divaga perdut entre dubtes.”
 – Antonio Gaudí

I’m not an urban planner or an architect or even a philosopher. I can’t claim to know exactly why one city feels like an overwhelming mess and the next is as well-balanced as BARCELONA. But after 10 years here (living in 7 of her neighborhoods) I recognise that there are a few elements which I believe make her as close to perfection as a city could hope to be. Here they are in a 24 hour experience on any given Summer’s day in BARCELONA. Read the rest of this article…

I’m not usually particularly topical on this blog but Timmer from Catalunya Wine has forced my hand with his response to the latest outcry about Barcelona tourism. Please let me (and him) know what you think in the comments.

If you read the latest news written in Bloomberg and picked up by many publications in the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia, you would think the new mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, is against foreigners. She’s ready to build a moat and castle walls to protect the city from the ravaging hordes threatening to overrun this thriving civic centre. However, this is not the case, nor is the picture painted about what is happening in Barcelona really a true representation of what goes on during tourist season every year. Read the rest of this article…

Eliana Guerrero – The Pickpocket Huntress of Barcelona’s Subways

Thankfully I’ve never been pick-pocketed in Barcelona. Though who knows what’s going to happen now I’ve said that. But I know it’s a real problem and one that has tarnished many a friend’s trip to this fine city.

Local police say that there are about 150 pickpockets on the metro system each day with an average of 250 robberies reported each week. At least, that was back in 2012. I really wouldn’t know if it was more or less in 2015.

But, suffice it to say, if there has been a reduction it is in part thanks to the work of Colombian-born Eliana Guerrero, the Pickpocket Huntress of Barcelona’s Subways. Read the rest of this article…

Carretera de les Aigües

My perfect day would be a sunny Saturday in early May, when the weather is fine and you notice for the first time the smell of summer in the air.

I get up early and drive my motorbike to the Carretera de les Aigües for a morning jog. This is a beautiful path in the Parc de Collserola where you have an amazing view over the city and at the same time can enjoy the greenery and fresh air. Jogging while watching the sun rise and with the awakening city at your feet is priceless.

After a refreshing shower it’s time for breakfast. I go for a strong fork-breakfast because we have a long day ahead. Can Vilaro is a family run restaurant in the Sant Antoni area where I love to go. Cisco, the owner, is always in a cheering mood. He advises me on what to have. I always plan to try something new, but most of the time end up ordering the same as always: butifarra amb mongetes and some tomato bread on the side. It’s delicious and sets me up for the rest of the day. Read the rest of this article…

I was recently interviewed by Barcelona Metropolitan (the May issue) about this blog and Barcelona blogging in general.

I was one of a number of Barcelona bloggers so they only used a small, edited piece. As my answers were so brilliant and enlightening I thought I’d publish the whole thing here for you to read.

I hope it piques your interest about blogging. They say writing is good for the soul.

The interview

Please could you tell us a little about yourself: e.g. where you are originally from and when you moved to Barcelona? Read the rest of this article…

This forgotten BBC documentary from 1979 was the final part of a 5-part series entitled ‘Realidades de España’ – Spanish Realities. It was uncovered by writer and chemical engineer Josep Grau-Bové who obtained it on VHS video from a friend in Glasgow. He digitised and uploaded it to YouTube in the hope that more people would see it. In the last two years 41,548 people have (at the time of writing).

I find it fascinating that this documentary from 35 years ago, made only 4 years after Franco’s death, should end up on the internet for a new 21st century audience. Even more fascinating that the story it tells has not moved on very much at all in the following 35 years. Read the rest of this article…

My perfect day in Barcelona is perfectly simple. It consists solely of wandering around, stopping only to eat and drink.

I’ve lived in Barcelona for 8 months now after moving here in September 2014 and my favourite thing to do at the weekend is to wander around my local neighbourhood (barrio) whilst stopping off at bars, cafes and restaurants along the way.

The majority of my ‘perfect day’ would be spent locally in the areas of Born, Barceloneta and the Gothic quarter. I love exploring everything this great city has to offer, but I’ll stay close by for the purpose of this article, otherwise I could write for days.

Every day must start with a beautiful breakfast and at the weekend I treat myself by eating out. I’d start at a nearby square, Plaça de Sant Cugat, and sit outside one of my favourite places, Alsur Café. The menu is wonderfully varied. You can opt for the traditional café con leche with a pastry or try something a bit more adventurous like something from their diverse tea range.

Alsur Café, Plaça de Sant Cugat, 1

Read the rest of this article…