Voices, Faces, City Spaces: Ramon Holgado Ordaz (Otoxo Productions)

As part of the ‘Voices, Faces, City Spaces’ series by BCN Mes and Otoxo Productions this short film follows Ramon Holgado Ordaz, a homeless man whose life has been transformed thanks to the Hidden City Tours social enterprise project.

It’s a great little story that will only take 4 minutes of your time. Read the rest of this article…

If I had to describe my perfect Barcelona day in three words, they would be: street art safari, of course!

I’m an early riser, so I’d probably wake up around 7 or so, take a nice run along the Paseo Marítimo before the boardwalk gets crowded, then have a café solo and a glass of water (a habit I picked up while in Italy) and sandwich in a small bar in Barceloneta.

Nowadays in Barcelona, if you want to see some fantastic urban art, you need Google no further than Murs Lliures, which is an initiative that gives artists a space to work, with the blessings of the city council. Most of these spots are concentrated in the old industrial areas of Poblenou, and tend to change quite frequently. I’ve been able to see some really great work there. Read the rest of this article…

View from Park Güell

I have many a perfect day within different landscapes but a typical favourite day in Barcelona would see the sunrise and view over the city from my balcony. I live right next to Park Güell so have a great view down towards the Sagrada Família, across Barcelona rooftops and hopefully to the calm sea in the background! I am always into seeing the city from a different viewpoint too and a good one is up in Vallvidrera (catching the Peu del Funicular up and a walk along to see the best view of the city).

Swimming is a favourite of mine, so usually I run or walk through Park Güell with a full view of the city in the background and head to the gym next to the park and in the summer swim in the outdoor pool. Read the rest of this article…

Steel Donkey Bike Tours

If you’re in Barcelona and you fancy getting out and about on a bike for a few hours then you could do a lot worse than checking out Steel Donkey Bike Tours.

These guys have been around the block and are consistently recommended on TripAdvisor as a great way to see the city on two wheels.

They kindly asked me to join them one morning, and so, feeling like a modern-day Sancho Panza and on a very comfy set of wheels from Green Bikes, we set off from Plaça George Orwell with our guide whose name escapes me.

This lapse in memory is no reflection on the guide himself. He led the tour extremely well and was always ready to answer my questions. The groups are small, usually no more than 4 or 5, so I certainly felt there was opportunity to pick his brain. Read the rest of this article…

Barcelona beachfront

The thing I love about Barcelona is that there are so many areas which offer a different experience of the city. If you need a bit of space away from it all, you can walk down to the port on a quiet morning or if you fancy a browse and a coffee you can head up to the cool neighbourhood of Gràcia and people-watch in one of its sunny squares.

My perfect day in Barcelona involves coffee stops, wandering around, a little shopping and definitely a bit of rooftop drinking. I love it when I have family or friends visiting and I get to share all of this with them. Read the rest of this article…

Enric Mestres Illamola

Photographer Enric Mestres started ‘Humans of Barcelona’ on October 10th 2010. Originally called LaLaLaBarcelona Enric changed the name after finding out about the ‘Humans of New York’ project and seeing the effect it had on people around the world.

Guillem Costas’ short 5 minute documentary follows Enric around Barcelona as he explains his process and passion for the project. Read the rest of this article…

My perfect day in Barcelona starts early. It’s a sunny Saturday morning around 7.30 at the end of May. The alarm goes off, even though I would love to stay in bed, I don’t think twice! The Mediterranean Sea and the deserted beaches are calling. I’ll get my clothes on and out the door in no time. Walking my quiet street towards the Ciutadella Park. Here I meet the joggers and dog owners, for a split second we enjoy the silent city together. I turn on to Carrer Wellington, then a left on Av. Icària and then a right on to Carrer Ramon Trias Fargas. Then it’s just straight down and I can smell the sea. As I arrive, I stop for a second, take a deep breath and I start to walk towards the neighbourhood Barceloneta. Half way to the W hotel, I meet the lady that always has her make up perfectly done at this hour, doesn’t matter if it’s Monday or Saturday. Further on I meet the old man jogging a long the beachfront, always with the greatest smile on his face. On the beach in front of the gym Club Natació Atlètic-Barceloneta, the old ladies and gentlemen are preparing for their morning swim. Read the rest of this article…