Life quality scores in Barcelona vs London

Sharing my time between London and Barcelona as I do I’m lucky to be able to appreciate the pros and cons of both of these ultimately fabulous cities.

Of course the pay is much better in London, but then the cost of living is much higher, nearly 3 times as high. The weather is, of course, better in Barcelona as we are all well aware and there’s a blossoming startup scene. In fact by most metrics the cities are pretty comparable, until it comes to Housing and that Cost-of-Living where Barcelona outshines London by far. And did I mention the weather? Read the rest of this article…

Carretera de les Aigües

I believe that every great day starts with a run and a great cup of coffee. On my perfect day in Barcelona my first stop will be Carretera de les Aigües, a running path overlooking Barcelona, which will provide the perfect introduction and preview for the day. To get to the path, I take the FGC from Gràcia station to the Peu del Funicular stop and continue up the mountain on the funicular.

When I get out of the train car half way up Tibidabo, I decide to take the trail to the left today. An 8km flat run should be plenty since I’ll be exploring on foot throughout the day as well. As I run, I look out over Barcelona and take in the city’s amazing skyline and view all the way out to the Mediterranean. It’s a gorgeous day, so I can clearly see the Sagrada Família, Camp Nou, and of course the W Hotel which defines where the sky meets the sea. Read the rest of this article…

Barcelona is a city that changes its look and energy with the change of seasons throughout the year. After 6 years of living here, I’ve come to the conclusion that winter is the best time to visit this fantastic city – especially if it’s a winter like the one we’re having this year, with plenty of sunny days and mild temperatures. The reason why this season is the best to enjoy this city is mainly because there are fewer tourists, or at least, fewer when compared with the number that are usually here in the warmer months.

If you live and work in Barcelona you might also agree with me that the city also changes a lot from day-to-day; let’s say then that my perfect day would be a sunny winter Sunday in Barcelona.

I’d start the day by making a nice cup of tea and taking it, along with a book, to the Sagrada Família, which is just three streets away from my house. In the garden of Carrer Marina there’s a bench with an incredible view, between the trees, of the Sagrada Família.

Sagrada Família

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Barceloneta sunrise

If you happen to have been caught up in the Barcelona magic like me, it’s not just one special day but almost every day that feels like a dream in our beautiful city.

Now, I’m a farm girl from Africa where I grew up with nothing but peace, quiet, nature and animals around me. After 18 years living this way, it takes a very special city to capture my attention for longer than a week.

I can safely say that a day in Barcelona will make your soul feel fulfilled, leave a huge smile on your face and your heart incredibly happy. Read the rest of this article…

I’m always up for getting out and about in Barcelona. And when it involves good food and wine I’m all the happier. Free food and wine and you just have to say the word.

So I was over the moon when Nuria and Margherita from Food Lovers Company got in touch to invite me on their Barcelona Tapas Tour.

But let’s be professional here. Free food and wine does not make me lose all morality, at least not in the beginning. You deserve an informative, subjective yet impartial review and that is what you will get. Read the rest of this article…

Trevor: He’s not a people person

An indie feature film about a man in Spain and his daughter.
Plus wine, lamb, some ants and a cat.

How many creative expats does it take to make a film in Barcelona? Answer, not that many. At least not as many as you might think. I caught up with the screenwriter Georgina Tremayne, director Carlos Domeque and lead actor Hunter Tremayne from the soon to be filmed Trevor, a low-budget, and hopefully successfully crowdfunded feature about expats, and one in particular called Trevor (as you may have guessed). Read the rest of this article…

Parc de la Ciutadella

A massive downpour to clean the streets of the night before – and people. Take an umbrella and walk through Ciutadella Park. Sit by the boating lake, a tiny area of water with about 20 boats that pile up fast like a Friday night traffic jam. Over to the Born and En Aparté for coffee or wine. The service is good, friendly. Predominantly French fare so it’s cheese with ham, cheese with bread, cheese with cheese. Or cheese. Apart from the carrot cake. The coffee’s good. So is the price. There’s the brunch menu at weekends.

Head up to CosmoCaixa for no other reason than to walk through the rainforest. Be attacked by a bird (it happened). Worry that the “thing” wandering around the swamp missed breakfast and that the anaconda’s developed an exit strategy. (It wasn’t asleep and they’re fast). Walk down the hill because you can, past houses that look like a set from The Addams Family. Read the rest of this article…