A short but sweet perfect day from embroidered bag designer Hope. This would be very close to my perfect day!

Living in Barcelona feels to me like living on holiday, with palm trees, beaches and sun on tap it’s easy to feel that way. So my aim is usually to spend as much time outside as possible. I live in Barceloneta, the compact and lively old fisherman’s neighbourhood by the beach, and I would choose to spend most of my time here on a perfect day.

I would choose a Saturday in Spring, spent with friends. I’d wake up around 10.30am and head to meet friends in a nearby beach cafe called Santa Marta (Carrer de Grau i Torras, 59), it’s actually a pizzeria but they do great coffees, and it’s a fantastic place to people watch, and wave watch whilst soaking up the morning rays.

The terrace at Santa Marta

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The view from Bunkers del Carmel

This month will be a celebration of the 5th month since I moved to Barcelona. I decided to move here so my girlfriend could study at her university at UPF and I had been looking for work since we made the decision to move here and I handed my notice in at my previous employment back in England (where I had spent 10 years). We moved to a flat in Barceloneta, just a stones throw away from the beach and from the moment we moved in we had a sense of the area never sleeping, with tourists and locals frequenting the local bars, restaurants and cafes which are located everywhere around the area until the early hours of the morning.

My perfect day in Barcelona happened just a month after moving here. I had a job interview with a company who specialise in printing and embroidery services, and I instantly knew after turning up and meeting the owner and the staff that I wanted to work there. It had a friendly atmosphere that was a mixture of busy, on the go and chilled with friendly staff.

A few days after the interview my girlfriend and I decided to visit Bunkers del Carmel, which is located at Carrer del Turó de la Rovira, not far from Park Güell. We decided to begin our adventure at Parc de la Ciutadella where we were amazed by the gorgeous fountain – and the dog that was bathing in it! Read the rest of this article…

Baluard, c/ Baluard, 38-40

“My perfect day in Barcelona would begin with a sunrise walk on the beach. It’s so lovely and peaceful before the crowds arrive. Then I’d take a walk through Barceloneta Park and to the Baluard bakery (c/ Baluard, 38-40) for some fresh bread and breakfast pastries. There’s always a tempting range on offer here and the big challenge is trying to choose between all the different cakes and bread.  Baluard bread is the best in the city, with people coming from all over to buy it, so I’m thrilled to have the bakery so close to where I live.

As soon as I’ve digested my breakfast, I’d go for a Turkish bath at Aire de Barcelona (Passeig de Picasso, 22). There’s nothing quite like submerging yourself in varying degrees of hot water and getting an exfoliating massage to set you up for the day ahead. Read the rest of this article…