My perfect day in Barcelona would start with a nice long lie-in. It’s a day in early summer – not too hot yet but warm enough to go out without a jacket. My puppy would eventually drag me out of bed (he always does) so I could start off my day with a walk around Gràcia, greeting my neighbours as I pass, or rather allowing my neighbours to greet my dog.

I’d start off the day right with a chocolate-filled croissant from Knel·la bakery (c/ Milà i Fontanals 9) in Gràcia, or big helping of vegan French toast made with orange zest and topped with real maple syrup at DosTrece (c/ Carme, 40) in Gotico (or both if I was having a very gluttonous morning). As a food and travel writer, sometimes I like eating food I’ve already written about, so I don’t spend the whole time I’m eating it reviewing it in my head!

Vegan croissant from Knella bakery

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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…

Selecció d’olives i conserves Gloria, Mercat de l’Abaceria

I kindly received an invite from Devour Barcelona food tours to join them one morning. A food tour in Gràcia, one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Barcelona, sounded like great fun. So one Friday morning I found myself at the top of Passeig de Gràcia with our guide, the lovely Renée, giving us a brief history of the street and its connection to the neighbourhood of Gràcia.

And then off we went. Four hours of walking, talking, grazing, learning and generally passing the morning in a thoroughly pleasant way.

This was a food tour that was about more than just the food. Renée knew her stuff. And we were taken on a tour of not only the food, but of the people who prepare and serve it and the neighbourhood that they call home. It is a cultural walking tour that focuses on real lives with the added benefit that these people’s lives are about their passion for food. Read the rest of this article…

Playa de la Mar Bella

“Barcelona… the city that Anthony Bourdain of No Reservations described as “the most exciting place to eat in the Western world”.

The perfect day in Barcelona would fall in late September, when the stinging heat gives way to long barmy nights. Barcelona is the only global city with access to incredible beaches via public transport (Sydney and Rio de Janeiro also come to mind), so a morning swim at Playa de la Mar Bella is obligatory.

Breakfast in Spain does not hold the same status as it does in the UK (Full English) or Latin America (Calentado), but a slice of melon draped with jamon, some fresh mato cheese with honey and the caffeine kick of a cortado is a nice way to start the day.

Shops and galleries begin opening at 10am in Barcelona so a visit to the Picasso Museum, the Ferran Adrià & El Bulli exhibition and Roca Gallery will easily fill a few hours and have you thinking about lunch. Read the rest of this article…