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…

The beach at Barceloneta

“I first visited Barcelona just under four years ago. It was an unplanned visit but one that would set me up to fall helplessly in love with the place. I was on a four-month sabbatical from my job in London to focus on my ‘other’ life as an artist. I had started off in a small village in France but it was there I realised it wasn’t the peace and quiet or nature that was inspiring me but the vibrancy and energy of a city. So I headed to Barcelona. I arrived in to BCN at Arc de Triomfand had a while to wait for a friend so I grabbed an ice cream and sat by the exit to the metro watching the city fall in to its afternoon routine. Coming from London, where everything runs at an acutely fast pace, I felt an extension of time in the way the people of BCN went about things.

The streets of Barceloneta

After I met my friend we grabbed a drink in the back streets of Barceloneta, an area which would soon become a real favourite of mine, and decided the only thing to do as a new visitor to the city was to head to the beach and jump in the sea. We quickly stripped down and threw ourselves into the water diving in and out of the waves. At one point I turned back to look at the city around us and felt a further sense of adoration for the place. Something about being in the water surrounded by the throngs of a city, but more than that, a sense of energy from the place that I couldn’t quite place yet. I felt it had welcomed me with open arms instantly. No judgement. Read the rest of this article…

“It would be much easier to write about ‘my perfect WEEKEND in Barcelona’ as I have so many favourite places and things to do and they all depend on whether it’s a day spent with my family, a day having some well earned ‘me’ time or whether we have visitors to entertain. However, the remit given was to write about a day so to fit it all into 24 hours I shall make it possible by hiring a special flying machine that has the ability to travel everywhere at close to the speed of light allowing time to stand still. This is of course in complete contrast to the reality of days and nights out in Barcelona. Nowhere else could the phrase ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ be more apt. Read the rest of this article…