Justine Ancheta’s perfect day in Barcelona

I’m from Orange County, California, and I’ve lived in Barcelona for six years. My husband, who’s from Seville, and his job are what bring me to this magnetic Catalan capital. My two children were born here, and together as a family, we’ve already had many perfect days enjoying kid-friendly Barcelona. In this “perfect day”, I’d try it without my little darlings!

At 10am, the babysitter would arrive ready to play with the kids. My husband and I would head to the eclectic barri of Gràcia. We’d search for a carb-heavy breakfast to jumpstart our energy levels. We were about to have a perfect day! We’d go to Be My Bagel (c/ Planeta, 37), whose bagels achieve the perfect amount of firmness and chewiness, just like the ones I remember in my beloved US. We’d order it slopped on with some cream cheese, and of course, have some cafe amb llet. Read the rest of this article…

Platja de Mar Bella

Today I will wake up with a plan, today I am setting out to discover my beloved city. Barcelona is indeed my perfect place to wake up.

In order to make it right this time, I am placing myself at the Platja de Mar Bella. It is an amazing feeling to be here with the fisherman in the morning and to have the rising sun in my back. The sunshine lets the sea gleam and fresh air fills my lungs. I love to be close to the ocean. Read the rest of this article…

When I first read this I thought, ‘way too promotional, this is going back’. But once I’d read it a couple of times I liked the ideas Michelle was giving for her oils, and oil pulling I had never heard of! And they are based in Barcelona after all. So I thought it ok to let this one slide. I hope you agree.

“As my dogs, Hipopótamo and Pingüina, scratch and nuzzle to awaken me from my deep slumber, I start to feel the warm, Spanish sun on my face. ‘I should have closed the persianas last night’, I think to myself. Closing the blackout blinds would have definitely helped me sleep in after a long night on the town in Barcelona. I finally resign to my canine children and take them out for a walk around the barrio, suddenly refreshed and energized!

My next move is usually oil pulling. I grab my Dribble Dots Seductive Sesame Oil in the kitchen and swish around a tablespoon in my mouth for about 15-20 minutes. On this rare occasion, I choose to spit, not swallow, and my mouth feels as clean as ever! This ancient Ayurvedic practice is key to ridding your mouth of toxins and bacteria. A happy side effect is that it whitens and strengthens teeth.

Coffee is another must for me. Although I love espressos and cortados, in the morning, it must be a café con leche with steamed soy, almond, or rice milk. I admit that I adore the Italian moka coffee pots or the fancy cappuccino machines, but for my home I love Nespresso. A fortunate byproduct is seeing the dreamy George Clooney and Matt Damon in the commercials every time I waltz into the store! The best way to top my coffee? A dribble of Mouthwatering Walnut Oil. Or perhaps Perky Pistachio Oil. It really depends on how I rolled out of bed! Read the rest of this article…

Contributor Duncan Rhodes shares five of his favourite Barcelona nightclubs…

Barcelona’s nightlife contributes much to its allure as one of Europe’s top destinations… this is the city where girls and boys come to combine hedonism and beach life, with just a small side helping of culture, and there are certainly no shortage of venues promising nocturnal adventures to young thrillseekers. Despite my advancing years I’ve spent much of the last four years ‘researching’ the city’s nightspots, either as a freelance journalist or for my own website (see my author profile below) or – more frequently – as just an ordinary alcoholic. It’s high time the info that I’ve amassed during these ill-spent hours hit the blogosphere, so without further ado allow me to present to you my current Top 5 Nightclubs in Barcelona. Read the rest of this article…

I am very grateful to all the people who have written for this blog. They, more than I, have made it what it is. But I’m very proud to have the French illustrator, Lapin, take the time to write something. His wonderfully reprinted old accounting books full of illustrations are beautiful objects. I have the Barcelona one. If you appreciate his style, I urge you to get your hands on one via the link below – but first…

The view from Lapin’s apartment – © Lapin

I woke up around 7:30am, that’s the price of being a father ;). I still felt a little bit sleepy. I made myself a cortado and stepped out onto my terrace. There I had all of Poblenou lying beneath and fulfilling me with its energy. The weather was usual for Barcelona. That’s one of the crucial reasons I fell for this city.

One of my favourite buildings on C/ Pere IV, 63-67 – © Lapin

I had to go to Mercat dels Encants to look for some second-hand accounting books to use for drawing and it’s a perfect day to wander and do some doodling of course!

I took Bicing. Strangely I found one right away! Sometimes it really drives me nuts finding empty Bicing stations or not finding any proper working bicycles. Arrghh! Anyway I still like it and it was my lucky day! I passed all the graffiti of Poblenou and one of my favourite buildings on Carrer de Pere IV, 63-67. Read the rest of this article…