2016 10/03

Barcelona Tapas Tour from the Food Lovers Company

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.

Squid

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…

2015 09/09

Ramon of Hidden City Tours in Barcelona

photo of Ramon

Voices, Faces, City Spaces: Ramon Holgado Ordaz (Otoxo Productions)

As part of the ‘Voices, Faces, City Spaces’ series by BCN Mes and Otoxo Productions this short film follows Ramon Holgado Ordaz, a homeless man whose life has been transformed thanks to the Hidden City Tours social enterprise project.

It’s a great little story that will only take 4 minutes of your time. Read the rest of this article…

2015 24/08

Feel Like a Modern-Day Sancho Panza with Steel Donkey Bike Tours

Steel Donkey Bike Tours

Steel Donkey Bike Tours

If you’re in Barcelona and you fancy getting out and about on a bike for a few hours then you could do a lot worse than checking out Steel Donkey Bike Tours.

These guys have been around the block and are consistently recommended on TripAdvisor as a great way to see the city on two wheels.

They kindly asked me to join them one morning, and so, feeling like a modern-day Sancho Panza and on a very comfy set of wheels from Green Bikes, we set off from Plaça George Orwell with our guide whose name escapes me.

This lapse in memory is no reflection on the guide himself. He led the tour extremely well and was always ready to answer my questions. The groups are small, usually no more than 4 or 5, so I certainly felt there was opportunity to pick his brain. Read the rest of this article…

2014 07/12

Cooking paella (and getting a little tipsy) with Barcelona Slow Travel

Barcelona Slow Travel

The slow movement, ironically, continues apace since its roots in the mid-80s and the founding of the Slow Food organisation whose ideals advocate slowing down life’s pace and fighting against the notion that faster is always better.

But what is slow travel?

In writing A Manifesto for Slow Travel in 2009, Nicky Gardner describes it thus:

“Slow travel is about making conscious choices, and not letting the anticipation of arrival undermine the pleasure of the journey. By choosing to travel slowly, we reshape our relationship with place and with the communities through which we pass on our journeys.”

Guillermo and Cristina of Barcelona Slow Travel combine the values of slow food, slow travel and eco-tourism. They pride themselves on providing experiences that align with the principles of authenticity, sustainability and human experiences. And above all, they’re just lovely. Read the rest of this article…

2014 22/11

Foto Ruta Barcelona Photography Tour

UPDATE: Unfortunately the Foto Ruta photography tours in Barcelona have closed shop. An excellent alternative is Shutter Kings, photography tours and photoshoots in Barcelona’s top locations. Check them out instead!

Foto Ruta Barcelona

Foto Ruta Barcelona Photography Tours

Foto Ruta was born in Buenos Aires. It grew up in Santiago and now, fully grown it has ventured across the pond to both London and finally Barcelona.

A creative way to explore the city and learn about photography

Foto Ruta is “a creative way to explore the city and learn about photography”.
From the Foto Ruta Barcelona website…

Our creative photography tours, events and workshops are unique in that they help you see the genuine side of Barcelona, encouraging you to venture off the well-trodden tourist trail whilst teaching you how to take great photos in the process. Not just for photography lovers, our experiences take a fresh approach to photography tuition through a range of interactive, informative and affordable tours and workshops that will appeal to anyone and everyone who wants a sociable, fun and memorable adventure in Barcelona.

I was kindly invited to go on their Streetscape tour around El Born (which if you see below is one of 4 tours they offer), a beautiful neighbourhood of Barcelona ripe for some stunning photography.

Unfortunately my level of photography skill would be classed as intermediate at best. Don’t get me wrong, I would venture to say I take a better photo than most – it amazes me how few people can actually frame a picture correctly – but I don’t even own an SLR. So armed with my iPad Mini (yes, sorry Yvonne!) we met at one of my favourite cafe/bars for people watching, En Aparte in La Ribera, just off Plaça de Sant Pere, which as some of you may know is one of the most charming squares in the whole of the Barri Gòtic. Read the rest of this article…

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