Hotel Vela and Barceloneta Beach

My perfect day in Barcelona starts early. I want to make the most of it, so I get up before daybreak, at around five am. Bleary-eyed, and still half asleep, I wander into the kitchen and refill the moka pot that sits on the hob.

As I wait for the coffee to bubble up into the top part of the pot, I hurriedly pull on my board shorts and a long-sleeved rash vest before dragging my inflatable SUP down from on top of the wardrobe.

I half fill a mug with steaming coffee, then top it up with cold milk so that it’s cool enough to drink. It doesn’t taste great, but I haven’t time to wait for the bar on the corner to open, and I need my early morning caffeine fix.

I guzzle down the brown elixir and quickly pack the pump, 3-part paddle and a bottle of water into the oversized rucksack with the paddleboard. Flip flops on, and I’m out the door, hurrying downstairs to the street on my way to the metro. Read the rest of this article…

Barcelona in a word for me would be: lifestyle. The city’s history, cosmopolitan approach, fantastic weather and terrific food are a great combination that would make any of your days perfect! So, in that sense I compiled the best elements of different days into a single one, and I must say I am amazed about the result!

Barcelona cafes

Early morning yoga and my favourite energy boost

A few years ago, I started attending yoga classes at Sincronia in Gràcia (c/ Pere Serafí, 7), and because of some logistical aspects of my life I couldn’t continue, so then one of the owners, offered to send one of their teachers to my place. And now I am an avid yogi. At least twice a week at 6.30am Ferran knocks at the door of my apartment and we start saluting the sun.

But a good day, needs a healthy boost, and I love having my breakfast at Lo&Lo Juicing (c/ Breton de los Herreros, 4), it is always nice to talk to Lea or Alberto about life and day-to-day issues. I start checking some emails and making some phone calls so things get settled with work. While I am writing these lines, I am planning to become a “mobile-entrepreneur”. Read the rest of this article…

When someone asks me to meet them on the Ramblas I’m immediately concerned, it’s a bit too hectic for my liking. But my fears were soon allayed as we headed into the foyer of Hotel 1898 – the former headquarters of the General Philippines Tobacco Company.

Originally designed by Catalan architect Josep Oriol Mestres as the private residence of the López y López family, this beautiful, colonial-style building has many original features and the letters FTC (Filipino Tobacco Company) still adorn the entrance-way. A brief walk through the downstairs lounge and we are out on Carrer del Pintor Fortuny, away from the hectic Rambla and our food tour really begins!

I have been invited on the Savor Spain food tour by marvellous Marwa, owner of Wanderbeak Tours, a company just beginning to make their mark on Barcelona and definitely one to watch out for.

Wanderbeak Barcelona Food Tour

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If I had to describe my perfect Barcelona day in three words, they would be: street art safari, of course!

I’m an early riser, so I’d probably wake up around 7 or so, take a nice run along the Paseo Marítimo before the boardwalk gets crowded, then have a café solo and a glass of water (a habit I picked up while in Italy) and sandwich in a small bar in Barceloneta.

Nowadays in Barcelona, if you want to see some fantastic urban art, you need Google no further than Murs Lliures, which is an initiative that gives artists a space to work, with the blessings of the city council. Most of these spots are concentrated in the old industrial areas of Poblenou, and tend to change quite frequently. I’ve been able to see some really great work there. Read the rest of this article…

The view from Montjuïc

It’s been more than 13 years since I landed at the airport of El Prat Barcelona and first started to enjoy Barcelona’s perfect days. Originally from Holland, I was living in Amsterdam at that time, when I decided to do an Erasmus in the Catalan capital. Barcelona was becoming more and more popular, but it had not reached the popularity it knows nowadays.

Over the years my perfect days have changed. In the beginning I enjoyed all the different sightseeing places Barcelona has to offer and I loved to discover the hidden and peculiar places of the city. My first summer here I also spent many hours at the beach, but now I hardly go there at all during the busy holiday season. And of course, I have seen a lot of the fantastic nightlife Barcelona has to offer. Read the rest of this article…