In Poblenou, Espai Mietis is the exquisite new showroom for a fresh, young, Catalan bag maker. Unless you are one of the countless people who swear they would never live anywhere else, taking an occasional stroll through Poblenou is full of surprises. A new vegan cafe, a showroom laden with vintage furniture you had somehow missed before, or a designer…
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Far from a mid-life crisis, Flash Flash, the icon of tortillas and modernity, is still a bright spot on Barcelona’s dining scene. Barcelona in 1970 was a vastly different place. The city was nearing the end of what was known as the años grises (grey years). Dirty and neglected, its shoreline was cluttered with factories and ramshackle chiringuitos. Washing lines…
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The city and the Mediterranean sea define the initial Barcelona experience for most people, including me. In my six years of living here though, I have come to love the mountains at the city’s doorstep just as much. The mountains outside of Barcelona promise unforgettable experiences and regular involvement in exciting new adventures that have become much more meaningful to…
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Forget politics. If you want to start an argument with a group of Catalans, bring up the Costa Brava. A conversation about “the best” Costa Brava beach town is an invitation to controversy. The cynical traveler would suggest that the little villages dotting the rugged coast mostly seem the same. They’re all charming and lovely. They all have small restaurants…
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The Catalan modernisme style Casa Sayrach occupies the entire corner of Avinguda Diagonal and Carrer Enric Granados. Completed in 1918, Casa Sayrach is the last Barcelona house built in the modernisme architectural tradition. It also happens to be a testament to its young architect’s love of family. Manuel Sayrach designed the house for his father and family, although Gabriel Borrell…
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Home delivery won lockdown. For starters, we actually got some mail. Secondly, nice stuff arrived without us having a tantrum trying to open a pair of plastic gloves. The downside is that your home-delivery default likely became Amazon. There is a way to support the local community, though, and get everything you need regularly dropped off at your door….
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[Editor’s Note: Whether it’s solo at a sleepy seaside chiringuito or in the company of book club friends in an Eixample ático, Barcelona’s a natural at bringing together books and wine. When we discovered that Salut Wine Studio owner, Melissa Leighty, worked as an English teacher and writer before opening up her wine studio, the die was cast. Melissa offers…
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