10 of my most adored things to see and do in Barcelona…

I first visited Barcelona, the capital of Catalunya, as a backpacker in 1992. I was with my school-friend Pat and we stayed right on Las Ramblas,  we visited the then new Olympic Stadium and drank sangria, as tourists did. Twenty-three years later, as a more a mature traveller and after numerous visits back to the city, I take great pride in being a ‘non-tourist’ as much as possible.

I am fortunate enough to have a dear friend here – Julie – who shares her home, her amazing Catalan cooking and her knowledge and wisdom about Catalunya so that I have been able to make this city something of my own.

I’ve been here five weeks and have narrowed down my ten most favourite things in this thriving city – what someone once said to me was the ‘new Paris’. If you get to visit one day, you might fall a little bit in love with some of the things I adore most.

Mercat de Santa Caterina: I love this fresh produce market so much I wrote one of its fishmongers Jordi into my novel Paris Dreaming. For fresh Catalan seafood, cured meats, fruit, vegetables and a morning tapas experience you MUST visit the Mercat de Santa Caterina

 

Moths: Sebald variations CCCB

Centre de Cultura Comtemporània de Barcelona: otherwise known as the CCCB – this extraordinary centre is the reason I have continued to visit Barcelona. By invitation I was part of the Kosmopolis Festival of writers back in 2002, and I have returned to view exhibitions and hear international speakers on following visits. It is a hub of creativity and conversation with constant programming by innovative curators / artistic directors like Judit Carrera that will mean there is sure to be something on when you visit. Check out their website and plan a visit.

   

Tibidabo Mountain: No, I didn’t go there for the funfair as most do. I went with a local friend Toni who took me for an inspiring run/walk. Yes, those who know me also know I don’t bush walk, but a trip to Barcelona and not doing at least a few kilometres of the tallest mountain in the Serra de Collserola, which overlooks what is said to be the second most dense city in Europe (after Athens), well, it’s not really a visit to Barcelona. The fact I arrived there on a motorbike which took me through the city on a Sunday morning, was an added and appreciated experience. I cannot believe I had not been to Tibidabo Mountain before but it is something I will do on every visit in the future.

Can Lluís and Due Spaghi: These are my two favourite restaurants in Barcelona. I have been to Can Lluís a number of times and on each occasion I am made to feel like I am the long lost cousin coming home for a reunion. It is the only place in Barcelona I have eaten paella and I indulge in the same dessert each time, the Copa Ocellets. Writing this at home, I wish I was there right now with Groucho Marx pictured above!

I went to Due Spaghi for the first time this visit and was overwhelmed by the personal attention each diner received from the owners Toni and Nico before the meal had even been served. Three courses of the most memorable nettle gnocchi with creamed peas, the best crema catalana I have ever tasted and the Paolo tiramisu (yes okay so I may have eaten more than I needed) are worth the visit alone. The wine, the grappa, the spacious surrounds make it the perfect place to dine. See pics above!

Fundació Joan Miró: Located in the Barcelona’s Parc de Montjuïc, this extraordinary building is home to over 300 paintings, 150 sculptures, textiles, graphic works and over 8,000 drawings and unpublished letters and documents that follow the creative life of Miró.  I didn’t really give myself enough time to absorb everything the space offered, but like the Picasso Museum, I will be going more than once.

Most days I took a pic of my writing surrounds… my lap top and my indulgences!

Brunells Patisserie: As a writer I need caffeine, I chocolate and other treats if for no other reason than the sugar hit to keep my fingers hitting keys long after my eyes have grown weary. But more importantly I need a space that provides inspiration, focus and a sense of comfort as I write the story I have sat down to create. In recent weeks I found myself sitting at many tables in numerous cafes before I found myself at Brunells in carrer de la Princesa.

Thanks to a recommendation from local Catalan writer Jordi Punti – after two weeks of libraries, bars, cafes and my bed, I finally found my writing groove in a local icon that has been baking pastries and chocolate-coated biscuits known as ‘Josep’ since 1953. From the first time I sat down at a table I claimed as my own, I wrote between 1000-2000 words in two hours each day.

That’s me writing up a storm, and the fellas who plied with me coffee and cakes, chocolate and pastries :)

Brunells is not pretentious. It’s old style, traditional service and easy going. You don’t go there if you want hip and flash. You go there for the sense of what the real Catalunya is like. I found myself looking forward to going back each day, not only to write, but also to work my way through the self-service pastry area and to enjoy the company of the staff who spoilt me with a special treat each day. I leave Barcelona with my novel Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms well on its way to completion. And for that I owe an enormous amount of gratitude to the patisserie for allowing me to make their café my writing cave while here.

As an aside, it’s about 50m from the Picasso Museum so why not do both in one day!

Strolling in El Born: El Born (shots above) is my barrio in Catalunya. I know the streets, I have a local fruit shop, supermarket, gym and stunning views from my home base. I feel El Born  has a true sense of community even though there are many tourists roaming the streets to enjoy the Picasso Museum, the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar,  the El Born CC,  and the many local fashion stores with world class leather goods and jewelry by local designers and craftspeople.

 

Barceloneta Beach: I fell in love with this strip of the Mediterranean Sea while here. I ran every second day along the promenade- sea on one side, palm trees and restaurants on another. Of an afternoon I swam in a sea that brought relief on a stifling day. Most interesting for me was that this must be the most multicultural stretch of beach in the world. Accents from across the globe were complimented by ‘beachside entrepreneurs’ selling sarongs, massages, hair braiding as well as mojitos and sangria. I have travelled extensively and seen nothing as colourful as this stretch of sand. And kudos to the Europeans for making healthy women’s bodies a normal on the beach. Every woman in a bikini can be daunting but she is also reclamation of the female form in all its beauty.

Parc de la Ciutadella: Back home one of my favourite outdoor urban spaces is Centennial Park in the Eastern Suburbs. It has running tracks, duck ponds, bike riders, acres of grass for picnics and for lying under trees. But it has nothing of the atmosphere, culture and community mindedness that the Parc de la Ciutadella provides for its locals and tourists. I have been visiting what is known as Barcelona’s ‘urban green lung’ for a decade. Within the 18 hectares I run, I walk, I lie and read. I sit on park benches when not literally smelling the roses or photographing jacaranda trees. I have watched dance troupes perform on a Sunday at lunchtime, and heard the newest and first female Mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau discuss LGBT rights one afternoon. I have been approached by a group of Catalan school students wanting to interview me for their project and I have photographed the park’s mammoth a number of times. I have seen lovers loving and lovers fighting and I have wished for love myself while there. I have climbed the stairs at the Cascada ( pictured above left) countless times and I have appreciated musicians serenading anyone who would listen. As an aside the park is also home to the Parliament of Catalunya and the Barcelona Zoo!

If my number one wasn’t my number one below, then the Parc de la Ciutadella would be! 

One night I heard some excitement in the street, looked out over the balcony and saw the 10km twilight run in progress.

Julie’s Table: No this is not a restaurant although the Catalan meals served deserve Michelin stars. My tidda Julie Wark is not only my dearest friend, she is a mother and grandmother, and a teacher to many. Professionally Julie is literary translator, an activist for social justice and the author of The Human Rights Manifesto.

When I say Julie’s table, I literally mean a table. It has a marble top and sits in a blue kitchen and is covered in a batik print cloth. It holds spices, champagne glasses, and a fruit bowl. Apparently I am getting the table when Julie passes, and we joke about it, but the truth is that table holds our history. It is a part of me. We have shared many, many, many stories sitting on cane stools at that table. We have cried and laughed in almost equal quantities. We have talked about disappointing politicians and the abuse of human rights internationally. We have talked about love lost and found and lost and found and … On some visits I will sit at the table and read what I am writing to Julie while she cooks. I gave Julie her first taste of Frangelico and Aperol at that table. She gave me my first taste of cakes from Bubó (another must do in Barcelona!). I can’t imagine coming back to Barcelona and not seeing Julie – she is the reason I come now. Some friendships are worth the trek across oceans to maintain. I’m glad I know the strength of such love.

There are so many wonderful, enriching experiences that only Barcelona can offer. My suggestion is to make the most of the pedestrian city. Hang out with the locals, veer off the tourist path, engage in conversation with people and learn about what makes this city’s heart beat. And then you will truly love it as I do.

I’d love to know your most adored elements of Barcelona!