What a great time with family in Barcelona! First-time visitors, repeat visitors, and long-term visitors! Absolutely amazing. We were so excited to have Anna and her family become locals along with us for a while, and hopefully, just the start of their time here. Thanksgiving and Christmas lights in BCN, and a quick trip to see friends in Porto. Just the best.
New friends, old friends, family, America’s Cup, Costa Brava, and settling into our new home made for an unforgettable summer.
As I was enjoying oysters, a glass of wine, and a good book, my mind began to wander. “I feel like I’ve been here before.” I set down my book and pulled out my phone to look at our family “Been There Done That” Google Maps list. And I had been there. Not in that restaurant, but in that location. I knew it! That caused me to start browsing — finding other places that have changed in the time we’ve been here. There were some places I had been to as three different restaurants.
The city is organic and always changing. You might walk by a closed door a dozen times without giving it any thought, only to walk by and see a brilliant new restaurant or shop reaching far back into the space behind each building as if it has always been there. Or a favorite place that closes, only to be replaced by another favorite just a few weeks later. Or sometimes you don’t even notice an absence until something new pops up.
As I try to remember, “What was here before?” I realize I have an opportunity to memorialize the places on our new block from the start of our time here. So that’s what I am setting out to do. I grabbed our low-res Leica and began to photograph the places, walking around only our block. Since shops and restaurants have a – let’s call it a loosey-goosey schedule, I have grabbed some missing spots with my phone and clumsily tried to degrade them to match. But I plan to replace those with the same camera when I am able.
The four sides—Sea, Right, Mountain, and Left—each have their own personality. As they change, I plan to take new photos and follow the progression of each, seeing how our block changes over the months and years. This post, much like our block, will evolve as places change. Some already have.
When you’re walking around Barcelona, first, make sure to look up. The architecture is amazing and it is easy to miss a beautiful building or view. But don’t forget to look down too. Barcelona sidewalks are created with different tiles in different neighborhoods. We haven’t discovered all of them, but we have found quite a few!
The most common is the Flor de Barcelona (Barcelona Flower). This tile features a flower with four petals, a design symbolizing Barcelona, and is even a part of one of my tattoos. It’s one of the most iconic and widely recognized tiles in the city and is becoming a favorite for art and souvenirs.
When work needs to be done on pipes or wires, they usually just jackhammer up the tiles, make repairs, and lay new ones down. We have had more than a couple friends dumpster-dive to find good tiles to bring home.
On Saint Jordi, we found this little decorated tile, which fit the occasion perfectly. If you’re not familiar with Saint Jordi (and we weren’t until we moved here), it is a celebration of Sant Jordi (Saint George), the patron saint of Catalonia. The celebration commemorates the legend of Saint George slaying a dragon to save a princess. Now, it is a celebration of Books & Roses. Men traditionally give roses to women, and women give books to men, although nowadays, it’s common for both genders to exchange both roses and books. This custom combines the celebration of love with a celebration of literature.
Here are some of the other cool tiles we have found around town.
And every once in a while, we will find a tile laid upside down, showing the designer’s initials.
Beyond the Flor de Barcelona, the other most famous tile is the Panot Gaudí. Designed by Antoni Gaudí, this tile is decorated with motifs of marine life, such as starfish, algae, and ammonites. If you have been to La Sagrada Familia, you know how everything he did was very organic and incorporated nature.
These are harder to come by, but we did find an abandoned one once when work was being done on a pedestrian street. It is proudly displayed on our patio.
If you see a tile with this red circle, it signifies a building of historical significance, so it is a good time to look back up and check out the architecture again!
Spring was full of festivals and visitors– it was amazing seeing so many of our friends. Oh, and we bought an apartment!
Christmas in Barcelona before heading off to Bad Gastein, Austria for some snowboarding, skiing and very Wes Anderson views.
Enjoying Thanksgiving with friends from the state and friends from Barcelona.
We were lucky enough to visit the Living Table (Chef’s Table) at Disfrutar twice in the fall of 2023 — with two sets of amazing friends. Barcelona is home to countless great restaurants and lots of Michelin stars, but Disfrutar is something special. Earning its status as a Three Michelin Star restaurant in between our visits and named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2024 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants — each visit was a six-hour experience to remember!
A proposal! Some time in the city before a quick trip to the Costwalds & Wales before dropping Lilly off at school in London. Then back to Barcelona for an exciting proposal!
Priorat, boating and watching the America’s Cup practices, a quick trip to Minnesota, a rental on the Costa Brava, and wonderfully long visits from family and friends.
