Family visits, vermut in hand, and Barça winning basically everything except the ones stolen by refs. Copa del Rey, Supercopa, La Liga—what a fun season to be a fan! 400,000 fans showed up for the parade, which felt about right.
The Vuelta a España Femenina came through town, so we stood curbside with drinks and enthusiasm. Cam and friends did their own biking, but downhill and in dirt. Took a trip up to Costa Brava with my sister for some sun and both Greek and Roman ruins. Strong spring!
While the kids were off in Cali, we snuck in a road trip birthday getaway—first to the Guadalest Valley, then up to Matarraña. Both were quiet, beautiful, and just far enough from real life to feel like we’d gotten away with something.
Stayed at VIVOOD and Torre del Marqués, which nailed the whole “peaceful with great views” thing. We read, played cards, floated, and occasionally remembered what day it was. Pretty ideal.
Spring Break in Tenerife, where we all got some much-needed deep breaths & relaxation. Plus I won the Wiki bet on The Canary Islands being Spain, but also Africa. Mostly tennis, beach, pool, and just enough sunburn to feel like we earned it.
Winter in Barcelona with Paquito Homie—walks around the city, some light FCB brainwashing, and encouragement of his street art tendencies. Quick trip to the U.S. to give my dad some love. A Superbowl weekend in Costa Brava with the boys. Also, puzzles, cocktail bars, and visits from friends-soon-to-be-neighbors.
Christmas road trip to Annecy and Chamonix. A snowy, gorgeous time skiing and snowboarding, and spending coveted family time on excursions to glaciers, Mont Blanc vistas, and a really memorable Christmas Day.
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.
They got engaged in Barcelona and married in Tuscany… that’s how you do it! A quick road trip to Florence to see family and celebrate Dan & Ashley. And a little side trip to see some really fast cars.
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.
We got to meet our dear friends and celebrate multiple 50s in Porto and the Douro Valley. The Douro was spectacularly beautiful, and Porto and Gaia is a new destination favorite.
