While celebrating Barça deservedly winning LaLiga, we decided to add a new page to our site.
You see… We’re Socis. We have season tickets to the Femení (working on that for el primer equip!). Our Instagram feeds are basically a Barça highlight reel on weekends. All matches are appointment viewing when we can’t be there in person. El Clásico is a religious experience. We even hate-watch when Madrid plays someone else, hoping the universe does its job.
We check the table constantly, so at some point, we just built something worth looking at. The LaLiga Guide started as a personal tracker and grew from there. It covers all 42 clubs across both divisions — División 1 and LaLiga Hypermotion — with current standings, club nicknames, what us Barça fans think about each team, and the cities they call home, mapped across the peninsula. Tap any club to pull up details. Color-coding shows you at a glance who’s in Champions League contention, who’s fighting for Europa spots, and who’s sweating the drop.
We added geographic and nickname context for visitors who follow the football — yes, soccer, American friends — but might not know where Getafe is or why a team from the Canary Islands is in the Spanish top flight. The whole thing pulls live data and updates automatically every Monday, so it stays current going into each week’s fixtures.
We’ve been maintaining a Barcelona Visitors Guide for friends on this site for a while now — a running list of neighborhoods, restaurants, cafes, bookstores, markets, and things to do for friends and family visiting the city. It was useful. It was also, if we’re being honest, kind of a wall of text.
We rebuilt it. The guide is now organized by neighborhood, with everything collapsed by default so you can go straight to the area you care about rather than scrolling through places you don’t. Looking for something to eat in El Born? Click El Born. Done. No more hunting.
We also cleaned up the navigation, added a quick-jump neighborhood grid at the top, and generally made the whole thing easier to use on a phone — which is probably how you’re reading it when you actually need it.
The guide now covers 14 Barcelona neighborhoods with recommendations across restaurants, coffee, bars, markets, bookstores, street art, and more. We’re treating it as a living document (made a bit easier to update with our buddy Claude) — new places get added as we find them, and we’ll keep building out neighborhoods that are still a little thin.
https://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/neighborhoods-of-barcelona-map.jpg7191200Davidhttps://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/petsolt_logo_2023_catalan-300x300.pngDavid2026-05-09 16:57:592026-05-16 17:56:40The Barcelona Visitors Guide Got an Upgrade
This post is a bit for me, actually. This city immerses you in art, and I’m always curious to learn more. So I did a little research project to highlight some of the main influential artists who were touched by Barcelona. Then I realized it might be a good read for friends and family visiting us, so I’m sharing it here…
“Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem” (1897), a painting by Ramon Casas
The Artists, Architects, and Writers Who Made Barcelona Iconic
Barcelona’s creative spirit has inspired architects, painters, and writers since Roman times, but we’ll focus on the last century or so, from Modernisme to the present. This guide highlights notable figures—past and present—who were either from Barcelona or spent significant time shaping its artistic and cultural identity.
Architects
Modernisme Era (Late 19th – Early 20th Century)
Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) – Catalan architect and the leading figure of Modernisme. Gaudí spent most of his life in Barcelona, where he designed its most iconic landmarks, including the Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Casa Batlló, and Casa Milà (La Pedrera). His organic, nature-inspired style defines the city’s skyline. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagrada_Fam%C3%ADlia
Lluís Domènech i Montaner (1850–1923) – Born in Barcelona, Domènech designed ornate landmarks such as the Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. His work blended structural innovation with rich decoration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau_de_la_M%C3%BAsica_Catalana
Josep Puig i Cadafalch (1867–1956) – Another Modernisme master, Puig designed Casa Amatller, Casa de les Punxes, and Casa Martí (home to the famed Quatre Gats café). His mix of neo-Gothic and Catalan modernist elements helped define Barcelona’s architectural charm. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Amatller
Late 20th – 21st Century (Contemporary Architecture)
Ricardo Bofill (1939–2022) – Born in Barcelona, Bofill founded the Taller de Arquitectura and became a global name for bold postmodern designs. His Walden 7 apartment complex near Barcelona and work on El Prat Airport showcase his signature monumental style. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walden_7
Enric Miralles (1955–2000) – A Barcelona native known for his imaginative, organic designs. He co-designed the Santa Caterina Market renovation and created the acclaimed Scottish Parliament Building. His projects continue to influence contemporary architecture worldwide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Caterina_market
Painters & Sculptors
Modernisme and Avant-garde (Late 19th – Early 20th Century)
Santiago Rusiñol (1861–1931) – Painter, writer, and one of Catalonia’s great Modernistes. A Barcelona native, he helped establish the city’s bohemian scene at Els Quatre Gats, inspiring younger artists like Picasso. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_Rusi%C3%B1ol
Ramon Casas (1866–1932) – Barcelona-born painter known for elegant portraits and posters capturing the city’s turn-of-the-century life. His work helped define the visual identity of Modernisme. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Casas
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) – Though born in Málaga, Picasso grew up and trained in Barcelona, calling it his true home. His early years at the Els Quatre Gats café shaped his career. The Museu Picasso now houses one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of his early works. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museu_Picasso_(Barcelona)
Mid 20th Century (Surrealism and Abstract Art)
Joan Miró (1893–1983) – Born in Barcelona, Miró developed a playful, dreamlike abstract style that influenced generations. His Fundació Joan Miró museum and the public sculpture Dona i Ocell are must-sees for art lovers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundaci%C3%B3_Joan_Mir%C3%B3
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) – The Surrealist icon from Figueres, just north of Barcelona, often exhibited in the city and influenced its avant-garde scene. His eccentric works and persona remain a key part of Catalan art heritage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Dal%C3%AD
Antoni Tàpies (1923–2012) – A Barcelona-born abstract artist, Tàpies pioneered Spain’s postwar avant-garde movement. His textured, material-based paintings redefined modern Spanish art. Visit the Fundació Antoni Tàpies to explore his work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundaci%C3%B3_Antoni_T%C3%A0pies
Contemporary Artists
Jaume Plensa (1955– ) – Internationally acclaimed sculptor from Barcelona known for his monumental public art installations. Works like Carmela (near the Palau de la Música) and the Crown Fountain in Chicago reflect his poetic minimalism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaume_Plensa
Writers & Poets
Catalan Renaixença and Modernisme (19th – Early 20th Century)
Jacint Verdaguer (1845–1902) – Poet-priest known as the father of modern Catalan literature. His epic Canigó and poem A Barcelona celebrated the Catalan spirit and the city’s transformation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacint_Verdaguer
Joan Maragall (1860–1911) – Barcelona poet and essayist whose works bridged Romanticism and Modernisme. His home is now the Casa Museu Joan Maragall, preserving his literary legacy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Maragall
Civil War and Postwar Literature (1930s–1960s)
George Orwell (1903–1950) – The English author spent several months in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. His book Homage to Catalonia vividly recounts the revolutionary energy and chaos of the 1937 May Days. Orwell’s experience in Barcelona shaped his later anti-totalitarian works. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homage_to_Catalonia
Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) – While not a resident, Hemingway covered the Spanish Civil War from Catalonia, including brief stays in Barcelona between 1937–1938 as a war correspondent. His dispatches described the city’s wartime atmosphere and the refugees fleeing along Catalonia’s roads—a lesser-known but vivid part of his Spanish chronicles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway
Mercè Rodoreda (1908–1983) – Barcelona-born novelist best known for La Plaça del Diamant (The Time of the Doves), a powerful story set in the Gràcia neighborhood during the Civil War and its aftermath. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merc%C3%A8_Rodoreda
Carmen Laforet (1921–2004) – Born in Barcelona, Laforet’s Nada captured postwar Barcelona’s gloom and earned her Spain’s first Nadal Prize. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen_Laforet
Gabriel García Márquez (1927–2014) – The Colombian Nobel laureate lived in Barcelona (1967–1975) during the Latin American literary Boom, writing The Autumn of the Patriarch and befriending major authors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Garc%C3%ADa_M%C3%A1rquez
Ildefonso Falcones (1959– ) – Author of Cathedral of the Sea, set around the building of Santa Maria del Mar in 14th-century Barcelona. His historical novels capture the city’s medieval past in vivid detail. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ildefonso_Falcones
Looking Further Back
While Barcelona’s best-known artists came from the Modernisme and modern art movements, the city’s creative story began long before Gaudí and Miró. Centuries earlier, Greek settlers at Empúries (around 575 BC) brought Mediterranean notions of balance, form, and ornamentation to Catalonia’s shores—ideas that would ripple through Roman mosaics, Gothic altarpieces, and eventually the sinuous lines of Modernisme itself. From ancient craftsmen to medieval painters, Barcelona’s artistic DNA runs deep. For travelers who love art history, this is where the story begins: from the ruins of Barcino to the frescoed chapels of the Gothic era. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emp%C3%BAries
Roman & Early Christian Foundations
Barcelona began as the Roman colony Barcino (1st century BC), parts of which still stand within the Gothic Quarter. Visitors can explore remnants of ancient walls and streets beneath the Museu d’Història de Barcelona (MUHBA), which preserves mosaics, wine presses, and bathhouses from the Roman city. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_walls_of_Barcelona
Romanesque & Early Medieval (11th–13th Centuries)
The Catalan Pyrenees produced some of Europe’s most remarkable Romanesque mural art, much of which is now housed in Barcelona’s Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC).
Master of Taüll (c. 12th century) – An anonymous painter known for the frescoes of Sant Climent de Taüll, featuring the iconic “Christ in Majesty,” now displayed in MNAC’s Romanesque galleries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Ta%C3%BCll
Bernat Martorell (d. 1452) – A leading late-Gothic painter whose works, like the Saint George Altarpiece, exemplify Catalonia’s medieval splendor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernat_Martorell
Where to See It
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) – Houses the world’s largest collection of Catalan Romanesque and Gothic paintings. https://www.museunacional.cat/en
From Gaudí’s fantastical facades to Miró’s surreal sculptures and Zafón’s literary shadows, Barcelona itself is a living gallery. Wander its streets, visit the artists’ foundations, and you’ll find that every corner holds a piece of art history waiting to be rediscovered.
https://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Els-Quatre-Gats-Oct-27-2015.jpg10801545Davidhttps://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/petsolt_logo_2023_catalan-300x300.pngDavid2025-10-11 14:32:302026-05-16 13:56:10Shaped by Art
One of the great things about living in Barcelona is that there’s always something happening. One of the confusing things about living in Barcelona is that there’s always something happening. You step out to grab bread and walk into a parade. You try to meet a friend and get blocked by a troop of devils with firecrackers. It’s charming. It’s chaotic. It’s frequently loud.
So we made a page for it.
The new Barcelona Events Calendar is our attempt to make sense of the city’s non-stop cultural agenda—from the big-ticket items like Festes de Gràcia and Primavera Sound, to smaller, weirder gems like the Sant Medir candy-throwing cavalcade or the inexplicably hypnotic human tower rehearsals.
It’s not exhaustive (neither are we), but we’ll be adding to it regularly. And know that we didn’t just copy this all from Wikipedia while nursing a cortado. No, we worked hard on it and got most of it from ChatGPT while nursing a vermut! Think of it as a rolling archive of what makes Barcelona tick: the saints, the drummers, the neighborhood rivalries, the castellers who you watch no matter how many times you come across them.
We made this for anyone who’s ever asked, “Wait, why are there fireworks again?”—and also for our future selves, who will inevitably forget.
Check it out, and if you know an event we’ve missed (especially one involving human towers or some sort of tasting something), let us know. We’re easily tempted.
Festa Major de Gràcia: Day 1 of our move to Barcelona — August 2020Jean Bouin 10K: Barcelona’s Oldest Race with a family visitor — December 2024
https://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Top-Results-1-of-1.jpeg15362048Davidhttps://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/petsolt_logo_2023_catalan-300x300.pngDavid2025-05-02 17:29:002026-05-16 18:03:47A Calendar for the Curious
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.
Side Story
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.
@pablosky_yksolbap
Back to the tiles
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.
Gaudí
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.
Now look back up
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!
https://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_5846.jpeg10691022Davidhttps://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/petsolt_logo_2023_catalan-300x300.pngDavid2024-07-23 13:29:592026-05-16 13:55:16The Barcelona Tiles
Please, don’t come to Barcelona and drink Starbucks! This place is loaded with great coffee shops. If you’re like me and want to start your day with a Flat White, grab an Iced Latte or Espresso in the heat, or end your evening with a Cortado, then it’s good to know what spots are nearby. And it is certainly how you want to kill your jet lag on day one!
So we put together this little Google List of what we think are the best coffee places in town — spread out so you can find something in almost any neighborhood.
If you aren’t close to any of these and need a caffeine fix, and want to wander in somewhere new, look for a La Marzocco machine serving Nomad, Three Marks, or any other local roasters, and you’re probably in pretty good shape.
And nothing goes better with coffee than a good book (on the same list). Barcelona has many great English Book Stores or places with an English section. Our favorite is Finestres, which has such micro-categories (with all the languages mixed together) that you’re sure to find something interesting that you hadn’t heard of before. And they encourage you to relax, sit and read. And while not on our list, there are a lot of Re-Read Used Bookstores with pretty good English sections too.
Hope this helps you keep going as you explore all the cool spots in Barcelona.
https://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_2981.jpeg15362048Davidhttps://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/petsolt_logo_2023_catalan-300x300.pngDavid2023-02-08 22:54:002026-05-16 13:54:347 From Family & Friends in Cali
Where do I even start? This is my first official blog post for our upcoming move to Barcelona. This will be our way of sharing what we’re doing for those who want to follow along. It will also serve as a giant journal when we look back on our grand adventure! We will all be posting on the blog so you’ll get everyone’s perspective on our crazy year. I’ve held off on typing anything until now for fear of jinxing the application process for our residence visas…they arrived last week and I cried with relief. We can now officially enter Spain as residents. Our flights have been booked for weeks and our departure date of Sunday, August 16 (THIS SUNDAY) is within sight. I am filled with mixed emotions – thankfully more excitement than trepidation. The hoops we have jumped through, the hard work, all the planning, the countless sleepless nights will all have been worth it when we wake up that first morning in our new place. Our wonderful realtor has been invaluable in helping us secure our first overseas apartment. It’s smack dab in the middle of all the action, right where we want to be. The address is Carrer de la Diputació 249 if you want to google it. We can reach nearly anywhere in the city on foot. There’s a market on our block, a Michelin rated restaurant with wine bar below our balcony (could be good trouble), the metro is a block away (for when it’s safe to ride). We have clicked around on google maps and it seems that anything we could possibly need or want is within a short walk.
Covid has definitely changed our outlook for travel. Having originally planned to criss-cross Europe and Africa by plane we will now plan road trips and explore the great outdoors of Spain and France. As things open back up and air travel seems safe, hopefully we can hit some of the far away spots we’ve got on our long, long wish list. I’ll be posting from time to time where we are headed in hopes of getting some tips and pointers from those of you who have been to these spots.
I’ve been brushing up on my Spanish. Having once been fluent I think it will come back quickly once I’m on the ground and using it daily. I’ve been listening to Spanish podcasts, using more challenging apps, reading the news in Spanish. Speaking of the news – reports of outbreaks in Barcelona and Spain abound. Luckily as we dig into the numbers we see that the infection rates are WAY lower than anything we see here in the US. They are doing a lot of testing and contact tracing and we are far more comfortable with the idea of living in an urban, Spanish city with mask mandates than we are staying put. Obviously we will keep wearing our masks and do our part to keep everyone safe and healthy. As part of our requirements for the visa we obtained we had to secure private health insurance – something new and interesting to navigate in a foreign land.
Lilly and Cameron are both pumped about living overseas and the opportunities it will present. We have had lots of great discussions about what the coming year might look like. They have been using apps to learn more Spanish. They are excited to live in an urban setting with the world just outside their door. Lilly is hoping to join up with the Barcelona Dracs, a local lacrosse team made up of women from around the world – which sounds awesome. I worked with Cameron to select his coursework and curriculum for 6th grade – it will be engaging and challenging. With all the ups and downs in the US school systems our timing couldn’t be better to give the online learning/homeschooling a try. I didn’t do such a great job (ok, I did a really bad job) finishing out the year with Cameron at home last spring. I’ve got a new outlook and am pretty jazzed about the material we will work on side by side. Lilly, as a 10th grader, has more work ahead but took yet another summer course so she has a “lighter” load this year. We’ve found a couple of amazing AP class instructors who will both challenge her and keep her energized about European History and Statistics. Our goal is to show her first hand some of what she is learning about! She is also getting help from a former teacher for whom we are very grateful. Let’s hope everyone’s Spanish gets better as time moves on. Honestly, I don’t want to be the only one able to ask for directions!
Everyone asks about David and his work schedule and how we will all manage. Depending on daylight saving time, Barcelona is either 5 or 6 hours ahead of EST. That means that while the east coast and the entire US are fast asleep we can be up and hanging out as a family. We will explore together in the mornings and after lunch David can get to work while the kids and I tackle the schoolwork. We can meet up again with David for a late dinner (well, dinner is always late in Spain) and he can work into the night. He’s a night owl so it should work pretty well!
We have packed up our personal belongings and stored them in our attic and around town in the basements and closets of family. A lovely family has rented our furnished house for the year. They are already making themselves at home. You’ll likely run into them around town.
Our plan was always to go for about a year. Realizing that might not be enough time to see all we want to see and do all we want to do and eat all we want to eat, we might just extend our time in Barcelona. No telling just yet. So many friends and family were planning to come see us and until Americans can travel we might just stay put so we can get everyone over for a visit. Saying goodbye is strange in the time of Covid. No big hugs. No grand send off. No big friend gatherings for the kids. The hardest part for me is that no one is booked to come see us. Yet. In a “my glass is half full” way – we will be able to experience countless places without so many tourists for a while. And that does seem pretty appealing.
My mind has been on overdrive for months. I have been making list after list and now have but a couple things to check off before I can feel completely ready to go. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few things….oh, well! I realize this post is all over the place but just wanted to get this blog thing started and fill you in on the plans. Once we hit the ground in Spain we will update everyone. I’ll try to be funny next time. Sign up to follow along if you like… it’s going to be a wild year. We wish for all of you to stay safe and healthy. Be well. – Kate
https://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_8253-scaled.jpeg15392048Katehttps://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/petsolt_logo_2023_catalan-300x300.pngKate2020-08-13 23:09:282026-05-16 13:52:33This is really happening. Barcelona here we come!
OK. Here’s where our story begins. I find an amazing price for a flight to Barcelona (one of our favorite cities) that David and I just can’t pass up. So we book the trip. A day later I have an epiphany…. what if we asked our dads to join us! I float the idea past David, taking away his vision of our lovely romantic holiday and plugging in an adventure with our octogenarian dads. Without hesitation (well, there was a slight hesitation until I assured him the dads would have their own place) he agrees it’s a great idea. So we ask our dads if they might want to come along. They both reply quickly that they are definitely IN! Thank goodness, because this was an all or nothing deal with the two of them.
And I keep thinking, what in the hell does this trip look like now?? David and I are accustomed to criss-crossing cities covering 7-10 miles a day on foot. We pivot on a moment’s notice. We hike and meander and walk into questionable spots suggested by locals. We stop for drinks and snacks all day long. I mean, all…day…long! Luckily our dads are game to go with the flow and try whatever we throw at them. So I’ve been booking tours and planning how to fill our days – now more by car than on foot. We’ve had lots of laughs thinking about what might shake out on this adventure. We’ve affectionately named them Oscar and Felix because they are so different from one another. Yet they have been dear, dear friends since David I met some 29 years ago. In fact, upon getting the invitation, my father-in-law said “tell Denny I can’t wait to drink sangria, eat jamón and watch the pretty ladies go by!” Of course, this is something they did about 25 years ago when I was back studying in Spain and our families all met up.
I’m not quite sure what we are in for with these two, but I can guarantee we will be laughing non-stop. Whether it is with them or at them remains to be seen. I’ve made sure they have approval from their doctors, all prescriptions are filled, walking regime in place (for Denny), and they can pack in a carry-on. So far I have us booked for a tour of The Sagrada Familia, a day trip to Girona, a 4 x 4 and Cava tour, and a cooking class where we make our own paella under the watchful eye of a trained chef who apparently pours lots of sangria and cerveza. What could possibly go wrong? I’ve never really blogged so I’ll try to keep it brief and entertaining.
https://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/barcelona.jpg10001974Katehttps://petsolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/petsolt_logo_2023_catalan-300x300.pngKate2019-02-26 22:37:012026-05-16 13:51:47Barcelona with a Change of Plans
