
Barcelona Underground (II) : The Sewers
Another major hit in the underground history of the city are the sewers. After Middle Ages, were dictated by authorities to dig septics in every house to dispose the “human nature dirt”. But given that the drinkable water was obtained by numerous wells around the city, this solution, having in mind the soil filtration, was the origin of really violent diseases. Around 1860, a big plan to transform the city to the actual distribution was being developed. It was called the Plan

Hipster before hipsters were mainstream
There are lots of secret places in Barcelona, lots of not so famous places despite the quality of their service, food, drinks or prices. There are so many places that will be the labor of a lifetime to point out every single outstanding corner of this ever changing city… There are too disappeared places, demolished in times when nobody cared about the value – architectonical, historical or symbolical – for a city with too much history. Today I’m speaking about the most luxuri

The Smurfs and Us
The meaning of some objects in the folklore – sometimes - is hidden under layers of dust, and few people know the nature of that object. Talking about Catalonia, there is one really interesting: the barretina. You can think that is a traditional cap a little bit eccentric - just like every Catalonian that respect himself – and quite colorful and distinctive for the usually monochromatic clothes of a peasant. But the truth is that is a sign of rebellion. This is the story: the

Not so Gothic
If you walk by the Gothic Quarters at the right time (maybe at 2am on a Monday, yes, right after a long night at Apolo) you can really feel like a knight of the Middle Ages. But, the truth is, that most of the day if feels more like a Theme Park. The truth is that, even if you can feel the history there sometimes, most of their buildings are more modern than you would think, actually, most of them are recreations to resemble a pre-existing old Gothic quarter, which almost dis

Made for living
In the Nineteenth Century, Barcelona got two big problems and a derivative problem caused by them: a city growth without planning and an old wall around the city that compressed the population in a very limited area. The consequence of these two problems was that the city couldn’t provide with homes to the increasing industry workers that were arriving to the city around 1850. This was a huge problem, because by law, all the land outside the wall was considered military area

10 things you should know about Barcelona
Well, Barcelona is a big city, with a lot of unique places and spots, we could say that it's impossible to really get to know the city if you are not living here, and even if you are it's difficult. That's why we have thought of giving you a little help with this list of 10 important things you should know about this charming city. 1. The Montjuïc Communications Tower, built by Santiago Calatrava, is shaped as the body of a sportsman holding a torch, something that fits perfe

The "pa amb tomàquet" referendum
Pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato) is one of the more beloved meals in Catalonia. It is for everybody, all social classes, and always welcome. We are never lazy about preparing some and where we are not in our country is what we are missing the most. Involving the pa amb tomàquet, I have noticed that there are two big mysteries yet unresolved: 1. What is the perfect pa amb tomàquet? 2. Why has no one copied it yet? Why are they not offering it in China o the EEUU? I'm totall

24 hour party people
You know those places that are cool? Cool for the cool? Naive cool? With the aspiration to be cooler everyday? That is Manchester Bar. Usually the trendy places keep unknown and undiscovered, hidden in conveniently narrow streets and surrounded by signs that advertise that there is something worthy to discover very near... if you know how to search. A priori, there is nothing new inside, but for sure they will be the first to offer. How themselves say: “the coolest music is f

Unawared Art Pieces
“An image worth one thousand words” it’s a common expression in spanish that use to mean “don’t tell me: show me”. But it’s too the perfect definition of art: things you need to say, but it will take too long to tell, so you draw it. Our topic today is the art. Not any art, but street art. Barcelona is one of the most important cities for street art, and where the most important member of this speciality has left some of their works. Yes, Barcelona is one of the most importan

(I ate so much that) I can't feel my legs
We risked and we won. We decided to visit Bun Bo Vietnam, a Vietnamese restaurant hidden in the Gothic Quarters with a lot of questions unanswered (raw fish, too much crab, too spicy, the searing doubt about the lizard...), and we made so many questions to the waiter that only her supreme patience avoided us to being slapped in the face with a raw fish. I suppose it’s clear to you that we are more of the type of the nerd than the hipster. After half an hour of delicious dishe