Dear social souls and soul-mates,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another fortnight passes us by and this time, I'm breaking with the norm to do a Barcelona deep dive to mark 3 years of living here. I feel fortunate to live in the gorgeous country of Catalonia. Among the hundreds of reasons I love living here, today I'm delighted to share with you 5 of the things that most impress me about living here. Gaudeix<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. How I travel: Barcelona Public Transport<\/u><\/a> -<\/strong> I spend a lot of time on public transport here: tram, bus, train and metro. It is a network that functions fantastically. What truly beggars belief is how unlimited access to public transport for 1 month costs just \u20ac22 here for adults, and just \u20ac10 for under 30s. Compare that to \u00a3171\/month in London. What's gone wrong with the system back in the UK? Is it the age of the network? The privatisation of the entire system? The lack of subsidisation from the government? I don't have the answers, just open-mouthed questions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. What I'm drinking:<\/strong> Horchata<\/u><\/a><\/u><\/strong> -<\/em> Aside from the wine and vermouth, horchata has been a revelation since moving here. This cold-served, vegan-friendly and milky tiger nut-based drink is widely drunk throughout the summer months. Hailing from Valencia, it is a beautiful coolant after a day at the beach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Where I spend my evenings: Concerts and Cinema - <\/strong>Accessibility to culture seems unsurpassed here too. Not only does Barcelona boast some of the best international concerts, gigs and exhibitions, there is a real push to make the arts accessibility. Recently I'm been blown away with access to the world-class L'Auditori<\/u><\/a> classical music venue where unlimited concert access is available for under 35s at just \u20ac85\/year. Meanwhile, the Filmoteca<\/u><\/a> (think London's BFI) has tickets for \u20ac4 or \u20ac90 for an entire year of movie-going. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Where I'm partying: Cultura Popular<\/u><\/a><\/u> <\/strong><\/u><\/strong>- This city really doesn't sleep. Alongside San Joan, Semana Santa, Carnival, La Merc\u00e9, Pride, San Jordi, Castanyada and Los Reyes, my favourite street parties are by far the local 'Festa Majores'. Every year, each neighbourhood puts on a weekend or two of partying, where neighbours organise music, street bars and activities to bring everyone together. They are incredibly fun, locally driven and pervasive across the city throughout the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. What I'm learning: Catalan<\/u><\/a><\/strong> - A bilingual city where you can easily get by in Spanish, there is nothing quite like learning and speaking Catalan. This gorgeous language, part of the Romance family and spoken by around 10 million people, is a joy to speak. As part of an effort to promote the language, free language courses are on offer by the CPNL and which I've been taking (and can vouch for!) for a couple of years. Many people I speak to say they want to 'focus on Spanish first' - but I would challenge them to go for both: I believe the two reinforce each other with exponential benefits - far more than confusing you. I also find the rewards for speaking Catalan are huge, granting access to spaces and experiences that would pass you by without this linguistic competency. Finally, I genuinely believe it's a duty and a sign of respect to learn and practice this language when choosing to live here. Duties aside, for those wishing for a Catalan musical immersion, I'm sharing my Catalan Spotify playlist<\/u><\/a> that I've been building over the last years with some favourite songs! <\/p>\n\n\n\n \ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ufeff\ud83d\udce3 Opportunities from me and my network<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udcbb Time for a new website? Visit Dise\u00f1o circular<\/a>, my non-profit web agency That's it for this fortnight! As ever, please let me know your thoughts and feedback - and send anything you'd like me to include in upcoming editions this way.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear social souls and soul-mates, Another fortnight passes us by and this time, I’m breaking with the norm to do a Barcelona deep dive to mark 3 years of living here. I feel fortunate to live in the gorgeous country of Catalonia. 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\ud83e\udd66 Become a Vegan Society Member for free if you're under 26! <\/a>
\ud83d\udcd6 Don't forget to order your copy of Restos de guerra, migraci\u00f3n y amor<\/a> por Taha Salim.
\ud83c\udfa8 \u00bfBuscas arte fabuloso para regalar? Apoya a mi brillante amiga y artista Nadine aqu\u00ed<\/a>.
\u2b50\ufe0f Know someone critically-minded? I'd love to nominate them for Aspen Rising Leaders.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n