Winter began in motion but quickly settled into something more introspective. After nearly a month travelling through Southeast Asia, we returned to London in the early hours of December 8th, stepping out into damp, cold air that felt almost theatrical in its greyness. Winter…
Barcelona did not always have good coffee. For years, much of the city ran on torrefacto, the dark, sugar-coated roasting method that produces a bitter flavour and masks the quality of the bean. Café con leche culture dominated, and few places paid serious attention…
Location: Barcelona, Spain Cuisine: Galician Some restaurants feel like good recommendations, while others feel like discoveries that stay with you long after the meal ends. We first went to O Retorno in summer 2025 with friends who were visiting Barcelona, following a recommendation from…
Autumn 2025 unfolded as a season of return and departure, of unpacking and repacking, of settling in and setting off again. It began on a volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic and ended somewhere between Bangkok traffic and London frost. In between,…
Location: Barcelona, Spain Cuisine: Catalan / Spanish (Tapas) Carrer de Ribes is one of those streets that makes you feel like you are slightly outside the Barcelona most visitors see. It runs between Sagrada Familia and Clot, pedestrian-friendly, lined with neighbourhood bars and restaurants,…
After days spent settling into the rhythm of the Vall de Boí, we packed up and continued east, crossing into a new valley and a slightly different mood. The mountains remained, but the atmosphere shifted. The journey moved us from intimacy to contrast, from…
Location: Barcelona, Spain Cuisine: Japanese Japanese food is everywhere in Barcelona. Walk a few blocks in almost any neighbourhood, and you will pass a ramen bar, a sushi counter, or a minimalist dining room serving donburi and tempura. The city has developed a genuine…
Location: Barcelona, Spain Cuisine: Catalan / Spanish We first went to Norte in April 2025, almost by accident. It was one of those easy Barcelona lunches that begins with a couple of cañas and the vague intention of ordering something small. Instead, we stayed.…
Victor and I joined his parents for a six-day journey through the Catalan Pyrenees, splitting our time between high mountain landscapes and stone villages that seem suspended somewhere between history and habit. We based ourselves first in the Vall de Boí, then moved east…
I had been to Valencia once before, back in 2019, but that trip barely scratched the surface. It was a work visit, rushed and contained, and I left with the sense that I had seen only a version of the city rather than the…