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Barcelona Spanish courses

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Long-term Barcelona resident Tom Walton (above) is webmaster at IH Barcelona

 

See also
Barcelona-born Mònica Ezquerro gives us her view of Barcelona, "la mejor cuidad del mundo" [interview in Spanish]

 

 

Barcelona: "Understandably over-hyped"

•Imágenes | la Carretera de las Aguas; patatas bravas

Words marked * are explained in the glossary at the foot of the page

 

Name Tom Walton

Living in Barcelona Since 1982

Job Webmaster at IH Barcelona

Barcelona in a phrase Probably understandably over-hyped (there's just so much for people to get wildly enthusiastic about!)

What color is it Kaleidoscopic -- vivid yellows and blues but lots of shades of greys and browns too

The best month to come Just about any month of the year, with Barcelona's long springs and autumns the best

A particular time of a particular day Early on a cold but sunny winter's morning, (preferably at the weekend!)

A street The Carrer Amargòs, or just about any street in the old part of the city

A bar The Roure, the first place in Barcelona I thought of as home -- and was welcomed there as if it was

Do try The patatas bravas* in the Bar Tomás

Somewhere to go for a walk The Carretera de les Aigues, which runs round Colleserola (the hills overlooking the city)*

A view of the city From just about anywhere on the Carretera de les Aigues on a weekend evening in autumn after rain, when the light is amazing and the city is not partially obsured by haze or pollution

A trip outside Barcelona The Montseny* in the autumn

What the locals are like Lovely, lovely people (an opinion I sometimes find myself revising when they get on to sport or politics, or get behind the wheels of their cars!)

To get yourself accepted Marry one of the natives, have kids and get them to teach you Catalan; but even having done all of that, I think part of me will always be an immigrant

If I were mayor of Barcelona An even better public transport network, a huge reduction in the use of the private car, a massive increase in the use of the bicycle... Barcelona would be just like Amsterdam - only with far better weather!

A guide book The excellent TimeOut Barcelona

A novel Eduardo Mendoza's "La ciudad de los prodigios", for its wonderfully bias-free account of a big part of Barcelona's fairly recent history

A website Our own directory of information about the city, Barcelona-Online

 

Glossary

* patatas bravas: fried potatoes served with a hot spicy sauce (see picture, top of page)
* the Carretera de les Aigues: the Carretera is a dirt track much loved by walkers and mountain-bikers, best reached by taking the train to Peu de Funicular, and then the cable car; the plan is to extend it to over 20km
* the Montseny: a mountainous region about 50km north of Barcelona, superb particularly in the autumn, which is best toured by car, unless you happen to be a healthy walker or cyclist