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The Best Secret Garden in Barcelona
Twenty four years ago, Spanish artist and animator Javier Mariscal discovered an abandoned leather factory on Barcelona's rundown east side. The cavernous complex had crumbling buildings, a smokestack,...
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A Bird Feeder Inspired by a Modern Masterpiece (Lucky Birds)
In 1929, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe changed the way architects thought about buildings with his pavilion for the International Exposition in Barcelona. With a modernist nod to classicism, it became an...
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Travel Guide: 10 Tips for Avoiding (Other) Tourists
Barcelona is the seventh most popular destination in Europe, a fact that filled me with trepidation before I flew there for an eight-day stay last month. I don't like crowds (I have three children,...
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Live (or at Least Lodge) Like a Catalonian
For those of us not lucky enough to live in Barcelona, there's a network of rental apartments that will allow us to indulge in a Catalonian fantasy. For availability and prices, go to Destination BCN....
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Transplanted from London, an 'Unemployable Chef' Finds a Home in Barcelona
Barely three blocks away from Barcelona's tourist-infested main thoroughfare, on a quiet side street in another world entirely is Caravelle—with fantastic coffee and a menu that faithfully follows the...
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Off the Grid at Finca Es Castell, Mallorca
If you are traveling to Mallorca, head for the Tramuntana mountains in the north. A 40-minute drive from the clamor of Palma, the higher ground is punctuated with medieval buildings which seem to have...
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10 Easy Pieces: Hanging Chairs
Treat yourself to a time-out in a hanging chair. Here's a roundup of our rattan-inspired favorites (with a few fabric options for hammock lovers). Take note that natural rattan is best in a dry...
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Fizzy Sangria is Having a Moment
I'd like to think I would have noticed sangria's sudden surge in summer popularity even if I hadn't just spent eight thirsty days in Barcelona in the height of the heat. Do you like yours fizzy? I'm a...
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Gaudí in Barcelona: Park Güell at Sunset
Even if you are not a fan of the Silly Sand buildings that sprang from the fevered imagination of architect Antoni Gaudí, you should visit his Park Güell next time you are in Barcelona. The skyline...
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Mediterranean Colors: Planter Boxes from Yield Design
Yield Design Co. is a San Francisco-based design studio co-founded by Rachel Gant and Andrew Deming. The young duo, both graduates of California College of the Arts in San Francisco, believe in...
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Island Escape: Finca Son Gener in Mallorca
Located on the island of Mallorca, not far from the ancient town of Arta, Finca Son Gener is a small inn and spa. A few years ago, architect and designer Toni Esteva bought the decaying rustic...
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Currently Coveting: 5 Lounge Chairs with a Bohemian Vibe
Summer's not over yet; here are five lounge chairs that will give your outdoor space a bohemian vibe (and when the weather turns, they'll be equally at home indoors). Above: The Acapulco chair...
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La Boqueria: The Best Food Market in a City Obsessed by Eating
It was my intent to warn you away from La Boqueria, the biggest and most famous and most fully touristed of Barcelona's public food markets. I had planned to point out that there were 40 neighborhood...
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DIY: Eat Lunch Like a Catalonian
"I'm very classic and I like traditional food—nothing too fussy or complicated," chef Meritxell Sabate explained the other morning as she wandered the aisles in Barcelona's biggest open air food...
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A Music-Filled Getaway in Upstate New York
Eager to get out of heat of the city? A mere hour's drive from Manhattan lies a magical sanctuary with sprawling gardens full of Spanish flair. Its primary offering, however, is music—jazz, folk,...
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Clues to Catalonia: Bettie Webster's Garden
When Bettie Webster first came to Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands close to Barcelona in Spain, there were just a few houses and automobiles, and all were of the ancient variety. The farmer would...
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A Classic from Spain: The Marquina Olive Oil Cruet
Before traveling to a new city or any destination, the inner shopper in me does a quick mental scan through the list of purchasable items (call them souvenirs) that are endemic to said location. I know...
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Where Florists Go to Buy Their Plants
Most of the fancy florists and plant shops in Barcelona are in the fashionable Eixample neighborhood in the center of the city. Guess where they go to buy their plants? Hivernacle. More than 300...
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Basque Cooking Demystified, from Aran Goyoaga
After growing up in Basque country, Aran Goyoaga moved to the United States. Fifteen years later, the cookbook author's recipes still reflect her childhood memories. Says Goyoaga, "When people ask me...
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Blender Magic: Instant Watermelon Gazpacho
After growing up in Basque country, cookbook writer Aran Goyoaga's approach means "taking what is available and fresh, and preparing it as simply as possible. No big fuss." For more, see Basque Cooking...
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