December 14, 2011, posted by Natasha | shopping
You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy fine wine. Anyone can understand the joy of uncorking a new bottle handpicked by someone dear to you – and the assistance of an expert sommelier always helps, too. With an astounding reputation as one of the top five wine cellars in the world, Monvínic houses a dizzying selection of over 3,000 hand-selected bottles.
December 13, 2011, posted by Natasha | shopping
One of the freshest designers to grace Barcelona in several years, Mariam Ponsa is well-known for her classic approach to modern fashion, using traditional techniques and dyeing methods to create luxurious and unique pieces with an edge.
December 12, 2011, posted by Natasha | shopping
Tucked away in the Gotico area, Formatgeria La Seu is a small cheese shop dedicated to bringing us only the finest and most sought-after cheeses from the farthest reaches of Spain, each one hand-selected by the owner (Scottish born Katherine McLaughlin).
December 9, 2011, posted by Natasha | shopping
Rubbing shoulders with MACBA in the stylish upper part of Raval, Open House is a British-run design shop home to an eclectic blend of design wares, from the locally-based Basque illustrator Ibai Etxeberria to Swedish jewellery designer Lo Lou and unusual jewellery made of natural elements bone, carbon and wood by Karlota Laspalas.
December 8, 2011, posted by Natasha | shopping
A short stay in Barcelona is all too easily recognized by a return home with suitcases of endless garish gaudi paraphernalia, I HEART Barcelona sweaters and Sagrada Familia keyrings…but why are we all too often tempted by souvenir rubbish, made in China, when there is such an exquisite variety of genuine artesan-made, locally-designed products at our feet, begging to be discovered and lovingly regaled to our nearest and dearest this festive season?
May 26, 2009, posted by Sairica | shopping
In a bustling and cosmopolitan city like ours, shops flower season after season but while most of them come and go throughout the years, there’s a handful that have stood the passage of time for not only decades, but centuries. In an ever-changing world, where cities have moods and seasons, these places are like trees to many of us. Here’s my recommendation of a few magical places where it would appear that time has stood still and you can quite happily teleport to another world and another era…
March 1, 2009, posted by Sairica | shopping
For me, the best thing about holidays, besides the simple joy of being somewhere else with new sights, smells and sounds (and not being shackled to my mobile and laptop) is that they provide me with the only chance I get to read a good book.
