"We're on a photo shoot for a magazine article I'm writing, but we're having trouble keeping our efforts serious. So many of the photos are rendered unusable because Anna's laughing, her wide smile pulling her eyes closed, the images mostly out of focus. The article is a cultural piece about espadrilles, or espardenyas, as they're known here in Catalunya. Although I haven't quoted her in the article, I probably should have, because Anna owns more espardenyas than anyone I know. Most of them are worn with age, the way her point shoes are, a mark of love and dedication. Luckily the light is falling and the dirt scuffs are muddled by the shadows that fall over the small corner of Parc de la Ciutadella where we're shooting. There's something about the overgrown building and the chipping paint and Anna's dirt-scuffed shoes that creates a kind of poetic trifecta."

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"Just an hour and a half south of Barcelona, the landscape shifts into something altogether different. Gentle tree-covered mountains rise up along the horizon and the dry Mediterranean scrub leading down to the sea suddenly gives way to a wide, flat landscape of pure unadulterated green—the delta of the river Ebre. It is a breathtaking sight and one certainly worth the short trip to reach it. This large, flat region is made up mostly of rice plants, doing their gentle dance in the breeze against a backdrop of the Serra de Montsià mountains. Its unique landscape—from wide sandy beaches to the tranquil river and quiet harbours—makes it a welcome weekend getaway spot for nature enthusiasts and families alike."

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"The best way to learn about cava is to head down to cava country and visit a cellar or two, where you can learn how cava is created and enjoy a tasting session. Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, considered the birthplace of cava, is a great place to start. There are a number of excellent cellars there, including the world-renowned Freixenet and Codorníu. While February can be brisk and the vines barren, it is also calçot season, and there is no better place to enjoy this local and well-loved onion than in the countryside restaurants of Penedès. Early spring brings rain, but with it vines covered in an explosion of downy white blossoms, signaling a new start and a new harvest ahead."

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"The wind-tossed coast and ever-shifting light of this part of the Catalan coastline are familiar protagonists in the paintings of Dalí, Chagall, and Picasso. The artists’ studies of the landscape reveal the powerful influence of place in their work, and none was more connected to the Costa Brava than Surrealist Salvador Dalí. Those who want to know his work intimately can journey to what is known as the Dalí triangle, in reference to the three iconic locations on Catalunya’s Costa Brava where Dalí lived and worked: Figueres, Púbol, and Portlligat."

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"Culture, history and a special affinity for sausages, the small Catalan city of Vic makes for an excellent day trip from Barcelona by train or car, or a weekend visit to really capture the atmosphere. Sometimes written as Vich, it is the capital of Osona, a landlocked comarca (county) in central Catalunya, and is located on the banks of the river Mèder almost equidistant (approximately 70 kilometres or so) from Girona and Barcelona. A long and storied history has put Vic on the map, but it remains there, among other reasons, because of its long and fervent political history and the mythical status of its sausage. Not many other cities in the world can hang their hat on that."

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"Besides the beaches, another major attraction of the islands is the food. While Balearic restaurants may be in short supply here, there are a few establishments dotted around the city where islanders can get their fix. Na Mindona is one such place. The Na is short for ‘ca na’, meaning ‘en casa’ in Mallorquín, and that’s exactly how it feels—like a small slice of home. Tucked away in the Raval, Na Mindona is a favourite of Barcelona’s Mallorcan residents, who swear by the authenticity of the market-fresh dishes, such as tumbet (a ratatouille-like dish that comprises layers of aubergine, courgette and potato in a rich tomato sauce) and frit mallorquí (a hash of fried lamb, potatoes and onions).  

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Yoga Weeks is a studio in the heart of the Raval neighborhood of Barcelona which offers week-long yoga courses for those who also want to explore the urban side of life in the city. In the latest story at Kita Collective, you can read all about the Yoga Weeks project and how co-founder Ana Puig changed her life through yoga. 

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"La Manual Alpargatera is also the favourite espadrille shop of Àngeles Ortega, owner of Foodie Experience Barcelona, a local cooking school situated nearby. When teaching visitors about local culture, she regularly espouses the shoe’s virtues and sends curious clients to the shop. She appreciates the shoe for its simplicity, aesthetics and, particularly, its roots. 'I enjoy the poetry of an object that comes from such humble origins,' she explained, referring to the shoe’s beginnings as footwear for peasants. She admires them for being what she calls ‘survivors’—a shoe whose simplicity, function and form have helped it to both maintain its identity and to grow and evolve into something new."

Read more at Metropolitan