Shortly after returning from Sicily, the travel bug bit us again…so  we spent the Hallowe’en weekend in Barcelona.

I just love this city. There is no better way of putting it. My best friend lived there for a couple of years so I had the privilege of going to visit often and felt little bit less like a tourist. My friend moved out though and I haven’t been there for a while. I almost forgot how magical it can be! Lovely weather, the beach, great people and ambience, Spanish food and drink, do I have to go on? Well, let’s just say that I (and my boyfriend as well) really enjoyed it.

This time around I also looked for the sustainable side of the city and their approach to greener living. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

First of all, I never really realised how active people living in Barcelona are. I took a walk from the hotel we stayed in to the city centre alongside the beach and the amount of people participating in some kind of sporting activity was surprising! Rollerskates, bikes, skateboards, snakeboards were everywhere – people jogging, running, swimming, playing volleyball, hacky sack, football…you name it! A resounding ‘Yes’ to spending time outdoors doing stuff!

Bikes were particularly notable. They were everywhere and it was also possible to rent at lots of locations. In addition to the red & white Barcelona city bikes, there were a lot of touristy hourly rental places. The prices were reasonable and even though we didn’t try any, it’s definitely a great way to get to know a new city!

We were there for only a couple of days but I got the feeling that making greener choices and living with less waste would not be that difficult there. Take food shopping for example. One of the places I always go to in Barcelona is the main food market on La Rambla called La Boqueria. It’s basically  bulk shopper heaven. Yes, it might be a bit more expensive (a smallish bag of mixed nuts cost me about €8) and you still see quite a lot of plastic packaging and yes, you do have to plough through tourists and locals. But, it’s worth it. If nothing else then just for the spectacle.

I’ll let the pictures tell the stories…and mention only one of mine – La Boqueria was the place where I first tasted fresh figs years ago -and fell in love! That sweet slightly crunchy taste and freshness. Therefore, every time I’m there, I get a few as a tradition. This time, I asked if I could take only the fruit without the plastic box which I said they can reuse. The lady totally got it and said it was great I had my own bag…because otherwise it’s ‘plastic, plastic everywhere’ as she said. I like to think that I made her consider some alternatives for her stand if only for a second. Well…

So, here it is..

Spanish cuisine is one of my favourites. Even if you are looking for a small bite, you can easily find a gem…we were looking for something small to tide us over till dinner once and randomly walked into a lovely brunch place called Petit Pot. Not only was the food absolutely delicious, I also got a smoothie and actually remembered to ask for no straw and the napkins and paper place mats they provided were from recycled paper. An added bonus! I didn’t use the napkin as I brought my own but couldn’t really avoid the placemat. But, since it was plain brown paper, it can be composted and I will keep believing that it actually was.

Another zero-waste friendly food effort was well prepared by the hotel we stayed in. The breakfast buffet boasted glas bottles for water, juices, milk, glass yogurt and condiment pots, all the bread unpackaged with minimal use of single-portion foods with filled jars and bowls instead. Oh and they had a juicer so that you could prepare your own juice. I’m not mentioning it because it was zero waste but just because it was pretty damn good. These little things made the breakfasts extra tasty!

When it comes to recycling and finding the appropriate bin in public, it’s a totally different story to my Sicilian experience. Huge recycling bins are everywhere and people actually use them. Glass, paper/cardboards, metal, organics. Also, check out the handy tin smasher and recycling stops at the metro stations.

As a goodbye, I would like to share a picture I took on Barceloneta of what I wouldn’t mind my future looking like. Distant future that is!

Have a great weekend (long, if you are in the US) and watch out for my next post which will be about  gifting! Yes, the season is upon us.