I moved to Barcelona as an English teacher almost ten years ago, and in that time there was no Wi-Fi, mobile phones were not classed as a “necessity” and it took me 10 days to find a job - but seven weeks to find an apartment.

I started writing blogging as an insight for those people who might want to do the same in the current climate, and also to point out things I think are interesting from an ex-pat point of view, but largely get overlooked in the usual tourist guide books.

Digital Life in Barcelona

www.barcelona-metropolitan.com - online edition of Barcelona Metropolitan magazine, useful for reviews of restaurants, events, exhibitions and anything else current in the city. I find the handy links to Catalunya Classifieds useful, where you can pick up all kinds of bargains.

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BACKGROUND

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www.lecool.com - is a must-have weekly e-zine straight to your inbox. The team give you the heads up for the coming week, always offering smashing content, and manage to pick up on events and cultural activities you would never otherwise find. Many of the tips and details are free, and it lives up to their goal of being clever, without being necessarily trendy - just really good.

www.barcelonayellow.com - a hugely comprehensive listings site also packed with useful information, hints and advice on Barcelona. It is also crammed with the essential practical information like weather forecasts. If you’re looking for something in Barcelona and it’s not on here, it’s not worth looking for!

www.bcn.cat - the city council website which is excellent in detail and functionality, with particularly impressive interactive maps, ideal for locating whatever you need. Very well translated into English, for all cultural events, one-off shows and other details

http://www.tmb.cat/en_US/home.jsp - the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport website, and specifically the Barcelona Metro. The metro is cheap, really easy to use and convenient for the slightly out of town places. The website has a route planner facility with advanced options for finding restaurants, theatres and other attractions. It also has recommended journeys for tourists themed according to taste – Modernism for example. 


And I reckon these are the best bookshops in Barcelona

Local Knowledge :

Try all the great food. The Catalunya province has certain dishes that you can’t find elsewhere in Spain and seasonal food like calçots are a must-do if you’re here. Take a walk around the Boqueria market and get some “pata negra” cured Iberic ham (black hooved ham). It's one of the best, and is fed only on acorns. They also have some chorizos from the same beast.

Perambulate. Go for a walk and just get lost, much of Barcelona is easily covered on foot, so go for a wander around the old town and follow your nose. You’ll find some great little corners and alleys with so much history. Don't be afraid to ask directions, the locals are friendly and things have got a lot easier recently with the installation of map-posts and directional arrows, to help you along your way. Barcelona Guide Bureau has qualified guides offering a range of walking tours.

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