La Festa Major de Gracia, Barcelona

This blog post is going to be small on words and big on pictures (which some people may prefer). Last Thursday night was spent at La Festa Major de Gracia, which as you may know, is the big annual festival for the area of Gracia in the north of the city. I've mentioned the area before, as it's one of our favourites. It was really wonderful to see the effort that everyone had made to decorate the streets, especially when you realise how much of it was done with recycled materials. The best decorations get awarded prizes but I don't know how the judges managed to choose, it was all so good.

Matches...

Mozart...

The Orchestra... the curtains are made from old Estrella cans...

I want this chandelier...

A reminder of London...

Inside the Yellow Submarine...

Very groovy street lights...

Beautiful lamps...

Every bollard should look like this...

Not sure she meant to get her head wet....

The winning balcony, how brilliant is that?

An excuse to drink beer in the streets? Don't mind if I do...

As you can tell from my shiny face above, it was hot and humid (hence the need for beer, ahem). We had a great night, with bars, bands and DJs dotted around the streets and squares. I only wish we could have gone back every day but alas, work got in the way. I took a lot more photos but I won't post them here, it would be too much. We're off to the Sants festa this week, it's just one non stop party in this town. I'll let you know how we get on.

HatQuarters, Barcelona

It was His Nibs turn to go shopping yesterday, as he's been after a pair of casual summer shoes. The weather here is pretty hot and humid at the moment, so leather shoes just feel too heavy, and you can't wear flips flops all the time, tempting as it may be.

Strangely enough, it ended up being a hat shop called HatQuarters that had the perfect pair. They're a brand called Maians that are made locally and designed by Barcelona designer Alfonso De La Fuente Rey. His Nibs went for the Sisto Basico pair. Luckily we managed to get them half price as the sales are finishing up here to make way for the autumn/winter stock, even though it will be hot for a few months yet.

When I got home and looked the brand up I found out that the company is actually named for and inspired by our barri, Barceloneta. Maians was an island which was located a hundred metres off the coast of Barcelona . It was absorbed by the city for creating the first port of Barcelona, and the area Barceloneta, in 1477 under the reign of King John II of Aragon. One for you history fiends out there.

I'm already planning to go back to HatQuarters to get a hat for the winter. They stock hats from American brand Goorin Bros. and are also planning to stock a new range called Indhy Sombreros, designed by the Maians company. I like to wear hats all the time but it's just too hot in the summer. I've experimented with straw hats and light cotton but I just end up with my hair plastered to my head, it's really not attractive. I end up feeling like this fella...

There are a couple of branches of HatQuarters here in Barcelona (we went to the one in El Born) and one in Istanbul and it looks like they'll be offering online shopping soon too. If you want to get your hands on a pair of Maians they're available in quite a few stores around the world, check out the store locator on the website to find one near you.  


I still haven't managed to get up to the big flea market at Glories yet, the early start required has defeated me so far, but I will do it soon. I swear!