This coming August 12th there will be a total solar eclipse that can be seen very close to us. It will be visible along a wide transversal strip that will cross the peninsula from Galicia to the Balearic Islands, including an important territory of Lleida and Terres de l’Ebre. Sold-out locations and astronomical prices in hotels. Maria Àngels Gil, from Còsmik, the shop on Viladomat street specializing in astronomy, explains it to us. They have been selling protective glasses for months and the closer the day gets, the more certain it is that sales will not decrease. It is a happy coincidence, that of the eclipse. And next year and the year after there will also be solar eclipses visible to us. Lucky! Exclaims Maria Àngels, who together with her husband, Xavier Górriz, have already spent many years immersed in a business that seems extremely specialized, but which is aimed at a wider range of the public than one might imagine. Is astronomy popular? Of course it is!

Can you imagine that today, in 2026, at a newsstand or a Good Coffee shop, amidst the array of magazines, collectibles, tourist guides, city maps, trading cards, and toys—newspapers still clinging to a corner—you could buy a board game to beat in a row, a game designed to stimulate the user, instead of encouraging them to wander through the Raval district to solicit sex, dodge pimps' knives, and pay to avoid contracting syphilis? Can you imagine that today, in 2026, you could find an erotic guide to Barcelona there, showing you the best areas and establishments to find prostitutes? Well, that, which seems like science fiction, was a feasible reality in Barcelona in the late seventies and early eighties.

You might walk into Ràdio Fabregat (Rosselló, 292) to buy a couple of light bulbs and leave with a valuable history lesson. But not the history found in books, no, the history contained within objects, everyday life embodied in household items that hold memories. Of course, there must be someone capable of interpreting and transmitting it. This someone is Antoni Fonoll, and he has been the heart and soul of the business since 1992, when the founder, Joan Fabregat, retired and he took it over to maintain its essence intact to this day. The shop is overflowing with merchandise.

It's truly difficult to walk past Aribau 84 and not stop, mesmerized, gazing at Fabre's window display. And it's common to hear similar comments: "What a beautiful shop," "Such lovely toys," "Such good taste and such a warm atmosphere." Fabre is a little paradise for those looking for the perfect gift for a child. A perfect gift, and something different. They specialize in children's and young adult literature, wooden and eco-friendly toys, board games, learning aids, and other items related to leisure, recreation, and the all-important concept of learning through play. We spoke with Eugenia Pujol, the current owner, who has been involved with the business since 2011, when they were still located on Rambla Catalunya. Since 2015, they've been in this new, high-traffic location in the heart of the Eixample district, offering an oasis of calm. An oasis brimming with stimuli, of course, with a space that makes the most of its space, where it's hard to find anything that might annoy you. That's what the employees do. They know how to listen and advise. This is very important, Eugenia emphasizes. Keep in mind that being a shopkeeper in a toy store isn't easy, since almost everyone who comes in wants something for themselves, but rather as a gift. And you have to be very precise, patient, know how to explain and listen, and find the perfect piece. That puzzle that's sure to be a hit. The letter game for someone learning to write. The book for someone with learning difficulties. The paper cutout for someone who needs to improve their technique. That dinosaur world map that's sure to be a success. Or the magnifying glass with a built-in light that even the child's father will use.

Singuerlín, so many years passing by the corset shop at 130 Aribau Street, and so many years the name ringing in my ears like a bell. Could it have something to do with the Santa Coloma de Gramenet neighborhood? It was obvious that it did, that it had to be related. And yes, of course, Pepita Simó y Singuerlín, 84 years old, clears up any doubts. She's worked behind the same counter since she was 13 and retains enviable energy and eloquence. Undoubtedly renewed, because for some years now she's been working side by side with her cleaners, Marta and María, and she's pleased that they've become so involved in the family business. Marta will be the one to carry on when Pepita decides to retire. But I'd say she still has plenty of life left in her.

Can a locksmith also be a blacksmith? What's the difference between a locksmith and a locksmith? Consulting dictionary definitions, there seems to be a consensus that a locksmith encompasses the practices of both locksmithing and blacksmithing. Locksmith: "Craftsman or technician specializing in making, repairing, installing, and adjusting locks, keys, bolts, and various metal objects, especially for buildings and furniture." Some definitions use "locksmith" as a synonym. Others, however, maintain that a locksmith is strictly an expert in door locks. Well, be that as it may, at number 2 Gleva Street, we find La Gleva Locksmith, which has been Javier Redonnet's daily home for twelve years. It all started the day he passed by and saw that the previous locksmith was about to retire and agreed to take over the business. Javier has known the trade since he was very young. At 17, he took a welding course and developed a taste for the profession. He worked for others for several years until he found this little corner in the fantastic Farró neighborhood and set up his own business.

Marc Martínez has just turned sixty and is premiering a new film. Balandrauabout the tragic events of December 2000 in the Pyrenees. He plays Siscu, the volunteer firefighter from Camprodon who led the rescue efforts. He looks back on his career, his beginnings, his profession, the thrill of acting, theater as an essential school, and his memories of Land and freedom and Waiting for Godot...the precariousness... and the legacy in his son León, also an actor.

Stepping into the workshop of Bombonería Pons on Olzinelles Street is a striking experience. It's about ten times larger than the small shop visible from the street. Carla Jodar, the business's manager and communications manager, shows us the warehouse where they store the Easter cakes, ready to be displayed immediately. A marvel of colors, shapes, and themes. A filigree of chocolate work. Pokémon, Spiderman, Lego, Disney, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Stranger Things, K-Pop, Bluey, the Minions, Mic, Super Mario, the inevitable Barça, and delightful creations in the shape of motorcycles, foosball tables, hens... Countless variations. A stock that will reach approximately 2,000 chocolate figures and 7,500 Easter eggs. It's a true spectacle that employs a dozen permanent staff, plus temporary workers during peak seasons. The busiest time is Christmas – they can have up to eight employees in the shop – but Easter is also very busy. These days they're really pushing for Valentine's Day – a chorus of chocolates for every taste – and soon they'll be changing the decorations to get ready for Easter in full swing.

Perhaps not everyone is fully aware of it, but there are many ways to fish. At Casa Calicó, on Ávila Street—in the heart of Poblenou—they've always known them all. They're like Formula 1 of fishing, knowing the secrets of competitive, recreational, and traditional or food fishing. They know the quirks of anglers, the tactics for improving technique, the best accessories, what's best for a beginner, and what even the most experienced angler longs for.

The 100th anniversary of the Verdi cinemas deserves a grand celebration. And what better way to celebrate than by expanding the cinemas? Sounds like a joke, right? Well, it's not, no need to rub your eyes. Within a packed program of events, the most noteworthy is that the supermarket next door to the Verdi will be converted into two new screens. This means the beloved cinema in the Gràcia neighborhood will go from nine screens to eleven. This development is striking, as it's the exact opposite of what has been happening for the last two decades: cinemas closing and being converted into supermarkets. Examples? Well, Urgell, perhaps the most painful closure of all. But also the ABC on Balmes Street and the back of the Lauren Universitat (formerly Pelayo). And if they aren't supermarkets, they become franchises; the list is endless: Alexandra, Fantasio, Publi, Paris... "It's an act of poetic justice!" exclaims an enthusiastic Adolfo Blanco, founder and driving force behind A Contracorriente, which has owned the Verdi stores since 2015, and since 2015 has been able to expand them. They would have taken this step sooner, but Covid was destructive in many ways, including this one. Years of history that are actually longer. Josep Maria Contel, historian, photographer, and above all, a resident of Gràcia, knows this very well. He has spent many years documenting the history of his neighborhood, researching tirelessly. Contel explains that the origins of Verdi can be traced back to the end of the 19th century when the Fomento Protector de la Villa de Gràcia (Protective Development Society of the Town of Gràcia) was founded on Encarnació Street. Their rapid growth led them to seek a location on what was then Ample Street. Throughout the first decades of the century, successive name changes occurred – Ateneo and Trebol – until finally, in the early 1930s, it became Verdi, adopting the name of the street that had borne the composer's name since 1907. It also included a children's dining room, with film screenings and variety shows after meals.

At Cafés Roure on Comte Borrell street in Barcelona, ​​in the heart of Sant Antoni, coffee is a way of life. Always has been. Unpretentious, unfazed by trends, without boasting about that now-fashionable label of "specialty coffee" or "the coffee experience." Today, everything is about "experiences." Daniel Marín, the current owner, downplays the hype and champions the essence—literally—of good coffee.

Who isn't fascinated by porter shops? There are few left in Barcelona, ​​but if you look around a bit, you can still find a handful. These are the shops that occupy a small portion of space in the building's entrance hall. Tiny spaces that resist the passage of time. Licenses haven't been granted for years, but those that remain continue to breathe life into a commercial landscape that grows increasingly repetitive and soulless. In Ciutat Vella (the Old City), we can find a few. One of them is Perfumería Bonsuccés, on the street of the same name, of course, next to La Rambla—an oasis of good vibes, a touch of local color, and also specialization.

"A miracle." Miguel Ángel Ortega is certain of it: the existence of his bookstore, Tesoros de Alejandría (Treasures of Alexandria), is a miracle. It opened two years ago on Calle de la Virgen del Pilar, a stone's throw from the Palau de la Música, but the bookselling trade has been in his blood since he was very young. In fact, this is the sixth bookstore he has run, between Barcelona and his native Valladolid. Upon entering, you are immediately struck by an unmistakable aroma, that smell that only secondhand bookstores produce. It is the smell of lived-in pages, of memories safeguarded by the greatest treasure of our (supposed) civilization: books. But Tesoros de Alejandría is not a container, it is not a bookstore. low cost where nothing is available and it's every man for himself. It's a space conceived from a love of knowledge, the experience of reading, the thematic variety that the publishing world can offer, hobbies, and quality reading. We find popular literature, great authors, fiction, art, philosophy, essays, poetry, thought... and also an interesting space for graphic arts enthusiasts, antique prints, and posters. But why is your bookstore a miracle? "A secondhand bookstore open to the public? Betting on that is an act of rebellion, of activism, of personal consistency."

Arca Barcelona is a temple of good taste. For over 50 years, Carmina Viñas and her daughters, Nina and Carmina, have been working in the vintageLong before anyone here knew what that concept, so recurrent today, so deeply ingrained in our everyday language, was. vintage Applied to clothing, garments, and fashion accessories. All from approximately 1920 to 1980, a timeframe broad enough to satisfy the tastes of its loyal clientele, as well as those discovering the shop on Rue Banys Nous for the first time. Founded in the mid-1960s by Carmina as El Arca de la Abuela (Grandma's Ark), it was designed to merge the origins of the two branches of the family: on her father's side, textiles, the world of lace, mantillas, and needlepoint; and on her mother's side, the tradition of antique dealers. "El Arca is the connection between these two influences," explain founder Carmina and her daughter Nina.

Bagdad is always there. With its imposing sign, almost dazzling lighting, the obviously Arabic inspiration in its decorations and accessories, and the iconic image of the girl emerging from Aladdin's lamp. It's been around for fifty years. Yes, this December Bagdad turns half a century old. Today it's essentially a tourist attraction, which in turn is a driving force for the neighborhood where it's located, the indomitable Paral·lel, the avenue of theaters and entertainment that has seen better decades, a time of splendor that many long to revive. The revitalization of El Molino and the perennial project to reopen Arnau are epiphanies yet to be fulfilled. Joana lives on the neighboring Vila i Vilà street and remembers the times when Paral·lel was a cauldron, a hive of energy in contact. And Bagdad? It has never been inside, but it is loved all the same as an essential part of the everyday landscape of its almost lifelong surroundings.

That no two neighborhoods in Barcelona are alike might seem like a blatant truism. And it's even more so when we say that in the case of Barceloneta, this obvious truth is five times more pronounced. Alfons Cánovas and his son, also named Alfons, are the second and third generations to run Cánovas Jewelers, at number 16 on the bustling La Maquinista street. Perhaps their shop is the last bastion—or one of the last—of local, traditional businesses—or neighborhood shops, call them what you will—that remain in a neighborhood as special, beloved, and ever-changing as Barceloneta. There are, of course, many iconic restaurants – Salamanca, Chérif, La Electricidad, La Bombilla, Can Ramonet, Café Salvador, La Cova Fumada, Casa Leo... the list is quite long – but the complaint of the two Alfonses is clear: "We're left all alone; there are no shoe stores in the neighborhood." They are happy because their business is doing well and remains deeply rooted in the neighborhood's character. They have invested in its growth, in gaining customers, in adapting it to the changing times, but at the same time, they regret that Barceloneta is no longer a neighborhood for its residents. "No effort has been made to protect local, iconic businesses; all they do is open supermarkets, mobile phone shops, and identical restaurants," argues Alfons Jr.

Who was Josefina Güell? Perhaps it's a good idea for her to introduce herself: "Hello, my name is Josefina Güell Saumell. I was born in Barcelona on April 9, 1925. My father was a cabinetmaker and did quite well for himself, but in 1936, when the Civil War broke out, he had to leave everything to go to the front. Enric and I. The poor woman had a very hard time, and because of that, she sent us to boarding school in Tiana. We had a good time there; we had a teacher who recited poems to us at night." She herself wrote it down, a restless woman, a versatile and enterprising actress; her memories were clear, her memory unerringly dictating the birth of her precocious artistic vocation. This year she would have turned one hundred. She came very close. She died in Barcelona on January 17 of last year, a few months before her 99th birthday. Her daughter Silvia remembers that she remained clear-headed until the end, as well as full of vitality, eager to go to the theater, and possessing a consuming passion for it. a benign illness that plagued her throughout her long life. Last May 26th, the Teatre Romea hosted the well-deserved tribute that the Catalan theater community paid her. Honors were also bestowed upon another beloved and historic actress, Mercè Bruquetas, also a centenarian this year, 2025, but who passed away years ago, in 2007.

There are shops whose age you don't question because they seem destined never to age. Because they're an integral part of the landscape of their surroundings, their city. Or at least that's how it seems to you. I'm stunned when Albert Mestres, the business's founder and still at the helm, tells me they've been around for forty-six years. On April 23, 1980, Sant Jordi's Day—a perfect day, indeed—they celebrate the anniversary in style. They're a benchmark not only for selling comics, but also for publishing and distribution.

The day when we can illuminate large spaces without needing a single electrical outlet isn't so far off. In fact, it's already quite possible. LED lights with built-in magnets or adhesive strips are easy to place and have a built-in rechargeable battery. They're selling incredibly well because they solve previously complicated situations where there were no outlets or you had to resort to those annoying extension cords. It's one of the products that has seen a surge in sales at Monsó y Benet. Isabel Benet Monsó, the current owner along with her husband Xavier and her cousin Jordi, tells us about it. She represents the third generation of this staunch lighting company in Barcelona, ​​which occupies almost the entire corner of Muntaner and Consell de Cent. The fourth generation, Anna, Isabel and Xavier's daughter, is also involved. They're in the thick of the Christmas sales campaign, and the company's ten employees are working overtime. What's the star product of the season? Oh, there are several. Generally speaking, it's all the Christmas lights. From those placed on the tree, in the nativity scene, or on the entryway table, to the curtains of light that adorn shop windows, separate restaurant spaces, or welcome visitors to the office.

Perhaps you cherish the memory of that ceramic water jug ​​that adorned your parents' living room shelf. Or the swallows that always flew on your grandparents' terrace or balcony wall. Perhaps you long to rekindle that memory, to make it tangible in your home, or to give it to your children because it means so much to you that a decorative object can bring back a very real absence. Well, you can visit Cerámica Villegas, on Carrer Comtal near Via Laietana. You'll find everything in traditional ceramics. And these kinds of wishes, too. Eva Villegas is the second generation of the family to run the shop, and it's fascinating to hear her—and Pedro, who knows the daily clientele very well—talk about the tastes of Barcelonans and tourists when it comes to the captivating world of ceramics. They're surprising when they tell you that since the pandemic, they've seen a strong resurgence in sales of water jugs, an object closely associated with Catalan artisanal traditions, which hadn't been seen for years, or were only seen very rarely. Why has this happened? "Probably because the lockdown awakened a desire in many people to return to their roots," Eva and Pedro point out. Returning to one's roots also means, in this case, dusting off old memories and valuing the legacy of the past more.