Blau i Verd is a restaurant that just opened in the center of Barcelona, ​​on Consell de Cent street, between Rambla Catalunya and Balmes. It's very spacious, and I'd say it's one of those perfect places for large groups and families, or for impromptu meals. Especially if you're a group that needs generous portions. Their model is this: you pay a fixed price (€19.95 for weekday lunches and €29.95 for dinners and weekends) and everything is included. First, you'll find an all-you-can-eat buffet loaded with small bowls of food. These are the starters, designed as individual tapas. There are many types, and you can eat as many as you like. Iberian ham, hummus, anchovy flatbread, flame-grilled escalivada, empedrado, derrama... The restaurant's focus is Mediterranean cuisine. The owners of Blau i Verd are of Chinese origin, and they entrusted chef and neurologist Miguel Sánchez Romera with the role of gastronomic consultant and menu designer. The idea is for everything to be digestible and healthy.

The small ice cream shop on Carrer Enric Granados is always visible from a distance because of the long line that runs along the facade. People wait patiently in line because DelaCrem's ice cream is some of the best in Barcelona. Its owner, Massimo Pignata (Pineròl, Piedmont, 1975) learned everything he could from his native Italy, where he was inspired by the Grom ice cream shop in Turin. When he came to Barcelona in 2010, he had a clear goal: to make a creamy ice cream that would be enjoyed by everyone. "I didn't have a clear business plan, just what kind of ice cream I wanted to make," explains Pignata.

A new upsurge in contagions would be a bad sign, both in terms of the real effects (albeit limited, given that the most at-risk groups are those that are beginning to be vaccinated) and in terms of the psychological and economic effects. If we were to suddenly take a collective step backwards and the health indicators were to rise again, it could easily send a message to the international community that Catalonia and Spain are no longer safe, with the effect this could have on tourism. The optimistic message, even too optimistic, that the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez, launched this Monday according to which we will have achieved herd immunity by August has a lot to do with the desire to give an international image of security. And this is understandable: in the short term, the return of tourism is an important factor in easing our way out of the crisis. But this message could be turned on its head if the reality of the health situation does not match it in the coming weeks. Because in the next few key weeks vaccination will have to be prioritised over an excessively speedy de-escalation, as nightlife businesses - among others - are seeking, after having been forced to stay shut since last July.