From Guitarland you can easily leave convinced that your life needs a guitar to acquire the full dimension of its meaning. Richard and José Luis have been running this shop on Carrer del Diluvi in Barcelona since 2003, right in the heart of Gràcia, a neighborhood that has been becoming orphaned of this type of establishment –contrary to its personality, with deep-rooted festivals and a tradition for musical taste– for a type of resident who is a very interesting potential customer for the services a music store can offer.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Where would a well-known brand of sneakers find an antique bathtub? Why did they want it? For an advertisement starring Lamine Yamal. He had to get in it. There aren't many places in Barcelona where you can rent one. It was easy for them to head to Otranto, on Passeig de Sant Joan between Carrer de Còrsega and Carrer de Roussillon. And yes, that's where the match. Brothers Adrià and Sandra Ortega, who have been running this business selling, renting, and restoring antique architectural elements since 2023, explain it to us.

"Do you have this book?" The customer, with little faith, shows him a photo on her cell phone. And Ricard exclaims: "Of course, I do!" He goes to one of the stacks of books on the counter at the entrance, lifts a few, and takes one. "Here it is." The city of wonders, by Eduardo Mendoza. "Oh! I didn't think so!" says the customer. "Well, it's a complete and utter classic, and it had quite a few issues," replies Ricard.

The historic delicatessen and butcher shop Can Pericus in Banyoles is in luck. This legendary family business, founded in 1899, has been honored with the National Award for Centenary Establishments, a recognition given by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government) to businesses that have been in business for more than a century. The award honors the more than 125 years of experience of this late 19th-century butcher shop, which is now located in a space in the old town and another under the arches of Plaça Catalunya, just a stone's throw from the lake. Over the years, Can Pericus has become a benchmark throughout the Girona region, adapting the classic offering of cured meats and fresh meat of certified origin with a vast assortment of high-quality prepared and cooked dishes. Dozens of customers from the town pass through every day, but also many residents of Girona and Olot who make a special stop each time they visit the lake and take the opportunity to fill their fridges.

You've most likely been to a restaurant, ordered a hamburger, and were surprised to find the bun personalized with a stamp from the establishment. Or maybe you've seen it on Instagram or TikTok. Well, it's quite likely that the establishment acquired the press to do so at Grabador Inglés, the historic plaque, rubber stamp, and all kinds of printing shop that left its traditional location on Ronda Universidad 2 two years ago and moved nearby, to Gran Via 600. The recent relocation, due to a not-uncommon situation in Barcelona—the entire building was acquired by a hotel group—was a change, but fortunately, the business's trajectory is solid, so are the clientele, and the future seems secure. Businesses still need advertising elements and personalized signs, façade and door plaques. And individuals, as much as it may seem like an antique, still have mailboxes at the entrance of our homes. And each one needs its corresponding plaque. Unless you're happy with just sticking a piece of paper written on in a pen, of course.

On the days Conxita Aymerich doesn't visit her beloved Almacenes San Pablo, a good number of customers ask Marta Serrat, her daughter, what her mother is doing, if she's okay, and when they'll be able to see her again. Mother and daughter are the souls of this family business, which is well over a hundred years old and remains alive and well on a street—Sant Pau, 23—colonized from La Rambla to Rambla del Raval practically 100% by the same business: phone stores run by Pakistani residents.

It's striking. A lot. Almacenes del Pilar, at 43 Boqueria Street, in the heart of Ciutat Vella, is an anomaly. A joyful anomaly. There are many people who enter almost as if they were entering a museum, as if they were being seduced by the strange, the odd, the dissident. "Oh, and what do you sell here?" "Is this a store?" Of course, in the middle of the Comanche territory of duplicate commerce, photocopying, carcass stores, clone ice cream parlors, broken souvenirs, the tourism Unbridled, an old shop stands out, with period furniture, old signage, and shelves full of clothes and boxes. Of rolls of clothing for making clothes, of mantillas, of traditional clothing. There's also a display of fans, one of gloves, and one of assorted jewelry. These are the things that the passerby, the occasional customer, the tourist buying a souvenir can buy. There haven't been any local customers for a long time. For the simple reason that neither the neighborhood nor the neighbors have existed for a long time. So, what is the essence of Almacenes del Pilar?

It's not surprising to walk past the Granería Sala in Travessera de Gràcia and see Miguel Garcia chasing away a pigeon. Why would this happen? I often wondered. The explanation couldn't be clearer. There's a section for animal feed. It used to work very well, and they've kept it even though it's clearly declining. The strong point, of course, is the human feed: all kinds of nuts, legumes, and spices. There are still quite a few people who have a pet bird at home, and therefore, it must be fed properly. Some rabbits, too. Or chickens in houses on the outskirts. There are no longer dovecotes on rooftops, nor are carrier pigeons raised. It used to be common to have the bonnet fed at home before meals at Christmas. Now, this is no longer the case. It's truly curious that Can Sala maintains this animal feed section. Quite a mark. vintage which injects a lot of personality into the establishment. Of course, some of the grains in the animal section are also used by humans: flaxseed is good for intestinal transit, and flax is a fabulous addition to whole-grain breads.

Resistance. Relentless. War economy. This was the landscape of the Joma photography store, a classic in Barcelona's Gràcia neighborhood, with the rapid arrival of digital technologies in a world, ours, so subject to technological evolution. But there was a click, never better said, like the click of the old shutter releases on analog cameras. And the click is 100% related to changing times, changing trends, the emergence of social media. Quite a paradox, indeed: analog technology has re-emerged with force precisely thanks to the advancement of times, the dictatorship of social media, the desire to experiment, to tell different stories, to position oneself in this world with enthusiasm and personality. vintage.

In times of digital dogma, of apocalyptic conceptions about the end of everything that is analogue, even of systematic demonization of any whiff of spirit boomerIt's a great idea to visit Gràfiques Molero, located at Ronda de Sant Pere, 44. Their machinery is almost 100% digital—and what machinery!—but how eloquent and useful it is to listen to the considerations and reflections of siblings Carlos and Olga Urbez.

At 147 Gran de Sant Andreu Street in Barcelona, the same business has been operating since 1897. I don't know if there are many commercial establishments left in the city that can display this fact and flaunt it as an exercise in survival and civic and social service. Yes, the Puig family has owned Cansaladeria Puig since 1957, but before that, more than half a century before that, they owned Emili Bové's sausage shop.

–"Audenis, the pianist says the piano is out of tune and that he can't perform the concert like this."

A new client orders fifty picture frames at El Marco de Oro. Okay, no problem. The surprise comes when they discover the shipping address: the IKEA offices in Madrid. Wow, with the huge number of frames they have to sell, it's very telling that they order the framing from outside. They're looking for quality, of course; they need the guarantee of an expert, of someone who works fine, a custom framer who never fails. In commerce, as in life, the unexpected paradox is impressive. And descriptive, above all, very descriptive.

Trilla Square will be a celebration. Yes, on June 28th, the Arco Iris shirt shop in Plaza Gracia will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. And these things are well worth celebrating as they deserve. With the collaboration of the Círculo de Gracia, an ever-present ally, the square will be filled with music. A neighborhood show with a choir and band that promises to live up to such festive circumstances. Joana Candell and Josep Capdevila, besides being married, have, so to speak, dedicated their entire lives to shirtmaking; an example of resilience but also of enthusiasm within a type of commerce, the traditional, family-run neighborhood business that still preserves irreducible menhirs. Selling clothes is a demanding and rewarding profession. Sacrificial? Also. You must enjoy interacting with the public; you must master the most intricate and unpredictable nuances of empathy, of connecting with people. Memorize their tastes and quirks, also the sizes, colors, and fabrics they prefer. This is how you cultivate the values ​​that allow you to express what "long-time customers" are so excited about.

The story of l'Hostal Jaumet de Torà (Solsonès) is truly chameleonic. The owners claim that, Since it was founded as a horse and carriage depot in 1890, it has had a remarkable ability to adapt to "all kinds of situations and thrive." They have endured all sorts of vicissitudes, from personal accidents, illnesses, deaths, a civil war, fires, and floods. But they have never suffered a crisis as severe as the current one, in which a severe staff shortage is jeopardizing their future like never before.