We have two daughters. Claudia (24), now finishing her University in Geneva, and Julieta (14) who attends school here in Barcelona. 

We are culturally oriented people. We love books, classical music, art, museums, clever conversation and wild countryside, and we tend to keep away from touristy, crowded, noisy places (if we can). We love good food and good wine too (in good Latin style). We are non-smokers, and we do enjoy keeping things clean and orderly. 

Since we basically live in two cities, we move a lot between Barcelona and Geneva. We also have a very old countryside house 53 Km outside of Barcelona. 

Our exchange offer includes our flat in Barcelona, our country house on the outskirts of Barcelona, and our car.

Our flat in Barcelona

Our home in Barcelona is located in a popular middle class neighborhood and very near a XIXth century marketplace. The marketplace offers a large variety of food produce, fashion clothing and kitchen wear, and if one enjoys good and fresh cooking, it’s a real pleasure to shop there. The fish arrives everyday (sometimes still alive). The market is kept very clean, and prices in general are very good. Surrounding the marketplace is an endless number of stores (traditional and modern), shopping malls and services. Most of what one needs is near by. People are very kind and friendly. Most of us in the neighborhood know each other for years.

We are centrally located in Barcelona. Most of the key attractions of the city are at walking distance from our home. The Ramblas, Gaudi houses, Cathedral, Gothic center, Museums, etc. And if you don’t like to walk, we have a bus and a metro station just a few steps from where we live.

Barcelona is an active, lively, busy and sophisticated city. It offers many fascinating cultural attractions, amusement centers, lots of beaches, wonderful architecture (all Gaudi, the art nouveau houses), middle age historical centers. Museums (Picasso, Miró, Tapies. The Romanesque paintings Museum; best in world...). Excellent restaurants and bars, and a high quality of life. There is really a lot to see.

Our home is not luxurios, but has its own charm and light (it’s on a fifth floor...with lift). The building is a classical art nouveau Barcelona structure. Long like a rectangular box. With two quite large exterior rooms -both with balconies- one leading to the street, and the other to a very big and bright court area. Interior rooms lead to a patio. We have three bed rooms (a double and two singles). Two exterior living rooms. One of them with a table, computer, big TV, video, sofa, and a very big closet. The other with our music system, piano, couch, a dinning area that can serve more than 4 persons for eating. And we have books just about... everywhere. 

The kitchen is original, sophisticated, and with electrodomestic appliances in good condition (we do love to cook). It also has a nice little table for three to four persons. The kitchen includes a dishwasher and an excellent digital oven. 

We have a separate WC and bathroom. We also have a washing machine and dryer, both in good condition.

The decoration in our home is quite unconventional, with a lot of little details and amusing things, and with a distinctive bohemian style. We have domestic help once a week (except in August. But if necessary, arrangements for this month can also be made). We also have a car, and a parking lot for it in a garage. 

In Barcelona, the weather can be quite warm during summer and we have no air conditioning at the flat. So, at this time of the year we do make frequent use our countryside house, which is just one hour away by car.


 Our country house

Only 53km from Barcelona, our country house is an old stone vicarage with a church and cemetery, located at the top of a hill and  facing south. From the garden and the big terrace of the house we have views over a wonderful and rich valley surrounded by hills covered with oak and pine tree forests. The area is trully peaceful, beautiful and very fresh.

The first historic documents of the house date it back to the early Xth century. We think the ground floor of the house is of this date. At a later time, some more floors (2) and new rooms were added. As there are no old plans of the house, it's difficult to know how the consecutives additions were made. We find traces of doors or rooms everywhere. It looks quite funny and chaotic. But some stones on the doors have dates. For instance, the stone on the entrance of our WC, says 1640. (Something to think about when one uses the toilet...).

The vicarage was used as a spiritual and education center until 1945-50. A priest -with a woman who took care of him- lived there. The countryside people used to attend mass on Sundays and special days. They also sent their children to the school, organized in one of the house rooms (the priest taught them to read and the basics of numbers). Sometimes the kids had to walk many miles to arrive to it. We still keep some of the old desks.

In the fifties, the priests left the house and since then, he or his successors live and work in the village Moia. The church has been abandoned, and mass is celebrated now only once a year there. 

When we bought it a few years ago, the vicarage was nearly falling down. It had no toilet, no bathroom, no water in the house. Since then, we have been slowly and gently rebuilding the house. Sometime we feel it's like building a cathedral. It's the work of generations...or millionaires (which we are not). Don’t expect to find a luxurious palace by conventional standards. It’s not. If offers a different kind of luxury. Atmosphere, space, views, peace. Poetry...

Electric energy to the house is supplied by an inhouse solar system. This provides energy to a special (low electrical consumption) pump that supplies water to the house. One needs to monitor electric consumption in the house, specially on cloudy days (something rare here anyway). One needs to take care of lamps which are left on and are not in use, or running water taps, etc. Although we have all the basic comforts: fridge, hot water (heated with a gas heater), WC, shower, good beds, etc. one has to keep in mind that here you’ll be living in a nice old fashion way. It can be a fun, but its a bit of an adventure.

The house has three floors. Each one nearly 300 m2. Attached to the house is the church and the cemetery. Both still belong to the church which is visited a couple of times a year. Our garden has 3.000 m2. It’s secluded and we have complete privacy on it.

We keep it clean but at the same time, like to leave it a bit "natural". We have various autochthonous plants growing in it, some roses, and some fruit trees (one which offers us excellent Claudia’s plumbs). 

The oldest part of the building on the ground level remains untouched. We still haven’t begun work on it. We keep it closed and don’t use it. Well, a couple of cats live there. They come and go as they please and do a fine job with the mice. Kids love to visit this part of the house with lanterns. They feel they are in an old and magic castle...

Coming from the garden, we have the main entrance which in turn leads to the second floor. The second floor is the one we have already colonized and where we usually make our daily life when we are here. It has two large living rooms. The first one works as a distributor. It leads to the terrace, the kitchen, the office and bedroom, the toilet and the main living room. The main living room has a big fireplace and a good leather couch to rest in. At night very often we eat there and use the fireplace to barbecue.

The kitchen is very big and has a large table that can be used for eating (if you want to eat inside). It has all the basics, but don’t forget, it has no dishwashers, cloughts ironing appliances, or washing machines (for long stays, a laundry service in Moia is available). The kitchen and fridge both work with gas.

The terrace -with it’s astonishing views over the valley- is where we are nearly all day and night in summer. We usually have all our meals there. From breakfast to supper. It’s a big place, and we have a large table there.

At the other end of the distributor room, we have the couple’s room (the old priest’s room), an office, a big bedroom and a small private room with shower and lavatory. There is a good closet and a nice old chest of drawers. It’s a wonderful room for a couple, and very comfortable. With access to the terrace.

All these rooms have views over the valley (in fact, the whole house faces to the valley; the attached church is at the back).

We use the third floor when we have friends staying over. It’s mainly a place to sleep. There are 4 big bedrooms. Although the remodeling of this area is still underway, the bedrooms are beautiful and include all the basic furniture. Beds, tables and places to put the clothes. There is also a toy’s room. And old and magic place for the kids. On this floor, we also have a small room with the solar energy equipment, gas bottles, and hot water system. We call it the machine room. 

We usually do our shopping in Moia. It’s a wealthy village and this is quickly apparent. Moia is famous for its sausages and good food. Good shops, roads in excellent condition. A few streets with fine bars. A charming art nouveau park. A sophisticated restaurant. And even a well known discotheque!!!..

Moia likes to be a cultural and lively village. There are weekly concerts in the Park. Dancing in the main square. Movies on weekends, and various other "fiestas" throughout the year, as the seasons change. 

Most of my (large) family live in this area. During your stay they'd be happy to assist you should you need anything. We'd also be happy to provide you with maps and further information on how to get to our homes, and ample information on all the fun things to do and see while in Barcelona.

If you'd like to consider an exchange with us, just let us know. We'd be happy to hear from you!.