Capital times in a Catalan city
Adam Preston might have applied for a visa as a joke but Barcelona has become his favourite city in the world.
Where are you from?
New Plymouth.
What inspired your move, and how long have you been there?
I had been to Barcelona on holiday three times and absolutely loved it. It would probably be my favourite city. I always told people I was going to live here one day, and what kind of started out as a joke by applying for a visa, ended with me moving here. I got a visa quite easily because of the nature of my work so I decided to try it out and if I didn’t like it I would simply move back to New Zealand. That was a year and nine months ago.
What do you do there?
I work in the oil and gas industry. I fly in and out of West Africa, working on drilling rigs so I spend four weeks down in Angola and four weeks off in Barcelona.
What are the greatest advantages to living there?
There is always something happening in Barcelona. You can go out any night of the week and find something to do, plus there are thousands of bars and restaurants to check out. There are amazing beaches, plus a lot of hiking trails nearby if you want to get out of the city. Also, I like to travel a lot so the rest of Europe is there on my doorstep.
Disadvantages?
My Spanish is not the best so trying to communicate is hard sometimes. Trying to do anything administrative is very hard. Sorting out my residency card when I first arrived was a nightmare. Barcelona becomes way too overpopulated with tourists in summer. Millions of people flock into the city and it can be overwhelming.
How expensive is it compared to New Zealand? How much is a beer?
I find Spain to be cheaper. I always thought New Zealand was fairly cheap but I was back there in January for a wedding and couldn’t believe how expensive things were. If you stick to the tourist areas a beer might cost you around 5 euro ($8.40) but if you go off the beaten track a bit you can find beers for around 2 or 3 euro.
What do you do in your spare time?
I have quite a lot of spare time so I like to play the drums, go stand-up paddle-boarding or go see live music. There are a lot of music festivals over the summer with some big bands. And having so many countries close by, I try to go somewhere new every month.
What’s the local delicacy and would you recommend eating it?
The local delicacies would be tapas and paella. I’m not a big seafood eater so I rarely get paella but it’s one of those things you need to try while in Spain. Barcelona has some amazing tapas and pincho restaurants, but there are so many to choose from it’s hard to pick.
Easiest way to get around?
The city is quite compact so it’s pretty easy to just walk around, but the metro system is very good and pretty straightforward.
What’s the shopping like?
Shopping is easy. You can find anything you need here and most people who work in retail speak very good English. There are a few big indoor markets set up around the city, selling everything from fresh meat and vegetables to clothing.
Best after-dark activity?
Depends on what you’re looking for but you can find it all here. There are bars and nightclubs that are open all night, or you can find concerts and plays around the city. Some people just buy cans of beer from street vendors and hang out in one of the city’s many large squares.
Best time of year to visit?
Probably the nicest part of the year is around July and August, but it can get pretty hot and there are a lot of tourists.
What are the top three things you recommend visitors must do or see?
Visit Sagrada Familia and make sure you get a ticket to see the inside. Watch a sunset and drink a beer at Bunkers del Carmel, which has an amazing view of the city. If you want to get out of the city, visit Montserrat, which is about 45 minutes by train and is a sanctuary in the mountains. You take a cable car up to the sanctuary, then can continue by foot to the top of the mountain. Also try to catch a Barcelona football match at Camp Nou stadium.
Besides family and friends, what do you miss most about home?
I think Kiwis in general. I don’t know any other New Zealanders here so when I do meet one we chat like we’ve known each other for years. I miss that kind of banter.
How easy is it for you to get back to New Zealand?
It’s a pretty long trip since New Zealand and Spain are completely opposite each other. I think it’s around 30 hours’ travelling.
For Kiwis looking to move there, which industries are seeking fresh talent?
Unless you speak fairly good Spanish, I think it’s quite hard to find a job here, but a lot of non-Spanish speakers come here as English teachers or work for tech companies.