Weekender

Calvin Sweeney’s Barcelona

When this is done and dusted, my first port of call will be Barcelona.

I lived there for a year-and-a-half and grew to hate the place, but I enjoy going back for a three-day stint; four, tops.

I have a solid half-dozen pals

who take turns putting me up and putting up with me every time I go. One option would be to do very little and just hang out at my friend’s ranch.

I’m not a fan of the beach

and Barceloneta is a man-made one, so on Saturday I’d head for the mountains near Terrassa. It’s not too steep up there, which suits my ‘pack-aday’ lung capacity.

Back in Barcelona for Saturday evening,

if the budget suits, I’d have dinner in Els Quatre Gats. Picasso and friends would meet there back in the day, and it closed from 1903 to 1989. Fantastic fish and atmosphere. Otherwise,

I’d pop into Sensi, a lovely little French bistro.

On Saturday night, I wouldn’t move any further than Carrer Ample in the Gothic Quarter.

My friends have a bar called Penny Banger, a classy venture which is Irish/Manchester operated, and I’d stay till the death.

If Sunday morning isn’t written off or if I don’t have a flight looming,

I’d brunch in Gilda on Carrer Ample. Then I might hit my friends’ bar again for the cure. If there’s time before leaving, I’d go for a walk in Placa de Gaudi.

Calvin Sweeney is a DJ and also, with his brother Andy, runs Scoop Foundation, a charity working in Syria and Iraq with displaced young people, and distributing PPE in Ireland. For their annual art auction tonight, see scoopfoundation.org

In conversation with Sarah Caden