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Barney Griffiths

Barney Griffiths

Catalonia Today

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ADAPT OR DISAPPEAR

For years, part of my professional life depended on other people’s footnotes. Academics would send me dense Catalan or Spanish manuscripts on urban...

09.02.2026 10

Catalonia Today

Barney Griffiths

CIVIC OVERLOAD

As a Hollywood movie might say, the following is a true story. In December I was awoken at an hour normally reserved for foxes, bakers and people with...

12.01.2026 10

Catalonia Today

Barney Griffiths

THREE XMASES

I’ve had three types of Christmas in my life so far. The UK 1970s and 80s edition: house smells of tangerines, Sellotape and anticipation. My...

08.12.2025 20

Catalonia Today

Barney Griffiths

MYCOLOGICAL MADNESS

Autumn in Catalonia means one thing: wild mushroom season. Or, as locals call it, bolet fever – a national pastime ranking somewhere between...

12.11.2025 20

Catalonia Today

Barney Griffiths

THE HEAT IS ON

Barcelona is a city that knows how to turn up the heat. In the clubs. In the politics. In the football. But come summer, it turns it up a bit too much...

14.07.2025 100

Catalonia Today

Barney Griffiths

SMART BY NATURE

Catalonia is many things: sun-drenched beaches, precariously stacked human towers, football teams that induce spiritual devotion and restaurants so...

12.05.2025 20

Catalonia Today

Barney Griffiths

Sant Jordi’s: A Britalan’s Guide

In a column in this magazine some 20 years ago I coined the term “Britalan” to refer to those British people like myself who had taken up...

07.04.2025 20

Catalonia Today

Barney Griffiths

THERE’S STILL TIME

The imminent demise of a language is never announced with an official statement. There’s no press conference where a solemn-faced government...

10.03.2025 20

Catalonia Today

Barney Griffiths

MY MS ODYSSEY

Following my recent moan about local customer service, here’s something for balance. There’s an unspoken thrill in contacting Microsoft Support....

10.02.2025 20

Catalonia Today

Barney Griffiths