LIVING

Culturally, much of the most interesting summer shows take place in June and July, before petering off early in August; in addition, much of what is on this month tends to be the same year in, year out (Gràcia festes, Mas i Mas and late-night openings at the museums), with a lack of innovative and original events to enjoy.

In the face of all these obstacles, one way to deal with August in Barcelona is to do things differently. Don’t go to all the usual places, don’t do all the same old activities. Try something new or re-discover parts of the city you’ve not been to recently. Go to places you’ve never visited before where you won’t care if the local kiosks and bakeries are closed and you might find somewhere worth re-visiting once the weather ‘improves’. If you live in the Raval, jump on metro Line 3, at Paral·lel or Poble Sec, and head either north-west to Les Corts or north-east to Vallcarca. Gràcia residents could take the number six bus from the Diagonal towards the Rambla de Poblenou (get off at Roc Boronat-Passatge Mas de Roda and you’re two blocks away). For those near Francesc Macià, why not take the tram to such mysterious out-of-town destinations as Sant Feliu de Llobregat and Sant Joan Despi?

Another change you can make this year is in your timetable. Even if you’re not a morning person for the other 11 months, August is definitely a time for getting up early, making the most of the cooler mornings, resting in the afternoon, then getting out and about in the evenings when the temperature lowers somewhat. For those who are working this month, and if your company allows for it, going intensivo is definitely the way forward. This summer tradition throughout Spain means that you start working earlier, say at 7.30 or 8am, then do your normal hours without a full lunch break to finish at 3.30 or 4pm, meaning you’ll be free to enjoy the balmier evenings for al fresco merrymaking (more of which below).