VeganFest Catalunya and Re-Discovering Barcelona
From speaking onstage to (nearly) starring in a horror movie.
Kind of Wild is a weekly newsletter on trying to live ethically while still enjoying life. I am a 40-something published author, podcaster, public speaker, charity PR specialist and writer. I speak four languages and live in Brighton, UK. I’ve been vegan for over a decade. I want to save the world - but I also want to experience it.
Being invited to speak at festivals is perhaps my favourite part of my job. As I’ve told you before, I love public speaking (I know, I’m a weirdo) and being invited to stand on stages in other countries and spread the message of cruelty-free living is such a pinch-me moment each time, even after years of doing it. In an ideal world, I’d be a full-time travelling public speaker (is that a thing? If not, can I make it a thing?) but in this world, every time I am invited to speak somewhere, it is a huge honour and a joy.
Which is why visiting Vegan Fest Catalunya was a pleasure as always.
I was invited to the festival by the Catalan Vegan Association, which has been running this festival for six years. This edition was held in the Parc Vallparadis in Terrassa, about 45 minutes from town. The park was enormous - in the morning, I’d walk for 20 full minutes through the park before even spotting the festival. It was the dreamiest walk, with more people walking golden retrievers than I’d ever seen. And you know that any place with lots of golden retrievers is a good place.
The Festival
Speaking at the festival meant overcoming a language barrier, and for this I want to thank Matteo Vitiello, one of the organisers of the festival, who was also my translator for the day (note to self: finally learn Spanish, woman!) helping me to get the message of my talk, Change the World With Your Wardrobe, across to a new audience. As always, it was great to hear that people learned something and resonated with the message - and since the festival is free and open to all, I was pleased to learn from the organisers that 80% of attendees aren’t vegan!
The Fancy Cultural Stuff
Onwards to actual Barcelona. I’ve been here before - it was actually the very first trip my now-husband and I went on together, back in 2009. None of us were vegan then, and I barely remember anything besides Park Güell and buying a really ugly dress on La Rambla, which I totally adored and wore for years until it fell to pieces (see, eco-conscious thinking even back then). But this time, I was determined to Make the Most of It, starting with some Gaudí because you cannot go to Barcelona and not do Gaudí stuff, can you? I visited the first house Gaudí ever worked on, Casa Vicens, declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2005. It was inspiring to see the great master’s first steps, the work that would lead him to become the icon that he is. And what can I say, being on a gorgeous rooftop in 24 degree weather is my natural habitat. It was also strangely liberating to not be able to take any photos of myself as I was travelling solo - but equally nice to find a fellow traveller to snap a shot of me!
Next stop: the Moco. The Museum of Contemporary Art exists in Amsterdam, London (who knew! On the list for future visits) and here. I’m realising, at this stage in my life, that actually I’m a huge fan of contemporary art. I could wander around the worlds of Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, and Banksy for hours. And anything like this by Studio Irma literally has my name written all over it. I also had a really peculiar experience at the Moco: I found this artwork by SixnFive called The Circle, which had such a calming impact on me. I could literally feel my nervous system balancing out while looking at it. I made a note of watching it whenever I needed to calm my anxiety - which, it turns out, I’d need in the next few days…
The Fear
I’m happy to stay at hostels: they’re fun, friendly and have a certain no-frills appeal that I feel quite at home with. As long as I have my own room, which in this case I did, I won’t complain. A comfortable bed, a window (always a window!) and I’m set.
But there comes a time in every traveller’s life, I suppose, or at least every female solo traveller’s life, when you find yourself ever so slightly terrified. And when I got back at 10pm past-tapas, soaked after the worst rainfall of my life (worse than anything I’d ever seen, even in the UK), and found all the lights down, the reception closed, and an angry fire alarm blaring, I was a bit on edge.
What unsettled me about the situation was that I seemed to be the only person bothered by it. Why were all the other guests not reacting to the loud, terrifying alarm? Where were the lovely girls I’d met in the bathrooms the day before, who all knew about my festival talk and promised to come to it? Downstairs, I frantically dialled the emergency numbers left at reception until the hostel manager showed up, switching the alarm off. While he performed the security checks, I voiced my concerns about the other guests. “No,” he said, confirming my worst fears. There are no other guests. You are alone.”
Then he turned around and left. “Have a good rest!”
I’m not kidding when I say this was perhaps the most scared I’d ever been. A three-floor building in a foreign city, with a school and a park next to it. And me, completely alone.
I stayed up most of the night, chatting to friends, reading my book and watching Netflix (thank God for Ginny & Georgia season 3). The eerie silence, sometimes punctuated by angry rain, was my only companion. That calming art video? I must have watched it ten times. That night, I got two hours’ sleep at most.
The Food
Oh, the Food with a capital F. My payback for surviving the night. The retribution that made it all worthwhile.
Let’s begin with the festival itself: at the festival, I had a pistachio croissant (I’ve had a real croissant theme for the last week or so, and I wouldn’t have it any other way) from a brand that I unfortunately do not remember the name of. I also enjoyed a lovely seitan burger from Hanna Vegan Food - one of the best burgers I’ve ever had! The wholegrain bread was a wonderful touch.
I enjoyed roasted pumpkin (so autumnal) with rice and smoked tofu at Botànic Barcelona, a vegan eatery with the fresh, minimal vibes that I enjoy so much. It was a joy to stumble upon this lovely little gem in the Gracia area and I’ll definitely be back when I return to Barcelona.
I also very, very much recommend the vegan tapas at Velada, a really pretty restaurant located just by the Barcelona Cathedral. I had peppers filled with vegan cheese, grilled artichoke with black garlic aoili, and tacos with guacamole and black beans. A total treat.
Finally, the foodie highlight of the trip: La Besneta. The first vegan bakery in Barcelona, this place came recommended to me by a friend who’d very much enjoyed their tiramisù croissant. When I didn’t spot it when coming through the door, my heart sank a bit. But ask and you shall receive - the staff put the cream on the croissants on request, so minutes later I found myself standing in the sun, eating one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted. I’m not exaggerating when I say that this was more of a cake than a croissant. The cream was so rich and fluffy, contrasted by the flaky pastry, that it felt like a slice of the most indulgent dessert. The terrors of the previous night faded as I felt the sunlight on my face, coffee-tinged sugar melting in my mouth. It was all worth it.
Barcelona is an amazingly vegan-friendly travel destination, with lots to see, try, and taste. I have a strong predilection for large Mediterranean cities - my favourite places on Earth include Lisbon, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Milan, and now Barcelona, and I suspect it has something to do with the availability of amazing vegan food. I want to say I’ll definitely come back, but you know how it is with me and coming back to places. However, if anything can lure me to return, it’s La Besneta’s magical croissant.
I’m off on yet another huge trip next week - I know, the eco guilt - so the next instalment of Kind of Wild will land in your inbox mid-October. Until then, stay kind and stay wild (ugh, that was cheesy).