Want Fulfilling

photos by Álex Ubach Carrera

(The old A-Z (mes o menys))

Botiga de Tot Amb Gracia

C/ Mila i Fontanals, 51

In this lovely haven of all that is good and reusable you can find all your money-saving crisis-solutions, including great, old and secondhand: boots, bags, bolsos, belts, beer steins, bracelets, binders, books, bookmarks, Barbies, Barbies with casero haircuts, blouses, blenders, candlesticks, coffee table books, cuadros, cages, cocktail glasses, coffee cups, combs, compilations, cafeteras, chandeliers, calcetines para el mobil, candelabras, DVDs, encyclopaedias, 45s, fans, figurines, photo albums, fabric, forks, flats, gafas, gafas de sol, gloves, hats, heels, jarras, jackets, lamps, LPs, lighters, mugs, napkins, necklaces, knives, overcoats, pipes, platters, pants, pens, plates, porrones, rings, radios, revistas, rainboots, Reader’s Digests, socks, CDs, seltzer bottles, spoons, skirts, scarves, ceniceros, suitcases, sets, stuffed animals, shot glasses, shirts, typewriters, typewriters in suitcases, ties, tables, trophies, umbrellas, vermouth glasses, vests, VHS, vases, xmas ornaments and xmas decorations. Y zats zat.

Mailuna

Valldonzella 48

You‘re shopping. C/ Pelayo is a complete follón and deep down you wanna step out of the fast-moving river of city-center consumerism and put a bullet in your head. Oh, Baby Jesus, what can you do?? Do not fear, young revolutionary brother, there is a place called Mailuna waiting with open arms. She‘ll make you a warm cup of tea (from the 50+ varieties on offer). She has a book, a Biblia de Tes, that explains all your options. Relaxing music and the sounds of trickling water melt your icy urban exterior. Old artefacts from El Raval pasado put you in a different Barcelona, before the hordes arrived. Maybe you‘re hungry, little one? Hungry and tired? This little slice of heaven offers a combination meal plus 20 minutes in a massage chair plus 20-30 minutes of siesta in one of their relaxation rooms upstairs. She even offers you a relaxing place to smoke. Even your mother doesn’t do that.

(Rock me, baby!)

Mujer

Carders 28

Why do adults dress up their bebes in these ridiculous pastel colors? Don’t they love them? Dear mummies and daddies, your babies are not bonbones. Your children will never learn a proper word if you don’t stop talking to them in googoogaga- baby-speak, so why should they develop a proper sense of style if you continue to dress them in light-blue and light- yellow? If you want them to be rock stars and artists and part of the cool gang at school, get them proper wear – stuff that’s comfi and cool: T-Shirts of rock bands you venerated when you where young, funky polka dot panties to wrap that puffy-diaper-butt into, soft moccasins adorned with a silver e-guitar to keep their little feet warm while they sing their first tunes. You’ll find all that and much more at Mujer, a typical little Brightonian shop filled with lots of great baby related clothes and toys and games on Carders in La Ribera. If you are really concerned about the future of your kids, take a break from babybluelandia. Give them a chance.

(Heaven (with UV protection))

Wilde

Carrer de Joaquín Costa 2

Yes, this shop already has a name. But it should be changed immediately to the “Not-so-subtly Specialized Sunglasses Emporium.” It takes 0.036 seconds to realize this is a vintage- sunglasses-freak’s dream shop. You walk in and...guess what? That’s it! There’s no entry, no other room. Really there’s almost no space. It’s about the size of your bathroom. Enter, spin, look. You’re done. You’ve seen it all. Now it’s time to try on. Sunglasses. Lots of ‘em. And for being such a small, simple store, the owners have done a fabulous job not only selecting some of the coolest vintage gafas you’ve ever seen, they’ve done a good job of arranging them too. None of that traditional cheesy (and shitty), unstable, spinning sunglasses display-er type thingy. No, friends. They are delicately hung, lightly rested and raised up on pedestals; in short, treated just as they should be. So when you need to spend a day being Marlene Dietrich or Elton John, this is your one-stop costume shop.

(A little lime with my cotton)

Lima Loca

Calle Perla 10-12

This new addition to the seemingly endless array of Gràcia boutiques wants to cover your torso (and only your torso) with something a bit more interesting than your average wear. The people behind the Loca are a group of designers who are “tired of seeing ugly, boring, stupid t-shirts,” and while that may seem quite judgemental, they’re very nice people. Luckily for us, their negative view of the average t-shirt is what has led them to make all of their shirts (and sweatshirts) limited editions. Most are very colourful, save the classic blacks, and nearly all of them express something very specific. Take, for example, the “Franco ha muerto,” the, “Star Warras,” and the, “Tutan-Kamon-Everybody,” (a personal favourite). The selection is impressive and whether you dig on the oddly sexual, the I’m-one-of-those-people-that-advertise-my-drugtaking- habits-on-my-shirt, or the generally recognized cultural symbols (Bruce Lee, Knight Rider, Mister T) you’re likely to find a special design for that special someone...You!