I cannot remember how old I was when my parents insisted that we speak Yoruba at home because we were learning and speaking English in school. It must have been before I turned 6, because my brother’s first sentences were a mash of Yoruba and English.

For my parents, it was about giving us a heritage that would be ours in a way they probably did not think English could fully be. Now, English and Yoruba are the languages in which I think, speak, and move through the world easiest. Still, these languages, on their own, were never able to give me an easy pass into community in Nigeria.

Yesterday we spoke to Clàudia Barea. Known under the handle @nananyawn, Clàudia is an expert in zero waste. You can watch the conversation in our IGTV.

The conversation gave us a lot to think about. For example, it is not enough to say we are an “environmentally responsible” villa in the rural part of Spain. To truly commit to the environment, we have to approach sustainability with small changes applied diligently.

We went out to Vilafranca in the afternoon, hoping to catch a rehearsal of the Castellers Vilafranca Human towers team. We had some time to spare before it started, so we sat at L'Àngelus: a wine bar in the shadow of the Basílica de Santa Maria. The owner, a kind and incredibly knowledgeable sommelier, served us a selection of local wines and some pecorino cheese as we talked and watched the people come and go.
Human towers is a uniquely Catalan sport, where participants stand on each other’s shoulders in structures up to ten people high: it’s been called a Masterpiece of Human Intangible Tradition by UNESCO. They organize by weight, from burly men at the bottom to small, helmet-wearing girls at the top. Everyone wears the same outfit: a waist cloth with two bandanas tied around it, to provide footing for the people climbing over them. They practice several times a week in a wide and well-equipped gym—the Vilafranca team is by far the best in the region, and they are rich in sponsors. T

The Catalan tradition of Vermut is emblematic of the Spanish culture of leisure. You gather with friends on lazy weekend mornings for a type of low-effort brunch which includes chips, cheese, fruit, many different constellations of anchovies and olives (anchovies wrapped around olives, olives filled with anchovies, just anchovies, olives and hot peppers skewered on a pick), and most importantly, a glass of the spiced wine aperitif with a large chunk of ice, a slice of orange, and an olive. Lazing in the garden and nibbling on chips while waiting for lunch to be ready, chatting with friends while getting progressively more drunk, is a simple pleasure which feels like the height of luxury.