At Birgit Reinke's house

Birgit arrived in Barcelona from Montreal 15 years ago driven by the need — shared by many Germans — for a warmer climate. The Canadian cold had taken a toll on her health and she was looking for a place that would provide a better quality of life.

Upon arriving in the city, she moved into a small attic flat in the Horta neighbourhood, but her cultural interests and her constant visits to the centre due to her work (Birgit gave private German lessons) soon drew her to the Raval.

The El Raval of 1999, nothing to do with the one we know now.

She discovered her house in an advert in La Vanguardia and, as luck would have it, the owners were a Catalan-German couple living in Canada. Germany, Canada and Catalonia once again formed the perfect constellation that facilitated the sale of the house.

There was such a great vibe that the owners gave Birgit two magnificent 1930s wicker armchairs which she still treasures.

But the coincidences do not end here… Birgit tells us that she felt a strange sensation when she first stepped into the main hall. “I immediately felt like dancing,” she tells us.

Something similar he felt James – our agent in Ciutat Vella at the time –. So you can't imagine the look of surprise on his face when Señora Pepita, Birgit's nonagenarian neighbour, tells us that this living room used to be the Liceu dance school, where the very Pauleta Pàmies she had taken ballet classes. Incredible.