GILL
HI - I'M
THIS IS ME
Showing off my adopted city!
It must have been fate. When lifelong friends first came over to visit, after hugs, kisses and several chilled beers later, I asked, "What have you got planned for tomorrow?"
"We're going to book ourselves on one of those bus tours." they said.
I said I'd meet them in Plaça Catalunya instead and do my own 'Gill Johnson' version.
That's when the realisation hit me - I can do this!!
I can take you to all the secret spots, visit the beautiful chocolate shop with the ornate roof, the tapas restaurant where only the locals go (and the staff swear at you in Catalan), inside grand carriage entrances, take photographs from the rooftops
and plan your other days in this passionate city.
I'm now living my dream job. I speak fluent English, naturally, being from Manchester, England, but also Spanish, Catalan and a little bit of French too.
MY STORY
since 1982
It was Friday the 13th August 1982 that I boarded a flight from Manchester Airport to Barcelona.
I'd recently graduated in languages and had landed myself a temporary job covering maternity leave in a large international manufacturing company.
With fluent Spanish, I set about my first day with great enthusiasm.
It came as a shock to a 20 year old me, to find that they were all talking a different language - Catalan.
I quickly had to adapt and learn.
That temporary job turned into a permanent home, I married here and had my amazing daughter Clara,
beautiful inside and out and multi-lingual too.
I now live in a suburb of Barcelona with my Irish husband Peter.
We set up home here, many moons ago.
I hope you love the city as much as we do.