When I go to Barcelona to meet my friend Cristina we meet in Clot. The train from Granollers stops there before it reaches Passeig de Gracia and it is easier for her to get to from home. We have been able to explore a different part of Barcelona.  It is a bustling place – full of cafes and little independent shops but there is a peaceful atmosphere that makes it less tiring than meeting up always in the centre of the city.

I needed to buy some paint brushes for my art class so it was good to find this small corner shop selling lots of things like plaster figures, decorating materials and paint brushes and easels

 Rent rises and high city taxes have been making many of these small businesses close down

 Every week there are fewer of these emblematic Barcelona shops. Such a horrible thought that one day it could be a city just like any other with only chains and multi-nationals.

I got my brushes – we need big ones to make the base for these pictures – drawn with a stick on top of very thick white paint. Then when it is dry we painted on top.