3 . I’m writing today from my balcony(阳台)in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. It’s summertime. It’s hot. Tourism is at its highest. I look out below as selfie(自拍)sticks extend, sunburns worsen, and loudness takes over.

Living in the Gothic Quarter has been one of the best, yet worst decisions I’ve made while living in Barcelona. I’m surrounded by beautiful architecture, fantastic shops are at my doorstep, and my favorite coffee shop is just around the corner. However, also at my doorstep are hundreds of tourists.

More than 30 million people visit Barcelona every year. But the city isn’t developing well. It’s dying. Financially, it’s doing well. However, the locals aren’t happy. What’s wrong? Landlords(房东)have realized there’s more profit in Airbnb, so when contracts come up for renewal, it’s common to find locals unable to pay up due to the increase in their rental prices. Locals don’t dare visit its nearest beach Barceloneta once the weather warms up. A lot of stores have turned into souvenir(纪念品)shops. Living prices have increased while salaries remain low.

People aren’t sitting back and taking it, though. There are regular anti-tourism protests. The Barcelona City Council has felt pressure from the community to resist tourism. In 2017, a law was approved to control the amount of accommodation made available for tourists. It was hoped the law would distribute tourist accommodation more evenly across the city, placing less pressure on already heavily populated neighborhoods. However, many tourists who come to Barcelona are day-trippers, only crowding the city’s streets. The council’s efforts are not controlling tourism. They’re only controlling accommodation.

If you want to visit Barcelona, consider avoiding May through August. Though I’d argue Barcelona doesn’t quite have an “off season”. Check out some of Catalonia’s other beautiful destinations: putting less pressure on Barcelona and benefiting smaller towns and cities’ economies. Learn some phrases in Catalan. It goes a long way towards showing respect. “Bon dia” instead of “buenos dias” and “adeu” rather than “adios”.

4 . From climbing a human ladder to swimming with the crocodiles(鳄鱼), there's nothing this Spanish botanist wouldn't do in the name of plants.

Carlos Magdalena the Spanish botanist tried to ignore the "Crocodile Danger" sign as he walked into the lagoon. Based in the hot houses and labs of London’s Kew Gardens, he thought he’d spotted a new waterlily species and it wouldn’t be the first time he’d risked his life doing his job. His mission is to save the world’s most endangered plants. As well as Harrison Ford’s film character, the great gardener is also known as the Messiah, the Code Breaker and the Plant Whisperer. He’s suffered dehydration in the planet’s largest desert, driven through rivers to reach an uncommon vegetation and experienced sickness in the Peruvian Andes, where he climbed a human ladder next to a towering drop to reach a rare flower.

“Directly or indirectly plants provide the air we breathe, medicines, clothes, shelter, food and drink,” he says in a firm voice. “Without them we wouldn't be here. It’s as simple as that.”       

Carlos grew up rolling the peaks and valleys of northern Spain in search of natural wonders but quickly learned all was not well.

There are some 400,000 plant species, with many more waiting to be discovered, and it’s estimated that a quarter of them are facing dangers of dying out. “They need our help and we should use whatever means possible to ensure their survival.”

Often peering into microscope late into night, Carlos marked himself out in the botanic world. Before long he came to understand that plants have a way of talking and to understand their needs, you had to listen to them. His work was daunting(令人怯步的) but he eventually triumphed. “It was like scoring the winning goal in a World Cup final,” he says.