As spring emerges in Paris and the basketball courts begin to fill again, Luca Howes reflects on his own relationship with the game.

As a lifelong Everton fan, there’s nothing I love more than watching a struggling top-flight team with unpopular owners muddle their way through a season. This has made Valencia CF feel like a home away from home for the past few months. I have been to the Mestalla Stadium to watch Los Ches twice and am excited to be heading there again next week. 

Manchester United vs Manchester City, Inter vs A.C. Milan, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) vs… who? Such is the puzzle of France’s capital. Unlike other European football metropolises, there is no local derby, just the PSG hegemony and a slew of smaller clubs duking it out in lower leagues. However, one club based in the 13th Arrondissement, Paris F.C., is climbing the French footballing pyramid to hopefully ignite an intra-city rivalry.

The Vélib’ beeps, confirming my departure. I mount the bike and pedal slowly down Avenue René-Coty. I want to savour this moment: the slight chill of the breeze and my relative anonymity compared to the couples chatting in the bars along my route; a quiet period of self-reflection before the night begins.

Culkin on Carrer de Viladomat, right next to Sant Antoni’s most popular street, Carrer del Parlament, encapsulates, in just a small space, the unique beauties of this neighbourhood. Named after Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin, the gastro wine and cocktail bar pays homage to adolescence and the mischievous dreams we all once had to embark on Kevin McCallister-style adventures.

Ama Otuo gives us a poetic insight into the challenges of living abroad