I step into the metro carriage. It is quiet, as expected on a cold November afternoon. I ride the line 11 almost all the way to the ring road surrounding the city, which squeezes its 2.1 million inhabitants into a space suited for half that number. The metro line is faster than those I’m used to; the carriage sways uncertainly, as if it could topple at any moment. There’s a woman sitting opposite eating chicken wings from a grease-stained bag and the man perched next to me is watching an American sitcom with French subtitles, smiling slightly at his large phone screen.

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.