Mitch and Kathy Madigan moved to Barcelona in 2005 for the adventure. They left behind a suburban home and 2 cars in Northern California and for an urban Spanish existence. That is, they don’t have a car, but 5 and a half bikes (the half being a bike trailer for their 2-year-old son).

When they’re not commuting with their son 10 miles to school by bike, they use the “very reliable” public transport or just walk. After all, “everything is within 20 minutes”.

In this video, Inés and I take the subway to visit the Madigans for a playdate in the plaza that is their backyard. As we watch the kids run freely in the car-free square, we talk about transport and quality of life.