Us with Us: Cadaqués, it all happened, but it might not be true.

by Ryan Chandler, Javier Aznarez (Illustrator)

Honest, self-deprecating and occasionally funny, Us with Us offers an original take on one of Catalonia's most celebrated towns. Using a unique format, it tells the story, and the stories, of a place immortalized by Dalí and brutalized by pirates. It’s a portrait which brings the town to life with a roll call of famous characters ranging from Federico García Lorca to Pablo Picasso and Mick Jagger, at a time when its bohemian sunshine was increasingly overshadowed by politically bad weather. "Cadaqués. 767.8 kilometres from Madrid. A place where the people talk salty, and the trees are bent double by the wind. One road in. Same road out. Us with us." Ryan Chandler is co-author of DK's Top 10 Barcelona, publisher of the literary magazine Barcelona INK and editor of the compilation of the series of the same The Best of Barcelona INK, Catalonia Press. He lives and works in Barcelona. Javier Aznarez is a well-known painter and illustrator. He runs the gallery Taller de Tabakov and is currently working on a short animation for Wes Anderson's next film.He lives and works in Cadaqués.

Genres: Travel

244 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2020

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo he leído en el ambiente perfecto… Una escapada a Cadaqués, así que todo lo que he ido leyendo he podido verlo y contrastarlo. ¡Una experiencia muy guay!
“Cadaqués has the power to make you happy”
“Just us, with us…”

[Alexandre Hurr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really pleasant read, a quaint insight into a year of someone's life in another town that isn't their own.

[Sef Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Us with Us a brilliantly insightful travel book that's much more of a memoir of the writer's year in Cadaqués, the Catalonian coastal village. I enjoyed the structure as much as the writing – the diary entries, angry restaurant reviews, the text messages, the history and rumours. All of this set against the political background of the Catalan independence movement. It's funny, poignant, well-written and, basically, a joy to read.

[Max Mckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quirky, fun and unusual. Unlike any other travel book or memoir I've read. Closest thing I can think is Durrell's Bitter lemons. Recommended.

[Christine Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historic

Great book -- read it for many reasons -- even if you were unlucky enough to have never visited Cadaques! Which I might add is too bad.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

quirky little diary of an outsider’s year in the seaside town
(+ relatable in an oddly specific way)