SUNDAY IN THE CITY
Episode 2
With Yolanda Ortiz de Arri
Wine journalist and translator, Spain
We met in the late 1990s, when we both worked on the same television programme in the UK. She went on to the Financial Times.
Her path then took her to Barcelona, and eventually into wine: Yolanda Ortiz de Arri has written for Jancis Robinson, El País, Decanter, and is a journalist and editor at Spanish Wine Lover.
Yolanda now lives in the Basque Country.
Which city took you the longest to understand?
Hong Kong. Fast-paced, bustling, vibrant and with striking contrasts between tradition and modernity. Locals sometimes can be unfriendly or downright rude, especially to newcomers. The wet markets are a sensory overload: dirty and crowded, yet fascinating, with an astonishing variety of food. The whole city often challenges your senses and assumptions.
Where do you go when you need to disappear for a while?
Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in Andalucía. Life moves at an easy rhythm, locals are genuinely friendly, and the intense blue sky seems to recharge you almost instantly. Sitting in one of the town's squares with a few tapas and a chilled glass of manzanilla in hand, watching daily life unfold, is for me one of the world's greatest pleasures.
Which city disappointed you at first,
and why did you return anyway?
London. I arrived young and cash-strapped, working as an au pair, with a limited command of English. The city felt overwhelming and indifferent, a place where it was easy to feel invisible.
My return wasn't planned, but I ended up living there for more than a decade. Over time, London revealed its cosmopolitan character, its ability to reinvent itself, and the freedom it gives you to be yourself — along with its many charms, from grand architecture and green parks to a vibrant cultural life and the eccentricity of some of its people. I found my place there and made friends for life. It's not an easy city, but it feels to me like a second home, and I always look forward to returning.
When someone you care about is going through
a difficult time, where do you send them?
The Douro wine region. A dramatic landscape shaped by steep terraced vineyards, winding roads and river bends, and small villages rooted in tradition. Life here moves at a slower, more grounded pace, following the seasons rather than the clock. There's a strong connection to the land that feels both reassuring and humbling — it helps you put the truly important things in life into perspective.
Which city makes you want to be more elegant?
I'm well past the age of worrying about what others think, yet some places still sharpen your sense of style almost involuntarily. Paris is one of them: elegance is woven into everyday life, in the way people dress and move, and it's hard not to notice. In San Sebastián, elegance takes a different form. It's less about dressing up and more about good taste — in food, architecture, landscape, and attitude. It simply oozes charm.
An address - a café, a bookshop, a street corner - you would share with someone you are attracted to?
Llibreria Finestres in Barcelona feels inviting, with comfortable armchairs where you're encouraged to sit, browse, and actually read. The selection is beautifully curated, with an impressive range of titles in several languages. More than a shop, it's a cultural refuge: besides the reading areas, there's a small café tucked into a courtyard, and a steady programme of literary talks. Afterwards, I'd suggest dinner at nearby Suru: creative, yakitori-style food and a thoughtful, inviting selection of wines.
SUNDAY IN THE CITY is a series I created for PARTANT.
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Emmanuel Denizot for PARTANT