About — faces.x.places

A note.

From the Founder.

Faces x Places is all about sharing the places that make your heart skip a beat. Not the hip places or the ones that « must » be seen, just the ones that give you a curious sense of home, even when you’re seeing them for the first time.

Faces x Places aims at discovering smart and curious people, and sharing their idea of a great place as well as showcasing their work and talents, in all sorts of industries, backgrounds and cultures.

By asking them about their favorite places, we gather a community-driven guide for others to enjoy and be curious about. The amalgamated places create a global roadmap (soon, an exclusive feature) of all the meaningful places in the world. They are meaningful to them, they can be meaningful to you.

I believe it is important to find time for contemplation, even just right around the corner from your everyday life, and I hope I can help inspire this with what we’re all sharing here.

I, for myself, have been on the road for a few months, and I have experienced so many great things and places that I will share with you too, in photographs and words.

My selection of places that are dear to my heart are also below.

Messages are always welcome, if you’d like to discuss a feature and share your favorite places as well. To eat, drink, be inspired, breathe, dream, work, love.

Anna Lucas, Founder and Photographer.

@thisisannalucas

@faces.x.places

email me

Best place in the world

I used to be able to say unequivocally that it was New York City, and more specifically the pier at N 5th street in Williamsburg, but things have shifted so much lately that I don’t know anymore.

It’s exciting and scary to go look for a new one. It’s not a single place, but I have rarely felt as alive as some mornings on my solo road trip, packing my tent and hitting the road to a new destination, knowing that everything I was going to see, would be for the first time.

Best place to eat

La boulangerie in Faucon: It's close to my Dad's place in the south of France. Everything is simple, homemade and delicious, especially the lemon pie, the pâté, and the tapenade. And the bread, of course. Cute terrace in summer, warm welcome at the community table in winter. I almost don't wanna give the address!

Cerveceria catalana in Barcelona: It's quite touristy, but it’s a ritual: I can't leave Barcelona without a lunch there. The Camembert, almond and strawberry jam skewers and the cava sangria are the real deal.

Boulangerie des Tilleuls, Le Village, 84110 Faucon, France

Cerveceria catalana, Carrer de Mallorca, 236, 08008 Barcelona, Espagne

Best place to drink

I like the rue de Bretagne street terraces in Paris with good cold rosé and a ray of sun. A beach chiringito and cava sangria in the surroundings of Barcelona also works! In both cases, company is key.

There was also that bar in the East village, Simone, that was an official meeting point for my friends and I on that crazy summer in 2011, but it has closed down since.

Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, France

On the beach, 08850, Gavá, Barcelona, Espagne .

Best place to dream

The top of a hill or a mountain. It doesn’t have to be that high, it just feels good and reminds you of the incredible things you and other humans are capable of. I had that very strong feeling on top of Lembert Dome, in Yosemite, even though the trail is fairly easy to hike up.

Lembert Dome, Yosemite national Park, CA. 37°52′55″N 119°20′49″W

Best place to work

A dark room. It's slow, it takes an awful amount of time, it’s tedious, it's magical, it changes you into a perfectionist even if you're not, it's focused work but at the same time you can let your mind wander. Extremely enjoyable and meditative.

I also like crashing at friends' offices. You have people around, but you work on your own things.

Best place to breathe

That pier in Rättvik on lake Siljan, in Sweden, at sunset. A happy, extremely peaceful memory.

Or a yoga class, where you very literally learn how to breathe.

Långbryggan, 795 30 Rättvik, Sweden.

Best place to be inspired

On the road, anywhere, alone. There’s no distraction, it’s only you and yourself, you can’t escape your own mind and you can scheme your future, get to know yourself through and through, enjoy the view, open the windows, take in music or a good podcast, call a friend, just about anything that nurtures new ideas and dreams.

The MoMa, the best museum in the world.

The Brighton beach boardwalk, I love watching the elderly people strolling on the boardwalk whatever the season. Colorful 80's swimsuits in summer, fur coats in winter.