Barcelona travel, culture, news, accommodation

Las Ramblas in Barcelona

2012-01-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

Las Ramblas is without question the busiest and most vibrant part of Barcelona and is the focal point for tourist. Expect to see everything from outdoor cafes, dozens of street entertainers, a long street lines with shops and the smell of the sea air as you reach the bottom of Las Ramblas - which takes you to the marina.

Video above of Las Ramblas in Barcelona on a busy Spring day. It is not always this crowded but it is a lovely area and one part of Barcelona you should visit if you can.

Visiting Park Guell

2011-12-13T07:21:00.000-08:00

In a city where there are a number of fantastic parks to visit, the fact that Park Guell is my favourite gives an indication of just how much it has to offer visitors.

Park Guell was the brain child of the famous Barcelona architect Antoni Gaudi, the main who created many of the city’s most famous buildings including the cathedral and Sagrada Familia. The site was originally due to be a housing development for the rich, but as there was very little interest in it the development was scrapped. The show home became home to Gaudi himself and is a now a museum to him containing many of his original works. Depending on what time of year you visit there may be a small queue to enter the house and there is always a small fee to pay.

Park Guell is a vast green space which expands up onto different levels. From certain parts of the park there are absolutely fantastic views of the city skyline and coast, and this is one of the main reasons that people come here. Other features of the park include small scale examples of Gaudi’s architectural genius, whilst the striking entrance to the park is like something from a fairytale.

Accessing Park Guell is one of the few negative aspects of the visit due to the fact that the nearest metro station is about 15 minutes away and one must scale a large hill in order to reach it, but this does not stop millions of people visiting each year.

Travelling Europe this coming summer? You might also be interested in Paris apartamentos, France.

Barcelona’s Best Water Park

2011-11-10T09:05:00.000-08:00

With Barcelona having such fantastic weather for large periods of the year it is natural that people who visit here want to make the most of and spend time outdoors. An example of the great outdoor activities which are available is Illa Fantasia, a water park which sits about 20-25 minutes outside of the city centre.

Illa Fantasia has various swimming pools in which to play, relax and generally enjoy the sunshine, but the main attraction of visiting here is to enjoy the large number of slides, rides and water features. The slides and rides range from small slides which are suitable for toddlers up to windy rides in which two people ride in a boat along a flume. One of my favourite rides starts from a great height and sends the rider down a sudden drop before going over a number of bumps and finally into the water at the end. The adrenaline which flows through your body as you head down the slide is really fantastic and you find yourself wanting to go down again and again.

Illa fantasia in Barcelona has a number of cafes and fast food establishments, as well as picnic areas and kids play parks, meaning that you can easily spend a full day here. Travel to the park is easy, you take a short train journey from the main train station before getting a free bus for the remainder of the journey. You can buy tickets for Illa Fantasia at the train station and get train travel for free.

A fan of waterparks? You might also be interested in these water parks in Europe!

The popular WaterWorld in Cyprus.
Aqualand waterpark in Agde, South France
Portugal's Aqualand in the Algarve.

La Rambla at Night

2011-10-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

La Rambla is the most famous street in Barcelona and it is like a magnet for people in the area. This applies not only to tourists who visit the area but also to anyone who has something to offer in terms of entertainment, and the good news is that the street is not only busy during the day, it is also an exciting place to visit all through the night.

All along La Rambla there are stalls selling various different forms of memorabilia and snack foods, and many of these stalls remain open until the early hours of the morning to cater for the people who visit the area to experience the night time atmosphere in the area as well as those who are wondering around having been to the many bars and restaurants which line the famous street as well as many of the roads branching off from it. Whilst many of the restaurants along La Rambla close around midnight or earlier, there are certain establishments which are open for a few hours longer, whilst the bars in the area are only just kicking off at this time.

Many people do not consider their visit to Barcelona complete until they have acquired pictures of some of the famous statues and monuments of La Rambla, and acquiring these pictures at night when some are lit up gives them even more charm and provides a great souvenir to take home to remind you of the magical atmosphere on the city’s favourite street.

Visiting the Sagrada Familia

2011-09-04T02:51:00.000-07:00

In advance of visiting Barcelona and the Sagrada Familia one reads a great deal about how the yet-to-be-completed and controversial building will evoke a strange reaction within you, but nothing can truly prepare you for the first time you summit from the nearby metro and look up for the first time. This Barcelona building is so different from anything you have ever seen before that it takes a few seconds for the brain to comprehend what it is seeing.

Looking up at the Sagrada Familia for the first time one is greeted with a distinct and unique style of architecture for which the designer and creator, Antoni Gaudi, is renowned. It is difficult to describe this style using words, other than to say it appears that the bricks are melting, creating an almost icicle like image. The structure is absolutely monumental and, for those who are willing to brave the often long queues, fabulous views can be gained of the city by climbing the stairways within. For those who wish to experience the Sagrada Familia in all its glory it is absolutely essential to gain access to the interior and marvel at its superb and intricate design. Be prepared, however, to not have an overly private experience as this building is one of the leading attractions in the city and hoards of people visit here each day.

If visiting barcelona on a budget, walking around the exterior of the Sagrada Familia is a great experience in its own right, and if you take the time to explore the area you can discover some superb vantage points from which to acquire some fantastic photos.

Beaches Within Driving Distance of Barcelona

2011-08-16T08:18:00.000-07:00

Although there are beaches to choose from in Barcelona itself, some people like to take the opportunity to get away from the city and enjoy one of the many beaches which are within close proximity to the city centre.

Castelldelfels

By travelling only 20 miles south west of Barcelona you can find this wonderful town which has a really fantastic beach spreading an impressive 5km. The beach has lovely clean sand and can be considerably quieter than the beaches in Barcelona and other nearby resorts.

Monsolis Beach

This is not a highly commercial area and is therefore suitable for those who want to enjoy a more genuine Spanish beach experience. Whilst the golden beach has basic facilities such as toilets and litter bins, you may wish to pack a picnic and take some beach games for your visit.

Playa de Poniente - Premia de Mar

This is a great beach for those looking for some sizeable waves to surf as well as some high quality sand on which to play beach sports. There are plenty of places from which to rent gear to partake in these activities at this popular beach.

Pineda de Mar Beach

This beach is part of the famous Costa Brava but is only half an hour travel time from Barcelona. The beach is considered to be a good location for the older tourist who enjoys a place with plenty of character as well as a good quality beach.

Different Statues to Visit in Barcelona

2011-07-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

Barcelona has a number of statues around the city which have historical significance and the following should guide you on the different statues to visit in Barcelona. You will find this an interesting list that’s great to explore especially if you will be visiting Barcelona on vacation.

Columbus Monument

Located in the centre of the Portal de la pau next to the old harbour, this is one of the best known statues in the city. It is an enormous structure which serves as a legacy to the point where Colombus returned after his famous first trip to America.

El Gato de Botero

This gigantic cat has had various homes around the city over the years and is famous for its uniqueness. The statue was created by the artist Fernando Botero and is one of a number of animal structures that he created.

Estatua de Ramón Berenguer III

Ramon Berenguer was the son of one of the most famous Earls of Barcelona and is now immortalised in this statue outside the cathedral. The Berenguers were one of the most influential families in the city during the 11^th century and this statue pays tribute to this fact.

Living statues

Perhaps this has no place in this article, but the sight of human statues along Las Ramblas has become somewhat of a norm and it is something that is sure to intrigue anybody. The statues are generally elegantly dressed and remain stationary despite the obvious interest that they attract.

Interesting Facts about Barcelona

2011-06-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist resorts in Europe, and indeed the world, and below are some interesting things that you may not know about this historic and highly cultural city.

Many of Barcelona’s beaches are man made - Until recently Barcelona did not have a beach, indeed it was only as recently as 1992 that the beach was created as part of the preparations for the Olympic Games which were held in the city that year.
Wild boars can sometimes be spotted in the region - Boars are not something that you would generally expect to find in a major city, but it is reported that wild boars have been spotted in the Gracia district of Barcelona. This is not to say that you should expect to see hoards of them.
George Orwell wrote a book in Barcelona - One of the most celebrated authors of all times once wrote a book about the Catalan region whilst living in Barcelona. The book is called Homage to Barcelona, and I would recommend reading it before you visit the area to get you in the mood.
Cava originates in Barcelona - Drinking Cava has become part of celebratory routine all around the world, but did you know that it originated in Barcelona. When you visit you should take the opportunity to taste some genuine Cava.
Barcelona FC has roots in England - The famous colours of Barcelona FC were actually chosen by one of the founders of the club who was English and wanted to pay tribute to his old school.
A quick note just to mention that our friends at Barcelona Adventure have now just added Burleque classes in Barcelona and these are great for individuals or hen groups, in the city. Heading to Barcelona for a stag weekend or as part of a hen group?

Great Department Stores in Barcelona

2011-05-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Barcelona has a thriving shopping scene in keeping with its reputation as one of the most fashionable cities in Europe. There are various different options for how and where to shop, but you should definitely take some time out to visit some of the fantastic department stores around the city. Below are some of my favourite department stores in Barcelona:

El Corte Inglés - This is the largest and possibly the most popular department store in Barcelona. It is part of a large national chain which is the biggest of its type in Europe and amongst the largest in the world. The Barcelona branch occupies a significant space on the Placa Catalunya and sells a vast amount of clothing to suit a variety of tastes, as well as home ware and food amongst other things.

Farrutx - At this modern and trendy department store you can find a whole range of fashion accessories including shoes, bags and leather. You will struggle to find a larger collection of all of these things together anywhere in the city.

FNAC - This is a fantastic electronic retail store where the consumer can find a seamlessly endless range of the latest offerings from the world’s largest names in the field. Whether you are looking for a new music system, a satellite navigation system one of the latest DVDs, you will find it all here.

Tips for using the Barcelona Metro

2011-04-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

Barcelona is a large city with hundred of streets. It can seem like a maze to the visitor who is not familiar with the layout of the city, so one of the best ways to travel around is to use the underground train system. There are stops every few hundred metres, meaning that you can get to within walking distance to everywhere in the city. Below are some tips for using the Barcelona Metro.

Plan your route before you go - You can save a lot of time on your journey if you plan your route before your arrive at the station. Metro stations can often be busy, especially at peak time, and it can be difficult to get a good view of a map without being bumped around.

Carry a map - Maps are very easy to acquire on the Barcelona Metro. You can ask for a free map from an attendant when buying your ticket or purchase one from one of the machines on the walls.

Always buy a ticket - It can be tempting in many cities to get on a train without buying a ticket. This is not recommended in Barcelona, however, as you will find it almost impossible to get through the gates without one. There is also the possibility of being checked by an inspector.

Be conscious of the time - Be conscious of what time the metro closes and be careful not to get caught out or you could end up paying a hefty taxi fare back to your hotel. You can find out more from the official Barcelona Metro site online and more on Barcelona trains and metro service.

3 Ways to Get to Barcelona from London

2011-03-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

Each year thousands of people travel from London to Barcelona, both for business and leisure. There are number of travel options open to those who wish to make this journey, including the following:

By Air: A number of the airports around London offer flights to Barcelona from a range of different airlines. You can choose to travel either on luxury airlines or to make the relatively short journey on a budget, less glamorous airline. Flying by air is certainly the quickest way to travel to Barcelona as the flight takes around two hours. Don’t forget to take into account check in times and baggage reclaim when you calculate your overall journey time.

By Road: Driving to Barcelona is an attractive option for those who have time to spare as it will allow you to enjoy the countryside and sights throughout the length of France. You can stop in Paris on the way or simply head straight through. The journey time is approx 14 hours.

By Sea: Ferries depart from a number of different ports within around an hours drive from London. This is certainly not the option for anybody who is in a rush to get to Barcelona as it involves a reasonably long journey along the length of France, Spain and Portugal before sailing around to Barcelona. Sailing to Barcelona is more common as part of a cruise.

Try Some Different Parks in Barcelona

2011-02-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

When one thinks of parks in Barcelona, immediately one’s mind turns to the famous Park Guell as it is the most famous park in Barcelona. There are, however, many other parks around the city which are offer a less high profile alternative for the tourist seeking a spot of refuge from the built up city. Below are some of the parks which you should try:

Park de la Ciudadella - This park is hugely historic and offers many attractions to entice and entertain the tourist. There are museums, mainly concerned with art and culture, a large lake which is pleasing to the eye and perfect for a boat ride and also a range of glorious architecture. As the park was initially built for royalty there are endless gardens and attention to detail.

Park Laberint - This park takes its name from the significantly sized maze which forms the centrepiece. The maze will keep you entertained for hours whilst the view over the city is breathtaking. Much of the greenery within the garden is sculptured by man and provides an inspiring and soul cleansing experience. The quaint canal adds a touch of romance and is perfect a for lunch time picnic.

Jardins del Palau Reial de Pedralbes - The building in the middle of this splendid garden used to be the Barcelona residence of the Spanish Royal family, which explains its sophistication and the spotless condition in which it is kept. Within the grounds are many museums and buildings which are used for political purposes.

Find more Barcelona Parks online.

5 Family Attractions in Barcelona

2011-01-27T06:18:00.000-08:00

Whether you stay in Barcelona itself or visit on a day trip from one of the many resorts close by, there are plenty of attractions in Barcelona which are ideal for a family visit. Below are just some of the family attractions in Barcelona:

Tibidabo amusement park - With all of the hallmark rides such as the rollercoaster and water flumes, this is a high quality amusement park and a great choice for a family day out.

Beach - One of the main benefits of being located on the coast is that the city of Barcelona has 4 beaches all in easy reach of the city centre. The beaches are all pleasant in appearance and well managed. A promise of these beaches serves as perfect ammunition to persuade your kids to walk around the city.

Barcelona Aquarium - The Barcelona Aquarium, or L’Aquarium Barcelona as it is known locally, is home to some of the most fascinating species of sea life in the world. If you are with your kids you have the perfect excuse to go along. Its ok, we won’t tell anyone that you want to go along anyway!!!

Zoo - A safe choice to keep the family entertained, the zoo in the Barcelona has lots to offer in terms of presentations, shows and activities. One of the best features of the zoo is its location; it is easily within walking distance of the city centre.

Parc de La Ciutadella - This famous park is located right in the centre of Barcelona. It is a great place to chill out after a busy day around the city, but also has a range of activities such as boat rides to enjoy.

3 Gaudi attractions in Barcelona you must visit

2010-12-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

Barcelona is a testament to the work and art of famed architect Gaudi. He is not only one of Spain's most famous architects, but one of Europe's most famous. The city of Barcelona is famed for his designs and if you visit the city, here are 3 of the best sights to see. 1. La Sagrada Familia - This famous temple is Barcelona's most famous attraction, not only because it is arguably Gaudi's best creation, but because it has taken so long to build. La Sagrada Familia first began construction in 1882, but due to delays, finances and resources the building still will not be finished for at least another 90 years. While its distinctive design makes it easy to spot in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia split opinion when it was first announced. Today, it is incredibly popular with the tourists and has to be seen to be truly believed. 2. La Pedrera - Formerly known as Casa Mila, La Pedrera is a stunningly design block of flats that is famed throughout Spain for its 'wavy' design, coloured materials and the 'Virgin' statue atop it. The flats were originally built for the Mila family, but the building was partially destroyed by the Spanish government. If you are visiting the city during the summer, then you will be able to go on to the building's roof and enjoy a glass of wine while looking out over the city. This La Pedrera de Nit' is highly recommended and one of the attractions for Barcelona art and culture. 3. Park Guell - One of Barcelona's main parks, the Park Guell is filled with Gaudi's creations, chief among them is a massive coloured lizard. Due to its bizarre nature and location, it is incredibly popular with tourists, as is the park itself as it was Gaudi's home for the last two decades of his life.

Where to buy the best Xmas presents in Barcelona

2010-11-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

With the festive season rapidly approaching, many people are getting their Christmas shopping and holidays sorted. If you happen to live or are going to Barcelona in the near future, and think it is the perfect opportunity to get your Christmas shopping done, then you could not have found a more perfect place than one of Europe's premier shopping cities.

Barcelona is famed for its markets and while dozens of them are held in the city each week, one of the best to visit for Christmas presents is the Mercadillo de la Plaça de Sant Josep. Packed with art, sculptures and other pieces of local culture, it is the ideal place to find something different to buy your loved ones. Other popular markets include Mercat Del Encants (which is known as the city's largest flea market) and the Sant Antoni Market (a massive food market with everything you could need).

Barcelona is also famed for its winding streets full of little stores and boutiques, so you don't need to go to the city's main shopping malls to find a bargain. A popular area to get designer brands is the famous Paseig de Gracia, which has many boutiques specialising in leather products. There are also several decent stores down Valencia Street.

If you are after fashion products from Armani and Gucci, then you will have to pay a high price, but many smaller stores specialise in similar products, even if they don't have the brand name on. If you want to do your shopping in a mall, then the large El Corte Ingls stores is extremely popular.

Sailing Trips and Lessons in Barcelona

2010-10-12T01:50:00.000-07:00

The best way to experience Barcelona with its splendid beaches and scenic beauty is to take a sailing course or two. Barcelona is home to a wide range of sailing instruction facilities, which not only give tourists an opportunity to learn sailing on the picturesque seas of Barcelona, but also to experience the city in a unique manner.

A few months ago, I signed up for a short sailing course and took the classes while on vacation in Barcelona; if you are interested, you can do the same. I soon realised that taking a sailing course was a great way to meet local people, understand the coastal life and culture and experience the city. I cannot claim to be a sailing expert even after the sailing course I just took, but I can definitely claim to have had a great time. Besides, I have learned the rudiments of sailing on the seas of Barcelona. A few more courses and I will be confident enough to go out on my own.

You can sign up for sailing lessons in Barcelona either as an individual or as part of a group of six or eight tourists. You will learn not only about sailing, but also about the coastal geography of Barcelona, how to handle the boat in tough situations and about the weather. Besides this, you will strengthen your relationship with the others in your group. At the end of it, you will find that it was all worth the time and money invested.

If you are lucky as I was, you might also get a free entry ticket to Barcelona’s Maritime Museum, where you can learn more about boats and the history of seafaring than you ever thought you would. Even if your sailing instructors do not give you this bonus, visiting the Maritime Museum after your sailing lessons is worth it because you will find a large number of ancient boats displayed there.

5 Reasons You Should Holiday in Barcelona, Spain

2010-09-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

Barcelona in Spain is an excellent vacation destination for tourists because of its rich history, places of attraction, museums, churches and sunny beaches. Here are five top reasons tourists flock to Barcelona in large numbers.

1. To Enjoy the Great Weather and Beaches -The sun shines in Barcelona for most of the year, and the best time to visit Barcelona is during the months of May, June, July, August and September. Moreover, Barcelona has miles of attractive coastline and plenty of sunny beaches, the most famous of which are Barceloneta Beach, Icaria Beach, Mar Bella Beach and the Sitges Beach.

2. To See the Sagrada Familia by Antonio Gaudi – The Sagrada Familia, designed by Antonio Gaudi, is still under construction. Tourists can visit the place where Gaudi has been laid to rest and view the museum, which relates the tale of this master architect and the history of Sagrada Familia. Although exhausting to climb, the towers of the church present a splendid view of the entire city.

3. Visit the Barcelona FC Museum -Barcelona FC Museum, which attracts over 1,000,000 tourists per year, is a place that football fans simply should not skip; even people who do not like football can have a great time touring this monument. Tourists can purchase a ticket to the museum and view the stadium or they can buy a ticket, which permits them not only to view the museum, but also the changing rooms, press conference zones, VIP lounges and other interesting spots. The museum has on display trophies, statues and pictures of great football stars.

4. Make trip to the Barcelona Zoo - Barcelona Zoo, located in Parc de la Ciutadella, is a great attraction for animal lovers. Tourists can first visit the Ciutadella Park and then go to the zoo, which shelters a wide range of animals. Besides the animals, the Barcelona Zoo presents a restaurant, a shop, ponies, picnic area, electric cars and a mini-train. In other words, the zoo can keep the entire family happy and amused for hours.

5. Watch the Magic Fountain - Constructed in 1929 for the Universal Exhibition on Montjuic, the fountain springs to life during summer events and draws huge crowds of excited tourists. The shows which last for 15 minutes each are a delightful blend of lights, music and water. During the shows, the Palau National is also brilliantly lit. The Magic Fountain springs to life every half an hour, and the best time to view it, is in the evenings.

Barcelona’s Shopping Hubs

2010-08-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Barcelona is often described as ‘un gran botiga’ (one big shop!) and that’s not far off the mark. The standard of shopping here, from big name luxury boutiques to small artisan shops is astounding. Add to that two great sale seasons (July-August and January-March) when the discounts can often start at 50% and you see why visitors often return with their credit cards slightly worse for wear. To help you on your way, here are some of the city’s best shopping hubs.

Portal de l’ Angel: This wide pedestrian strip right in the city centre is equivalent to a (very long) British high street. Here you will find all the now-global Spanish brands (Zara,, Mango etc), a frightening number of shoe shops, as well as leatherwear and sporting goods stores. If there is anything you can’t find head to the giant El Corte Ingles department store at the northern end.

El Born: A bit like Covent Garden (or at least how it used to be) the tiny streets of the El Born district hold a cornucopia of fashion and design junkie fixes. You’ll see loads of designer-run boutiques, some fabulous homeware stores, quirky shoes and bags and a couple of big names such as the Swiss furniture company Vitra.

Passeig de Grácia: With its architecture by Gaudí and florid pavement tiles, the Passeig de Grácia is Barcelona’s most elegant avenue. Fitting then that is hosts the city’s biggest name boutiques: Gucci, Chanel, Vuitton, Loewe et al are all here. But at its southern end you’ll find more everyday brands such as H&M and Zara.

Raval: Shopping in the Raval is an eclectic mix of century-old mom and pop stores, cutting edge art and design (particularly around the MACBA museum) and gourmet shops near the Boqueria market. For something really different, head to the Calle Riera Baixa, Barcelona’s retro clothing hub. On Saturdays retailers wheel racks into the street, selling stock at bargain prices.

Cooling off in Barcelona’s Pools

2010-07-12T07:34:00.000-07:00

As summer temperatures rise, every one is looking for a place to cool off. Barcelona’s municipal pools offer an alternative to the beach, where you can swim like an Olympic champion or splash around in the shallows of a converted quarry.

Piscinas Bernat Picornell, Avinguda de l'Estadi 30-38 - This is where the swimming events for the 1992 Olympic Games took place. A sleek 50-metre outdoor pool awaits you high up on the verdant hill of Montjuïc, where the air is generally a few degrees cooler than the steamy city below. There is also a smaller indoor pool that is taken over by the local nudist club on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons!

Piscinas Municipal Montjuïc, Avinguda Miramar, 31 - Located almost opposite the Piscinas Bernat Picornell, this was another Olympic-venue pool. It was used for the diving events and affords sweeping views of the city below. These days its mainly frequented by children and families and has a bar area where adults can chill.

Club Natació de la Barceloneta, Plaça del Mar s/n - Located right on the shore at Barceloneta, this pool has a beach vibe and Mediterranean vistas! There are three pools: a 25-metre outdoor pool and children’s pool (both surrounded by a terrace dotted with sunbeds) and an indoor pool with large glass windows overlooking the sea.

Parc de la Creueta del Coll, Pg. Mare de Déu del Coll, 77 - This is probably the most unusual pool you will ever come to. It is located inside the Parc de la Creueta del Coll, a public park that occupies a former quarry. In between two cliff-like walls hangs a massive claw-like sculpture by the prolific Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. But the biggest attraction is a large a splash pool which is hugely popular with local children in the summer months.

Getting your Chocolate Hit in Barcelona

2010-06-14T06:23:00.000-07:00

Chocolate and Barcelona may not seem like an obvious pairing, but chocolate addicts will be pleased to know that there is s long history of chocolate-making in Catalunya, and local chocolate makers are some of the most respected in Europe.

When people think Spanish chocolate they generally think chocolate con churros: a cup of think dark drinking chocolate accompanied by thin, tube-like donuts. Although popular in Madrid, they are hard to find in Barcelona (especially outside the winter months) except at the emblematic Café de la Opera (Las Ramblas 74), a fin de siècle café that generally has them all year round. Instead you could opt for a suizo—a wicked cup of steaming chocolate or a Cacaolat, a light hot chocolate that comes in a bottle. Both are sold at the charming Granja Viader (C/ d'En Xuclá 4).

Barcelona’s vibrant design scene has made a happy marriage with chocolate making. For the funkiest packaging try Xocoa (shops all over the city) and for the most exquisite elaboration, head to Bubó in the hip Born neighbourhood (C / Caputxes 10).

Further afield in the upscale residential neighbourhood of Sarriá, world-renowned pastry and chocolate maker Oriol Balaguer has a minimalist chocolate boutique (Plaça Sant Gregori Taumaturg 2) where products are displayed with the reverence of fine jewellery (with prices almost to match). More down to earth is the Museu de Xocolata (Plaça Pons I Clerch, S/N, also in El Born) where you can find out all about the history of chocolate in Spain, and enjoy a treat in the museum’s café after the visit

Eating Tapas in Barcelona

2010-05-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

Most people come to Spain with the idea that paella and tapas is available everywhere. This is only partly true; many purists would argue that the only place to eat paella is Valencia - where the dish was invented – and without doubt the great tapas capitals are in the south.

That said, there are bars in Barcelona that serve great tapas, albeit spread out over the city as opposed the ‘tapas streets’ that are a feature of many other Spanish cities. Here are a few of my favourites:

Cervecería Catalana, Mallorca, 236 - This hectically busy, buzzing place tempts you in with a bar laden mountains of deep fried seafood, grilled gambas (prawns) and classic tapas concoctions such as Russian salad and patatas bravas.

Taller de Tapas, Placa Sant Josep Oriol, 9 - For some of the best Barcelona food including tapas for the novice, this is one the best bets. You can order from a menu (as opposed to pointing and shouting) and if still in doubt the multilingual staff with guide you through it. Although it may look slightly touristy the tapas served here is actually of very high quality.

Euskal Etxea, Placeta Montcada, 1-3 - Pintxos, or the Basque-style of tapas are on offer here. Pintxos are bite-sized snacks generally served on a small round on bread, held together with a toothpick. Help yourself but don’t throw the toothpicks away- the bar staff uses them to tally up your bill.

Bodega La Palma, La Palma de Sant Just, 7 - Not tapas exactly but torrades, the Catalan version. Here you’ll find pa amb tomàquet (rustic bread topped with tomato pulp) topped with all sorts of local cheese and charcuterie.

Day Trips from Barcelona

2010-05-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

As wonderful as the city of Barcelona is, sometimes you need to escape the crowds, especially as the tourist season reaches full swing. Here are a few suggestions for getting out of the Ciudad Condal on public transport.

About 30 minutes south of the city, Sitges is one of the most popular beach resorts, and not only with the international gay community. Fine stretches of sand, a pretty whitewashed old town and plenty of good bars and restaurants make Sitges and ideal place for families as well. Trains leave about every half hour from Sants and Pg de Gràcia stations.

Montserrat is an incredible mountain made of rock that eerily looms up over the Catalan countryside. Walking here is incredible but natural assets aside the Montserrat is also deemed the ‘spiritual heart of Catalonia’. An enormous monastery is nestled on its upper peeks, where people come to pay respects to La Moreneta, or the black effigy of the Virgin Mary, which dates from the 12th century. There are regular trains from Espanya station to the foot of the mountain, from where you can take either a funicular or cable car to the top (for the latter make sure you disembark at the ‘Montserrat Aeri’ station).

Collserolla is an expansive, natural park that cradles Barcelona over gently rolling hills. One of the most popular routes, particularly for cyclists, is the Carretera de les Aigües that you can reach by getting off at the Peu de Funicular station on the FGC train network.

The Catalan Valentine

2010-04-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

It’s coming up to one of the most the most magical days in Barcelona. Locally, it’s simply known as ‘La Diada de Saint Jordi’, internationally as ‘International Book Day’ and casually as the ‘Catalan St. Valentine’s’. The truth is that all are pretty much correct. But first a bit of background.

Saint Jordi (or George) is the patron Saint of Catalunya and his designated Saint’s day is April 23rd. By a happy coincidence, this is also the day Shakespeare and Miguel Cervantes (writer of the classic Spanish epic Don Quixote) died.

A red rose, the symbol of the dragon-slayer’s bravery, has traditionally been given to girlfriends, mothers and female lovers on this day. But back in the 1920s, a local bookseller decided to get a bit of leverage out of the literary connection to the date, and soon women retaliated their gift of a rose with one of a book to their boyfriends/fathers/lovers.

Given all this activity, UNESCO then stepped in and declared April 23rd the ‘International Day of the Book’ though its certainly not celebrated with as much zeal anywhere as it is in Barcelona.
From early morning onwards, rose sellers set up stalls along the streets, washing them in vivid red colour, and the distinctive red and gold striped Catalan flag waves everywhere.

Booksellers also set up stalls, particularly along the Las Ramblas and the Passeig de Gràcia. Most of all, and particularly in the early evening, people just come out to enjoy their city, lovers to give each other their special gifts and whole families revelling in the warm, dappled light of Barcelona in the springtime.

Barcelona’s Outdoor Sculpture

2010-04-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

Many visitors to Barcelona are struck by the quality and quantity of its outdoor sculpture. As you wander around, you may think that nearly every square, park or boulevard boasts a striking piece of artwork. And you are right.

As part of the regeneration process for the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona’s city council acquired a sizable collection of sculpture from local and international artists. It was part of the criteria of giving the city a much-needed facelift without causing major structural changes. And it worked! These bright, thought-provoking elements have become as much a feature of Barcelona’s urban landscape as its 19th century architecture.

Perhaps the most famous work of public art in the city is the ‘Barcelona Head’, a vivid, cartoon-like face by the late trailblazer of the Pop Art movement Roy Lichtenstein (it lives in front of Port Vell marina). In front of the Ciutadella Park, Antoni Tapiés, Catalunya’s greatest living artist, pays homage to Picasso with a thought-provoking composition of copper, glass and water.

Up in the park of Montjuïc, a group of girls performing the sardana (Catalunya’s national dance) have appeared in countless holiday snaps. Over on the Rambla del Raval, a rotund, copper cat by Columbian artist Fernando Botero has become a landmark and meeting place on this popular boulevard. Another piece of art that serves this purpose is Rebecca Horn’s ‘Homenaje a Barceloneta’. Consisting of four, stacked metal cubes, the work is inspired by the box- like chiringuitos (or beach bars) that used to line this part of the coast, and were bulldozed to make way for the sand that the sculpture now stands on.

Beach Life in Barcelona

2010-03-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

With spring just around the corner, Barcelona’s beaches are revving up for another season. Around this time, chiringuitos (or beach bars) set up once again along the city’s shoreline and are wonderful places to have a sundowner drink or morning coffee by the lapping waves. The character of these varies from beach to beach, with the liveliest ones located at Barceloneta beach (despite the fact that they are prohibited from playing music) to quieter, more island-life type hangouts on the beaches around Poble Nou.

Barcelona’s beaches got a fair amount of criticism last year in the media. Many journalists were concerned that they had turned into a ‘marketplace’. Whilst it’s true that on busy weekends there are dozens of beer and sarong sellers, masseuses and temporary tattoo artists all wandering around vying for your business, I have come to the conclusion that visitors to the city (and many locals) actually like the busy vibe they bring. Again, they mainly work around Barceloneta beach, and it’s not difficult to find a quieter stretch of sand a bit further northwards.

If you prefer more active pursuits you can cycle, roller-blade, or walk almost the entire length of the city’s beaches, from Barceloneta to the Forúm, on a smooth boardwalk. Along the way, you could take a break at one of the many restaurants at the Port Olímpic. One of my favourites is Escribá, an upmarket chiringuito with great seafood dishes (Ronda Litoral 42).

Montjuïc: Barcelona’s 'Central Park'

2010-03-08T14:36:00.000-08:00

Whilst Barcelona is not really known as being the ‘greenest’ of cities, it does have one huge green belt, the park of Montjuïc.

Spread over a hill top, Montjuïc is actually several parks in one, and is home to a number of Barcelona’s tops museums, including the Miro Foundation and the Olympic stadium. Its other main attraction is a 17th century fort-castle, located on Montjuïc’s highest ground and affording incredible views of the city from its ramparts. But my favourite thing on Montjuïc is simply wandering its well sign-posted roads and tracks from garden to garden.

On the south side of the mountain, underneath the Miramar lookout point, you can find the Costa i Llobera Gardens, a vast collection of cacti growing on a cliff face that gently winds down to the sea. The pretty Jardins de Mossén Cinto Verdaguer, right beside the funicular station, are wonderful for a picnic, whilst the Jardins Joan Brossa have all sorts of inventive contraptions that young children will love.

Public transport over Montjuïc is limited, though there are a few buses that stop at the main sites. The best way to get up there is the funicular from the Paral.lel metro station or the cable car over the port. At the northern end, there are escalators from the MNAC Museum to the upper slopes.

Saving Money on Museums in Barcelona

2010-03-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

Recently, Barcelona’s city hall, together with some of the city’s top museums, made the excellent decision of throwing their doors open for free on Sunday afternoons after 3pm. These include the Picasso Museum the most visited in the city, the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat which has some stunning relics of Roman Barcelona and, one of my personal favourites, the Frederic Marès museum a quirky collection of everything from Romanesque icons to Victoriana.

But there are other ways to save cash on the city’s great cultural palaces. The Articket, available from the ticket office of all participating museums, saves an enormous amount as it let you into seven of the city’s top attractions (including Gaudí’s masterpiece La Pedrera) for 22€. Another option, which is probably better for those who want to diversify their sightseeing beyond museums, is the Barcelona Card.

You can pick on up at any Tourist Office in the city though I would suggest buying it at the one at Barcelona’s airport. That way, you’ll be able to start saving straight away as free train travel from the airport to the city centre is just one of the many advantages this card offers. Others include big discounts (25-50%) at the city’s main sites and some shops and restaurants. At a starting price of 27 € (for 2 days) you can save a small fortune.

News Update: New Free Barcelona Travel guides online.

Barcelona’s New Airport

2010-02-15T12:10:00.001-08:00

Getting into Barcelona from El Prat (the city’s airport) used to be a simple affair. In late 2009, a gleaming new terminal, designed by the renowned Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill, started operating. Whilst the facilities here are superb, it has made transport to and from the city a little more complicated and a little more expensive.

The new terminal (called T1) at Barcelona International airport is located a few kilometres from the old (now called T2). At present, direct access is available by taxi (about 25-30€ from Barcelona city centre) and the Aerobus (see: http://www.tmb.cat/), which runs every 10-15 minutes and costs 5€

Until the new L9 metro line is completed (estimated for 2012 at the earliest) the only access by train is to and from the old T2 terminal (from here you can get a shuttle bus to T1). To make matters a little more complicated, T2 is being renovated and more and more airlines are moving into T1 whilst work is going on, and many facilities, such as shops and restaurants, have been closed. Airlines that remain include the low-cost carrier Easyjet (http://www.easyjet.com/).

On a recent trip to London with them I took a taxi to terminal T2-B (in the centre of the building) and was told their check in had moved to 2-C, a 10 minute walk away. I then boarded by plane in 2-A (another long walk). A similar scenario happened on my return. Whilst none of this is meant to put you off visiting the magical city of Barcelona, please do check exactly which terminal your flight leaves from to avoid confusion.

Staying in Barcelona: Family accommodation

2010-02-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

Choosing what area of Barcelona to stay in for your holiday or vacation and selecting the best accommodation type can make things sometimes confusing and overwhelming. If you also have a family to think about, this can make things even more complex. So looking at the accommodation types and your choice in Barcelona:

Hotels: If you are staying for 1-3 days then a hotel simply might be your best bet. A hotel in a reasonable area and standard and you will be easily all set for your short stay. With a family room you will have enough space for the short stay and since only for a few days, eating out or in the hotel restaurant should be okay. A price aggregator such as www.activehotels.com can be a good starting point.

Holiday and vacation apartments: For stays which are longer than 3 days and if you are as a family or large groups, a holiday apartment in Barcelona could well be your best bet. A short-term rental apartments normally means a lot more space and self catering facilities - with a kitchen included. For anyone with kids, this can mean being able to feed them the foods they actually like and the chance to save on food costs with several mouths to feed. If you do not ant to cook then you still of course have the option to eat out.

Camping: In the city of Barcelona itself, there are not really any great camping options. If you love camping though and do not mind to go outside of the city, there are numerous camping areas and these include the likes of Camping Tres Estrellas in Gavá.

Carnival time in Barcelona

2010-01-20T10:37:00.000-08:00

If you are not sor worried about the summer months and lazing on the beach, another great time to visit Barcelona if during carnival time. Four days of parades, live music, street vendors, entertainers and a whole load more.

11th through to the 14th February are the dates set for this years Barcelona Carnival with only 3 weeks to go, a large number of floats are signed up for the parade and now 675 years old (with the event first having started in 1333 at least according to records)

Another Carnival nearby and which is also excellent, in case you can not make it to Barcelona Carnival, is Sitges Carnival. Sitges Carnival takes place 11th to the 17th February. Located 20 minutes by train from central Barcelona, Sitges is an excellent location with its own beaches and quaint town.

Make sure to book Barcelona accommodation early because the city gets very busy during carnival week. You will still be able to find somewhere to stay but the choices will be fewer.

A perfect Saturday morning in Barcelona

2010-01-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

My idea of a perfect Saturday morning in Barcelona would be to start the day with a leisurely stroll down Rambla Catalunya. Heading down from Diagonal toward Plaza Catalunya, the street is a wonderful tree-lined boulevard littered with small boutiques and cafes.

A slow breakfast at Mauri´s Café is a great chance to sample a variety of freshly made traditional catalan pastries and sandwiches, while watching the local ladies who do lunch….well do brunch! Of course there some families with children having a morning out and one or two tourists seduced by the cakes. After all the coffee and carbs, time to get walking or take a taxi!

One of the most beautiful parks in the city the flower filled Cervantes Park. Nothing beats sitting on a bench with book surrounded by roses…..

Mauri
Rambla de Catalunya 102, the Eixample
Metro Diagonal
(+34) 93 215 10 20

Botanical Gardens Parc de Cervantes
Avinguda Diagonal 706
(+34 93 41 32 400)

Stuck in London getting to Barcelona - Happy Xmas

2009-12-23T04:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been an unpredictable year and mine has ended exactly that way also with all of the snow falling in the UK (despite global warming) and closing dozens of airports and meaning hundreds of cancelled flights, in the UK and around Europe.

So the long and short of the situation is that I missed my flight back to Barcelona and will not be in Barcelona for Christmas Day. Having a lot of family in England though, the thought of being forced to stay here and take advantage of:

Minced pies and fresh cream.
Traditional Roast dinners.
Boxing Day (26th December) pub and sport.
The Boxing Day sales.
Around family.

There must be much worse places to be for Christmas. Wherever you are in the world and in whatever situation, have an excellent Christmas and hope 2009 was good for you and 2010 even better.

Barcelona Christmas Market in Barri Gotic

2009-12-16T10:04:00.000-08:00

Just like most major European cities, Barcelona has its own Christmas markets and one of the best goes locally by the name of 'Fira de Santa Llucia'. I was down at the market last weekend and overall there seemed to be roughly 200 stalls and certainly covering a wide variety of products and foods.

The market continues through until 23rd December and the easiest way to locate the market is by asking people to direct you to Barcelona Cathedral. The market takes place right outside the cathedral which is located at Pla de la Seu in the Barrí Gòtic area.

Barri Gotic is a great area to spend a few hours in anyway with several very good museums, shops, bars and restaurants in the area. It also tends to be one of the key holiday apartments areas in the city and thus popular with tourists.

Madrid Barcelona - Barcelona's Best restaurant

2009-12-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

I have eaten in probably a hundred plus restaurants, bars and cafes in Barcelona over the last few years and there is a clear winner in my mind when balancing quality, to cost, to service and to location.

I do not work for the restaurant and have no association with it - and my favourite restaurant and place to eat in Barcelona is the interestingly named Catalan restaurant "Madrid Barcelona".

'Madrid Barcelona' is located very centrally on Carrer d'Arago, 282 and generally open from around 8-830pm. The great thing about this place is that they serve very affordable food, have menus in different languages, are very efficient service wise and the food is outstanding.

This restaurant is based on the place where the old Madrid to Barcelona train used to stop at the start of the last century and this restaurant has remained one of the best places to eat every since. Yet, it is relatively unknown and discussed by tourist.

Stag and Hen Weekends in Barcelona

2009-11-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

Barcelona attracts a wide range of visitors for a wide range of reasons. Twenty somethings love the Barcelona nightlife, bars, cafes and beaches; the retirees love the warm weather and fresh seafood and chance to sit and relax in the tree lined streets and sports fans love the Nou Camp and water sports.

Another definite group who love to visit the city and who are often easy to spot on streets such as Las Ramblas are the Stag and Hen groups. Stag and Hen weekends continue to be very popular in the city and bars and restaurants for the most part do embrace these groups, such are the benefits of the income they bring to local business owners.

There are some excellent choice in Europe these days for stag and hen weekends. Prague, Helsinki and Riga are some of the latest destinations along with Barcelona which are popular these days. All have their own benefits and all are great cities for a weekend. From a Barcelona the point of view, the benefits of Barcelona are the weather and the coastal location if has to offer. Companies such as Barcelona Adventure offer Stag and Hen weekends in Barcelona.

World Press Photo Exhibition in Barcelona

2009-11-16T08:33:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love Photography and wherever I go when travelling, I always make sure to take a camera. Recently I have also started a Digital Photography course so that I can start taking good pictures purposefully rather than by luck. I even now my ISOs and aperture's now.

One event coming now underway for any fellow Photography lovers is the 'World Press Photo 2009' exhibition here in Barcelona at the Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona. This is an excellent exhibition and I have already been there this weekend just gone and planning to go again to take my visiting cousin there.

Photos from Photographers internationally are shown and a number of prizes are on offer for the competition. Expect to see some stunning photos and from some of the worlds top Press photographers. War zones, sports events and everyday issues are all included in the topics.

You have until December 13th to see the exhibition and I recommend popping down to see it if you can. If you are not yet in the city do not forget that Barcelona vacation rentals are directly available online.

Moving and working in Barcelona

2009-11-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Many of you who read this blog I know are thinking of moving to Barcelona, Spain and it is certainly something that can be done. The truth certainly is that getting a job in Barcelona as a non native has never been easy and now it is even harder, with the recession. Unemployment is high in Spain and wages are also low.

It can work though. You can get a job in Barcelona and many friends are working in Barcelona as we speak. Some jobs in fact, such as programming are often always sought. I have friends who run an I.T. and web design company in Barcelona who have in fact always struggled to find a programmer to work with them in Barcelona.

The most common job is to teach English and this is the most realistic option and it will at least give you the time to get to know your way around the city and to make other contacts for finding work.

What I would advise is:

Do everything you can to learn as much Spanish or Catalan as you can before moving to Barcelona.
Try and ensure you have money behind you. It takes time to find work and to get setup in Barcelona.
Take advantage of any contacts and network as hard as possible, to try and find an opportunity for work.

Christmas in Barcelona

2009-11-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

If you are trying to think about whether or not to make Barcelona a location for a Christmas break, you could do worse. To be fair, Brussels and Prague both perhaps have better Christmas markets and both are also very good seasonal locations.

Barcelona though is excellent as a venue for a long weekend or Christmas Shopping breaks and most shops and restaurants stay open for most of the season. There is always something to do and see in fact in Barcelona every day of the year.

Barcelona Shopping is really a big plus for the city during the Christmas period and if you are making plans now, then you could do worse by visiting Barcelona. There are so many shops and covering all of the major fashions and names, but you can also find a significant number of small independent stores, whilst the Barri Gotic area has a variety of unusual and more unique products.

NYC travel is excellent for Xmas shopping but if you want to stay or to travel in Europe and combine Xmas shopping with an excuse to get away then I'd recommend Barcelona. Flights depend on your departure location although most major airlines fly into Barcelona International airport. For Barcelona accommodation there are a few providers for holiday apartments and plenty of hotels.

Barcelona International Jazz Festival

2009-10-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

Barcelona Jazz Festival has now been underway for a week and runs through until the 6th December. There is plenty of time still to get tickets for some of the shows and if you are a fan of jazz then this is the biggest festival of its type in the Barcelona events calendar

There are some excellent performers lined up and some of the best include:

Roberto Giglio
Brad Mehldau Trio
Chick Corea
Soweto Gospel Choir

You can book tickets through the official event site at http://www.theproject.es/ and short-term holiday rentals specialists are proving Barcelona apartments for those needing accommodation.

Unusual Things to do in Barcelona on holiday

2009-10-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

You might want to visit Barcelona just to head to the beach and relax for a few days. Alternatively, you may be interested in spending a few days visiting every Gaudi attraction and site which time permits you to see. The Nou Camp Stadium tour and shopping are two other popular choices. You can though choose some more rather unusual options whilst on holidays.

Cocktail making classes - This is a quite new event which has fast gained popularity, particularly with stag and hen groups visiting Barcelona. The classes are organised to be a fun introduction to cocktail making and usually last a few hours. Everyone gets to try the skill and you also get to watch a pro doing it the way it should be done.

Pole Dancing classes - is an event one might not normally associate with a holiday but hen groups seem t love this event. It is an event which creates a large amount of laughing and leads very well into a night of bar hopping.

City Treasure Hunt - Popular with many groups visiting Barcelona, especially with corporate and team building groups. This gets people working together to find clues, as they go around the city of Barcelona. Great for getting people to work together in what for them is an alien environment.

Sitges and Day Trips from Barcelona

2009-10-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

There is so much to do and see in Barcelona that the idea of taking a day trip from Barcelona seems a crazy idea. Why visit outside of Barcelona when there is just so much to do and see in the city itself, including all of Gaudi's attractions, the beach and the shopping. Many people though love to get out of the big city for a day and their are in fact some good options.

Sitges - Looking at the first of the best of the day trips options from Barcelona, Sitges is in fact said to be the most expensive place to live in the whole of Spain. With a high percentage of million Euro homes, a coastal location and within commuting distance of central Barcelona, the appeal is clear.

Sitges is a small town and has a couple of excellent beaches and excellent community spirit. The town is especially popular with gay visitors and is considered the gay capital of Spain. The town also though is enjoyed by a number of families and straight couples and many popular festivals bring people in their numbers to Sitges.

Some events to watch out for:

Sitges Carnival (Normally February annually)
Catalonia International Film Festival
Annual Tango Festival

There are numerous things going on in Sitges and if only for the beaches and atmosphere, it is worth visiting. From Barcelona it is a direct 30-40 train ride.

Using Girona Airport to get to Barcelona

2009-09-25T13:01:00.000-07:00

A very common question which comes up is whether of not Girona aiport is any good to fly into for getting to Barcelona. The answers are fairly straight forward, with pros and cons for flying into Barcelona International and for flying into Girona airport.

Girona airport pros - The main benefit of flying into Girona aiport is that Ryanair fly there and this means for many people budget flight prices. This is the main reason people fly into Girona. There is also always a coach/bus waiting to transport people to downtown Barcelona and the coach fee is relatively low.

Cons - Girona is roughly 50 minutes drive from the centre of Barcelona as opposed to about 25 minutes from Barcelona international. You can often still get good prices flights into the main international airport. Sometimes though Ryanair prices are much much better.

The one problem is that it would be too costly for most people to get a taxi from Girona aiport and for many people this is a very convenient way to get straight to their hotel, after a flight.

Conclusion: Personally I do not worry whether I fly into Girona or Barcelona international. If prices are similar then I would choose Barcelona International. If costs savings are significant then do not be afraid to use Girona.

Tourist accommodation choices in Barcelona

2009-09-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

Having made the decision to visit Barcelona and having found some well priced budget flights, the next thing to normally take care is the accommodation. And it can be overwhelming.

There are many things to consider including:

Which area to stay in.
What type of accommodation to stay in.
How to book it.

Where to stay - In terms of where to stay in Barcelona it really depends on what you want. Las Ramblas is one of the most popular tourist areas. In terms of accommodation it can be a bit more expensive and noisy. On the other hand it is very central, connected by metro train and the centre of the action. Other areas you might want to consider are Borne and Eixample. Still very central but less hectic.

Type of accommodation: Again, it really depends on your needs. For the very budget conscious, there are several very good youth hostels in Barcelona to choose from. For short stays of 2 or 3 days, hotel accommodation is a good bet and companies such as bookings.com or expedia are good places to find decent prices. A fairly new and popular choice these days are holiday apartments. This option often gives you much more room and the chance to have a kitchen and proper living room included for your stay. Barcelona vacation rentals can be booked with a number of companies. Another option is Boutique Hotels for high end and unique accommodation and this is also becoming popular.

How to book - If you have Internet access these days, booking cannot be much easier and if online booking is not possible, then telephone booking will be possible.

Airports into Barcelona, Spain

2009-08-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

When travelling to Barcelona by far the most popular airport is Barcelona International, on the edge of the city at El Prat. There are though 2 other airports which are well worth considering, mainly because they mean the chance of cheaper flights.

Girona Airport - Situated by the city of Girona, this airport could perhaps by named Ryanair Airport because the budget airline dominate flights. If you book when there is a Ryanair sale then you might find the return flights very cheap if you choose Girona airport. There is a coach outside he airport which takes passengers for a small fee, to the centre of Barcelona.

Reus airport (also sometimes called Salou or Sitges airport) to the South of Barcelona is roughly 1 hour from central Barcelona and the airport has a bus running into Barcelona. This is another budget option and if you have the time then this is a great option for cheap flights.

Getting tickets for Barcelona games

2009-08-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Many people who visit Barcelona (particularly large stag groups and also corporate groups) are often keen to get tickets for an FC Barcelona game. As well as La Liga games (the Spanish league), there are also often Spanish Cup and European Champions League games to see at the Nou camp Stadium. Recent games have also included pre-season friendlies against teams such as Man City, England.

Getting tickets for FC Barcelona can sometimes be relatively simple and sometimes not so easy. A game such as Barcelona v Real Madrid for example is tougher. Normally though you can always get tickets and the trick I have found is to use of the affiliated agencies such as the English speaking and English run BarcelonaFootballTickets.com

By sticking with an affiliated company you know you are getting genuine tickets.
They will normally also deliver tickets to your hotel.

Below the affiliated badge for Barcelona Football Tickets. You can contact them on Telephone: 020 8133 2317 or see their site online.

Barcelona Local Transport thoughts....

2009-07-27T15:15:00.000-07:00

If you come here to Barcelona for a few days or week only, you might not have the time to work out the local Barcelona transport system so a few quick tips:

1. Barcelona Tourist buses: If you are looking to see a lot in a short time then consider one of the Barcelona Tourist buses. You can hop on and hop off at any stop and this enables you to easily to a lot of the main attractions.

2. Go-Cars: If you want to get around but in a fun way then you might want to try a Go-Car.

3. Barcelona Metro: The very best way to get around in the city is with the metro system, which is extensive, very cheap and safe. Make sure to buy a 10 ticket pass and reduce the costs even more.

Barcelona Zoo - join us at Parc de la Ciutadella

2009-07-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

Barcelona Zoo is in a great location (located in Parc de la Ciutadella and near to the old city center and near the beach. It is a beautiful zoo, where animals live in spacious pens. Until 2003, a white gorilla called “Floquet de Neu” (snowflake) was the major attraction of the zoo. The animal died in that year to skin cancer, but this albino gorilla still has its own website on the Internet. This is not only to keep the memory of snowflake alive, but also knowledge about the endangered gorillas across. There are descendants of the albino gorilla in the zoo, but none has inherited the unique properties of snowflake.

Even without snowflake a visit to the zoo is worth it. You will not only find hippos, lions, tigers and monkeys, but also animals that occur only in Spain. Examples are the Iberian ibex and the Iberian wolf. Very nice is the Dolphinarium. Behind glass you can see how the 'nut' swimming in the water and often they are just curious to the window to see who they are now back to peep.

Like most zoos do, the Barcelona Zoo in maintaining many endangered species. For example, in a special native center, animals are bred and later they are released into the Donana, a protected area in Catalonia. Furthermore, the zoo has electric cars, picnic areas and a mini train.
In the park surrounding the zoo is a large pond, where you can rent a rowing boat. Parc Zoològic in Parc de la Ciutadella (also entrance on Carrer de Wellington).

Opening hours: 10.00 - 18.00 (summer 7pm)
Admission: adults €14.95, children 3 to 12 years €9

Things worth seeing in Barcelona: Montjuic Fort

2009-06-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

Montjuic is a hill with a fort on the top, the Castell Montjuïc, and around a large park. The Parc Montjuïc was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1929, with beautiful gardens, the National Palace and sports. The stadium was rebuilt in 1989 for the Olympic Games, three years later. (nu lijkt het een beetje of je bedoelt dat het jaar 1989 3 jaar later is na 1929).

At night, the fountain at Plaça d'Espanya is a magnificent spectacle of light, music and water. Therefore it is called the Magic Fountain. In the summer, every half hour starts a new show, the first is at 21.30 the last at 23.30.

In the National Palace is the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya situated and shows the Catalan art from the 10th to the 20th century. Especially the collection of frescoes from various churches that have been reconstructed. Furthermore, the museum has many art nouveau works. Finally, Barcelona is the capital of the Spanish modernism. Price: €8.50

More modernism can be found in the Miro Museum (Fundacio Joan Miro). This surrealist artist known for its many bright colors that he used in his work: paintings, sculptures and tapestries. Price: €7.50.

The Castell Montjuic was built in 1640. This impressive fort now houses a military museum with old and new weapons, models of castles and military uniforms. Lovers of maps can enjoy the large collection of old military maps. Price: €2.50.

From the hilltop of Montjuic, you have a wonderful view of Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea. But there are more points in the park where you have a beautiful view, including from the botanical garden which is not so special.In the summer there are often open-air performances in the Parc Montjuïc: music, dance, theater and film.

The Palau de la Música Catalana

2009-06-02T15:33:00.000-07:00

The Palau de la Música Catalana is an amazing building in Barcelona. The Palau de la Música Catalana organizes daily guided tours for visitors to discover the impressive architecture in this building.

The building is being used for several concerts. The Palau de la Música Catalana organizes 359 concerts per year. It is built between 1905 and 1908 by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The Palau de la Música Catalana was meant as a headquarter for the Orfeó Català. The building is funded by donations and has a constitute and symbolic heritage.

The Palau de la Música Catalana is open from 10.00 until 15.30. There are several guided tours per day in different languages. The languages are Catalan, Spanish and English. All the guided tours start in the Foyer (bar) of Palau de la Música.

The entree price is 12 euro per person. For groups over the 25 people the entree price is 11 euro per person.

The Picasso Museum - Attractions Spotlight

2009-05-25T11:44:00.000-07:00

The Picasso Museum in the district of La Ribera is one of the most popular attractions of Barcelona. It is located in five mercantile houses which are connected and all have beautiful courtyards. The main entrance is in the Palau Berenguer d'Aguilar of the 15th century.

The museum gives a nice overview of the development of Pablo Picasso. His works hang in chronological order. The museum has many pieces from his earlier period, when he lived and worked in Barcelona.

There are also many works that Picasso made in his last period. The period 1907 - 1937 is less well represented. Unfortunately, because in this period he made very famous works. The real masterpieces you will not find in this museum, but the exhibition gives a good insight into how Picasso developed his own style. Besides paintings, the museum holds items of ceramics and graphic work of Picasso.

In a separate section of the museum you can see the changing exhibitions, but you have to pay an extra price for this. The museum is situated at Montcada 15-23, 08003 Barcelona. Opening hours: 10.00 - 20.00 (Monday closed) Price: €6.

The Joan Miro museum (el Fundació Joan Miró)

2009-05-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Best Museums in Barcelona series:

The Miró museum is a museum of modern art in Barcelona. The museum was built by Josep Lluis Sert, a friend of Miro, and was officially opened on the 10th of June in 1975. It has many paintings and sculptures by Joan Miró, but also from other modern artists.

The museum is owned by the Fundació Joan Miró and contains more than 200 paintings by Miró. The Most of these works are donated to the museum by Miro itself or by his wife. The museum includes also a library with more than 25,000 books and catalogs, audiovisual items and newspapers.

Joan Miró was born in 1893 in the Spanish Montroig, near Barcelona. Miró was a Catalan, Spanish painter, sculptor, graphic artist and ceramist. From childhood he began to draw, but later he also made paintings, sculptures, textile work, theatrical and monumental sculptures. Miro art is known for its original style and one of the big three, next to Picasso and Dalí, of the Spanish 20th-century Modern art. He is also seen as one of the most visual artists of the 20th century by many art critics. He worked in different styles and in his younger years he was inspired by the impressionistic work of Van Gogh. But after his meeting with Pablo Picasso, he changed for a small period to the Cubism style.

Finally, Joan Miró created, by the influence of surrealist writers and painters, a distinctive and unique style and is counted by the art of surrealism. This unique style of painting is a style that was never practiced by other people.

This style includes that the artist disconnects the technical objects of a spontaneous poetic dream world of their original function to enable them to integrate them in a graphic world. These organic figures world was dominated by the sexual issues, nature, the moon, the star, but also women. Spontaneous spring poetry is the main show.Joan Miró died in 1983 at an age of 93 years.

The museum Fundació Joan Miró is situated on the mountain Montjuic in Barcelona.

El Poble Espanyol

2009-05-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

The miniature city El Poble Espanyol is an open air museum, situated on the mountain of Montjuic. El Poble Espanyol is one of the remains of the international exhibition in 1929. This little town is a reflection of the Spanish architecture with real streets and squares. El Poble Espanyol is not available for cars and is a perfect place to relax. You can find here a lot of stores, restaurants and a few discotheques.

El Poble Espanyol was built in 1929 and was meant to create a real village in the middle of the city Barcelona. The purpose was to give an impression of an ideal model of a Spanish city including the most important characteristics of Spain in a surface of 49000 m2. To create this ideal Spanish city, 117 buildings, streets and squares were reproduced on scale. All of this pieces are carefully selected by the aesthetic criteria’s and which could be a part of the harmonious composition of this village.

When you are interested to visit El Poble Espanyol, there are several ways to reach the village. When you prefer to travel by metro, you can take the red L1 or the green L3 line to Espanya. There is also a train of Catalan Railroads FFCC to Espanya. But when you prefer to travel by bus, you can take bus 13, 50 or 61 to Poble Espanyol and Parc Montjuic. When you take the bus touristic, you can also step out at Poble Espanyol.

Tibidabo Tibidabo - Touring the mountains near Barcelona

2009-04-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

Tibidabo Tibidabo, the top of mountain Serra Collserola is the highest place of Barcelona. On this place you have a beautiful panoramic view over the city but there is also an attraction park and a church. From almost every spot in Barcelona you can see the highest point of the mountain and especially the church Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor.

The church is the eye catcher of the mountain and is the first thing you see when you step out the funicular (cable car). You can visit the church for free, only for the lift you will have to pay €2,-. But when you are not interested in the church, you can also visit the old attraction park. This park is not really changed since it opened its doors in 1899. Some attractions of that time are still working.

One of this attractions is the red airplane L’avió. This plane turns circles since 1928. One century ago, this airplane was used for flights between Barcelona and Madrid.

Transport The Tibibus brings you from Plaça Catalunya directly to the attractionpark Tibidabo. But you can also take the train to Avenida de Tibidabo, this is line L7. And from there you can take bus 195 who brings you to the funicular. But in place of this bus, you can also take the historic Tramvia Blau.

La Diada de Sant Jordi

2009-04-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

Would you like to celebrate Valentine's Day twice a year and you are planning a trip to Barcelona? April 23 is the best day for a trip to Barcelona. On this day LA DIADA de Sant Jordi is celebrated in Barcelona. This is the Spanish Valentine's Day. This is not an official day off for the Spanish people, but most people take a day off on this day. The Spanish tradition during this Valentine's Day is that a woman buys a book for her husband or boyfriend and the man gives a rose to his girlfriend or wife.

Since medieval times, the roses have been associated with this day, but the books are more a recent marketing stunt. In 1923, a bookseller started to promote this day as a way to remember the deaths of Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare on the 23st of April in 1616.

On this day, many dance and music events can be found in the city Barcelona and La Rambla is full of books and roses stalls. The national dance of Catalonia is shown on Plaça Sant Juane and in many bookstores and cafes readings and dedications are held. UNESCO has appointed this day in 1995 to World Book and Copyright Day.

Additionally, the 23st of April is the only day of the year that Palau de la Generalitat is open for public. In this building you can see huge paintings of roses in memorial to Saint George.

Bike Tours in Barcelona

2009-03-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

For the people who like to visit Barcelona in a very interactive way, then maybe a bike tour is a nice option.

ButgetBikes is a company that offers a couple of different bike tours around Barcelona. Barcelona is an excellent city to enjoy a bicycle tour. A tour guide will accompany you and explain about the culture and history of Barcelona along the route.

Gaudi tour - When you are interested in architectural buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi , you can choose for a cycling route that shows you all the highlights of Antoni Gaudi. Besides La Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló and Casa Mila by Gaudi, you will visit other less-well known but very interesting architecture in the city. Along the way, your guide will tell you the facts and history of Barcelona’s buildings. The main route leads through the centre of the city via the neighborhood Eixample. The trip will take 3 hours.

Flamenco tour - This cycling route takes you through a colorful part of Barcelona, La Barceloneta. During the bike tour, your guide will tell you everything about flamenco in Barcelona. This bike tour is included with a Flamenco Workshop. A professional flamenco dancer will learn you the basic of Flamenco dancing. This trip will take 4 hours.

Tapas Tour - This culinary cycling tour shows you Barcelona’s most characteristic Tapas-bars and restaurants. During a few stops at these tapas bars and restaurants, you can taste the Catalan Tapas. This trip takes you through El Raval, La Ribera, El Borne and La Barceloneta. Your guide will tell you everything about the delicious culinary culture of Spain. The tapas are not included in the price. This trip will take 3,5 hours.

Pink tours - BudgetBikes also offers a guided gay-tour by bicycle through Barcelona. Men and women are welcome to enjoy the route. This tour serves as a good preparation for approaching the nightlife, highlighting the hottest Bars and Discos in Barcelona. Also during this trip, you will see some cultural aspects, some spectacular 19th century Barcelonese Modernist-style architecture and visit some gay bookstores in Barrio Gotico. This trip will take 3 hours.

Riding the Montjuic Cable car

2009-03-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

Barcelona has several attractions. But when you would like to have the best view of Barcelona, you must take the cable car. There are 2 cable cars. The Transbordador Aeri Del Port cable car

The Transbordador Aeri Del Port connects the port with the tip of the Montjuïc by a large cable car. The cable car is opened every day from 10.30 to 18.00 hours until the end of June, from the 1st of July to 12st of September from 10:30 to 20:00, until October 17 to 19:00 and in winter from 10.30 to 18:00 hours. A one way ticket costs € 7.50 and a return ticket costs € 9, -.
Montjuïc Cable car

El Telefèric the Montjuïc is a special transport to reach the important places for culture and sport on the Montjuïc hill. In 1968, there was a plan to make a connection between the mountain path (Avenida Miramar) and the top of the hill (the Castle). The opening took place in 1970.
The Telefèric the Montjuïc connects the lower station of the Funicular to the top of the Montjuïc mountain, located in the western part of Barcelona.

The cable car gives you a magnificent view over the city, this is all worth it. A trip takes five minutes and then you are on top of the mountain, the Castell (castle) the Montjuïc, where you have a beautiful view over the sea. The cable car consists of 64 cabins, each with a capacity of 4 persons and a route of 815 meters. During the ride (Miramar-Castle) there is a stop at a vantage point. There is a slope of 99 meters between the two sections. Admission: € 3.40 one way, € 4.80 return, children € 3.70 return. The cable car is open every day from 11.00 to 19.15 hours and in the summer even until 21.00.

The Spanish and the Salsa in Barcelona

2009-03-17T09:41:00.000-07:00

Would you like to have a holiday in Barcelona, but you have seen the sights of Barcelona already and is it time for something new?

Think of a Spanish language course in combination with salsa lessons. For almost everyone it is possible to learn the Spanish language and to learn salsa dancing. Especially with a sense of language and feeling for rhythm it cannot be a problem. There is made a program per week. The program for each week is as follows; you will receive 20 Spanish lessons and 5 Salsa lessons.

With this high frequency of lessons you will progress quickly. You have Spanish classes in the morning or in the evening from Monday to Friday. In this way you have enough time to explore the city or go to the beach. You get 1 Salsa lesson per day from Monday to Friday and you have at least two times per week the opportunity to practice your salsa dance in one of the many salsa clubs in Barcelona. During the salsa lessons, you will change regularly from dance partner so you learn to know your classmates better.

The duration of 1 Spanish lesson is 50 minutes. The duration of 1 salsa lesson is 60 minutes. The accommodation where you stay is your choice, ranging from a guest family to a hotel room or apartment. Associated with these different types of accommodation, the catering is also varied from self-catering until 3 full meals per day.
The price for a course in Spanish with salsa lessons, based on 1 week, is 380 euro.

Diving with sharks in Barcelona

2009-03-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

The aquarium “L’Aquàrium Barcelona” is situated in the port of Barcelona. This attraction is suitable for young and old. Thousands of large and small fishes are swimming around in large basins. There are three water tanks. One is used for the ocean and can be seen in the Oceanarium. This basin includes 4 million liters of water. Two other tanks are devoted for the tropical waters and the Mediterranean Sea. There are special tunnels where you can walk through. You have the idea that you are really under water and that the fishes swim next to you.

Experienced divers can swim in the aquarium with sharks. But there are a couple of conditions. First of all, you must follow a course where you learn all about sharks and their behavior. After that you go into the basin and discover the 15 sharks who swimming around, a unique experience. Of course, you must be in good condition and take your diver license with you.
The activity includes three parts.

Part one is a guided tour. You make a guided tour in L’Aquàrium Barcelona and see a lot of different sharks such as the black tip reef shark, the sandbar shark and the sand tiger shark. Part two is the theoretical class. The course has different parts in relation with the sharks and their behavior and habitats. Part three is the dive in the Oceanarium. After all the information about the sharks, their behavior and the rules for in the basin, you can make your dive and discover all the theory about the sharks in real. This is an unique experience.

This shark dive is only intended for qualified divers, the maximum number of people is 4 divers per dive. Only on Wednesdays and in the weekends you can make this dive. The price for this shark dive is Euro 300. This price includes the guided tour of L’Aquàrium de Barcelona, theoretical class on sharks, dive in the Oceanarium, diving equipment and material, souvenir of the activity, insurance and free entrance to L’Aquàrium for 2 people.

25th birthday of Desigual, Barcelona.

2009-02-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

For the people who have the idea go to Barcelona, there you can find the exclusive brand, Desigual. Desigual is a Catalan brand and has its 25th birthday this year.

Desigual stands for ‘be different’. The collection always has a playful touch and contains many original prints. Desigual has got many colors in the collection. The designs are very feminine and that is where the customers are looking for. Everyone chooses the pieces that fit the best in their personal style and that is perfectly possible in this large collection of Desigual.

This brand is very popular in Barcelona. In 2008, this Catalan brand won the ‘Mapic Eg Retail Award’ for the best retail concept of 2008. It is going very well with this brand. Desigual is for a couple of years already very well presented on the trendy fashion fair ‘Bread and Butter’. They have also opened store after store and so grow very fast. Recently, Desigual has also opened its first store in the Kalverstraat in Amsterdam. All the stores of Desigual are designed by local street artists.

What is so different on this brand in comparison with other brands?The different lies in the tops, designs, prints and in the combination of colors. In Belgium, where Desigual has also some retail points, the clothes are offered in stores with more than one brand. Desigual fits perfect in this picture, but knows how to create another view in relation with other brands.

Sitges Carnival Barcelona

2009-01-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

Every year thousands make their way to Sitges, known as the wildest carnival in Spain.
Visit Barcelona in February, and prepare for a wild party.

Sitges is only a few minutes away from the center of Barcelona, on the Coast of Garraf. Sitges is known as one of Barcelona´s most romantic hide a ways, with its charming atmosphere at night. This interesting historic quarter, has an extensive cultural calendar, making it the perfect destination for all ages. Sitges are very famous for their Catalan cuisine, and will impress anyone’s taste buds.

Jueves Lardero ("Fatty Thursday") would be the first day of the gargantuan celebration, when all local food dishes are displayed and tasted. This carnival starts off with the celebration of food, but be sure to prepare for the Sunday and the Tuesday, when the parades are starting down the Rúa del Extermini in their decorated carriages. Be sure to have your camera ready to capture a moment of this wonderful event.

This may be a winter carnival, but surely an event not to be missed, seeing that this is guaranteed to be the most popular carnival held in Barcelona.

3 Cities for the New year - City Breaks

2008-12-16T06:36:00.000-08:00

The New Year will soon be here and everyone will be thinking about City Breaks. Being here in Barcelona we certainly would put Barcelona in the top 3. talking to the other writers of this blog, our top 3 is:

Barcelona (of course :)
Paris
Venice

Why Barcelona, Paris and Venice?

Barcelona: Apart from where we live and love, there is so much to do and see in Barcelona regardless of the weather. In the winter months when you want to take a short-break, Barcelona thus offers a great place. Visit Gaudi's museums, go shopping, sit and read a book in a cafe.

Paris: Similarly, Paris (and London also come to that) offers so much to do and see especially in terms of museums and galleries. In the colder weather you there is plenty to do indoors.

Venice: More of an outdoors place but in the colder months it is far less crowded than in summer time and nothing is more romantic than a hot steaming cup of coffee in the the winter months in St.Mark's Square.

You can check flights with airlines such as Ryanair and Venice accommodation rentals online.

Dine and Mime in Barcelona, Spain

2008-12-15T04:42:00.000-08:00

Dine in a different way when silence comes to life following a mime when he expresses the tastes of Spanish dish. Surely a restaurant taking dining to a different level, Mime, located in Barcelona. In Restaurant Mime, mime is the only way of communication, and this is what makes the experience different. Miming is a way of expression, whether using abstract or literal miming; here they express it in both ways.

MIM is not only a restaurant but offers dancing, circus entertainment and a after hour night club, making it the perfect location for the entire evening. Whether you are a Vegetarian or Vegan Mime is one of the few restaurants that offer a variety of dishes, that caters for more than just the average diet, complimented with a excellent variety of Catalonian wines.

People leave Mime with wide smiles on their faces, as the art of miming lights up their visit to one of the many interesting venues in Barcelona.

The La Tamborrada Festival 19 January 2009

2008-12-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

Come join in the fun when thousands of people get together for one of Spains largest festivals.
The La Tamborrada Festival on the streets of San Sebastian, Spain

This Festival, also known as the ¨midnight to midnight¨festival, is one of the largest held in Spain, but also the shortest and most intense.

The day of San Sebastian, 20th January, the citizens of San Sebastian celebrate the feast of their patron saint in style. For 24 hours, day and night, the sound of drums can be heard throughout the city. Nearly 11,500 adults, men and women, and 4,600 children, dressed as soldiers, cooks or water carriers take to the streets with their respective music group.

With Uniformed marchers, parading the streets of San Sebastian, representing their own societies. Un like other cultural events, the La Tamborrada, is the way the people celebrate their culture and take pride in a tradition that dates back 1720.

This festival is not only for the Spanish people of San Sebastian, but every year thousands of visitors join in with their own drums and barrels, and other festive activities .

Come and bring your drums, and be part of one the largest traditional events held in Spain.

Christmas in Barcelona

2008-11-10T05:32:00.000-08:00

The real Christmas picture of illuminated streets and a lot of snow in Barcelona you will not soon encounter. Over the past 12 years it only snowed once in winter, for half hour in February. The average temperature in December is still between 10 and 15 degrees. But, the Catalan capital in the winter months, like all large cities has a real Christmas atmosphere. The streets are lit and weeks before Christmas really starts, there are already Christmas markets.

Santa Llúcia Market in Sagrada Família - Market While the streets are beautifully decorated and illuminated, many parts of the city are preparing to warmly welcome the holidays. Also at Plaza de la Catedral, the establishment of the Santa Llúcia market from early December until December 24th the Chrismas markets take place. The market stalls offer a remarkably complete range of Christmas supplies, decorations and figurines. Between all the classic figures like Joseph and Mary, you will find the 'Caganer. " This figure represents a real Catalan peasant from a barren carmine (a traditional Catalan hat) bears.

The Santa Llúcia market on the Plaza de la Catedral, as the market next to the Sagrada Família offer a large selection of handmade items, such as bracelets, rings, lamps and clothes. Also thinking of traveling Amsterdam over Xmas?

Build your own Human Tower in Catalunya

2008-10-20T03:30:00.000-07:00

One event I tried last week and which I really enjoyed was a Human Towers group event with friends. This event dates back 250 years and still goes on as a tradition in Catalunya (Spain). This is a perfect teambuilding activity and now accessible to everyone.

Human towers can have as little as 30 participants and as much as 300! Surely this is an experience that you will never forget and what better place to do it, then in Barcelona, Spain.

BCN Adventure is just one of the companies that offer fully trained instructors, who will help to build your human tower. BCN also offer a number of other Large group events in Barcelona.

World Architecture Festival

2008-09-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

Do not forget that in Barcelona, from 22nd to the 24th October, the World Architecture Festival will be held in Barcelona. Here you can see some of the world’s greatest buildings presented live in Barcelona. During the festival you can meet the architects.

Every architect shortlisted in the WAF Awards will give a live presentation, battling to become category winners. You have the ability to listen to the stories behind the buildings of the year, get presentation tips and see 17 different building type entries.

There are a total of 722 submissions from 63 countries in the Awards Entry Gallery.
Tickets are €225 and the festival is located on Rambla Prim 1-17
For more information please visit: www.worldarchitecturefestival.com/

Festes de la Merce - Barcelona

2008-09-09T12:02:00.000-07:00

Living in Barcelona for about 7 months I can surely say that Barcelona is a city of hundreds various faces. Designed to serve every need of tourists it combines the main commercial attractions without losing its origin and abundance of culture.

The “Festes de la Merce” is an amazingly interesting annual festival that is unique for Barcelona and takes place on September 24th. In those days the inhabitants of the capital of Catalonia celebrate the day of their patron, the Virgin de la Merce.

Many events from 22nd leading up to 24th are the result of their pride in their ancestry. They include the parade of the giants when a procession through the streets is made up for giant wooden figures as well as sport events, musical performances and fantastic firework. There is no better occasion to introduce oneself to Cava ... Catalonia's very own champagne!

One highlight are the human towers typical for Catalonia and the competition between the different groups of them. I would recommend you to go to “Placa de Sant Jaume” where the participants in traditional costumes (“castellers”) climb on top of each other until they can hold no more. Those human towers often reach a level of eight people!

To make sure you are not going to miss the main events go to the tourist information office above Plaza Catalunya (opposite Corte Inglés) and take a flyer so that you will know exactly where and when everything is taking place. This festival is a unique chance to discover Barcelona’s original side!

Barcelona is Gaudí!

2008-08-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

Born in 1852 as a son of a coppersmith who suffered from a rheumatic illness, what caused the inability to play with other boys, Antonio Gaudí developed an impressing eye for nature and its forms.

If you are planning to do a trip to Barcelona you will be surprised that this huge city is pockmarked with many masterpieces of this unique architect. Some of them are hidden by the noisy life and the high buildings of Barcelona, but still they are an eye catcher for everybody that passes the way from the famous “Plaza Catalunya” up the northern part of Barcelona.

To visit all of them you would need to stay at least 2 days. Not just because there are lots of other tourists that have the same objective; no, you will realize after a few minutes that you can find in every corner something new and unique. With its strong influence of nature and the stunningly adorable variety of shapes and forms “Gaudí’s Barcelona” is to be considered as one of most beautiful cities in the world.

I will give you a short recommendation for how to divide your stay to nit get overwhelmed by the amazing ambience of Gaudí’s masterwork:

Day 1 in Barcelona:

Start journey at “Plaza Catalunya” (not too late; other tourists!)
Enjoy the walk along “Passeig de Gracía” and you will find after 5 minutes the first master piece of Gaudí, Casa Batlló.
Continue strolling on the Barcelona Broadway (how I call “Passeig de Gracía” J) where all the famous designer settled down and after 10 minutes you will have (my favorite) Casa Milá, “La Pedrera” (“The stone pit”) to your right. Here you will not only be able get a very close experience of Gaudí’s work, you can also buy tickets for miscellaneous events on its top. We have been there for a jazz night. Awesome!
If you still have time and you feel beauty take the metro to “Sagrada Familia”. This huge and very impressing cathedral is still under construction, but REALLY worth to see. Half Gaudí, half modernism and a fantastic view over all Barcelona from its top.

Day 2 in Barcelona:

Take all the time you need to visit “Parc Güell”!!! You will need a lot of time to see everything, BUT take it and enjoy a cold beer or ice cream in the unique ambience that one of the most ingenious virtuosos of architecture has created and you will assume that “Antonio Gaudí is Barcelona”.

Download a free guide Barcelona Guide! You can also book Vacation Rentals in Barcelona online.

A beer or not two beers: Barcelona Bars

2008-08-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

The night life in Barcelona is a heady mix of people from all around the world all together in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe. That’s why you can find whatever you looking for, from a seedy jazz bar to the deepest trash after party.

One of the most popular areas in town is the bario gottico where you can spent all week without calling your family. No news good news and the only two things to think about is where to decide to hang out and how to hide your wallet from the many sneaky pick-pockets around the city. Unfortunately this is one of the favourite sports in town but it’s nothing to be scared about because the rules are simple discretion.

After you got your bearings, like every tourist on their first day, they head to the ramblas. This is definitely not the right place to eat but you can start
you evening going to the Boadas cocktail bar, the best place to get a proper liquid cuisine. The Boadas has been there since 1940 and is located just by the Ramblas,and has managed to retain its original charm.

The Boades: tallers,1 barcelona 08001 tel.34 93 318 9592.
Then why not go to the most authentic place to drink absinthe, the legendary Marsella which is probably the oldest bar in town 1820. Don’t worry if you see Miro, Picaso or Memmingway at the bar and they used to be frequent clients of this bar but it would be time to leave as the hallucinatory absinthe is doing what it’s suppose to do.

Marsella: sant pau 65 barcelona 08001 tel.
After all that we need to move our bodies a bit. The pubs close around 3am and no one is in the clubs before two. So take it easy and take a walk to Placa Real which is a nice place to find what you looking for. One of the most popular places is called the Jamboree and it’s open till 5 in the morning so you have all night to enjoy. Here they play R&B, HIP POP, POP HOP, INTERNATIONAL JAZZ and FUNCKI BLUES.

Jamboree: Plaza Real,17 barrio gothico
You can choose also to go to the most underground club from the barrio which is the ideal place to take the pulse of the city music scene. Intimate techno club right in the heart of the gottico. This regular label night is jumping from 3am and you’ll find the dj spinning virtually in the middle of
the dancefloor – Don’t expect to get in if you come making noise at the front of the Macarena club

Macarena: nou de sant francesc,5 barcelona 08002
So now you have a circuit of nightlife and there are a thousand more to choose from but it’s not possible for us to mention all of them all.

If you don’t want to go out and someone asks you to go for a quick beer don’t trust them as it’s never ever going to be just one. You may finish at 6 am asking you what happened between. The difficulty in Barcelona is not where to go out but how not to. Good luck...

Restaurants with a View

2008-07-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

A picnic at 85 meters in the sky

Enjoy a pasta salad and a glass of while with your loved one in a cable car. Now it is possible in Barcelona at the cable car of Montjuïc. La Caseta del Migdia, the terrace of Montjuïc, organizes together with the TMB and Moritz every Tuesday a picnic in the air.

The first cabins with picnic baskets leave at 9 PM and the ride takes about 1 hour. Tickets are 40 Euros per person and you can reserve them at Goulaffres (Carrer de Londres 103) or by phone +34 93 423 54 34. The picnic basket is included in the price.

Picnic in the sky: every Tuesday until the 23rd of September starting at 9 PM.

Les Festes de la Mercè 2008

2008-07-07T04:14:00.000-07:00

On September 19th Barcelona once again celebrates its Patron Saint Festival. Like a last explosion before autumn, La Mercè is a Festival of festivals, which concentrates in a few days hundreds of activities such as the following:

Barcelona Musical Action: to discover new sound proposals
Barcelona Street Arts: with artists who perform within reach of the audience
The Festival of Tradition: human towers, capgrossos (dwarves with big heads), giants and an entire menagerie of festive animals, accompanied by guests from Mediterranean countries.
The Festival in the Sky: acrobatic gathering including jets, balloons and gliders.
The Festival of Fire: all types of sparks, from the pyrotechnical music show to the correfoc (literally a fire-run).

The etcetera is long, and tends to include over 500 activities which gives something to appeal to everyone. La Mercè is the festival of a thousand faces. The festival lasts until 24 Spetember.

Montserrat - Travelling outside of Barcelona

2008-06-03T08:33:00.000-07:00

Montserrat, a Benedictine monk mountain retreat, is the highlight of most tourists visiting Barcelona, just one hour by train. The name translated would be “jagged” or “sawed mountain” and comes from its one-of-a-kind geological formation which is visible even from a far distance.

Just as well, the story about Montserrat is unique: Some shepherd children saw a light in the mountain and heard angels singing just in this moment. After telling their parents, they went to have a look what this is about and called in a religious clergy man who saw and heard the same as the children and parents before. They all explored the cave where it seemed to come from and found an image of the Virgin Mary. Nowadays, the cave is a holy sanctuary for religious pilgrims.

In addition you can visit the Benedictine abbey which is famous for its boy´s choir and school of music. You can hear a performance every day at 1 p.m. for free, except of Christmas, July and some other festival dates. Another sight is the monastery where monks kept on celebrating marriages and baptism in Catalan during Franco’s regime. It was also a refuge for some Catalan nationalists hiding.

If you’re not into sightseeing, walk along the passes through the mountains and you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views of some of the strangest rock formations and a wonderful countryside.

Barcelona is a good place to base yoursefl for day trips to Monserrat as there are many tours to Monserrat from Barcelona. Barcelona apartments can be rented in the centre of Barcelona if you wish to have a Barcelona base.

When it rains in Barcelona.....

2008-05-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

So you have booked your flights, accommodations and packed all your beach gear for your sunny holiday to Barcelona. You step off the plane wearing sunglasses anxiously awaiting the warm breeze of the Mediterranean only to discover it’s raining like cats and dogs outside. Uggh! Although quite seldom that it rains in Barcelona, if you happen to arrive on a damp day, all is not lost for your holiday. Barcelona has numerous museums for all ages and interests.

There is the world famous Picasso Museum in the Borne which offers unique exhibition throughout the year. The Miro museum on Montjuic is a popular venue. Don´t miss the La Pedrera, Gaudi´s apartment building which offers tours in half a dozen languages. For the kids, go to the impressive Aquarium located in Port Veil or check out the indoor exhibits at the Zoo in Parc Ciutadella, Barcelona.

For football fans, a rainy day is perfect for the notorious FC Barcelona museum located at the enormous stadium. If you are in the mood for some music to lift your spirits, be sure to see the UNESCO heritage site, Palau de Musica which offers daily performances in the glorious, mosaic amphitheater. Chances are, if you managed to see only a fraction of these suggestions, the weather has broken and it´s time to head to the beach or the terrace for some sun! Enjoy...

Cataluña MotoGP near Barcelona

2008-05-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

Still one of the biggest sport events in Spain is the MotoGP. Before Fernando Alonso entered the Formula 1, it was even the biggest racing event in Spain. Also amongst the drivers it is one of the most popular circuits. On the 8th of June the event takes place on Circuit the Cataluña, the circuit near Barcelona. The race attracts holiday makers as well as fans of the motorsport.

In 1992 the European Motorcycle Grand Prix took place at the same venue and from 1995 this annual event became known as the Cataluña Moto GP. The circuit is one of motor sport's most popular testing grounds allowing teams to become very familiar with its long straights and its range of corners.

The track of the Circuit de Catalunya is 4.727km long consisting of 5 left and 8 right corners as well as a long straight of 1047m on which the MotoGP riders reach higher speeds than their Formula 1 counterparts. For more information about the MotoGP: http://www.motogp.com/

For Barcelona accommodation for the event you can try Holiday Velvet

Corpus Christi in Barcelona

2008-04-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

In June Barcelona is going to celebrate Corpus Christi which is a Christian festival from 1320 honoured throughout the country with street parties and processions of giants and big-headed carnival figures known as 'Cabezudos' that converge around the cathedral area in the centre of the city. The Corpus Christi procession, which for centuries was the real fiesta major of Barcelona, has been the source of many dances and elements of the city's festive imagery. Since 1992, the present procession has included giants and dwarves, the Eagle, the Lion, the Dragon and many other beasts.

During the celebration of the L'ou com Balla, or "dancing egg" festival, which dates from the 16th century, an emptied eggshell is perched above a stream of water issuing from one of the city's many fountains, which are decorated with fragrant flowers in rich reds and pretty pinks, symbolising the passage of time and the cycle of life. Under the water jet, the egg appears to dance in mid-air in this trompe l'oeil spectacle. The white eggshell symbolises the body of Christ and, with the flowing water, is a symbol of renewal. If the egg does not break, it is said to mean good luck for the year ahead.

Anyone who wants to can admire this old tradition at the fountain of Sant Jordi in the Cathedral cloister, in the parish church of Santa Anna, at the Museu Marès and Ca l'Ardiaca, and other places.

Summer Festivals in and near Barcelona, Spain

2008-04-08T09:38:00.000-07:00

Summertime in Europe is not only about touring historical cities and sipping coffee in beautiful plazas, it’s also about music! And no other country or city for that matter offers more opportunities to see great acts like Barcelona.

The city along the sea is notorious for holding epic outdoor shows - the most famous being the Sonar festival in mid-June. However, if you are looking for something a bit grittier and underground – than don´t miss the Primavera Sound Festival from May 29-May 31st. The festival tends to lean towards more grungy rock acts than the standard DJ sets that are so often found in Europe.

Last year’s big names included the Smashing Pumpkins, The White Stripes, Wilco and Modest Mouse. On tap this year: Dinosaur Jr., Portishead, Public Enemy, De la Soul and dozens more. The concert is set in a fantastic venue along the beach. Parc Forum was completed a few years ago and designed to hold large events like the Primavera. The space incorporates several different areas along the water that serve as individual amphitheatres. The backdrop is stunning and makes the experience that much more unique.

If this is of interest be sure to check out the Primaverasound Festival website for more details:
And for a perfect Barcelona apartment for you and your mates, Holiday-Velvet.

Mobile info about Barcelona

2008-03-27T03:14:00.000-07:00

When you visit a new city for a holiday, most of the time you don’t know if there are some events going on during your stay. Also when you would like to go out and eat at a nice restaurant, but you only remember the name.

In Barcelona they found a simple and smart solution for this problem. The municipality provides this information and more through your mobile phone. If you would like to use the information you can surf on your mobile phone to Barcelona.mobi The information is provided in Spanish, Catalan and English.
A view of the options you can choose:

City map
Museums & exhibitions
Restaurants
Music & drinks
Tourist guide
Useful phone numbers

Now you don’t have to get lost or bored anymore in Barcelona.

Cheap flights to Barcelona

2008-03-19T07:16:00.000-07:00

Some quick flights news I have just come across is that Ryanair are offering FREE flights to Barcelona although you have to book in the next day or so and flights are limited. I checked a few minutes ago and there were still some available.

The best flights checker is www.flightchecker.moneysavingexpert.com/ as you can check price entering the maximum price you are willing to pay!

This is a great time now for visiting Barcelona with spring on its way. At this time of year you might still sometimes needs jacket but there are many days where it may be full sunny days and warm enough to sit outside in the cafes and bars.

Barcelona airports

2008-03-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

If you are planning to fly into Barcelona you may be slightly confused about the choices of airport. Should you fly into Barcelona International, Reus or Girona aiport? All are marketed as supplying flights to Barcelona so which is the best?

Barcelona International airport is in El Prat and is the most central and the biggest and most popular. If you are able to fly into this airport it is your best bet, if you are staying in Barcelona itself. The airport is about 30 minutes drive from the centre of Barcelona.

Girona airport is often marketed by budget airlines as Girona Barcelona airport and it is still a very good option if you want to get a very good priced flight to Barcelona. There are coaches usually outside to meet each flight and for a nominal fee you can jump on the coach and be in Barcelona central bus station in about 50 minutes.

Reus airport is South of Barcelona and is similar to Girona airport in that it is about 50 minutes drive and pretty much serves the budget airlines and is still a viable option.

Trips from Barcelona: Diving in Ibiza

2008-02-25T08:07:00.000-08:00

Diving isn’t generally on the list of activities when you go to Ibiza but for as little as 30 euros, The Sea Horse Sub-Aqua Center at Playa Ports des Torrent can take you to the Cala d’Hort Marine natural reserve to enjoy some of the best diving in the Mediterranean Sea. I went diving there a few weeks ago and loved it and found crew there to be very kind and helpful so its one place I'd recommend for diving in Spain.

With up to 35 meters of visibility, the water is some of the clearest around the island. You can swim around caves & colourful canyons looking for morays and conger eels while admiring the beautiful sponges and coral. Courses for as little as 55 euros are also on offer so if you fancy doing something else than sitting around drinking margaritas, go pay them a visit. http://www.seahorsedivingibiza.com/ +34 971 346 438

For flights to Ibiza from Barcelona try Clickair and for Ibiza diving accommodation including Ibiza Town accommodation you can try Holiday Velvet. You can also learn more about summer jobs in Ibiza online.

Ham Tasting in Barcelona

2008-02-19T03:26:00.000-08:00

When is comes to ham, the Spanish really know their stuff. There’s no better way to learn more about this speciality than to go and visit one of Maria Jose Gil’s ham tasting sessions in Barcelona. Born into a family of butchers she first started running these sessions 6 years ago and from originally 1 every three months, she now organises two a week in private venues across the city.

To learn more about Bellota or Jabugo ham, you can learn her secrets while enjoying some of the best ham on offer while washing it down with a glass of or two. Prices depend on the size of your group but for more information you can email silver@silvercatering.com

Irish Pubs Barcelona

2008-02-12T07:13:00.000-08:00

The Irish pubs are a well known bars over the world. Also in Barcelona there are over 20 of these bars. Each one with its own style and concept, but all Irish pubs have something in common: the screening of sporting events and British and imported beers.

Playing an important social role, both in the urban areas and the workers' zones of Ireland and GB, the public houses can be traced back to medieval times. They were, afterwards, transplanted to America, when and where , the largest immigrant communities settled down. The Irish Pubs nowadays has become a meeting point for the English speaking people, foreigners and tourists from all origins.

In many of the Irish Pubs there is live music, but mostly only from Monday until Friday, the Flann O'Brien Irish Pub therefore offers live music on Friday and Saturdays from 11.30 PM
Because there are so many of the Irish pubs in Barcelona it is hard to say which one is the best. You can find more information on the Michael Collins Irish pub in Barcelona and Flaherty´´s Irish Bar for a list of their live gigs. Learn more about holiday rentals in the Eixample, Barcelona area.

Spanish delicacy

2008-02-05T06:01:00.000-08:00

Spain is known for it’s climate, beaches culture and the great cities. But there is more. The Spanish kitchen has some famous dishes. For example the tapas, paella, gazpacho and of course the Spanish wines. And where can you better eat this delicacy than in Spain it self.

A typically Spanish tapas dish, a little less known by foreigners, is the patatas bravas. In fact fried potaoes with a spicy sauce. In the beginning only eaten by students and factory workers, but nowadays it is a tapas eaten by all Spaniards.

For only a few euros you can buy the patatas bravas in local tapas bars, but in the more famous restaurants, like the Artz Hotel in Barcelona, you pay up to 16 euros. A recipe for the patatas bravas can be found at www.spain-recipes.com/patatas-bravas.html. Many UK tourists find staying in an area such as Alicante can be ideal for visiting Spain and trying out Spanish food, with numerous budget flights available with airlines including Easyjet and Ryanair.

Contributor: Symon Oevering

Formula 1 Circuit de Cataluña: Spanish Grand Prix

2008-01-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

The Formula 1 season is almost starting again. And before that, all the teams take several tests. These test can be visited for a small price compare to the real race.

The next test is planned in Barcelona on circuit de Cataluña from the 1st to 3rd February. The price is 6 Euros for a day and the timetables are 10:00 h - 13:00 h / 14:00 h – 17:00 h.

The actual race on the circuit takes place on 27th April. And those tickets have a 123 Euros starting price. So if you would like to see Formula 1 cars in Spain in action someday I would suggest you take a look at the tests. The circuit can easily be accessed by train or by car. The actual Formula 1 season starts in Australia (Albert Park) on 16th March. Do NOT leave booking your Barcelona F1 accommodation too late! Contributor: Symon Oevering

Frequent flyer program Vueling

2008-01-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of frequent flyer programs out there, but not so many for low budget airlines. Vueling thereby has a program called Punto. And like other frequent flyer programs you will receive points which can be exchanged into free flights.

You will receive 1 point by booking and purchasing a flight for every €2 paid. After you collected 500 points you get a one-way ticket for free and a return ticket requires 1000 points. You will also receive points by using a gift voucher, using your Vueling Visa or by booking a car. The points will expire after three years, but if you not added any points within a year they will also expire.

So if you are a frequent flyer in Europe from or to Spain, I would consider joining the program which you can easily subscribe to online. Once you have signed up for Vueling, why not then also book your Barcelona, Rome or Paris accommodation.

Contributor: Symon Oevering

Parque de la Ciutadella, in Barcelona

2008-01-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

During the weekends families, students, couples and seniors seem to meet in the Parque de la Ciutadella in order to celebrate life. As soon as the sun comes out and it is getting warm, you can see fathers playing football with their sons, little girls running over the playground and old men playing Petanca.

Couples are lying in the grass, students sitting under the streets, presumably studying, and others juggle with pins and balls accompanied by musicians playing their instruments and singing their songs.

In a different place young people learn dancing salsa and right next to them some women gather together exchanging cooking recipes. You can also take a rowing boat enjoying the sun on the water or sit down and have a coffee watching over the events.

If you need a relaxing place in Barcelona where you can be just yourself, the Parque de la Ciutadella is the right spot for you.
- By Jette Winkler

Barcelona Metro

2008-01-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

Probably the best way to travel in Barcelona is to take the metro. Almost the entire city is connected. In total there are 9 metro lines, 5 of the TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona) and 3 lines of the FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya) and by 2012 the network extends and is the airport also connected. At this moment the 5 lines of the TMB count 116 stations and the track is 83.54 km long

Because of a lot of traffic during rush hour, many employees also take the metro to get to work. The metro rides very frequently, most of the time within 3 or 4 minutes during the day time.
The metro is open every day from 5 am until 12 pm, on Fridays from 5 am until 2 am and the Saturdays and the night before bank holidays the metro rides all night. The Saturday metro was introduced as a test in April and so far 2.2 million people have taken the night metro. Learn more about Barcelona travel.

Flight Options for Barcelona

2008-01-07T05:49:00.000-08:00

For cheap and accessible flights to and from Barcelona there are a few carriers who stand above the rest. If you want to fly directly in El Prat, BCN´s main airport, there are several nice options from the UK, Italy, Germany.

UK: - Easyjet: http://www.easyjet.com/

Newcastle
All London airports
Bristol
East midlands
Liverpool

Italy: - Vueling: http://www.vueling.com/

Milan
Rome
Venice
Paris

Germany: - German Wings: http://www.germanwings.com/

Berlin
Munich
Cologne
Hamburg
Stuttgart

Asia

Tokyo, Japan
Bangkok, Thailand
Seoul, Korea.

Once you have booked your Barcelona flight, you might then wish to check Barcelona rental apartments. Travelling to Barcelona for a corporate event?

Things to do in Barcelona, Spain

2007-12-19T09:57:00.001-08:00

One things which I always enjoy doing every time I visit Barcelona is to go and see an FC Barcelona game at the Nou Camp stadium, hence I always check the fixtures before booking my flights.

The Barcelona v Real Madrid game next week is one game I got to see last year and it is great to see see these two teams battlling it out at the Nou Camp. You can always usually get tickets from Barcelona Football Tickets, who do tickets for FC Barcelona and also RCD Espanyol.

FC Barcelona this season have been struggling a bit but with a win next week over Real Madrid, Barcelona would narrow the gap to one point, going into the New Year. Lose and Real Madrid will have a 7 point lead so its a big big game coming up on the weekend. Don't forget to check Barcelona Rentals.

Unique Christmas Traditions in Catalunya, Spain

2007-12-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

Every region has their own distinct traditions around the holidays. Leaving cookies for Santa Claus, lighting candles, incense around sacred spots. However, none may be as bizarre as the Catalan tradition of Caga Tio.

The tradition for kids begins after El Dia de Inmaculada and or Dec 8th and leads up until Christmas Eve or Day. A long wooden log is brought into the house that is painted and decorated to look like an animal of sorts. The myth goes that the animal dwells all year in the woods until Dec. 8th when he moseys onto your doorstep. The children bring him inside and nourish him for the ensuing weeks. Orange peels, old bones and cookies are placed near his bed until the big day.

Finally, with great excitement, a sheet is place over the animal and the children proceed to beat the log with a stick and sing Caga Tio songs. The idea is to entice the animal to ´excrete´ sweets from his backside. The kids are asked to leave the room and candies are placed under the sheet. The children reenter and to their astonishment the Caga Tio has produce delightful offerings! The process can continue until the kids are stuffed or the log is no more…

If you happen to visit Catalunya or Barcelona during the season, be sure to visit any Xmas markets or any home and you will surely spot a Caga Tio waiting for his big moment! For Barcelona Christmas apartment rental you can contact Holiday Velvet. They have a number of Barcelona vacation apartments in various price ranges available.

Barcelona apartments News: Las Ramblas Studio

2007-12-04T06:20:00.000-08:00

Booking apartment rentals in Barcelona has never really been easier and it's an excellent cost effective alternative to staying in many hotels. Holiday Velvet are one of the main companies in Barcelona dealing with Barcelona apartments, with 100 plus holiday and vacation apartments for rental.

Property of the week:

Las Ramblas studio, Barcelona. This studio is in the very central area of Barri Gotic and with 1 bedroom and bathroom, the apartment can be used by up to four people. This is a great location and is a cute clean apartment, with amenties which include:

Balcony
TV without satellite
Wi-fi
Cot
Air conditioning
Elevator
Washing machine, Dishwasher

and much more.

Lastest flights news: Barcelona from Bulgaria

2007-12-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

Barcelona flights news: The latest budget airline to announce flights for 2008 into Barcelona, are Wizz Air, who are based in Bulgaria. Wizz Air are expanding and will starts flights to many cities in July 2008 and the introduction of Barcelona as one of those cities, will help bring prices down between Bulgaria and Barcelona. This news is expected to help a lot of businessmen and travellers.

The El Raval area in Barcelona, Spain

2007-11-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

El Raval in Barcelona is a neighboorhood in Ciutat Vella district, was also Known as Barrio Xino, meaning "Chinatown". It was the slum of the city until recent years in which it’s started to be refurbished and filled with restaurants, vintage clothing shops and avant-garde buildings. The largest of these ones is the MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art), a luminous white behemoth designed by the American architect Richard Meir. Since its opening in 1995, it has become the neighborhood's most popular playground.

At any time of the day, the space will be inundated by kids playing cricket and soccer, skateboarders cruising the ramps of the museum's forecourt and housewives on their way to the nearby Boqueria market. A new five-star hotel and the city's Filmoteca (Cinema Foundation) are also being built on the northern side of Rambla del Raval, a sign that the neighborhood's reputation as a seedy inner-city slum is now firmly getting in the past.

In some parts, still you would be forgiven for thinking that little has changed; while drug dealing has been largely shipped out to the outer suburbs, prostitution, petty thieves and purse-snatchers still exist as does the general seediness of many of the streets, so exercise caution while you’re sightseeing. But, as with all of the Old City, the times are a changin' and you may find yourself wandering down here at night to attend the opening of a new bar or club.
That’s why El Raval is also becoming one of the hippest up-and-coming neighbourhoods of Barcelona where many artists live and work. It is currently the home to a very diverse immigrant community, where Pakistani fabric merchants and South American spice sellers sit side by side along traditional establishments selling dried cod and local wine.

One good example is Ramble del Raval. Parallel to the Ramblas, but miles away from the crowds, you will find the main street inside of this abigarrated neighbourhood. It is the result of the demolition of a section of slum housing in Raval to create an open space. There are plenty of benches where you can sit and watch hippies juggling fire and men seeing life passing by. It's a nice place to sit out drinking late at night, people watching, and in the summer there are music events staged here. There is a good but pricey market every day but Sunday. Raval is definitely very seedy but in a good way. It boasts some of Barcelona's best shops and restaurants. The area is becoming more trendy, there are many to see, hear, buy and enjoy.

Try the Rival Sol apartment in El Raval if you are planning to stay in Barcelona.

Barcelona Carnival 2008

2007-11-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

Its almost 2008 and that means that we are not far away from the annual and excellent Barcelona Carnival 2008, which will take place between 31st January and 16th February 2008. I have decided to write a blog about this event now for you as accommodation can get filled up quite fast for this event thus if you plan to be in Barcelona during carnival time, you may want to start making your plans now.

To let you know more about the carnival itself, this may not be as dynamic as Rio but in its own right, the Barcelona Carnival is a great festival and well worth being in town for. The variety of food stalls, food competitions, market stalls, parades and much more. The highlight in my view is the main parade and this goes by the name of 'Gran Rua de Carnaval'. Gran Rua de Carnaval to summarise is the very impressive main parade. This is a alrge parade and the atmosphere last year was excellent.

I recommend booking now for Barcelona Carnival 2008 accommodation because rooms can get sold out quite fast. Try the Gala apartments in Barri Gotic, Barcelona. An idea might also to be to book some tickets for a Barcelona football game whilst you are in Barcelona for the carnival.

The Magic Fountain in Barcelona

2007-11-13T02:34:00.000-08:00

There is one thing you have to see and which is completely free in Barcelona. The Magic Fountain in Barcelona is a tradition which takes place from the 11th December 2007 through to May 1st 2008 (9pm through to 1130pm). This really is a spectacle worth seeing.

The Magic Fountain of Montjuic involves a hige firewworks display based around the fountain and all of this in a spectular setting netx to Placa Espanya. The fountain display shows a wonderful array of colours, lights and all of the display is all times to music. It's one of those things which when you have seen it you will always recommend to others. For free you cannot go wrong and it is very central so it makes sense to see once.

To get there you can use the Metro Placa Espanya (Green Line, L3) and (Red Line, L1. You can also visit the official Magic Fountain of Barcelona display site. For Montjuic apartments and Poble Sec Balcony apartments Barcelona.

Barcelona 3GSM accommodation

2007-11-05T04:02:00.000-08:00

The Mobile World Congress 2008 will take place in Barcelona 11-14th Feburary and it is sure to be an excellent event. All of the big telecommunications companies will be present and you will be able to sample the latest latest in 3G technology.

The 3GSM congress in Barcelona is the biggest event of its kind in the world and last year the event is said to have had over fifty thousand visitors and this year is expected to be even busier and more popular. The event can be especially useful for executives with many many opportunities for networking possible, within the industry.

One problem you may come across is finding 3GSM accommodation in Barcelona. Hotel prices and availability may make things difficult during the Feb 11-14th period. You might be much better off renting a short-term rental apartment in Barcelona and 2 we can recommend for this are: Barcelona Montjuic apartment and Poble Sec apartment.

Barcelona Aquarium

2007-10-30T04:32:00.000-07:00

So you've booked your flights, rented a holiday apartment and you are all for your week or weekend break in Barcelona. So what is there to do in Barcelona. One attraction I think is well worth visiting is Barcelona aquarium.

Barcelona aquarium is situated right in the marina area and this is easily accessible by metro or by walking to the end of La Rambla, the main tourist street in Barcelona. The Barcelona City tour buses also stop near to the aquarium so you will be able to get to the attraction without any trouble.

The aquarium itself has a very good selection of exhibits including over three hundred species, including sharks and sea-fish. Entrance when I last checked was €16 with reduced entrance for children and seniors. If you want to stay near to the aquarium then the Barri Gotic area is maybe a good bet.

Getting to the beach in Barcelona

2007-10-22T10:59:00.001-07:00

Many people often ask me where they can stay in Barcelona where they will be able to get to the main Barcelona beach and still live in a lively area, whilst in the city on holiday or vacation. There is an expectation from new visitors to Barcelona that Barcelona beach will be a bus journey or long track from the main Barcelona holiday apartment areas.

In Barcelona the situation is that you can stay within walking distance of the beach and also the harbour. If this is what you are looking for then renting a holiday apartment in the Barri Gotic area of Barcelona is probably one of your best bets.

Barcelona Travel Tip: Vueling.com are a Spanish budget airline who have some very good prices and they fly in and out of Barcelona.

Things to do in Barcelona - (Hot air ballooning in Barcelona)

2007-10-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

One of the most exciting things I did when I was in Barcelona was to go hot air ballooning and I highly recommend it. I went hot air ballooning a few years ago in Bristol, England on one of the Bristol Balloons flights, but going also hot air ballooning in Barcelona was even more of a thrill.

Hot air ballooning was amazing for me because of the simply amazing view from high up in the heavens. There were four of us in the balloon and along with my wife and a South African couple, the journey lasted a good while and it was worth every penny.

Try Barcelona corporate & team building events for booking. To also book an short-term vacation Barcelona apartments is a good bet.

Barcelona Exhibitions

2007-10-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

Barcelona is often a popular location for trade and public exhibitions, with the excellent Centro de Convenciones Internacional de Barcelona venue. The CCIB is located with very easy access by metro (subway), bus and taxi.

The CCIB is a modern facility with excellent space and nicely located on the waterside and you can learn more by visiting their website at http://www.ccib.es/. You can also contact their sales department at: comercial@ccib.es

If you also are interested in exhibition stands in Spain and Europe you can visit the site of the UK based Clip Display. More information about Barcelona exhibiton venues can be found at Barcelona culture.