Living and Travel
If you're only in the city of Barcelona for a few days and are wondering how best to see something about Catalan culture and the history of this beautiful area then you might be feeling a bit overwhelmed as there’s so much to do and see. One of the first things on your list should be to take a good look around the historical architecture in-between experiencing the city's bountiful nightlife. For some true culture take a visit to the Picasso museum, the most popular with tourists for the early works it displays of the great artist. An apartment in Barcelona for rent can be booked right in the very heart of the city centre, the best place to mingle with the locals. There’s two languages spoken here, Spanish and Catalan, and the Catalan people are well-known for taking pride in their regional identity, culture and language. Barcelona is quite different from other Spanish cities and to get a better feel of the culture visit the Gothic Quarter and old port areas. Make sure to try the Catalan cuisine as it also differs here with dishes that include nuts, raisins, snails and meat cooked with fruit on various menus.
At this time of the year Barcelona has been warmly decorated with many lights in the streets of the city center. The Plaza Catalunya ( especially El Corte Inglés), the Ramblas and Portal de l´Angel are the most wonderful iluminated spots. In Barcelona Christmas and New Year are celebrated in a quiet atmosphere and most of the time with family … [Read more...]
Ciutad Vella (catalan) means Old Town. Until the end of the 19th century, the historical centre or Ciutat Vella ( the Gothic area, La Ribera, La Rambla and El Raval) was the city of Barcelona. It is famous for its historic monuments, narrow streets and its bohemian atmosphere. You can walk for hours in its medieval streets wandering how it … [Read more...]
Flash-Flash Tortillería C/ Granada del Penedès, 25 (Metro Diagonal) near corner Travesseria de Gracia with Tusset Open everyday from 1 pm to 1.30 am Price from 15 euros. Website : Flash Flash Opened in the 70’s by a famous catalan photographer Leopoldo Pomés. Many paintings on the walls with a female photographer and her camera ... … [Read more...]
Every year in september Barcelona becomes a city of traditional spectacles side by side with the most contemporary artistic shows like theatre and independent music. La Fiesta Mercé is the cities most important festival of the year. The distant origin of the festival today: in the 17th century the city asked the Virgin of Mercy, la Mercé, to save … [Read more...]
November 1, All Saints’ Day, that’s celebrated as a holiday. And, since celebrating All Saints’ Day really means spending the day at a graveside, it doesn’t have the same kind of resonance in the imagination. Halloween in Spain , they eat pannelets, chestnuts, drink sweet wine … On the upside, there are treats. These are known as … [Read more...]
There is a very nice and strange Catalan tradition of setting up in the Nativity scenes, a special touch: a little guy, somewhere in the picture, squatting with pants down and depositing a healthy looking turd somewhere in the holy scene. He’s called the “el Cagador”—that’s so “the shitter”.... You can buy one Cagador (what an … [Read more...]
Do not miss this festival event if you are in Barcelona. The Festa Major in Gracia is from August 15th to 21st 2009. This year's theme is the "Nova Canço" , because of the 50th anniversary of the catalan songs from years 60's to 70's : singers : Maria del Mar Bonet, Marina Rossell, Quico Pi de la Serra, Santi Arisa, Roger Mas, Joan … [Read more...]
The 23rd of April is Known as "The Day of Lovers" or in Catalan, La Diada de Sant Jordi. It is often compared to Valentine's Day. Saint George, or Sant Jordi in Catalan, is the patron saint of the six million inhabitants of Catalonia. On Las Ramblas, Barcelona's famous walking promenade, and other places around the city, hundreds of flower … [Read more...]