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Valentine’s Day in Barcelona
Valentine´s Day, also known in many countries as Lover´s Day and in others as the Day of Love and Friendship, is celebrated on February 14. Originally Valentine´s Day comes from the Anglo-Saxon territory, tradition throughout the twentieth century has spread throughout the world as the day in which couples in love, express their love for each other. In Spain this feast was established in the mid-twentieth century to encourage shopping They say the legendary mall Galeries Preciados were the ones who imported this event into the Spanish calendar. Even so, do not forget that originally itcomes from the Roman Empire, as Valentine was a Christian priest who celebrated marriages in secret for young lovers, since Christian religion was forbidden. Currently, although marriages no longer happen in secrecy, people enjoy this day taking long walks, having romantic meals in restaurants or giving gifts to each other. Barcelona is one of the most charming cities in Europe, an ideal place to spend Valentine´s Day. There are many places where one can enjoy and revel in the company of their respective partner or special friend Without further ado we will name a few of these places that Barcelona has to offer : We begin with a sunrise at sea, as you all know one of the great charms of Barcelona is that it has a beach. And why shouldn´t you? get really close to it and watch the sun rise hugging your lover in its sands . Next, and very close to the sea, it is advisable to go to the Ciutadella Park to take a long walk, have lunch on...
The best guide to alternative Barcelona
Here are some tips on what other different things you can do in Barcelona, alternative plans for families, couples and young people who want to get to know the city from a different perspective. Up until now, the city has a double appeal. One must innovate and renovate, and this also applies to tourism. Bicycle route In the Catalan capital, it´s easy to find different things to do without falling into the routine and asking what there is beyond. In other words, that as well as visiting the Sagrada Familia, Montjuïc and other beautiful landmarks that this capital of culture holds, all of those plans can be put into practice in a very original way. I recommend that you start with a tandem ride around all of these places that, although they might already be known to you, will still surprise you. The key is to get to know the other side of the city. To finish the ride, a good ending would be to enjoy a sunset where Barceloneta beach comes to an end. Nearby is a place that rents these types of bicycles, on Passeig de la Barceloneta, 33. Its website is: www.biciclot.net. Cava sampling For those who prefer a less extreme tourism, I recommend that they take part on one of the cava sampling courses offered by the Cava Institute on Plaça Francesc Macià, 3. It´s a workshop that costs around 22 euros and there´s the possibility that you might end up a bit drunk afterwards, but it´s generally very satisfying to find out and learn about the elaboration techniques and curiosities that surround this delicious...
How to go out in Barcelona with little money after Christmas
Once Christmas has been and gone, after eating all those sweets and excess family dinners, life goes on. Even though many of us would like to spend the whole month of January hibernating in bed in order not to spend any more money, the truth is that the clock pushes us back to routine, to face the harsh reality of life. We´ve ended up with no money after spending it all on food, presents and partying, and there´s still a long month ahead of us. However, after a week´s work we will probably want to go out again and enjoy Barcelona, so there´s a problem ahead: go out to keep mentally sane or stay in and save the little money we have? Don´t worry, you can do both things because we´ve prepared a list of free activities that you can do in Barcelona in January. Here goes: Concerts If you like live music and reduced crowds, you´re in luck: Jazz Sunday 18th. At Casal Prosperitat in Nou Barris, jam session with “participative music” at 10.30pm. Pop-rock Saturday 26th, from 9.30pm, pop-rock minifestival with Gerard Civat i els Civets+Cyrene+Please Wait at Espai Jove La Fontana, in the Gràcia district. Free entry! Classical music Sunday 6th. Free Anna Maria Reverté concert at Palau de la Generalitat, in Plaça Sant Jaume at 12pm; Wednesday 15th. Maria Ivanovich piano concert at the North American Institute in the Sarria district at 7.30pm. Folkloric Thursday 17th. Sara n Trio brings R&B, soul and Brazilian music at the Centre Cívic Sagrada Familia. Free entry and starts at 8pm. Thursday 24th. Music made with oil barrels with...
Making of – The Bikes in the Video
Doesn’t everyone know how to ride a bike? It’s a comfortable, clean and cheap way to get around. During our creative meetings, we always thought about showing our team getting around by bike. We sincerely believe that there is no better way to visit and discover parts of cities that you would otherwise not get to enjoy. We started to look for companies that are devoted to renting bicycles and we found one that just happened to be located a few meters from our office. We told them our idea of making a video to show people the way we understand this type of travel and they kindly agreed since they felt similarly. The company that gave us bikes to use was Bike Rental Barcelona. We were able to ride along the sea on some very comfortable bikes. We hope you like the location we chose, because the truth is it is a lesser known beach inBarcelona. This is thebeach ofBadalona, which is known because of the factory of Anis del Mono. There is a bridge that juts out into the sea, from which you can have amazing views. Getting around by bike is healthy, fun and inexpensive. If you want to discover Barcelonaup close and personal, check out the bikes at Bike Rental Barcelona. They offer delivery service and mobile assistance to ensure that your travels are comfortable. They will pick you up or drop you off as well as help you out with any problems you may encounter. If you would like a tour guide, find out more about their guided trips. Miss Moci The only thing...
The Making of: Venues in the Calle Parlament, Barcelona
One of our favorite locations while we were shooting the video was definitely the street called Parlament de Barcelona. This was due to the fact that we went to three great bars where we could eat and drink, but also because it was a pleasant discovery. It is an area that we hadn’t gone out in but it is pretty close to the office… In short, it’s a lively street full of bars where you can experience a neighborhood atmosphere. These are the venues that we chose for going out, even if they didn’t all make it into the video. These places all welcomed us with open arms, so get out there and visit them! The people are really very nice! TARANNÀ (bar, café) Web: www.tarannacafe.com The address is 23 Viladomat. This bar does appear in the video. Some of us went there to have a drink playing the role of foreigners, taking a closer look at a different side of Barcelona. The friendly waiter who gives us a map is actually our boss. Josetxo, the owner, offered a table outside and was very kind to us. Observing while others acted – I’m referring to the bar, not to Josetxo, although he is very nice – my first thought was that this was the perfect bar to go out for breakfast, but then I figured out that the upstairs was very lively and ideal for spending an the idle afternoon hours. BAR CALDERS This bar has something special, and everyone wants to go there. They are famous for patatas bravas and their terrace, which is tucked away...
Making of – Promotional video at MEAM
About a month ago we’ve publish our promotional video on our YouTube channel. That’s why, during this month you’ll be able to read several articles in which we will discover the locations of our promotional video. Some of the scenes were shot at Museu Europeu d’Art Modern (MEAM, which is located in the Palau Gomis, right in the Born district. The MEAM exposes the best of modern and contemporary art. However, compared to other contemporary museums and institutions of its kind, this museum exhibits figurative art, in which the focus is not on abstraction or experimentation, but the representation of very real objects. We shot several scenes in the corridors of the museum, in which you are actually able to appreciate extraordinary paintings and sculptures. In the video you’ll see a jazz concert that took place at the museum´s courtyard, as well as other summer concerts presented in this venue. Cultural events are organized at the museum each month, (mainly concerts) and December will be no different. MEAM has become the “House of Blues”. Several blues concert series have been hold since October; every Friday you can enjoy concerts of various artists in this genre. December concerts are the following: December 7 – Paquito Groove Band This band plays soul, funk and blues. They also play Otis Redding and Jamiroquai among others. December 14 – Cece Gianotti Cece Gianotti is a composer, producer and singer, who plays several instruments, Gianotti is famous for his eclectic musical style. He has collaborated with artists like Iggy Pop and Tina Turner among others. December 21 – The Night Dogs The Night...
Walking around Montjuïc: museums, gardens and other activities.
One of the most extensive green spaces of the Catalan capital is the wonderful park of Montjuïc, a whole mountain that overlooks the whole city and that, throughout the years, has established itself as the main park in Barcelona. Located in the Sants-Montjuïc district, Montjuïc holds a wide range of activities: the castle, the numerous museums and theatres, the parks and gardents, the sports facilities developed especially for the 1992 Olympic Games or the huge fair complex Fira de Barcelona (one of the most important ones in Europe) to just mention a few. For those who don´t know Barcelona very well, the best way to get to Montjuïc is to get the green line on the metro (L3) and get off at Espanya. Once there, you have to walk up the Reina Maria Cristina avenue until you get to the Palau Nacional, the home of the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC), a majestic building that rises at the end of said avenue and after a very long staircase, past the light and colour fountains (here are the timetables for the light shows of the Fountains of Montjuïc). If you´re not in good physical shape or you´re simply lazy, best avoid all those stairs if you´re walking and best go for the staircases that will take you to the door of the MNAC without giving your legs a beating. A visit to this emblematic building and museum is a must: inside it has the biggest and most important Romanesque art collection in Europe as well as modernism and avant-garde art, a trip through 1000 years of Catalan, Spanish and European art. The works exhibited here belong to names such as Velázquez,...
Shelter 307 in Barcelona
Barcelona is a city that´s still growing, where many changes have taken place and are still happening, not only in the configuration of the city itself and the expansion of its most emblematic districts but also due to the amount of travellers and tourists who go there. Therefore, we can find in Barcelona a unique and relevant personality of social involvement, a struggle for freedom of expression and, above all, an intense political action that generates a feeling of community. There´s no doubt that Barcelona is one of the cities with the most cultural effervescence in Spain, with a struggle for gender equality, rights for immigrants and the resistance against abuses of power on different levels coming from all sides. The people of Barcelona have a considerable will for freedom of expression. This is of course a virtue and not a fault. That a community can express itself and reject what goes against their rights and at the same time create the networks to do so, is something that´s very important. This character of resistance is nothing new in Barcelona. As everyone knows, Catalonia was an important anarchist stronghold since the end of the 19th century. Please, dear reader, let´s understand anarchist not just as a way of revolt but also the search for equality amongst all individuals, of all genders and races, for a community with equal rights for everyone without any abuse of power. And so, Shelter 307 is the best example of the spirit of a community that worked together with the local governments of back then in order to create a shelter to protect themselves and survive...
Explosion! Pollock Legacy at the Miró Foundation in Barcelona
Movement, speed and energy are coming to the Miró Foundation as, together with the Stockholm´s Moderna Museet and sponsored by the BBVA Foundation, they have organized the exhibition ´Explosion! Pollock Legacy at the Miró Foundation´. The exhibition tries to show the influences that Pollock, unconsciously, created through action painting, since it opened a large field of possibilities inside conceptual art and performance. This experimental attitude, where the importance lies in creative art and in the painting that results from this action, was to have a large impact in the 40s and 60s. And so, in this exhibition, not only can you find works by Jackson Pollock, but also from other artists such as Yves Klein, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Allan Kaprow, Andy Warhol, Lynda Benglis, Saburo Murakami, Bruce Nauman, John Baldessari, and Paul McCarthy among others, thus offering a broad view of this 20th century artistic style. Let´s remember though what action painting is and which were the most-used techniques by Pollock. In action painting, the canvas goes on the floor, according to the artist, since the painting cannot be made on the easel because it needs a hard surface, like the floor, so that the artist can walk around the work or even introduce themselves into it (like sand painting in western Indian tribes). The way of painting is with powerful strokes and quick movements, to the point of making it in an automaton-like way. By automatism we understand the dramatic and unstoppable representation of the subconscious, just like the surrealists used to do it. This type of representation is known as abstract exprressionism, from which Jackson Pollock was the main representative, developing a new...
