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Cheap and chic cocktail bars in Florence

Enjoying the nightlife in a city like Florence is something not exactly cheap. This article is aimed at giving information about the cheapest, yet elegant bars in the city. These are places that you can visit with a tight budget, but also where you can still enjoy an elegant atmosphere as the more fancy ones. Eco-conscious cafes or nightclubs with live music and great dance floors. The important thing is to have fun. So here are some useful tips. “Chic” and “cheap” Bars in Florence: Pub Angie Pub Angie is very popular among young creative guys and I say creative, because it is frequented by art students. In fact the walls are full of indie art, old Polaroid photos and antiques. This is a meeting place for potential artists seeking a way out in this magnificent city. There, they exchange views while enjoying the live music. Drinks and cocktails come very cheap. This place is definitively recommended. PopCafé Vegetarians will feel at home at PopCafé. This is a very bohemian bar located downtown Florence, specifically in the Piazza Santo Spirito. There you’ll be able to eat and drink at very accessible prices, something impossible in other vegetarian restaurants. PopCafé is very committed to the environment and sustainability. For example, they use energy saving light bulbs. They serve brunch, lunch and dinner. The night owls should try one of the natural fruit cocktails in the menu. The minimalist decor of the room matches the simple spirit of its kitchen. It is Simple, but very tasty at the same time. The Red Garter The Red Garter serves a wide range of...

‘Art in Japan 1868-1945’ Exhibition in Rome

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Japanese Culture Institute in Rome, known as the Japan Foundation, the Galleria Nazionale d´Arte Moderna and the Museum of Modern Art of Kyoto are organising a large exhibition dedicated to 20th century Japan, the first one ever in Italy. The exhibition encompasses a period of intense transformation without exploring that goes from the restoration of the Meiji Emperor in 1868 to the Second World War. The exhibition includes a total of 111 paintings and 59 works of decorative art from the main museums and private collections in Japan. For preservation reasons, due to the particular sensitivity of the materials, the exhibition is divided in two different exhibition phases, with an almost-complete substitution of the paintings and a partial one of the decorative art, in accordance with the following calendar: The first exhibition is from the 26th of February 2013 to the 1st of April 2013; the second exhibition is from the 4th of April 2013 to the 5th of May 2013. The curators of the exhibition are Masaki Ozaki (director of the Museum of Modern Art of Kyoto) and Ryuichi Matsubara (Head of Investigation of the Museum of Modern Art of Kyoto). The commissioner of the exhibition is Stefania Frezzotti (curator of the National Gallery of Modern Art of Rome). The exhibition takes place at the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art of Rome (Galleria Nazionale d´Arte Moderna e contemporanea) on Viale delle Belle Arti, 131, Rome. The opening times are from 10.30am to 7.30.pm (last entry at 6.45pm). Ticket prices are 12€ and 9.50€ for concessions. On July 8th 1853, four...

The Tribeca Film Festival in New York

Why Tribeca? Maybe because it is one of the neighborhoods of Manhattan that has become fashionable and known for film in recent years. There have been several films that were shot at that location. It may come as a surprise, but there are films made in North America that aren’t multi-million dollar productions and action-packed blockbusters. Like in much of the rest of the world, there are also great films made on limited budgets. And they are the reason that this film festival was created, to screen and showcase this type of project. When is the Tribeca Film Fest? If you are visiting New York between April 17 and 28, you can enjoy and participate in the twelfth edition of the Tribeca Film Festival. What can we expect from the Tribeca Festival? This New York festival features competitions for shorts, documentaries, panel discussions, film screenings, etc. The movie world temporarily takes over the streets of Manhattan. There are almost twenty categories of films presented in the festival. Included are awards for the best narrative feature, best director, as well as  awards for short films, documentaries and others. Some of the films shown are not part of the competition. It is still, however, a good opportunity for films to become better known to American audiences and abroad. Twenty-two movies are included in the “Viewpoints” section with feature films and documentaries from around the world. Another section called “Spotlight” screens narratives and documentaries with an independent style of filmmaking. Twelve additional films are competing in the “World Narrative” category, with world premieres and films from various countries. This great variety of...

Ice Hockey World Championship in Budapest

In the month of April, the city of Budapest will host the Ice Hockey World Championship, during which the best teams from six selected countries in Division I, Group A, will compete. Teams from Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Italy and Kazakhstan will play their matches in the Hungarian capital’s Sportarena while seeking to attain the top placing in their group and, of course, the title of World Champions. Games will be held from April 14 to 20. The 6 teams will play a total of 15 games, which are divided up between those seven days, so that the teams will play each other once. On April 14, the championship will begin with a match between the national teams of Japan and Kazakhstan at 12:30 pm local time. The following match brings together the teams of Korea and Italy at 4 pm. And to end the first day, the hosts will face Britain at 7:30 pm. These game times will be repeated over the following days, until the April 20, at 7:30 pm, for the final game, in which Hungary and Japan will face off and wrap up this competition on Hungarian soil. The Sportarena pavilion in Budapest has welcomed this and other sporting events since its construction in 2001. Ice hockey has always been one of the most popular sports played at the venue, which is due to the Hungarian’s love for this sport. The Sportarena has also hoted a number of other world championships, including those for wrestling, handball and tennis. They are easily able to match the characteristics of the pavillion to the needs of...

The Fair of Seville: warms up

From the 16 to the 21 of April 2013, the fair the Andalusian are proudest of begins, a national and international festival (as it is very popular with foreign tourists) and a place where for 6 days the clock literally stops. This is the April Fair in Seville, full of surprises at every corner: Music, flamenco, party, bullfights and delicious cuisine in a city that exudes vitality on all four of its sides. The transformation is such that it attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year from here and abroad. The kick-off of the April Fair is on Tuesday 16 at midnight with the lighting, at which the mayor is responsible for lighting the bulbs on every street. Undoubtedly, this is a very special night, a magical moment, and flavored because that night everyone celebrates it eating fried fish on the street, in the stands, in the bars, on every corner … Wednesday 17 is the main day of the April Fair. On Thursday 18 the protagonists are the horses, Friday 19 is the day that brings together politicians and showbiz personalities. On Saturday 20 the fair is full of tourists and the party is even greater. On Sunday 21, there is a bullfight in the Maestranza and 12 pm. The fair ends with impressive fireworks, a tradition since 1864. This year´s April Fair will have 1040 booths. I wish I could visit them all. The trouble is that most are private and access to them depends on if you meet someone there. Booths and amusements, are located in the Barrio de los Remedios since the 70´s ....

Rammstein, Made in Germany in Barcelona

Rammstein is a German band that has conquered the world of Industrial Metal music and never fail to seduce their audience with their amazing productions and of course, their powerful music, which is known all over the world. So much so, that since 2011 they have been on an impressive world tour, while performing the huge amount of hits they have played during their successful career. The band was founded in 1994, but its beginnings start a little further back, along with the reunification of Germany. All members of Rammstein were already making music in independent projects; when the German reunification took place, all except one of the members, lived in the former East Germany, or GDR, from where they fled, at an early age, in order to be able to make their musical projects in West Germany. After the reunification, fate brought them together in the musical circuit, which, led some members to even live together, Blessed destiny!  Then the story is which we all know, the Rammstein project was born within the Neue Deutsche Härt, with the signature sound that led them to world fame. Rammstein is perhaps the most successful German band in history, as well as the fastest band in obtaining worldwide success. Their time performance as openers only lasted for just a couple of concerts, after which the filmmaker Gert Hof joined them, who lit up by the power of this musicians took over the live shows, we owe him all the impressive lighting performances the band assemblies. In 1997 their second album Sehnsucht was released, while reaching worldwide fame. This is the album...

April, the month of music in Tallinn

April could not be more favorable for music lovers visiting the city of Tallinn. No more and no less than four festivals take the city during the month of April, four festivals of different types of music that will satisfy everyone. April in Tallinn is for you.   Estonian Music Days The month begins with Estonian Music Days, an event which will run for a week from April 1 to day 7. The Estonian Music Days is an event that began to take place in 1979, and its thirty-fourth edition will present again the best of the music of this country, with all participants being native composers of this beautiful Baltic country. The event is a unique showcase for musicians to show their Estonian talent and to international audiences, and the event includes a number of musical genres for all tastes. The event is concentrated mainly in the form of bands and how their music comes together.  Tallinn Music Week Crossing with the Estonia Music Days we have the Tallinn Music Week. This event will celebrate its fifth year from the 4 to the 6 of April  and and it is for those who want music with a little more energy, being more modern than the one presented in the Estonian Music Days. This is one of the most important musical events of the Nordic and Baltic region and joins a large number of artists from around the world, but especially in Estonia, demonstrating the enormous music capacity that this country has . Concerts are held not only in the halls but also in nightclubs, art galleries, bookstores and...

The Best of the Barcelona Guitar Festival in April

The established Barcelona Guitar Festival will be presented under a new name for its 24th edition this year. Not only does it now have a more modern name, but the festival also aims to bring the most innovative musical ideas, with the guitar as the main focus, to Barcelona It is spread out over four months (from February to June 2013) with some 40 concerts by national and international performers, including young talents like Alessi´s Ark and established artists like Paco de Lucía. April is full of impressive concerts, but we’ve compiled a list for you here to ensure you don’t miss any of the must-see artists: Nacho Vegas (April 6 at Barts) This Spaniard hailing from Asturias is a veteran of his birthplace’s music scene and has remained true to himself throughout his long career. He’ll be in Barcelona with his band to present a new work, La vida es dulce, his unique tribute to British film director Mike Leigh. Tickets are 25 euros plus fees. Alfonso de Vilallonga (April 18 at Apolo) On a different note, we come to the composer Alfonso de Vilallonga. Known for his work on the film soundtracks for Isabel Coixet, Fernando de Aranoa and Brad Anderson, he’s enjoying great success at the moment with the music he composed for Blancanieves (Snow White), the undisputed winner at the Goya Awards. For this visit to the Catalan capital, he’ll present a new album. Tickets are 25 euros in advance and 29 euros at the door. Johnny Winter (April 24 at Barts) This veteran of the blues with a black soul and white skin began...

It’s All True: Get to Know the Documentary Film Festival of Rio de Janeiro

When we think about the big international film festivals, we always remember Cannes, San Sebastian, Berlin, etc., And we usually think of feature films. Today, however, we’re going to talk about one of the most famous documentary film festivals in the world: the “It´s All True” International Documentary Film Festival, which is held in Rio de Janeiro and is the most important festival of its kind in Latin America. This year marks the 18th edition since the festivals was started in 1996. Amir Labaki, Brazilian film critic, was in charge of launching this special event for the city of Rio. It is now enjoying great success and includes some 100 national and international titles that compete for a variety of awards. The festival also features various cultural activities related to documentary filmmaking. The beauty of documentary filmmaking is that it makes works of art without resorting to fiction. This is similar to what happens in the world of photography. We are able to see how the way that reality is captured can create different sensations. Today, documentary filmmaking is established as a method of artistic production and as a powerful tool for raising awareness about the many problems that plague humanity. A documentary film not only informs us about something we do not already know, but it allows us to experience feelings firsthand and and conveys something more than facts. On the festival´s official website you will be able to find more information about the organization and the selected films. As often happens with cultural events of this caliber, this documentary film festival brings people from around the world...

Art Nouveau tour in Ljubljana. Part I

As a country that was part of Yugoslavia and Eastern Europe, one usually doesn’t expect to find much beauty due to, its sometimes, sad history, but this opinion could not be further from reality when we talk about the Slovenian capital. This country was not affected as hard as other Balkan countries during the Balkan War, which has allowed it to retain its particular beauty. Our tour starts at the Bridge of Dragons. Built in 1901, this bridge crosses the river Ljubljanica and has the peculiarity of being watched by four dragons figurines made in forged metal, two on each side of the river. Legend has it that Jason, the founder of Ljubljana, killed a dragon that kidnapped an innocent girl and released her, which is why any girl who crosses the bridge moves the dragons’ tails. The bridge is certainly a major landmark of the city. Let’s cross the river and take the third street on the left until Miklošičev Park, which is located in Slovenski trg. This park and its surrounding buildings were commissioned to architect Maks Fabiani in 1895, which was inspired by the city of Prague. Five years later he finished his work, which now we have the opportunity to admire. Miklošičev beautiful buildings have equal height adorned with stunning balconies and small turrets at the corners of their roofs. Let’s scroll down to the Grand Hotel Union, Ljubljana’s first modern hotel. Each floor of the facade is adorned with different plants ornaments. Designed by architect Josip Vancaš, the building was a greatly innovative architectonical piece when the two years of construction ended in 1905....