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The Habaneras of Calella de Palafrugell
Some traditions never day if one wants to get to know the place that he´s visiting and integrate himself to its lifestyle with ease in order to make his holiday a success and the habaneras concert at Calella de Palafrugell is one of those traditions. It´s a wonderful summer event that will allow the visitor to integrate to the local Catalan culture, listening to the habanera songs on the 7th of July. The habaneras concert in Calella de Palafrugell began in 1966 but it wasn´t until 1969 that it acquired the status that it has today, transforming itself into one of the most highly-awaited parties in the Costa Brava summer. It takes place on the first Saturday of July at Cala de Port Bo, lasts two hours and costs 25€. Calella de Palafrugell is a small fisherman´s bay that has maintained the aesthetic of yesteryear and preserved itself like it was before the arrive en masse of tourism, which is the reason why it´s so attractive. That´s where the Catalan singer/songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat got the inspiration to write the song ´Mediterréaneo´, based on the beauty of the towns on the Costa Brava. Habaneras are fisherman´s tavern songs that were part of their refuge during merciless days, when bad weather, rain and cold stopped them from doing their work. This music maintains a culture and is part of the nostalgia that united the Mediterranean coast with Cuba, a link which was interrupted but not broken during the Cuban War and the ending of the Spanish colonies in America in the late 19th century. There´s a popular saying that summarises...
Amsterdam Roots Festival
Summer and music always go hand in hand, and the Amsterdam Roots Festival is perfect proof of that, because in its 15th edition it still attracts lovers of good music and cultural diversity in Amsterdam. This year the festival, that gathers different cultures and worlds, will take place between the 5th and the 8th of July, and just like in past editions there´ll be an indoor programme called ´Interior Roots´ and another one that will take place in the open air. This festival is a pioneer in the world, not only because it covers a diversity that we can rarely find in summer festivals but also because it has different versions, finishing off with an open-air concert at Oosterpark that´s completely free to attend. Different cultures and people of different ages gather there from midday to 10pm, and also enjoy an exotic product market, activities for children, dance and other activities that take place in a unique natural environment. To enjoy your picnic or your walk around the close to 120 stalls even more, where you can find food and even tarot readings, you´ll have the legendary Angolan musician Bonga, Danyel Waro, Bad JuJu, Systema Solar from Colombia, Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara among many others. The three days of ´Interior Roots´ concerts will take place on different stages: Galaxy, Paradiso, Bimhuis and Muziekgebouw aan ´t IJ. In these concerts there´ll be many international artists, such as Ana Moura, performing the nostalgic fados from Lisbon; there´ll also be the jazz band of the Lebanese trumpet player Ibrahim Maalouf; Celso Piña´s cumbia through Sudamericano; the alternative Philadelphia hip hop band Chiddy...
Goldfest Tuborg Festival in Istanbul
Istanbul is a city that continues to grow, both in diversity of spaces and tourist attractions, as well as in its ability to attract new cultures. The highly cosmopolitan Istanbul is becoming year after year in one of the most visited around the world. The capital of Turkey offers such a diversity of travel, that no matter what your favorite interest or travel intention, in Istanbul you’ll find what you´re looking to unplug from the daily routine and discover a great, unique and attractive city. If you´re looking for history, Istanbul´s museums, palaces, mosques and streets will give you full immersion in tradition and the most remote history. If you´re looking for contemporary art, new galleries and museums have the best art made in Turkey and other places of the East, Europe and the world. For culinary travelers, there is no better place to try international delicacies than this important city. For music lovers, genres such as jazz, rap, pop, traditional music and other many rhythms are easily found in exotic Istanbul. If you love Rock, you’ll have to come this summer to Tuborg Goldfest. Among the participants of this important rock festival will be Guns N’ Roses, Evanescence, Godsmack, Apocalyptica, Within Tempation, In Flames, Sebnem Fehra, Pentagram, Redd, Lacuna Coil, Ugly Kid Joe, Skindred, Heaven Shall Burn, Aylin Aslim, Dio Disciples, Malt, Erdem Yener, Sweet Savage, Foma, Nefes, Gren, Planeur, Ayse Saran and Gurcan Ersoy, a more than impressive program full of second to none performances during three days: the 4th, 6th, and 7th of July. It should be noted that this is mainly a festival dedicated to...
Cruïlla Festival in Barcelona
Cruïlla Festival is a festival in the venue of El Fòrum in which not only will we find concerts but also many activities, such as games, workshops, circus, charity and social project organizations and a lot more. You can´t miss it! In the first fortnight of July, over forty bands will go on the four stages of the festival, from 6pm until 5am. After seven years, a legend of rock is back in the Catalan capital, Iggy Pop, the godfather of punk, with all of his out-of-control energy and accompanied by his legendary band, The Stooges. Give up to his music and his show on stage. One of the most influential artists of the last decade, M.I.A., will also be playing at Cruïlla Festival. Nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2005 for the song ´Paper Planes´ from the film ´Slumdog Millionaire´ and for ´Swagger like us´. After a few decades without playing in Barcelona, one of the most sought-after bands of the festival are back, the ska reference The Specials, who will definitely make the Barcelona crowd dance like crazy. This summer, at Cruïlla Festival, hip hop comes in the shape of Cypress Hill. This legendary Californian band will be playing for the first time in Barcelona the songs of their new album ´Cypress X Rusko´, their first incursion into dubstep, alternated with classics that have been anthems of the last two decades. To guarantee the party, the kings of bootleg will finish off the nights of this edition of Cruïlla Festival 2012. 2manydjs will storm onto the dancefloor and make us jump up and dance until the end...
Incubus Concert in Amsterdam
There are cities that strive to offer their least official side, more liberal and anarchist. And if there´s one city that takes pride in bearing this standard of freedom that´s undoubtedly Amsterdam. Well, despite the latest restrictions (in sales, not consumption) on marihuana or to access the Red Light District, to put forward just two examples of its lenient laws, all of the cultural programme of Amsterdam revolves around those frontiers between commercial and lesser-known, between stale and new. In this aspect you could add the numerous concerts that take place in all of those venues scattered across the city. If this happens in the capital, the shockwave arrives to all corners of this small but beautiful country. All of this is apropos of the Incubus concert programmed for the 10th of July. At first it was going to take place at the Heineken Music Hall, but the successful pop-rock band has decided, for logistic reasons explained on their blog, to move the gig to the town of Tilburg, just an hour south of Amsterdam, keeping the same date and time. The chosen place could not be more perfect for this band´s ´garage´ music, because 013 is a multifunctional space that can be used for live concerts or to record songs by independent bands. Conceived for the enjoyment of all music lovers, it won´t disappoint the most demanding travellers. The place, designed as if it was a padded room (just like recording studios), is visible and recognizable among the landscape of the place. I won´t go on with practical details, so here´s the link of the event where you can...
Live music in Barcelona: Gràcia district
Live music in Barcelona: Gràcia district
Independence Day
July 4th or Independence Day is the national holiday of theU.S.that unites the country in patriotic fervor. It celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence from theBritish Empirein 1776. On this day, everyone leaves home and life flows on the city streets. New Yorkis not on the sidelines of this festival. Its streets are decorated for the occasion and the bars and stars fill the shop windows and parks and a party atmosphere reigns. On that day, Wall Street is closed and the NYSE forgets the pulse of the global economy. Families host outdoor barbecues or spend a day at the beach, the countryside or simply go to the nearest park to have a picnic and enjoy the festive atmosphere. In the morning there are parades in various parts of the city, which can be seen without a problem if you like this type of activity. The shops, offices and banks are all closed on this day in commemoration of the holiday. That’s another reason that tourists celebrate like New Yorkers, attending the parades, strolling throughCentral Parkand eating to the beat of jazz bands and Latin music that populate this wonderful natural park in the heart of the city. For those who like curious popular activities, there’s the legendary hot dog eating contest in Nathan´s Famous onConey Island. If you want to participate in this famous competition you’ll need good teeth, an incredible stomach capacity and a love of hot dogs. The competition takes place atnoonand is full of cameras, tourists and hungry contestants. This tradition was initiated as part of the July 4th celebrations in 1916. The...
July Promotion
Can you stand the heat?! Get 5% discount in all of our apartments with this promocode PCT713ZHAUCB It´s officially the summer season! No other season offers so much fun in the open-air, and July is not short of options: music festivals and events for you to cool down when the temperatures go up. The local festivals arrive and no less than the Fourth of July and Bastille Day in New York and Paris respectively. With the Only-apartments special offer, it will be easy for you to enjoy all the fun that you can take in, because during the first 10 days of July, you´ll have a 5% discount on all bookings. Start your trip now before leaving while you plan your holidays with us! No matter what your destination is, we´ll help you find your ideal accommodation. Paris accommodation...
Wine Tourism: the best wineries in Barcelona
Barcelona is known for the beautiful architecture of the great Gaudí, and for being a modern city open to the Mediterranean Sea. But what not many people know is that Barcelona has a wide range of quality wines that are produced on its land. The orographic variety and diverse microclimates in the region, allow the production of very different quality wines. There are three designations of origin attesting to the quality of the wines produced in the province of Barcelona, D.O. Penedes, D.O Pla del Bages and D.O. Alella. This is one of the reasons why wine tourism experts, travel to Barcelona to visit the main and oldest wineries in the region. We will recommend a few waypoints that will facilitate your journey through this enoruta. We start the tour visiting some of the most significant wineries in the D.O. Pla del Bages, located within the province at Masies d´Avinyó home of the Abadal wines. This cellar wine making opened in the twelfth century. The great setting and the charm of the old farmhouse contrasts with the modern facilities, which currently produce their wines. You can visit the museum and learn more about their fantastic red and white wines. At Oller del Mas, a majestic castle from the fifth century greets us. This fantastic historical setting, tradition and modernity coexist harmoniously, giving rise to wines so beloved as Châtau Arnau Oller. The family Margenat is the current owner of the 400 hectares of vineyards and forests surrounding the wineries. Now we should head to the south of the province of Barcelona, Penedes, which is one of the first wine...
