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Last posts

All About Seville’s Plaza de España

Alba Surís Only-Be, Practical Guide to Seville, Sevillian

Any avid traveler needs an active imagination. When visiting places and monuments we often wonder, who designed this cathedral? Why did the main tower burn down? How long did it take to build this bridge? And that’s why we need expert guides to tell us all about past events. Well, we’ll be your guide today. Close your eyes and place yourselves in Seville, a century ago. The year 1914 marked the start of all construction work on Plaza de España by architect Aníbal González, whose statue adorns the square today. Designed with the occasion of the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929, the square would not be fully completed until one year before the event. This is a brick monument representative of the regional architecture, characterized by its reflection of the aesthetics of the site, including decorative ceramics, woodwork, cast iron and carved marble. For those not fortunate enough to have visited, Seville’s Plaza de España, it is shaped like an oval over 200 meters in diameter. The oval is circumscribed within an impressive building with a tower at each end of the North and South wings, symbolizing Spain’s embrace over its new world colonies, and facing the Guadalquivir river, which was the way to America. Besides the grand fountain at its center, there is also a canal with four bridges representing the old four kingdoms of Spain (Castile, Leon, Aragon and Navarre). On the inner circumference of the semicircle, we find a series of benches, each of them decorated with a relevant historical event, the coat of arms and the map of each of the forty-eight Spanish provinces. Starting... read more

Notting Hill Carnival 2015

Rehna Perviaz Londoner, Only-Be, Things to do in London

If you´ve ever been to a carnival, you´ll understand the beauty and excitement each and every moment brings. From dawn till dusk you´ll find mystical costumer designs, music that´ll have your hips swaying and mouthwatering food that´ll have you stick around for hours to come! Popularly known as the Notting Hill Carnival, this is the biggest festival Europe has to showcase. With its Caribbean vibe, you would be crazy not to join in with the festivities! First held in 1964 as a part of the Trinidad Festival, the Carnival sticks to its original Caribbean root. Bringing a strong and vibrant spring of diversity to the streets of London. And of course, everyone is invited! With the first ever Carnival bringing forth only a mere 500 spectators; today you will find hundreds of thousands enjoying the cultural festivities, with figures that are continuously growing. It´s no doubt this is both a popular and most desired event! You will find more than 50,000 performers throughout the 3 day weekend, with 38 sound systems located alongside the Notting Hill Carnival Route. Don´t be surprised when you see more than 1million spectators attending this magical explosion of imagination, design and colour! To kickstart the Notting Hill festivities, here is a rundown of the events occurring over the course of the 3 day weekend: Saturday 29th The Notting Hill Carnival 2015 will be welcomed with the free open-air concert Panorama; a steel-band competition. Emslie Horniman Pleasance Park, 6-10pm Sunday 30th Now this is the Family Day portion. What is Carnival without the comedic family moments coming into play? This day will have you on... read more

Amsterdam, the City of Museums

Carola Gasparini Amsterdammer, Only-Be, Practical Guide to Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a magical city brimming with unique details and rich in architecture, history, art, culture and museums alike. With artists of the likes of Rembrandt and Van Gogh dominating the local art scene, art lovers will find that this city more than satisfies any of their fine arts cravings. However, the Dutch capital has a lot more to offer than mere brushstrokes on canvas, with an almost endless array of oddities on display to please even the most curious of travelers. If you are planning on spending some days at one of our center Amsterdam apartments, you may want to have a look at this museum review to complement your plans in the city. ART Amsterdam’s art scene has always been very vibrant, and one particular museum proves it, the Rijksmuseum, one of Europe’s most prominent art collections. You can visit the Dutch Golden Age in the heart of the Dutch capital anytime from 9am to 5 pm. Among its collections, you’ll find paintings by Masters like Rembrandt and Vermeer, as well as the popular painting The Night Watch. Rembrandt fans, baroque aficionados, and those who wish to learn more about Europe’s cultural heritage should not skip a visit to the Rembrandt House, in the Jodenbreestraat, behind the Waterlooplein. This was the painter’s home and studio between1639 and 1659, where he created many of the famous art works that hang on the walls of this home turned museum. You can visit it any day of the week from 10am to 5pm. And it’s time now for the Master of impressionism, Vincent van Gogh. The Van Gogh Museum, a... read more