Archive for May, 2009
Are you a fan of dancing?- jazz, hip hop, modern, etc., whatever your style is… you can definitely find it here. Barcelona is full of dance studios, suited for dancers from beginner to advanced levels. Whether you are here studying, living, working, or merely on vacation, the city has alot of options for lovers of dance. With the lively music scene, the wild nightlife, and the many dance clubs scattered throughout the city, Barcelona is a place where it is always easy to find someone dancing.
So.. how to choose a dance studio from the hundreds that exist in this big city? First, you must decide what style of dance you wish to learn or practice. Next, you need to determine what level you are currently at, in order to figure out the level of lessons or classes you may need.
As Barcelona-home has a long-standing relationship with the company, we recommend you take your dancing shoes to BCN Studio and see what they have to offer. With a staff of experienced teachers, BCN Studio offers a wide variety of classes in many different types of dance. Classes are offered from Monday to Thursday in R2Style, Old School, New Style, R&B, Cut Groove, and Nu´ Soul. For more information about classes, teachers, and how to get involved, check out their website here.
Last night was one of the most unique experiences I have had yet. As thousands and thousands of Barça fans flooded the streets (with not a ManU jersey in sight….might I add), my roommate and I headed toward Maremagnum, where a big screen was being erected to show the Championship match between FC Barcelona and Manchester United.
Mind you, we are both 5 feet tall (around 1.5 meters), from the Midwestern United States, and accustomed to large crowds and fairly aggressive people. Yet.. nothing could have prepared us for the night that was to come. We laughed at the huge swarm of people crossing the bridge out to the mall area, and wondered where they could possibly all fit (I’m not sure it was the best choice of location, considering..). Then we realized, they couldn’t.
The majority of spectators couldn’t actually see the game, but a creative few climbed into plants, up light poles, and stood on chairs for more than 2 hours in order to watch Barça defeat Manchester United 2-0. After being shoved in too many directions to count, stepped on, and more or less physically assaulted (but not in a mean way), we made it to a ledge where we could sit and see (sort of) what was going on in the game. Looking over the crowd was incredible, and I am so glad I got to join in in such a great moment for the people of Barcelona. Tourists (aka guiris) and locals alike were decked out in red and blue, with scarves, flags, and banners wrapped around their necks to demonstrate the intense pride they feel for their team. After the final buzzer, pedestrians, drivers, and motorists flooded out into the streets, honking, waving, and yelling, and the noise level was unbelievable. It was certainly a once in a lifetime experience. Who would have though soccer (or should I say football) could be so exciting?
The night has finally arrived. At 8:45 pm, FC Barcelona will begin the battle to defeat Manchester United, and vice-versa. Tempers are flaring between not only local fans of the two teams, but fans around the world. Many argue the ManU is unbeatable, yet just as many argue the opposite, saying Barcelona will easily defeat the ‘red devils.’
Much is to be decided by this final of the Champions League. First, the decision of who is the best football player in the world, currently torn between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, like any player, but who deserves to be the king of the game? Next, who really is the best team? We certainly lucked out with this matchup, as it may be the best possible matchup in football this season. To help decide which team deserves to win, let’s look at some statistics:
Goalkeeping:
After rumors of goaltending being Barcelona’s weakest link, Barça’s Víctor Valdez has really come through in the last few games, knowing just how to react to attempts made on goal by opposing teams.
ManU’s Van der Sar has many finales under his belt, and comes into the game with more experience than Valdez. He could very well be the key to Manchester’s success or failure in this game.
Defense:
Due to injuries, Barça’s defense is left much weaker than fans would have hoped. Lacking key players will hold Barcelona back from playing to its full potential.
Unlike their opponents, ManU possesses its full defensive lineup. Thanks to the height of the defense, they must focus on stopping the speed and agility of Messi and his teammates.
Midfield:
Here is one area where Barcelona beats out ManU by far, especially with the recovering of Iniesta.With Xavi leading the troops, Barça hopes to put pressure on Manchester throughout the game.
For Manchester, the key midfielder will be Cristiano Ronaldo, who hopes to lead his team to victory against Barça.
Offense:
The famous trio of Messi, Etoo and Henry have broken records throughout this season will be in charge of scoring goals in Rome. Henry, who has played a key role in the last few games, is fully recovered, giving Barcelona a positive outlook on offense in the final.
With Cristiano Ronaldo at midfield, Barcelona’s defense has its work cut out for it this game. In addition to Ronaldo’s talent, Barça must also defend against 3 dangerous forwards, Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov.
Final Analysis...
Who knows? This will certainly be an exciting and emotional finale to a thrilling season. Each team has so many strengths that it is impossible to say who will win with any certainty, but loyal fans are declaring their teams winners, before the game has even started, anyway.
Rafael Nadal is a tennis phenomenon. At 22 years old, he has already reached the peak of the tennis world, and has held the number one position since last August. In 2009 alone, Nadal has not only participated in, but won, the Australian Open, the Indian Wells Masters in the U.S., the Monte Carlo Masters, the Barcelona Open, and the Roman Masters. This is not even to mention the multiple other tournaments in which he reached the finals, semi-finals, and quarter-finals. Next on the list?
Roland Garros , of course, set to take place May 24th-June 7th in Paris, France. Nadal has never lost this tournament, and he hopes to continue his streak and win his fifth consecutive time.
Nadal will certainly face plenty of stiff competition on his quest for the title. First comes Novak Djokovic, who recently defeated the Spaniard in Madrid, shocking fans around the world. The young player would love to win twice versus the number one player in the world, proving himself once and for all. Fernando Verdasco, like Djokovoc, would like to prove himself after the Australian Open, and Andy Murray aims to win his first Grand. All of these players will fight to win each round, in hopes of meeting Nadal in later rounds.
More than anyone, Nadal must fear Roger Federer, who has fallen four times to Nadal in the past four years, meeting up in the finals 3 of the 4 times. Tennis fans around the world would love to see their two favorite players, possibility the best and longest running rivalry in the tennis world, match up in the final yet again. Nadal defeated his first opponent Marcos Daniel yesterday with a bit of difficulty, while Federer crushed his opponent Alberto Martin. Does this energetic start for Federer mean Nadal’s winning streak will finally be broken? You’ll have to stick around to see!
For a video clip of Nadal’s outlook in Roland Garros 2009, click here
This Wednesday night, the entire city will be focused on one event… the final game of the Champions League, featuring Barcelona vs. Manchester United. The 54th season of the Champions League football tournament will end on Wednesday, and is set to take place in the Estadio Olimpico in Rome. Manchester United looks to defend their current title, hoping to be the first team to retain the European Cup for 2 years running since Milan in 1990. Of the 9 games played between the two teams, 3 were won by Manchester United, 2 by Barça, and 4 ended in draws.
Both teams are currently the champions of their respective countries, making this one of the biggest matchups in recent football history. If Barcelona wins, they will become the first Spanish football club to win a ‘Treble’, including La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. Even those Spaniards typically cheering against Barcelona throughout the regular season will band together with the Catalans for one night, to cheer on Spain’s representative in the championship.
In honor of this big night, the Ayuntamiento of Barcelona has made plans in case of the victory of the city’s football club. If Barça is proclaimed champion, the Metro and the Ferrocarrils will extend their hours to 2 a.m., rather than the normal closing time of midnight. Also, in order to make viewing of the game even easier (since every bar will surely be showing the game on every tv screen available), the city will set up two large screens in the Mini Estadi and the Maremágnum, and in the plaza de Catalunya. Public toilets will be installed for the spectators. With respect to security, the Consistorio recommends to all spectators to avoid troublemaking, as the celebrations of last month ended in 120 arrests, and the city hopes to avoid a reoccurrence of this on such a festive night.
Having a car in Barcelona can be a bit stressful, not to mention costly. Not only are drivers more aggressive here than in most other places, but the parking situation is unlike anywhere else. Parallel parking is an art form in Spain, and cars fit into spaces you never would have dreamed possible. Parking lots are often full to capacity, leaving tourists and locals alike wondering.. where can I put my car?
First of all, the ideal situation would be to avoid having a car in the city center if at all possible. It is much easier to use one of the many forms of public transportation available throughout the center than to attempt driving (and parking) a car. The metro arrives almost anywhere within the city center, is quick, simple, and inexpensive. In addition to the metro, the bus system, taxis, and trams can take you where you need to go.
If bringing a car to Barcelona proves absolutely necessary, here are a few suggestions about where to park:
Parking Lots:
To avoid the hassle of searching for an open parking space along the crowded streets of Barcelona, we suggest parking in one of the many lots located around the city. These lots are often underground, protecting your car from sun damage, theft, and bumps and scratches from passersby and other vehicles. Most parking lots cost between €1.50 and €3.00 per hour, and rarely charge more than €20 for 24 hours.
For longer stays, the parking lot B:SM offers the option to park your car for 8 consecutive days, and costs approximately 75 euros, which is a good option if you do not need your car while in the city and just need somewhere to store it.
Also, there is a large lot in the bus terminal at the Estacio de Nord, with a Metro stop right beside it for easy access to the city center.
A word about theft..
Keep in mind at all times that cars, especially those with foreign license plates, are often the victims of theft. Parking in a secure parking lot with security videos is always the best option, and make sure never to leave objects of value inside the car unattended.
Even when you are inside the car, it is best to keep the doors locked and windows closed, to prevent street vendors from harassing you and also to avoid thiefs from grabbing something of value and running away while you sit stuck in traffic.
When it comes to parking in any big city, caution is always key, and as long as you are aware of your surroundings and make smart choices as to where to leave your car, everything should be fine. Your car is likely to be dented or scratched atleast once during its stay in Barcelona, but choosing underground parking lots, hotel parking lots, and other similar options will help assure that your car stays untouched and unharmed.
Visitors to Barcelona must eat atleast a few typical Spanish and Catalan meals during their stay. However, outside of the thousands of bars and restaurants serving up tapas and local specialities, the abundance of international foods available is incredible. Even picky eaters can find something to eat in a city the size of Barcelona. Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Italian, French, and many more types of restaurants are scattered throughout the city, varying in price and quality. Below are a few suggestions for interesting restaurants, but feel free to search for your own favorites!
Japanese-
Check out Kynoto, a sushi and Japanese fusion restaurant in the Gothic Quarter, and one of the first to start the current sushi craze blazing through the city. With the freshest ingredients, served with beautiful presentation, you’re sure to enjoy your meal here.
Address: Carrer Correus Vells, 8 (check the website for more information)
Phone: 932 682 540
For a Japanese-Catalan combo, try Ken, a tiny restaurant serving up innovative dishes. This place is always packed, so make sure to make reservations in advance and avoid the lunch and dinner rush.
Address: Carrer Benet i Mateu, 53
Phone: 932 032 044
Chinese-
An ‘actual’ Chinese restaurant in Spain is hard to come by, but Shanghai 1930 certainly meets most high standards. In spite of the cheesy atmosphere, the food is served generously and combines Spanish, Japanese and Chinese elements, making the menu a bit confusing to figure out. If you’re feeling adventurous, this is definitely the place for you.
Address:Carrer de Buenos Aires 11-13
Phone: 933 634 370
A bit out of the way, but well worth the trek, Dong Lin Chinese Restaurant is as authentic as it gets. Well-suited for large groups, this restaurant serves typical dishes for great prices. Don’t be wary that you haven’t heard of it before, sometimes the best places are undiscovered.
Address: Av Paral-lel, 152
Italian-
For an authentic Italian meal, look no further than La Bella Napoli. This restaurant, run by true Italians, serves some of the best pizza and pasta in Barcelona, and is always packed with tourists and locals alike. Make sure to reserve a table or get there before 10 pm to get a seat!
Address: Carrer de Margarit, 15
Phone: 934 425 056
French-
To find authentic, delicious French food, give Le Petit Bergerac a try. With fantastic presentation, high-quality ingredients, and reasonable prices (for the quality), this place will satisfy any French afficionados.
Address: Carrer Aribau, 141
Phone: 934 305 758
For an experience unlike any other, take a ‘ride’ on a British double decker bus while enjoying the cuisine of Crêperie Bretonne Anaick. The low prices and enormous crepes are crowdpleasers.
Address: Carrer Ramon Trias Fargas, 2-4
Phone: 93 221 1599
As summer kicks off in Barcelona, so does an impressive schedule of concerts set to take place in the city. Spanning all genres of music and age groups, the list of performers is sure to be a hit in the summer of 2009.
Setting the season off right is the one and only Beyoncé, back in Barcelona for the first time since her break from the popular group Destiny’s Child. With her new album, ”I Am… Sasha Fierce,” Beyoncé brings the latest of her hits, including ”All the Single Ladies” and ”If I Were A Boy” to Spain, with tickets selling for between £40 and £60. Don’t miss out on your chance to get last minute tickets for this show tonight, May 20th at 21:00, as it’s sure to be a great one!
Although unknown to many, the guitar-teaching legend Gary Moore will present a concert on Thursday, May 21st at 20:45 after 15 years of absence from the music world. This Irish performer plays high-quality rock and blues, and comes highly recommended by music lovers. A talented Barcelonan, Amadeu Casas will open the show with his electric band. Ticket prices range from £30-50.
June will be a big month for music in Barcelona, with Katy Perry on June 25th and U2 on June 30th.
Katy Perry, a Californian with a flair for provocative lyrics, will perform her second album ”One of the Boys,” released in 2008. The show begins at 18:30 and ticket prices can be found online. Five days after Katy performs, international sensation U2 will take the stage in Camp Nou at 21:00. As the first of many stops on their 2009 European tour, Barcelona is sure to be a great crowd, as U2 brings their latest album ”No Line on the Horizon,” released just months ago in March, to life with a rumored 360-degree stage, allowing fans to surround the band in the middle of the soccer field.
To round out the season, July is jam-packed with big name performers, including Slipknot on July 11th at 23:00, Jason Mraz on July 15th at 22:00, and the incomparable Madonna on the 21st of the month at 20:00. The ”Queen of Pop” will perform in the Olympic Stadium as part of her ”Sticky and Sweet” tour, which includes her latest work, ”Hard Candy.” After 7 years of absence from the city, Barcelonans will come out in great numbers to see the world-renowned performer take the stage. Make sure not to miss out on any of these great concerts, and many more this summer!
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit this website
Walking out of the Barcelona airport, it is hard to tell what country you are in. Signs are posted in a mix of Catalan, Spanish, and English, and your ears are bombarded by what seems like a million languages being spoken in the street. The wide variety of people are dressed in an even wider variety of clothing types, some attractive, some…. not so attractive. Already, Barcelona seems like a different planet, rather than a different country.
Upon arriving at your accomodation (whether it be a hotel, apartment, or house), you will immediately notice the size difference from the U.S. Everything in Spain seems smaller, and squeezing between the toilet and the shower can be a struggle at times. The beds are short, pushed together (even though you asked for two twin beds, assuming they would be separate), and sometimes hard as rocks. Good thing that you won’t be sleeping much during your time in Spain.
Make sure to memorize your address, because the roads are complicated enough even if you think you know where you are going. Most streets have street signs stating their names, but.. some don’t. This makes traveling very interesting, and you should always plan on taking extra time to get anywhere. Barcelona is set up in a series of square blocks, which appear small and easily walkable on the map, actually turn into miles and miles of walking. Comfortable shoes are a must, as even the metro requires more walking than expected.
Luckily, most restaurants offer menus in English, since the items on the menu don’t look familiar at all. The wide variety of foods available in Barcelona makes eating out easy, and more affordable than expected. Unlike New York, or other big cities in the United States, Spaniards believe in eating well without spending much money. Meat, fish, pasta, pizza, and vegetables.. all are easily found within walking distance anywhere in the city, especially in the city center. Las Ramblas, for instance, is jam-packed with restaurants of all types, from typical Spanish to French to Italian to Japanese. Even picky eaters can find something to eat in this city.
The biggest shock for Americans traveling in Barcelona may be the strange things that take place in the streets. Walking down Las Ramblas, day or night, you will pass by people dressed in extravagant costumes, standing for hours in the hopes of getting some spare change from generous tourists. Dragons, gargoyles, fairies, and cavemen are only a few of the costumes you may see as you walk around the center. Then come the street performers. Magic tricks, dancers, acrobats, and jugglers always gather large crowds, often stopped in the middle of the street, causing a bit of a traffic jam for passersby. To add to this chaos, at night, men stand around offering six packs of beer for 1£ per can, often being fairly pushy to sell beer to unexpecting tourists. Beer, light-up glasses, rings, and toys, and roses are just a few of the available purchases you can make on the street, in bars, or even in restaurants. A simple ‘no’ doesn’t always work, and unfortunately you may have to resort to just ignoring the vendors.
As you can see, Barcelona is an overwhelming place to be at times. However, you can certainly never say the city is boring. There is always something to do, somewhere to go, or someone to meet, and the people are much friendlier than you would expect from a big city. Don’t hesitate to ask for directions, ask for descriptions of something on the menu, or just say ‘no’ to street vendors. For such a busy city, Barcelona feels very safe, and if you are cautious about the occasional pickpocketer or scam artist, you will get along just fine. Make sure to take advantage of the cultural diversity in this very European city, as there are very few places like it.
Going out in Barcelona is an unforgettable and exciting experience. But the hardest part of nightlife here is choosing where to go. Therefore I have listed some places to go out, for different people with different styles!
Clubs
Barcelona has a wide range of good clubs, offering many different music styles. To enter the clubs you will have to pay a certain amount and probably have to stand in a queue first, but this is the same everywhere in the world, I think. Most clubs don’t have a dress code but do require you to dress with a “smart casual attire” 
. Here are some of the most well-known clubs in Barcelona:
Shôko: This is an Asian style restaurant/club facing the beach where they play everything from house to hip-hop music, have a good cocktails offer and international atmosphere
You can subscribe to the guestlist of Shôko and enter for free through this website
Show map
Otto Zutz: A club with three floors, on the first floor you can enjoy hip hop-music, on the second floor house flourishes combined with techno and on the third floor you can listen to mixed music, focusing on the 80′s.
You can subscribe to the guestlist of Otto Zutz and enter for free through this website
Show map
Opium: Close to Shôko you will find Opium Mar. A lounge club with one of the biggest terraces along side of Barceloneta’s beach. Most of the time they will play R&B, lounge and house music.
Show map
You can subscribe to the guestlist of Opium Mar and enter for free through this website
Catwalk: Catwalk is one of the most vistited and fashionable clubs in Barcelona! There is a perfect combination of locals and tourists. Also situated at Barceloneta’s beach it offers R&B, hip-hop, house and dance.
Show map
You can subscribe to the guestlist of Catwalk and enter for free through this website
Razzmatazz: Sala Razzmatazz is probably one of the biggest clubs in Barcelona, with 4 floors and many concerts of known DJ’s.
http://www.salarazzmatazz.com/
Show map
Le Kashba: A relatively new club to Barcelona’s nightlife, situated in Barceloneta. A Marroccan influenced lounge club, with different styles of music.
Show map
Nasty Mondays: http://roombarcelona.com/life-in-barcelona/nasty-mondays.html
Show map
Districts
Port Olimpic: In Port Olimpic, a bit further than Shôko, Catwalk and Opium Mar there is a street with many bars. The bars are perfect for people who don’t like to pay too much in clubs but still like to dance.
La Rambla: La Rambla is the place where you will find most tourists in Barcelona, so as in all cities, you will find a lot of Irish pubs and international bars where you can have a drink 
El Raval: El Raval is the place to be if you want a cheap night out, there are many cheap restaurants where you can sometimes have a three course dinner for less than 10€. Beside them you can find many authentic bars that really represent Barcelona. One example is Bar La Marsella, one of the oldest bars in Barcelona and known for its Absynthe! Another example is La Oveja Negra, known for its great Sangria and Beers.
Barri Gotic: In Barri Gotic there are many small and cozy bars where students can have a drink and nice tapas. Two nice bars are Bar El Agüelo (C/ d’Avinyó) and Bar Can Pumuki. El Aguëlo has a wooden interior with barrels and “Jamones” hanging from the sealing. Many students can get together there, especially after exams! Can Pumuki is special for their cocktails, you can order a cocktail in a big glass and drink from it with different people from different straws, it is really cosy!
Also in Barri Gotic you can find Bar Mariatchi, this is a bar, according to the legend going around, owned by the famous singer Manu Chao.
El Born: On the other side of Via Laietana, you will find el Born. Another district with many bars, some of the most known are, Rosa Negra (a mexican Cocktail Bar), Suborn and the Cactus Bar.
For more detailed descriptions of the various districts of Barcelona and what each district has to offer, click here.
Gay
Barcelona is one of the gay capitals in Europe so there is a very wide offer in gay bars and gay clubs!“In Barcelona, a gay couple can walk the streets hand in hand without so much as raising an eyebrow. The gay scene is fantastic with a great choice of gay bars, gay friendly restaurants, gay clubs and gay beaches. Barcelona’s ever growing gay scene gets better and better season after season, year after year.” www.barcelona-home.com
The most important places for the gay scene in Barcelona are the districts of Eixample and Grácia. There you will find many clubs and even restaurants exclusively for gay people. The most known clubs are: Metro Disco (C/ Sépulveda, 185), Arena www.arenadisco.com – there are many different Arena’s in Barcelona, Atame (C/ Consell de Cent, 257), Space Barcelona (on sundays, Metro L3 – Tarragona), Bear Factory (Passetge Domingo, 3) …
More info on the gay scene in Barcelona
If you want the latest info on what is happening in Barcelona, concerts, good parties and places to go to, you can check out the following websites:
What an atmosphere yesterday in Barcelona! A jam-packed Plaça Catalunya with a big screen, people singing, cars making noise, flags everywhere and fireworks lighting up the Plaça! This is what people saw yesterday at 00:00 when Fc Barcelona was just “crowned” in the Copa Del Rey final after blowing Bilbao away with 4 goals against 1!
Although Athletic de Bilbao scored first, La Blaugrana was not moved, they continued their usual style and gameplay and equalized soon. The people at Plaça Catalunya were up for a raging second half. Messi, Bojan Krkic and Xavi put Fc Barcelona on a cloud with three beautiful goals! The party could start.
This movie might give you an idea of the atmosphere at Plaça Catalunya, incredible!
Will it be like this again on Sunday - not Saturday as I said in Yesterday’s post – against Mallorca (19:00)??
Lets Hope so, Visca Barça! 
Tonight is the big night, FC Barcelona will face Athletic Bilbao at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia at 22:00h. This is a possibility for La Blaugrana to win their first big title of the season: the “Copa del Rey” or Spanish League Cup.
This is a game between the two big “Cup Kings” in Spain, Barcelona is already at 25 Copas del Rey, while Bilbao is at 24 titles now. Although they both have a whole cupboard of Trophies, it has been more than 10 years since one of the teams won the final.
The newspaper SPORT and Catalunya Ràdio have put up a big screen on Plaça Catalunya for the game of Barcelona last Sunday, because then they could have been the champions of the league. And they will leave it there until Saterday. So if you want to have a great experience during your stay in Barcelona, come to Plaça Catalunya and La Rambla and support Fc Barcelona on their way to the Copa del Rey!
Barcelona has one game left in Camp Nou, against Osasuna on 24th May, there are still tickets on this website.
This weekend was a big weekend for Barcelona‘s motorsport scene. In Montmeló, province of Barcelona, the F1 GP of Catalonia took place. Once a year, the whole F1 scene arrives in this small village, bringing lots of tourists dressed in F1-outfits to Barcelona
This was the fifth manche of the season and a race on “home circuit” for Fernando Alonso.
In the end, Jenson Button and Brawn GP-Red Bull proved to be the best in both the practice laps and the final race, Fernando Alonso finished in 5th position. This was the final result: http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2009/808/
People who missed it, no worries! In August, the whole Formula 1 scene will invade Spain again. This time for the European Grand Prix in Valencia. Always wanted to attend a Formula 1 race? Check this website for tickets to the GP of Spain, Valencia (Europe) or the MotoGP of Catalonia.
I was planning on going to Barcelona but didn’t know how or where to start planning my trip, my main concern was accomodation. I did not know anything about the city: Where to look for an appartment, what are the current housing prices are, which neighbourhood, living alone or sharing a flat with strangers?
After looking on the internet and contacting some people, I ended up with Barcelona-Home. This is a company that can help you making your stay in Barcelona more comfortable. Their core business is providing people who are visiting Barcelona (from students to tourists or professionals) with accomodation in the city of Barcelona. Depending on what your budget is and what you’re looking for, you can choose to stay in an apartment, luxury loft or a shared flat with students. The good thing is that almost all of their appartments and rooms are equipped with internet, washing machine and kitchen. Most of their appartments are situated in the city centre of Barcelona and have good connections to the main sights and universities. I am now renting a shared flat in the Sants district and I’m really happy there, a big terrace and nice people with whom I share the house.
Besides accomodation you can enjoy lots of other services that can only improve your Barcelona experience. They can provide you for example with tickets to concerts and sports events such as Football (Fc Barcelona, Espanyol Barcelona), Basketball, Formula 1 or Moto GP. More info on tickets for concerts and sports events. Furthermore it is possible to book Flight Tickets, Hotels and rent a car or a moto through the website.
The company even has also separate website to which you can subscribe and be a member of a guestlist with which you can enter into some of the best clubs in Barcelona, such as Shôko or Opium Mar! How to become a member to the guestlist
I have really had some good experiences with this company, their service is really great and the can attend to you in almost any language you wish! You should think about it when you are comming to Barcelona.
The game started dramatically for Fc Barcelona with, I have to admit, a beautiful goal of Mikael Essien after only 9 minutes. But La Blaugrana did not let them be set aside and slowly but surely got back into the game.
The blues” realized that they were at that moment virtually in the Champions League Final and started playing in defence, at certain moments they were even playing 10 people behind the ball and Didier Drogba in front.
But Barça didn’t give up. Not even at the moment when Nicolas Anelka was “stopped” (or shall I say, “tripped over his own feet”?) and Abidal got the red card. Barça kept on pushing and only needed one goal to enter the final!
Then, in the 93d minute, Andres Iniesta kicked Barcelona to the final with a beautiful goal!!!!
A disappointed Chelsea with an angry Didier Drogba left the pitch while Pep Guardiola‘s guys where celebreting their place in the final on the 27th of May in Roma, against the “Red Devils” of Manchester United. Another English team on Barcelona’s road to “La Orejona” (big-ears) or the Champions League Trophy.
The party could start here in Barcelona, everybody on the streets with flags, cars and horns. But the biggest party was undoubtedly in La Rambla, with thousands of persons celebrating and partying out on the streets!
A very important week is comming for Barcelona:
- If, on sunday, they win against Villareal and Real Madrid doesn’t win against Valencia on saturday, Fc Barcelona wins the Primera División!!!
- Next week Wednesday, Barça plays Atletic de Bilbao in the Final of Copa del Rey
Will Barcelona get the treble??? We’ll know it next week!
In spite of the fact that Chelsea didn’t got too many goals at Stamford Bridge, La Blaugrana will have no other options than to score goals and obtain the desirable ticket to the Champions League final in Rome on the 27th of May.
Barcelona will be playing without Rafa Marquez who will unfortunately be out with a severe knee injury for the rest of the season, his operation this week was a success but now he has a long way recovering. Apart from that Barça will start with their best team: Valdés, Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Eto’o,… Only Henry is insecure because of an injury during the game against Real Madrid and Puyol is suspended due to a second yellow card in the first leg against Chelsea.
Lionel Messi has a good feeling about the game because this is his third one at Stamford Bridge, and as the saying goes: “A la tercera va la vencida”
If there is one way to combat the bad monday-feeling, it will be looking forward to a nice night out to the club Nasty Mondays, located in the Sala Apolo in Barcelona!
This trendy club is the perfect place to continue the weekend or to destress after a “Nasty Monday”, with some different styles of music from Indie rock to trendy music. It is located in Sala Apolo on c/ Nou de la Rambla 113, close to the Barcelona city centre!
It is always lots of fun to go there but whatch out that you don’t encounter the same problem as me: tuesday might be a working day!
If you want, through this website you can sign up for the guestlist and get free entrance to some of the best clubs in Barcelona!
In Fira de Barcelona, near Plaza Espanya, the Barcelona International Motor Show 2009 will take place from 9-17 May. This event is recognized as the only official Motor event in Spain and held every two years. Now Barcelona is about to kick off the 35th edition.
Besides commercial cars and vans of over 50 brands with their wide range, there will be many other products and services available, such as:
· Equipment for customising motor vehicles
· Spare parts, components and accessories
· Car audio equipment, telephones and alarms
· Oil companies
· Lubricants, additives and chemical products
· Tyres
· Pit zone and dynamic vehicle trials (4×4)
· Technical press
· Services and miscellaneous
The event starts on 7 May, 2009 with the 7th and 8th only for press and professional visitors. During the evening of 8 May the doors will open for the “Noche del Automóvil” of “Night of the car” between 8.30 pm and 11.00 pm. From the 9th of May until the 17th of May, the event will be open for visitors.
More information? Click here
Que partido de la Blaugrana
An almighty Fc Barcelona litterally ran over Real Madrid, bringing them a huge step closer to winning the championship. If they succeed getting 5 more points, Barcelona will win the title again.
Messi, Puyol, Henry, Xavi and co humiliated Real Madrid and showed their brillance during 90 crazy minutes. The euphory couldn’t take that long since they are playing an equally important game against Chelsea on Wednesday. This second leg of the Champions League Semi Finals must be won by Fc Barcelona.
It wan’t only Fc Barcelona that obtained success this weekend though. RCD Espanyol, a couple of weeks ago at the bottom of the league, now won their last 4 games. On Sunday they played Valencia and won the game with a stunning 3-0, leaving them now on the 14 place – further away from relegation.
