Archive for August, 2009
For a young person moving to Barcelona, the Jove (young in Catalan) website (and office) is perfect for absoloutly everything you will need. Sponsored and under audit from the Generalitat de Catalunya, the governments official online resource, the Jove webpage is packed with useful and impartial information for anyone wishing to work, study, find activities, volunteer (and much more) in Barcelona and wider Catalonia. Although bcn.cat and gencat.cat are equally fruitful resources, the young persons version complete with a regularly updated blog, is more targeted and centred on activity and youth disposition and is thus all the more useful. This is a must do if you are new to Barcelona as it will act as a transitional and intergrational stage for making friends, learning the languages and finding needs and wants.
C/ Calàbria, 147
08015 Barcelona
93 483 83 84
informaciojuvenil.dasc@gencat.cat
http://www.informationjuvenila.blogspot.com
There is a “Ajuntament” office in every district of Barcelona, and the main one in the city centre in Plaça Sant Jaume
http://www.gencat.cat
http://www.bcn.cat
On the 4th September we will once again have the chance to listen to a super special concert. Coldplay, the English alternative rock band, formed in London in 1998, with Chris Martin as the lead singer, touch down in Barcelona as part of their tour to present their latest album, “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends”. I can remember when the album came out last summer because I bought it on the first day and heard it week after week, day after day, because it was so fantastic and it has had been a very successful album. When I heard that the band is just going to play in Barcelona, when I will be there, I was immediately convinced with the need to see them live. But unfortunately the tickets are too expensive for my limited wallet… Coldplay achieved worldwide fame with the release of their single “Yellow”, followed by their debut album, Parachutes (2000).They have sold over 55 million albums worldwide and they are one of the world’s most successful bands of the current decade. Moreover they got 24 awards between 2001 and 2009 for their great music.
Coldplay has a special relationship with Barcelona. After spending a time in the city recording part of the album which they are now presenting on their current tour. I have heard that the bells that can be heard in the song “Viva la Vida” are the bells of the Santa Maria del Mar church. I have seen the pretty little church situated in the Born area of Barcelona. It is considered to be one of the finest examples of Catalan Gothic architecture and with such an information about it and the relation to Coldplay, it is even more worth the visit to La Santa Maria del Mar. And one more interesting thing in addition: the song that gives a name to the album (Viva la Vida) has a special connection with the city of Barcelona because it is the song that Barça’s coach used to play to motivate his players. And it seems to have worked.
In Barcelona, they have become regular performers, with this being their third visit in less than one year and this time the location of the event will be nothing less than the Olympic Stadium. Don’t miss one of the best concerts of the year and buy your ticket here. Have a great time!
The perfect solution for a Sunday afternoon: craft market in Barceloneta. The exhibition has been showing since the 13th July 2009 and lasts till the end of September. In between this duration of time Barcelona’s inhabitants and visitors are able to amble along the craft market in Barcelona at Plaça de l’Odissea,in front of the Maremagnum shopping centre.
Being shown are the works of different craftsmen, carpenters, mosaic designers, ceramists, weavers, jewellers, glaziers, inlaid designers and many more. Craftsmen’s skills will be exhibited live every day at their stands and if you are searching for an exclusive souvenir or a small present for your family or friends go ahead and look at it. It is sure that all the stuff is 100% hand made and of a good quality as their products are all been certified as hand-made products by the Centre d’Artesania of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Every Sunday between 5pm and 8pm you have the chance to observe the crafts men, as each and every one of them use their own skills. You can observe many different techniques on how to make the products, and you can involve your children in some interesting workshop for young people as well, held every Sunday afternoons.
The 11th of September will see the entire Catalan population celebrating its national day. There will be a range of demonstrations, concerts, celebratory events and native people will wave or display senyeras (Catalan flags) to show their pride and dedication.
The day, with a sad undertone, commemorates the 1714 Siege of Barcelona which saw Archduke Charles of Austria, along with allies Britain and the Netherlands lay siege on Catalonia and the Spanish Empire, then backed by France. In 1705, Archduke Charles docked his war fleet on the Barcelona harbour and surrounded the city, capturing the fort of Montjuïc and bombarding the city unrelentingly.
The freshly defeated Franco-Spanish forces were not powerful enough to regain the city and thus waited until 1713, building up power and resources. On that year in July, the army was finally strong enough to recapture the city, and with the awaited 20 thousand man Bourbon reinforcement, 1714 saw the unified Franco-Spanish army take the city back, finally succeeding on the day of September 11th. Many heroic warriors died in the battle and in the after math of the War of Spanish Succession, the Catalan autonomy was supressed for a further two whole centuries. In 1980, the Catalan Autonomous Government proclaimed this day to be La Diada, the national day of Catalonia.
Thousands of people crowd into the Plaça Fossar de les Moreres, an almost holy place built over the cemetary of the brave Catalan soldiers who lost their lives in the Siege of Barcelona. If you are in Barcelona on this day, spend some time at a demonstration, visit one of the concerts or just stand in the famous plaça to offer a bit of respect to a proud community, with such an ancient history of war and flourishment.
Barcelona is a city of class and elegance, you can take a leisurely walk around and experience a vast range of cultures and tastes from food to conversation topics and from traditions to the varying products being sold in different shops. Art is a concept in Barcelona that has always been prevalent, visible mainly through the readily available magna opera of Dalí, Gaudí and Picasso, however the city is bursting with talents of all ages and backgrounds. With a growing interest in student and youth popular culture, graffiti and street art are both part of the late 60´s and 70´s modern graffiti movement, which has slowly moved away from vandalism to recognised and valued art. Although the government has subsidised cleaners to refresh beautifully painted walls to their original white wash colour in the past, some graffiti spots are being left alone for the public to enjoy. As a growing number of clubs and bars are commisioning street art painters to decorate their exterior or interior, a proportionate number of artists are stepping away from traditional norm painting and entering the realms of serene illustration and different types of thinking, shown vigorously in their artpieces. Xavier Brandeis of Marseille has done a similar thing with his illustrations and paintings in Barcelona and Valencia. With a large portfolio of artwork available to see, Xavier has plans to offer a website of his complete works in the near future so watch this space. A great example of the underground culture that is growing in importance rapidly not only with its generation, the youngsters, but with the more “mature” generations giving due respect to artists of this nature, who in essence, are the face of the youth today. Check out his blog at AXthinking.
Visit Barcelona, experience its artistic overtones and undertones. Find accommodation to suit your preferences…
“To become truly immortal, a work of art must escape all human limits: logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers are broken, it will enter the realms of childhood visions and dreams.” – Banksy
Catalonia is huge, covering over 32,000 square kilometres and housing over 7 million people. An extensive history, steeped in art, travel, discovery, war and culture, with its own language and thinking. Look for the previous article about Barcelona, the most well known city in Catalonia, which is a cultural world capital as well as being the Spanish region´s capital.
There are three other main cities that make up Catalonia, being Tarragona, Lleida and Girona. Starting closer to the eastern french border, we have Girona. Having a population of just over 95,000 people, Girona is located at the confluence of four rivers: Ter, Onyar, Guell and Galligants. As is standard on the Iberian peninsular, command and conqueror played a big part in its shaping and thus, there are still old portions of the city, such as its plethora of narrow winding streets and ancient cathedral. Girona is easily accessible by all forms of transport and is a cheap way to enter spain through RyanAir airlines. Moving west, we have Lleida, the non-coastal city. This city has just over 130,000 people, making it the 7th largest Catalan city in terms of population. Under Roman rule, the city was considered very important and flourished hugely, with its huge stone bridge over the river Sicoris still being partly visible today. Sadly, in the Spanish Civil War, the insurgents bombed Lleida extensively due to it being a key defensive point of Barcelona. Rebuilt and reformed today, this thriving city contains a cosmopolitan population of 146 different nationalities. Lastly, we have Tarragona which lies just south and has a slightly larger population of just over 150,000. A gothic quarter similar to Barcelona and an old cathedral make Tarragona a traditional and classic city, especially with its Roman Aqueduct still being complete and revered, named locally as El pont del diable (devils bridge). Some of Catalonias most famous beaches lie here, and like Girona, the airport of Reus (also where the legend and famous architect Antoni Gaudí was born) is very close, it being the second of RyanAir´s northern Spanish headquarters.
One autonomous community, four main towns. Visit them all, as they all possess the same charm that Barcelona is famous for.
Not to be confused with the little island Montserrat in the Caribbean Sea (which, incidentally was named after the Catalan monolith), Montserrat Mountain, translated as serrated mountain from Catalan 1,236 metres tall and is located 30 miles west of Barcelona, just south of Manresa. Monserrat has a long religious history. In the 11th century, Santa Maria de Montserrat was formed as a small chapel and over the next four centuries, grew in importance rapidly until it became an abbey in the 15th century.
For centuries this benedictine monestary has been the most important religious zone of Catalonia, with scores of people from Tarragona, Barcelona, Lleida and Girona making the trek there to watch the sun rise from the peaks of Montserrat. Next to the monestary the sanctuary of the Mare de Deu de Montserrat houses Catalonias favourite saint, the Black Virgin. During fascist Spain and Franco´s rule, the monestary underwent some changes and reforms, and it acted as a safehouse for artists, scholars, politicians and students with it being a known fact that Franco´s men continually waited down the road for “wanted” people. Monserrats highest peak, Sant Jeroni, is conveniently accessible by the system of hiking trails that run throughout the mountain range for walking enthusiasts.
Santa Maria monestary is as beautiful now as it was almost a thousand years ago, with its location in the Montserrat Mountain range being a perfect place for such an important Catalan monument. Presently, the monestary can be visited and easily reached by the world, and there is a museum, a gift shop, places to stay and restaurants.
On 19th August 2009 there is once again a landmark match. The great and traditional Catalan football club FC Barcelona wants to defend its trophy. In the battle for the Joan Gamber trophy this year, they play against Manchester City. This event takes place every year in August, in honour of the founder of the FC Barcelona, the Swiss Hans Gampers (hence the Catalan Joan Gamper).
The participants in this match are always the hosting team from Barcelona, and other leading teams. Often in the past, South American teams took part aswell with the European masters to compete against Barça – with other Spanish teams rarely being invited. Here, where once players like Maradona and Ronaldinho were creating their respective legends, it is now Messi who has to inspire the audience with excellent goals. FC Barcelona, as well as tomorrow’s opponents Manchester City, were founded over 100 years ago and have competed ever since from year to year with more and more fans, with tomorrow being the climax of the tenseness and excitement. It will therefore be an interesting game and in any case a must for all football lovers. The Joan Gamper Trophy kicks off the football season at the Nou Camp and Barcelona is going to present its new signings, with which it wants to play this season against the most talented teams. Furthermore there will be something special for the little fans. A child under 14 years old is allowed to observe the spectacle for free and the rest of the prices starts from 19 Euros.
When you think of Barcelona it is hard not to think of the amazing archictecture done by Gaudi that exists all over the city. Anyone has visited Barcelona has seen something designed by Gaudi. Many people know the art that Gaudi has done, but not many people know the life of Gaudi. Antoni Gaudi is a Spanish architect that was born on June 25 1852.
He is known for being part of the Art Nouveau movement and his unique organic designs. It is unclear as to where he was actually born, but many people believe he was born in the town of Reus, to a coopersmith and an artist. When Gaudi was young, he was very sick, and spent most of his time observing nature. This exposure to nature has inspired much if not all of his work. From 1873-1877, Gaudi was an architect student at the Escola Tecnica Superior d’ Arquitectura in Barcelona. Gaudi was also very involved in politics, and supported the Catalanist political party, Regionalist League. Some of his famous works include, Palau Guell, Casa Calvet, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Park Guell, and Sagrada Familia. For more information about Gaudi visit Casa Batllo, Casa Mila or Sagrada Familia as you can learn much information about Gaudi and his life.
Carpe Diem Lounge Club, or CDLC, is a must visit for people who enjoy a luxury place to have food and drinks. It is an exotic lounge club located on the beach in Barceloneta. There is a nice terrace, that looks out on to the beach, and inside there are beds which you can lye on and enjoy a drink, and you may also close the curtains around the bed if you prefer a little privacy.
The atmosphere is unlike any other restaurant or bar, and has oriental decorations throughout the place, such as buddha statues and wood carvings. Not only do they serve drinks, but they also have delicious foods, ranging from sushi and sashimi to an assortment of appetizers, salads, pastas and rices, meats, fish and desserts. Any type of food that you want, they are most likely going to have. The prices are a little bit more expensive, but it is worth it. It has been open for around five years and is partly owned by ex Barcelona football player, Patrick Kluivert. Carpe Diem is located on the boardwalk along the beach in Barceloneta at 32 Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta. For more information, as well as a drink and food menu, you can check out their website here.
At the end of Las Ramblas you can find a statue dedicated to the explorer Christopher Columbus. The statue, referred to as the Colom in Catalan or Colon in Spanish, stands 60 meters (197 feet) tall.
The place where the statue stands, near the Port Vell, symbolizes that Barcelona was the place where Christoper Columbus returned from his trip to the Americas, and then reported to Queen Isabella and Ferdinand about his voyage. The idea to construct the statue began in 1856, by Antoni Fages i Ferrer. However the construction did not begin until 1881, when he had the support of the mayor of Barcelona. There was a contest among Catalan artists to design the statue. The Catalan artist, Gaieta Buigas i Monrava, won the contest. Antoni Ferrer only wanted Catalans to construct the statue. The construction began in 1882 and was completed in 1888, right before the Exposicion Universal de Barcelona. The bottom of the monumet is 20m (66 ft) wide circle, and at the very top of a Corinthian column stands a 7.2m (24 ft) bronze state of Columbus. With his right hand, Columbus is pointing to the New World, and holding a scroll in his left hand. However, he is not pointing to the new world, but is pointing east towards Columbus’s home town of Genoa.
The Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) is basically a host organisation which actively organizes and consequently produces concerts, festivals, film programs, exhibitions, debates, workshops and courses and a whole plethora of other cultural activities. The CCCB enourages innovation and creation and has a capital fund used for backing research based on the aforementioned articles.
Products made at the CCCB are exported to museums and art venues all over the world, where they intend to shed light on current issues in city life and public affiliations. Any alternative or independent talent held by any person can be exhibited at the CCCB and people are pushed to come forwards and share their work from a wide range of cultures.
I have never been, but tonight I am going to see “El Segle del Jazz”, hence the title basically a look at the last near-whole century of Jazz, its off-stems, history and influences. As one of the most important and forefront musical types of the 20th century, Jazz has its hands in many pockets and many modern day musicians and genres owe their successes to Jazz. CCCB boasts a narrative thread which the audience can follow, marking the complex path that the musical type followed throughout the last century, up to the present where it is still as strong as it used to be.
This exhibition runs from 22nd July to 18th October 2009, so you have lots of time to get there, and depending on your occupation, ticket prices can meet your budget nicely.
Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 8pm
Thursday 11am to 10pm
Mondays closed
General admission: 4.50€
Students, Senior Citizens, Groups over 20: 3.40€
Under 16´s, friends of CCCB, first Wed, Thur and Sun of the month: FREE
I went to Poble Espanyol (the Spanish Town for the English speakers) to hand in a CV to try to get a job in one of the many pleasant restaurants in this little and well designed “mini-town”, with no luck. No matter, for spending an hour walking around was a very enjoyable experience. In the district of Monjtuïc, Poble Espanyol lies just apart from the magic fountains. It is basically an open-air museum of architecture on the Monjtuïc mountain.
Constructed in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exhibition, Josep Puig i Cadafalch, the famous modernist Catalan architect and designer, thought up the idea. Essentially meant to represent a town of architecture, culture from all around Spain and style, Poble Espanyol is just over 40,000m². That is around about 2500 times smaller than Barcelona city. Ideality was a predominant point in designing this museum, with a perspective on what an ideal Spanish village would look like, with the best and most traditionally spanish characteristics rolled into one to create this architectural wonder. Over 110 buildings line many streets and squares all produced to scale.
Take a stroll, either day or night to admire the statues, gardens, old buildings and works of art of the famous Gaudí or Picasso. For those food lovers, visit one of the restaurants I tried to find work at, they are spectacular. Cuisine of the mediterranean is in full flourish here at Poble Espanyol, and if your taste is tangible, look to the little traditional shops where you can buy a whole range of 20th century and earlier delights such as hourglasses and wooden figurines. You get a real artisan feel in Poble Espanyol, which is aptly dubbed the “City of Craftsmen” with over forty trade workshops.
Discover the serene and contained beauty of Poble Espanyol!
Timetable:
Monday 9 – 20h
Tuesday – Thursday 9 – 2h
Friday 9 – 4h
Saturday 9-5h
Sunday 9-24h
Price:
Adults 8.50 euros
Children (4-12 years): 5.50 euros
Retired: 6.50 euros
Night: 5 euros
The south-central district of Barcelona, called L´Eixample owes its design and progressive structural system to the Catalan urban planner Ildefons Cerdá i Sunyer. After training as a civil engineer in the mid 19th century, Ildefons understood that as Barcelonas city walls were imminently going to be torn down, the need for city expansion was necessary.
He imagined an efficient extension, translated in english as the enlargement, which would be less congested than the old town and more livable for the public. After planning the Eixample as a modern and unique cityscape, he pursued other projects on a regional planning scale, until his death in 1876, indebted and poor. His ideas for Eixample were focused on openness, natural light and natural greenery, ventilation, effective waste disposal and efficient mobility for people, carriages, urban railway lines (which at the time didnt exist). The network and grid layout of Eixample that Cerdà designed was far ahead of his time and is regarded as unique and brilliant even today, and that is without the inclusion of some great additions like high-capacity sewers to tackle frequent floods and safe gas supply accommodation.
Two major revisions changed his original design and thus the modern day Eixample is not as Cerdàs originally planned it, but based on it. One of the diagonal streets was scrapped and due to so many Catalan architects opposing his ideas, the modernist facades seen today are what brings the fame to the this district in Barcelona.
Eixample is compact yet spacious, green but with enough room for motor vehicles, light and it feels clean. There are many shops available to purchase products from, many apartment blocks to live in, and several monuments, perhaps most famously the Sagrada Familia.
Pablo Ruiz Picasso, born in Málaga, Spain in 1881 was the co-founder of the cubist movement and one of the most famous artists of the modern era. If you are a fan of cubism and wish to experience an artistically historical landmark in Barcelona, visit the training centre of Picasso.
The Museu Picasso (Museum of Picasso) holds one of the most extensive collections of the famous artists works in the world, dating back to his childhood and adolescence, with such famous pieces such as Las Melina Blue, Science and Charity and First Communion. Located in La Ribera, the museum is part of five large medieval palaces, so the feeling of history and tradition is really forefront in this experience, and whatsmore is that temporary exhibitions are commonplace with works Lee Miller, Jean Hélion and currently Kees Van Dongen. With a stable and vastly attractive base for the museum, being Picasso´s work, and the constant addition of famous, infamous and variable artists hosting exhibitions, this outstanding museum is an experience well worth the visit. The museum is split into sections and offers a chronological view of the artists´ development, allowing the audience to understand his environmental changes, his changes in thought and direction and use of colours and in-picture dynamics. Picasso spent a great deal of time in Barcelona and his friend Jaume Sabartés donated a great deal of Picasso´s work to the muesum. His family also donated many paintings from Picasso´s childhood to the museum and today the reportoire stands at 3500 works of interesting, motivating and special art.
c / Moncada 15-23
08003 Barcelona
Tel: 93 256 30 00
museupicasso@bcn.cat
Closed on Monday Tuesday – Sunday: 10-20h
Metro L4 (Jaume 1), L1 (Arc de Triomf) and L3 (Liceu)
