Archive for January, 2010
When you visit a new country you usually have some preconceptions about it. It could be that in Sweden you expect to see polarbears in the streets or that all french people wear berets.
We are going to kill some of the most common myths about Spain.
1. La Sagrada Familia is the cathedral of Barcelona. If you ask anyone for the direction to the Cathedral you will get confused when you arrive. The Catherdal of Barcelona is called Cathedral of Santa Eulalia and has nothing to do with La Sagrada Familia which is the famous building designed by Antoni Gaudi.
2. Paella is a seafood dish. It most certainly can contain seafood ,but it’s mainly a rice dish.
3. Bullfighting is the national sport. First of all, it’s not a sport and second of all it’s not national.n The real national sport in Spain is soccer.
4. You drink Sangria in the bars. Sangria is a party drink and exists only to get everyone drunk as fast as possible.
In the bars there are mainly tourists ordering sangria.
5.Flamenco is a very popular dance. It contains dancing, but it has four main elements: music, handclapping, dancing and singing.
6. Spain is a tropical paradise. If you visit during the winter you might have to buy a portable heater to survive the night.
7. Spanish food is hot and spicy. The Spaniards will sprinkle paprika over the food and call it spicy. But it’s nothing compared to a mexican chili con carne.
8. Tapas is a special kind of food. In fact, tapas can be anything. It’s a small dish served with a drink.
9. You have to leave tip. No, it’s not common in Spain and is perpetuated by a lot of guidebooks.
With this in mind for your visit, you will be a bit more prepared!
Between the 11th and 14th of February, you can experience the Carnival of Barcelona. Just before the Lenten fast preceding Easter, you can glute in what’s soon to be forbidden.
In the streets there will be a huge parade with singers and dancers, called Rua de Carnaval, and on Jueves Lardero, or “Fatty Thursday”, there will be a big tortilla competition. If you like it hot, you will be able to taste the spicy meat of the Catalonians.
The Carnival´s roots date from 1333, in celebration of some favorite, but prohibited customs, such as riding around in disguise and throwing oranges.
In 1859, Sebastia Junyent i Comes established the Born Society, an organization which is only interested in organizing the Carnival festivities. During the Franco dictatorship which followed, the Carnival was prohibited, though, it was renewed later. The Carnival was brought back in the life for the citizens by the Culture Department of the first post-Franco democratic City Council.
The festivities start with a celebration and end with a funeral. Since all things have to come to an end, the King of the Carnival has to die and there’s a cortage of mourners dressed in black.
Be there to experience the magic of this amazing event!
So, the high season for the holidays is over, but that doesn’t mean that a trip to Barcelona is not possible anymore. It could be even nicer, as there are not that many people but the holiday spirit is still on. However, take into consideration that if you have found a cheap ticket to this amazing city, there are three different airports you can land on, the main difference being the time you have to travel to the city. Below you can find a list of the airports and the different ways of travelling.
Barcelona Airport
The airport of Barcelona is located approximately 12 km’s away from Barcelona, in a place called ‘Prat de Llobregat’. Arriving at this airport, there are different ways of transport to reach the city of Barcelona:
By bus – The bus leaves every 10 minutes (between 06:00 – 24:00) en the ride takes 45 minutes. Travelling by bus will cost you € 3,90. Going back to the airport is of course possible as well. The departure times and costs are the same and the bus leaves from Placa Catalunya (06:00 – 23:15).
By train – The train leaves every 30 minutes ( between 06:00 – 23:45) from Terminal 2 and the ride will take 30 minutes. Travelling by train will cost you € 2,60. From the centre back to the airport is possible as well. The times and costs are the same and you can jump on the train at Passeig de Gracia or Sants Estacio.
By taxi – Travelling with taxi is the fastest way, it will take approximately 20 minutes, but on the other hand, it is also the most expensive oneg. One ride will cost you between € 25,- en € 30,- but you should take into consideration that the taxis in Spain will cost you a certain amount of money per minute, not per distance. So, if you get stuck in a traffic jam, the amount to pay will rise very quick.
Girona Airport
This airport is 110 km away from Barcelona and there are different sorts of transport available to reach Barcelona:
By bus – The busses from Girona Airport leave every half hour and a ride with the bus will take you at least one hour and 15 minutes. One solo ticket costs € 12,- but if you already know that you have to take the bus back to the airport, it is better to get yourself a return ticket. This will cost you € 21,- If you want to get back to the airport, you have to hop on the bus at ‘Estacion Nord’.
By train – The departure times of the train to Barcelona might differ from time to time. It is riding between 06:00 – 21:30h, every half hour or every hour. A train ride will take almost one and a half hour of your time. A single ticket will cost you € 5.90, and a return ticket - € 10.70.
By taxi – Again, travelling by cab is the fastest way of travelling, though it will cost you a lot of money. The ride will take approximately one hour, but that single hour will also cost you € 120,-! And you can imagine yourself what you can do with that amount of money!
Reus Airport
This airport is located furthesed from Barcelona, but of course there are several ways to reach Barcelona:
By bus – Travelling with the bus from Reus Airport will take one and a half hour of your day and you have to pay € 23,- for a return ticket. The busses will arrive at Sants Estacio, and if you want to go back to the airport by bus, Sants Estacio is the place where the bus will leave again.
By train – You might choose to travel by train, than this will cost you € 10.70 and it will take about two hours. The train leaves every 30 minutes, between 05:37 – 21:18h. If you want to take the train back to Reus, then you have to hop on at Sants Estacio.
By taxi – The cabs will take you to the trainstation of Reus, so that you can continue your journey by train. Such a ride will cost je around the € 20,-
