Travel around Nicaragua but staying in Barcelona.

If you live in Barcelona and you are one of those who enjoy the solitude of the city during August we highly recommend visiting the photo exhibition Nicaragua, the country of the little things of our friends Arthur and Ruth Estellers Isalo (Artisal Travel Photography).

Since several weeks ago that Arthur and Ruth had sent me an invitation to the inauguration of the exhibition, but it was not until today when I had the opportunity to visit. This is a photo story that make up the sum of experiences that made that Nicaragua would become for these photographs in a very special destination. 'The little things that we have visited and lived during our trips to this beautiful country has resulted in an intense photo that talks about the current Nicaragua, its landscapes and its people, "commented Arthur and Ruth.

The exhibition is in the Biblioteca Jaume Fuster (Barcelona Plaça de Lesseps from 1920 to 1922). A good plan would go on a Sunday morning, visit the exhibition and then use the small terreza out there in the library for a refreshing drink in the summer in Barcelona. You have until September 11 to visit.

Fiesta Mayor de Sants 2010 in Barcelona

Just as the Festa Mayor de Gracia finishes another big neighbourhood Festa Mayor starts in Sants district of Barcelona. Although not quite as famous the Festa Major de Sants it is absolutely worth visiting. Many of the main activities take place in "Parque de la España Industrial" and 13 streets in Sants will be decorated by the residents with many entertaining themes. The Catalan actress Amparo Moreno open the festival on Saturday 21 August 21 at 20.00 in the evening at the "Parque de la España Industrial." There will be many chances to see festivals traditions like correfocs - fireruns, castellers - human tower building, Gegants and capgrossos - giants and other Catalan festival traditions. A highlight of the Sants Festa Major is the Sants Festival cycling race, called the Cursa Ciclista 'Memorial Antoni Andrés Sancho' which takes place for the 29th time in 2010 on streets of Sants from 10:30 on Sunday 29 August 2010. This year also see the premiere of a new running event called "El 2000 de Sants Cursa atlètica de la Festa Major 2010" which is a 2k run (2 circuits of 1000 metres) taking place on Sunday 29th August 2010 from 09:00.

Don't hesitate to come and spend some holidays in Barcelona! Why don't you chose an apartment close to Sants or to the city centre to enjoy the last days of August?

Festival in Gracia, Barcelona

This week, the famous festival in the Gracia neighbourhood of Barcelona opens on Sunday 15th August every. The Festa Major de Gracia is the biggest of the local neighbourhood festivals in Barcelona and a big street party with many wonderful Catalan traditions and a full programme of concerts and activities filling the streets of Gracia every night during the festival.


We are pleased to present you the program of each day of this amazing party of 7 days:

Saturday 14/8-2010
Time: 19:00
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Pregó de la Festa Major de Gràcia 2010
Opening speech of Festa Major de Gracia by Catalan celebrity chef Isma Prados

Saturday 14/8-2010
Time: 19:30
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Espectacle de lluïment de les Colles de Cultura de Gràcia
Presentation show by all the cultural groups of Gracia.

Sunday 15/8-2010
Time: 10.30
Start: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Sortida en cercavila
Morning parade with various groups Parade route

Sunday 15/8-2010
Time: 10:30
Start junction: Pg. Sant Joan-Travessera (Jardins)
Pedalada popular Festa Major de Gràcia 2010
Bike ride from Pg. Sant Joan-Travessera (Jardins) to Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia. Bike ride route.

Sunday 15/8-2010
Time: 13:30
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Ball de Gegants i Capgrossos, Ball de Diables, Pas de Dracs, Lluïment dels Trabucaires, Ball de Bastons i Castell
Festival dance with giants, big heads, devils, dragons, trabucaire bandits, bastoner stick dancers and castellars towers builders. More info.

Sunday 15/8-2010
Time:18.00
Start: Carrer de Verdi.
Cercavila de Cultura Popular
Big and festive evening parade with all participating groups of the Festa Major, the gegants (giants of Gracia including “la Gresca i el Torradet”) caps grossos (big heads) dracs (dragons), castellers (human castle builders) and , bastoners (stick dancers) grallers – (pipers) and more! Worth seeing. Parade route

Monday 16/8-2010
Time: 10:00
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Sortida en cercavila
Parade with Gegants (giants), Castellers (tower builders), Trabucaires (bandits) and Bastoners (pipers)

Monday 16/8-2010
Time: 17:00
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
9è TORNEIG DE BOTIFARRA (vila de gracia)
9th Butifarra Tournement – Sausage Tournement. More info

Tuesday 17/8-2010
Time: 20:30
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Assaig a plaça dels Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia.
Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia make human towers on Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia. Assaig means rehearsal or attempt. These sessions are usually to warm up before a big castellars event. More info

Thursday 19/8-2010
Time: 20:30
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Assaig especial dels castellers de la Vila de Gràcia Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia make human towers on Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia. More info.

Friday 20/8-2010
Time: 20:30
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Assaig a plaça dels Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia
Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia make human towers on Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia. More info.

Saturday 21/8-2010
Time:18:30
Start: Plaça del Nord
Correfoc infantil
Correfoc firerun in a smaller format for children. More info

Saturday 21/8-2010
Time: 20.00
Place: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Baixada del Pilar Caminat (the walking column)
Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia build a human castle and attempt to walk it from Plaça del Sol to Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia in front of the town hall. Get there early! More info

Saturday 21/8-2010
Time: 20.00
Start: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Tabalada Infernal
Tabalada Infernal, the drum parade, where drummers from the colles de foc, (fireworks groups), parade round Gracia's streets More info.

Saturday 21/8-2010
Time: 20:30
Start: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Diada de Vigílies Festa Major
Popular Day of Castellars. Various castellers groups take part. More info

Saturday 21/8-2010
Time: 22:00 to 23:30
Start: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Correfoc
Correfoc is the traditional "firerun" where Festa Mayor visitors i.e. the general public are chased by "devil" groups brandished sparkling fireworks. Very dramatic. Wear a cap! More info

Sunday 22/8-2010
Time:12:00
Start: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Diada Castellera de Festa Major
Day of Castellars. Biggest castellers event with many groups. More info

Sunday 22/8-2010
Time: 00:30
Start: Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia
Espectacle de foc
Small firework display marks the end of the Festa de Gracia. More info.

Fiesta de Gracia a Barcelona

Barcelona is currently celebrating its famous and important Fiestas de Gracia. Gracia has always been considered one of Barcelona’s beautiful districts and it’s hard not to tell why. There are many little bars, coffee shops, romantic plazas and tiny streets to enchant us. The Fiesta de Gracia takes place on 14th – 22nd of August so it’s in full swing at the time of writing! It’s a great festival where all the neighbours transform the area into a paradise of colourful decorations. This year, most of the events will be taking place during the daytime.

There are many concerts to enjoy with many different music styles along with shows, traditional Catalan attractions and workshops. Famous musicians, like Maria del mar Bonet, Marina Rossell, Joan Isaac, and Luis Eduardo Aute, as well as classical music groups like Manel, Cuidado con el Perro or Cochambre Hotel will be playing their music for the residents of Gracia. Also, there will be culinary activities, like the “Tasta Gràcia” at the Plaza Manuel Torrente. In the magician’s area “Área de la Magia” at the Plaza del Norte professional magicians, as well as beginners in this magical art, will astonish you with all their exciting magic tricks.

Many years ago the Fiestas de Gracia had much more of a religious significance but over the years this has changed and it has become more of a social affair. The residents and citizens of Gracia put in a lot of work to get their street decorated in time for the festivities and as every year, the most beautiful street in Gracia wins a prize.

The Fiesta de Gracia is for everyone: both young and old alike. Unforgettable days full of entertainment for you and your friends will be guaranteed. Why don’t you rent the best apartments in Barcelona and spend a relaxing and fun filled holiday in the beautiful capital of Catalonia Spain?

20th European athetics Championship in BARCELONA

Yesterday, July 26th, was held in Barcelona, the inauguration of the 20th European Championships of athletism. The championship which really started today until next sunday takes place at the same location as the 1992 Olympics Games.

Visitors saw a water show of dance and acrobatics in the Magic Fountain of Montjuic with the under a beautitiful full moon in the Olympic Stadium.
During 70 minutes, a spectacle staged by Hansel Cereza, a founding member of "La Fura dels Baus, the group that designed the Olympic ceremonies, entertained thousands of spectators and reached a moment of great beauty.

The water was the main reason for the ceremony. The director mixed it with dance and sports with music by Nacho Cano, former member of Mecano, and Salvador Niebla, author of the music used in the Spanish synchronized swimming team.









Then we could see a parade ofrepresentatives of the 50 countries participating in the championship, with sounds of the anthem of Europe. Chema Martinez, candidate for the Marathon medal, was the flagship of a Spanish team of 88 athletes.
The Organizing Committee Chairman, José María Odriozola, said that chamionnats held in Barcelona is a good opportunity for the Catalans to enjoy the beauty of the sport in the Montjuic stadium or on the street.


President Montilla closed the ceremony, announced opened oficially the european championships. On sunday the championship will end with a concert of the famous group of Catalan rumba, Troba Kung Fu, in the Avenida Maria Cristina.

Do you want to take holidays in Barcelona and enjoy everything this city offers? We know where you can rent apartments close to the city center and Montjuic at really good price!!!

Huge celebration for Spain´s World Cup Championship in Barcelona

Spain erupted with its biggest fiesta in memory Monday when its football team returned to a jubilant nation after winning the World Cup, giving elated Spaniards a break from months of economic gloom and political squabbling as nationalist regions fought for greater autonomy from the central government.
Hundreds of thousands of people -- if not more -- jammed in Barcelona's Plaça Catalunya to cheers from Spaniards decked out in a sea of red and yellow, the colors of the Spanish and Catalonia flag.

While the spotlight was on in Spain, the win led to a rare sight in the Catalonia region's capital of Barcelona: Spanish flags waving side-by-side with Catalonia's own red and yellow flag.
"It has been very strange, but now it is being tolerated," said Saray Lozano, a 31-year-old taxi driver from Barcelona. "If it weren't for football, you might get rocks thrown at you" for displaying Spain's national symbol.
About 75,000 people celebrated the win in Barcelona.

Joan Foguet, a Barcelona-based journalist for the leading Spanish newspaper El Pais, said Catalonia has a "schizophrenic" relationship with the national team -- and attributed the burst of enthusiasm to the fact that the team played well.

"There are seven players from one club – Barcelona – in the latter stages of their quarter-final," writes John McDougall. "I am guessing this is still not the record number of players from a single club one country has fielded at the World Cup finals – or is it?"
Indeed Spain had seven Barcelona players on the field against Paraguay – Gerard Piqué, Carles Puyol, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, David Villa and Pedro – for around nine minutes, from the introduction of Pedro from the substitutes' bench on 75 minutes, to the replacement of Puyol with Carlos Marchena on 84.

Barcelona is such an inspired city. For more information, please visit us at: www.top-barcelona-apartments.com

10 Things you didn’t know about the Barcelona Grand Prix1

1. The last wet Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona was in the year 1996. Subsequent to that time, the races haven’t been conducted during rains.

2. The first time the Spanish Grand Prix was held at the Circuit de Catalunya, was the year 1991. The racing track is actually located in Montmeló, not in Barcelona, in spite of being called the Barcelona track. The circuit serves as an important testing ground, and hence a lot of drivers are very familiar with the track.

3. Olivier Panis, an active driver in the sport of circuit racing, scored his last podium position in Spain, before retiring. The last team to score its last podium position in Spain was Tyrrell (Mark Blundell in 1994).

4. In 1986, Ayrton Senna finished the Barcelona GP a tiny fraction of time, exactly 0.014 seconds ahead of Nigel Mansell, making it the smallest winning margin in F1 history. This nail biting race took place on Circuito Permanente de Jerez.

5. In the time period between 1968 and 1973, Ford, the engine manufacturer, scored 6 Barcelona Grand Prix wins in a row.

6. Two famous mishaps that took place after pit stops were firstly the one with Bertrand Gachot in 1995, where there were tongues of flame coming out of his car. The second one, also in 1995, happened with Johnny Herbert, when Benetton forgot to remove the rear jack from his car.

7. Ferrari introduced their periscope exhaust system in 1998, in the Barcelona Grand Prix.

8. Nigel Mansell retired from F1 racing after the 1995 Spanish Grand Prix. The last Grand Prix race that he has won was the Australian Grand Prix race. He had briefly retired from racing, making a comeback of sorts in 1994.

9. In all, since its inception, the Spanish Grand Prix has been hosted on 5 different racing circuits – Barcelona, Jerez, Jarama, Montjuich and Pedralbes. As a matter of fact, the Barcelona Grand Prix didn’t start as a Grand Prix at all, but used touring car rules for their races.

10. In the 1994 Barcelona Grand Prix Michael Schumacher pulled off quite a feat in finishing the race in second place, in spite of driving for over half of the race in fifth gear. Subsequently, two years later, Schumacher scored the first win as a member of the Ferrari team. The performance was exceptional since it took place during a rainstorm.

If you are planning on coming to Barcelona for this event and are looking for accomodation click here.