Feria of Sant Ponç 2011 in Barcelona

On the 10th and 11th of May, come try local specialties thanks to the Feria of Sant Ponç! This fair, which is one of the oldest fairs in Catalonia, is celebrated each spring in honor of San Ponç, the Herbs’ Patron come to heal the population facing misery and poverty, with potions of medicinal herbs.

Dating from the 16th century, this is a tradition where a large variety of herbs such as thyme, chamomile, rosemary and bay is presented in the streets.

But this celebration will also allow you to discover and taste the typical gastronomy of the region. Indeed, for the occasion, 93 stalls in total will be settled in Barcelona’s city according to the City Council, in order to offer you the opportunity to buy all kind of local and home-made products. These products include of course deli meats and cheeses, but also sweets such as honey, marmalades, chocolate, cakes and traditional confectionery.

And to follow the trend, some products coming from organic farming will also be available.

The stalls will be spread on 4 main districts, as following:

- Sants – Montjuïc: 10th and 11th of May, calle Blai.

- Ciutat Vella (City Center): 11th of May, from 9 am to 9 pm, calle Hospital.

- Sarriá San Gervasi: 11th of May, from 10 am to 8 pm, plaza Mañé i Flaquer y plaza Sarrià.

- Nou Barris: 11th of May, until 10 pm, at Via Júlia marquee.

Do you know it?

On this day of San Ponç, Catalonian people make their big spring cleaning. By cleaning their house from top to bottom and placing a bouquet of herbs under the bed, they hope in this way to drive away evil spirits.

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Barcelona International Motor Show 2011

Looking for the car of your dreams or simply fond of cars? Do not miss in any case the Barcelona International Motor Show 2011, which runs from May 14 to 22, in the exhibition center of La Fira de Montjuïc.

With no less than 1 million visitors every year, this show is now one of the most important in Europe and has become a key event for all car lovers.

For its 36th edition, organizers hope to attract even more curious since the event will be held at the same time as the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix. The show follows trends and will highlight this year clean energies (electric and hybrid vehicles, vehicle charging infrastructures, renewable energies).

34 of the most famous brands in the sector have already confirmed their attendance to present their latest models. From the simplest to the most spectacular, there will be something for all prices and for all tastes!

Of course, this will not be only about looking at these new wonders. Indeed, the show offers several activities that will delight children and adults. Among the most attractive, there are namely :

- a circuit around Montjuïc especially laid out for the occasion, offering the opportunity to try some new models;

- Formula 1 simulators for those who want to put themselves in F1 drivers' shoes.

OPENING HOURS:

From Sunday to Thursday: 10am - 8pm

Friday and Saturday: 10am - 9pm

ENTRANCE PRICES:

Adults and children over 10: 12€

Children under 10: Free entrance

You can book online by clicking here.

For more information, check the official website of the show: http://www.salonautomovil.com

Interested by this exhibition? Do not waste your time and book your apartment now on our website Top Barcelona Apartments.

Address:

Salón Internacional del Automóvil

Fira de Montjuïc

Avinguda Reina Maria Cristina, 1 – 08004 Barcelona

Metro: España (L1)

Tel: 902 233 200 / +34 93 233 2000

e-mail: automovil@firabcn.es

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The 29th Barcelona International Comic Fair

Traveler friends and fans of comics, this article is for you!

The 29th International exhibition of comics in Barcelona will take place from the 14th to the 17th of April 2011, Avenida Reina M. Cristina, in Hall 8 of la Fira de Montjuïc.

For this event, many english artists are scheduled as Brent Anderson (portfolio), Charlie Adlard (portfolio), Eddie Campbell (blog), Garth Ennis (portfolio), Kurt Busiek (portfolio).

During the fair, several activities will be proposed:

trendy rock concerts :

• Thursday, April 14, 6:00 p.m. ANNA & THE BANANAS, 19:00 REMBRANDT42

• Friday, April 15, 7:00 p.m. MOTORZOMBIS

• Saturday, April 16, 7:30 p.m. LOS TIKI PHANTOMS

• Sunday, April 17, 6:00 p.m. MÜRFILA

Dedications: Find all the dedications and schedules on the official website;

video games testing;

debates and conferences.

Opening hours:

• Thursday, April 14 from 10am to 20pm

• Friday, April 15 from 10am to 21h

• Saturday, April 16 from 10am to 21h

• Sunday, April 17 from 10am to 20pm

Price:

Admission 6 €

Tip:

If you go on the FICOMIC stand, a free comic book will be offered (in a limited availability).

Address:

Metro station : Espanya (line 1 and 3 subway)

Hall 8

Avenida Reina M. Cristina

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Free entrance museums in Barcelona on the first sunday of each month

Barcelona is one of the most attractive cities in Europe thanks to its cultural richness and its buildings designed by Gaudi. Among its large number of museums, it is so difficult to make a choice! Fortunately, there are special days that could help you to reduce your choice. For example, you could enjoy free admission in some museums every first Sunday of each month! So why don’t you come to Barcelona this weekend? And then on Sunday you could visit the following museums for free:

- The Museum of Geology

Opened in 1882, this is the first museum of Barcelona’s city. The museum presents a wide collection of rocks, very old European fossils and fascinating minerals such as the biggest diamond in the world. Visitors can also enjoy a hall with luminous effects produced by special minerals.

Museu de la Geologia

Parc de la Ciutadella, Metro: Arc de Triomf (L1)

Tel: +34 933 196 895

Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 14:00, Thursday - 10:00 to 18:30

- The Zoological Museum

Children will love this place since it has various animals to see such as mammals, birds and insects. There are also activities.

Museu de la Zoología

Parc de la Ciutadella, Metro: Arc de Triompf (L1)

Tel: +34 933 196 912

Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 14:00, Thursday - 10:00 to 18:30

- The Textile Museum

This museum shows the importance of textile in Catalonian history through an exhibition of clothes, costumes, accessories from the Baroque period until today.

Museu Textil i d'Indumentaria

Carrer de Montcada 12 – 14, Metro: Jaume I (L4)

Tel: +34 932 562 300

Tuesday to Saturday – 10:00 to 18:00, Sunday 10:00 to 14:30

- The Ethnological Museum

This museum displays an interesting collection of objects and artefacts from different cultures of the world. The main exhibit is permanent and is called “Ethnic, from traditional cultures to inter-culturality”.

Museu Etnològic

Passeig Santa Madrona 16, Metro: Plaza España (L1 and L3)

Tel: +34 934 246 807

Tuesday to Saturday - 12:00 to 20:00, Sundays 11:00 to 15:00

- The Picasso Museum

In the museum of the famous Spanish painter, you could see some of his artwork and sculptures from his early days when he lived in Barcelona. The Picasso Museum is one of the most visited attractions in Barcelona, you cannot skip this!

Museu Picasso

Carrer Montcada 15-23, Metro: Jaume I (L4)

Tel : +34 933 196 310

Tuesday to Sunday – 10:00 to 20:00

- The National Art Museum of Catalonia

Located on the foot of the Montjuïc Mountain, this museum presents the biggest collection of Catalan art in the world, from the Romanesque and Gothic periods. This important art gallery gathers together frescos, paintings, sculptures, wood carvings,etc.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc, Metro: Plaza España (L1 and L3)

Tel: +34 936 220 360

Tuesday to Saturday – 10:00 to 19:00, Sunday: 10:00 – 14:30

If you need an apartment, you can go on our website.

World Mobile Congress 2011

The World Mobile Congress 2011, that will be held from February 14th to 17th at Fira de Montjuïc in Barcelona, is the largest international exhibition of wireless telecommunications.

Within the framework of this global congress devoted to new trends and prospects in the sector, the city will receive for the 6th consecutive year nearly 1,300 exhibitors, mobile manufacturers, software publishers and operators from 200 different countries. The exhibition will present a total of over 50,000 models of high quality products that will define the future of mobile, with as guest stars the new smartphones and tablets that will be marketed in the coming months. So, this year will be there: Samsung with its Galaxy S2, LG and its first 3G smartphone, Sony Ericsson with its XPERIA and Play, but also Motorola, HTC, Nokia, Microsoft, Google and Nvidia.

The goal of this event is namely to create a global network in order to discuss possible solutions and innovative strategies that could reduce the environmental impact. The meeting will also be an opportunity for professionals to establish trade links with other actors in the sector and share experiences and knowledge with other specialists.

Moreover, an awards program will take place to highlight the most innovative mobile solutions and initiatives from around the world.

As a visitor or a professional, do not miss this major event in Barcelona and book an apartment from now!

Lady Gaga concert in Barcelona

Global phenomenon Lady Gaga performs in Barcelona in the Palau Sant Jordi, for the only concert in Spain on her Monster Ball Tour on Tuesday 7th December 2010. Tickets on sale from 6th May 2010 at Ticketmaster, Servicaixa and El Corte Inglés

Lady Gaga is a phenomenon for the media, for fans and especially for the music and fashion industries. She is able to reinvent herself like a molting animal, sometimes even dresses in dead animals, thus causing all kinds of journalists and ideologues to spend rivers of ink singing her praises and dissecting her every gesture.

It seems that the New York singer is poised to inherit the mantle of number one diva from Madonna, and more than projecting a set artistic identity, is channeling the development of a lifetime brand. Madonna, the pop musical phoenix capable of channelling society´s ethos in every moment, meet Lady Gaga, your spotlight loving successor. Of course, just as when Madonna was at the beginning of her career, and causing a pop-culture revolution, Lady Gaga has made a splash whose eventual impact can only be imagined, and is most likely underestimated by critics.

But who can blame this young woman for wanting to take the lead in an industry, by using clothing, occasional histrionics or outrageous statements? The fact is that Lady Gaga has demonstrated with her impressive ticket and record sales that she is more than just a girl wrapped in a piece of meat, and behind all the money and publicity machine, there is also a girl who takes the stage in front of thousands of people and does her job.

If you have a long weekend or few days of holidays, come to Barcelona to enjoy the city and maybe come to Lady Gaga's concert! We will find you a place to stay!

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.

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Joan Miró Foundation

The Joan Miró Foundation possesses an incomparable collection of work by the 20th-century master, and is an essential part of any visit to Montjuïc. Miró's iconic Spanish paintings are displayed on gleaming white walls, lit by natural light from above.

Miró himself set up the Fundació in 1971 and it was expanded in the 1980s. The Miró archives boast thousands of drawings, 200 paintings and 150 sculptures created between 1914 and 1978. Artistic treasures by leading lights of 20th-century art also contribute to the permanent show - Henri Matisse, Marcel Duchamp, Claes Oldenburg, Henry Moore and Fernand Leger all feature. Also check out the reconstruction of kinetic artist Alexander Calder's Mercury Fountain outside.

Downstairs is the Espai 13, which is devoted to young up-and-coming contemporary artists. It shows cycles of exhibitions devoted to certain themes or countries and provides a refreshing contrast to the more familiar names in the hallowed halls above.

There's not only art at the museum - in the summer it also plays host to classical music concerts.

Cost:
Permanent collection €8, concessions €6

Temporary exhibitions €4, concessions €3

Opening Hours:
Oct-Jun Tue-Sat 10am-7pm

Jul-Sep Tue-Sat 10am-8pm

All year: Thu 10am-10.30pm, Sun 10am-2.30pm

Montjuïc

Montjuic is a hill that overlooks Barcelona from the southwest. The low-lying area around Plaça de Espanya just below Montjuïc is Poble Sec. Poble Sec is easily accessible at the metro stops Espanya and Poble Sec.

Getting to Montjuic is a little more complicated than arriving at other parts of the city. Due to its elevation, the metro does not run there. One option – by foot - is to use the series of escalators that run from the Palau Nacional at Plaça Espanya up the hill. A hike up to the top of Montjuic would take about an hour on a so-so trail.

Bus lines 50, 61 and 55 will also take you there.

Alternatively, at the metro stop Parallel, you can take the funicular railway to Estació Parc Montjuic.

When the "Teleférico de Montjuic" is running (it has been temporarly closed or working with limited schedules), you can take this cable car from the Torre de Sant Sebastià in the Barceloneta over the sea and up to Montjuic.

Montjuic (“Jewish Mountain”) is a must-see area of Barcelona. With beautiful views of the city, 2 of the city’s best museums and a vast park, this hill is definitely worth the hike. Northwest Montjuic is also home to the “Poble Espanyol,” a touristy, slightly cheesy but nonetheless attractive rendering of a “Spanish Village.”

Plaça de Espanya, at the foothills of Montjuic, is one of Barcelona's most emblematic sites and a logical starting point if exploring the area by foot. From the rotund Plaza extends Avingunda de la Reina Maria Cristina, leading to the slopes of Montjuic. This avenue is flanked by a beautiful series of fountains, its largest and first being la Font Magica. Nightly music and light shows during the summer bring these fountains to life, a free spectacle no seasonal visitor should miss.

Before ascending Montjuic, you might want to take a detour to Caixa Forum, a cultural center with its own contemporary art collection. Even further west, at about a 5 minute walk from here, is - Poble Espanyol ("Spanish Village"), one of the area's many vestiges from the 1929 World Exhibition. Poble Espanyol represents styles and buildings from all over Spain in an eclectic artificial rendering.

Now back at the fountains, glance up at the hill of Montjuic: you can't miss the Palau Nacional. A neobaroque palace also built for the 1929 World Exhibition, this stately edifice houses one of Barcelona's finest museums, the MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalyuna) Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. After marveling at the MNAC's amazing collection of Romanesque art, simply hop on the series of outdoor escalators connecting the Palau to the Avinguda de l'Estadi at the top of the mountain. And voila, you've made it up to Montjuic, Barcelona.

The escalators drop you in a great position to see the Montjuic Park with its Jardi Botanic ("Botanical Garden") and Olympic Stadium. Also inland, but futher east, is an excellent museum, the Fundació Joan Miró. Its spacious halls and sculpture garden house the most exhaustive singular collection of this Catalan master's works.

For great views of the Mediterranean, head southeast to the Castell de Montjüic, a 17th/18th century fortress.

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