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Jürgen Salenbacher[/caption]

Jürgen Salenbacher: A Creative Mind in Barcelona

Last night I attended the book launch of the most creative man in Barcelona, Jürgen Salenbacher.  His much-anticipated new book, "Creative Personal Branding", has hit the bookstore shelves and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy.

Full Disclosure:

To me personally, Jürgen is a close friend and we did our MBA together here in Barcelona.  To the world though, he is one of the leading authorities on the creative economy, innovation, and branding.  His accomplishments are too vast to list in their entirety, but here are the highlights:  Jürgen's clients over the years include Coca-Cola, Durex, Levi's, Lego, Luis Vuitton, Adidas International, Roca, and Mattel.  He has led branding strategies for Michael Ballack, Muhammed Ali, and the Kingdom of Bhutan.  He's even won the famous Red Dot Award, amongst many others.  Since 2006 he has somehow also found time to be a professor at IED Barcelona where he teaches Masters-level classes in Communication Strategy and International Marketing Strategy.  All that AND the striking good looks of Pierce Brosnan!

Jürgen Salenbacher's book:

As his website succinctly explains "Salenbacher looks at the origins of today's crisis and examines the work of leading theorists in business culture before explaining how our success in exploring change rests on our ability to think creatively".  We all know that life = change.  Whether you are an entrepreneur, an employee looking to contribute more, a creative type, or just someone facing change and major life decisions, this book is for you.  Interspersed with challenging and eye-opening exercises, "Creative Personal Branding" can help you put your life in perspective and strategically plan for the big question that we all ask ourselves, "what's next?". [caption id="attachment_9939" align="aligncenter" width="600"]
Jürgen Salenbacher & Benny Mouckley[/caption] I've only had time to read the first two chapters since last night, but I'm already impressed and will be furiously reading the rest of the book over the holiday break.  I suggest that anyone looking to take life by the horns and embrace change, instead of being paralyzed by it as most of us are, buy this book today! For more info and to purchase a copy see Jürgen's website here. Cheers, Benny

Living in Spain – “An Angel” – Animal Rescue

After a life changing crisis Judith Lynne decided to leave her well known habitat in Denmark and pursue her dream of living in Spain, here she discovered the joy of giving and began to support the local animal shelters. Here’s her story on how she devoted her life to help the animals.
”And there I was, suddenly all by myself as if the ”gold carpet” was ripped from underneath my feet”, Judith Lynne. Judith Lynne lived a joyful life in Denmark with her husband but one morning after 23 years of mornings together the unthinkable and worst possible thing happened, Judith’s husband didn’t wake up. No sickness, no indisposition, no possible warning that could have changed the outcome. Only 60 years old and he just didn’t wake up. Judith went into a chock and didn’t know where to go from here, she felt like if someone had pulled out the carpet underneath her and her comfort zone was suddenly gone. After a while in sorrow Judith made the decision to realize a lifelong dream of leaving Denmark and move to a sunnier and warmer climate. So she chose Benalmádena Costa in Spain.
“I guess it felt natural to pick things up during a walk on the beach, so I did” Judith Lynne. She spent a lot of time walking down beaches in her new hometown; here she collected different types of seashells. Judith had in her past been very creative so she started painting and gluing in the small shells, creating small pieces of art. In the beginning she just kept them for herself and had them display on shelves, till one of her friends told her she should try and sell them. While she was now living in Spain she wanted to give something back to the Spanish community, she felt as if she needed to do something for her new country, so she decided to spend the entire income from the sale of the shells to buy supplies like food, blankets, gift cards for the vet and cleaning devices for the local animal shelters.
The number of abandoned and homeless animals in Europe is estimated to be around 100 million. It’s hard to find the exact number because there’s no registry (obviously) on most of the stray animals. But in Spain there are estimated to be 800.000 stray dogs, but still the numbers are inconclusive. Even though the animal shelters work 24 hours pr. day taking care of the animals, trying to find new owners and families, they still receive neglected animals every day and night, so the clinics are overcrowded. They don’t have enough resources to take care of them all and the money is short when there is no state or government support. Some of the reasons why these animals are abandoned are because people don’t realize how much work and money you need to put in an animal every day. Some can’t afford keeping their beloved pets or otherwise they don’t get the animals neutered so they multiply uncontrollable leaving the problem even bigger. The animal shelters in Spain rely on private donations as they are not funded or supported by public institutions. Even though the Shelter’s find new and loving homes for most of the animals, cats and dogs are thrown away like trash every day and the shelters are again in need for help and support.
More ideas and creative art pieces has developed through the years and she is now a local known artist with success! Especially her keychains, the small “guardian angels” has become very popular and are sold all over the world. Coincidence? I don’t think so. These guardian angels represent not only Judith’s nonprofit organization “AnAngel” but also the purity of good deeds and faith to humanity! Judith loves living in Spain and she is grateful for the gracious people she has met along the way. ”I really enjoy to be creative and it is an even greater joy to help those who cannot ask for help by themselves” Juddith Lynne. Juddith has now been living in Spain for 8 years and is the founder of the nonprofit organization “AnAngel”, she even adopted a gorgeous kitten from one of the shelters she’s supporting!
Remember it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are, if you’re big or small, help is well appreciated everywhere and you’re the only one who stands in the way of your dreams! If you know any nonprofit organizations like “AnAngel” please do drop a comment below!

Circuit Training Workout on the Barcelona Beach

If you're looking to pay sometimes astronomical gym prices in order to accomplish a little sport in Barcelona and you love exercising indoors, then skip this blog because it isn't for you! If you want to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea, the sun, and get some fresh air into your lungs then please keep reading. Run like a beast along our route from Barceloneta Beach to Bogatell Beach, which includes 3 stops in which you'll be able to do some exercises! After that you will do the same but going from Bogatell back to Barceloneta. If you're a little out of shape like us, and don't want to pass out along the way, we suggest you run on the pavement and not in the sand (that's for the hardcore peeps!).  After building some resistance, its worth running on the sand as it's very good for your legs and feet, and is much easier on your back.

Strength Training Workout Map

The first stop is located between Barceloneta and the 2 towers of Ciutat Villa Olympica. There are often a lot of people at this 'workout station', and most of them tend to be juiced up gorillas working out a little but mostly admiring their own muscles. Anyways, just ignore them, they're not looking at you anyways. The second stop is just before Bogatell Beach, and for me, this is the best one as there are a lot of great machines you can use and  it is not so crowded. The last stop is not so far from the second. There is an upright bench press where you can workout your arms easily. But, big muscle men beware: don't expect too much from this device, the weight is pretty light, so it is more for muscle toning. This circuit training workout is one of my favourites and it's perfect to get in shape no matter where you happen to be. Enjoy working out in front of the sea with a little bit of salty air!

Body-building devices by stations:

This circuit training is about 5.5 kilometers in length. I swear that if you do this every 2 two days, you will be in perfect shape in one month and you'll have that sexy summer BCN beach body! For more information, check our blog about Running in Barcelona or about general sport in Barcelona. Also checkout our free ebook on Barcelona's Best Beaches. What are you doing for a little exercise in Barcelona?  Any good tips? Cheers ! Hugo

QUICK-TIPS ON CATALAN CULTURE

Knowing Catalan culture is a very useful tool if you are living or traveling in Barcelona. For example, if you don't know that Barcelona is the capital of Catalunya, then you may as well be wearing a sign saying "I am a tourist." But you don't have to be an expert! Just knowing a few bits and pieces on Catalan culture can go a long way. So don't be a completely uninformed foreigner. Read on to learn some quick facts about Barcelona's autonomous community. Also be sure to read some fun facts about Barcelona and the history of how Barcelona got its name.

SIMPLE INFO ABOUT CATALUNYA

- Catalunya is located in the Northeast part of Spain and Iberian Peninsula. - It borders France to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. - Covers 32.114 km2 - Official population is 7.535.521 - Official languages are Catalan, Castellano (Spanish), and Aranese.
- Catalunya is an autonomous community of Spain, meaning: - This region of Spain has its own self-government - It has the rights of nationalities and regions. - It manages its schools, social services, urban/rural development, health care, etc. -Catalunya is one of the most economically dynamic regions of Spain. With Barcelona as its capital, it is also a huge tourist destination and international cultural center.

Cool Historical Facts about Catalunya

-The origin of the name 'Catalunya' has diverse interpretations. The 2 most popular are 'Land of the Castles' and 'Land of the Goths' -It was once conquered by Rome and became part of the Roman Empire.
-Catalan culture began to develop in the Middle Ages when certain regions of the Iberian Peninsula were ruled by Frankish counts. -Once a part of the the Kingdom of Aragon, Catalunya became a maritime power by trading goods.
-Catalunya has had a long history of both gaining and losing its autonomy. -Catalan culture and nationalism was severely repressed during the regime of Franco (1939-1975). -Catalunya recovered political and cultural autonomy in 1978 when Spain adopted a democratic Constitution.

Amazing Catalan Culture Aspects

Japanese Restaurant in Barcelona : TEMAKI-YA

To find a delicious Japanese Restaurant in Barcelona is very easy, , but do you know that the fast-food version of Japanese restaurants has also landed in our city? Quick, and something you can eat with your hands, healthy and tasty-as-hell, the Temakis, as this half-japanese half-brazilian treasure is called, have came to stay!
TEMAKI?!? What is it? What the f*** has Brazil got to do with that? Ok, I'll try to tell it quickly: A Temaki is a cone-shaped hand-rolled sushi filled with rice, salmon, tuna, vegetables, cream-cheese, avocado, or whatever else the cook might want to use to surprise you! Still can't figure it out? Don't lie! You already saw the pictures! But you see, it's irresistible, isn't it?! Delicious fast-food became popular in Brazil a few years ago - after the boom of japanese restaurants - and has been growing more and more every year, gaining market ground on traditional fast-food like hamburgers and pizzas. So, after vacations in Brazil, Carmen Pereira and Gabriel Miranda , two Brazilian that has lived in Barcelona for 20 years now, saw the opportunity of bringing the concept of the Temakerias to Europe: Healthy, quick, tasty and cheap! The japanese restaurant in Barcelona, Temaki-ya (Temaki Now) has a classic temakeria style: simple and clean, no tables - just high seats - ingredients on display, and a cozy atmosphere. For a Brazilian like me, it was like being back in Sao Paulo! I was also surprised with the variety of the menu , there are around 50 options of Temaki, and also includes others japanese specialities - don't miss the Hot-rolls. Creativity at its best! It's impossible not to find one you like (I bet you would eat at least 80% though).
So, if you're tired of the tons of mainstream japanese restaurant in Barcelona, you have to try Temaki-ya. Actually, it should be in your MUST-DO list! It's delicious, healthy, cheap and innovative! What more could you want? Go check it and give us your feedback! Where is it? At Calle Gignas, 28 (El Gotico), close to Plaza Sant Jaume! For more info check their website! There you find opening hours and extras! Almost forgot! If you like their Facebook page, you'll be updated with discounts and promotions! The most famous, for example, is that every Thursday, every temaki you buy,  you get the second one for only 1 euro (as you can see at the image below)! Irresistible!
Jack!

Mamma Mia, This Is The Best Pizza in Barcelona!

Yesterday I went with some friends to eat a pizza in Barcelona, after an amazing  day in Montserrat. We were sitting in the bus, on the way back, tired and sleepy, and started to dream about pizza, like Homer Simpson. Mmmm pizza... I'm Italian and rarely go to a pizzeria in Barcelona because most restaurants serve just an imitation of the authentic Italian pizza. I remembered many friends recommending this place, I was still skepical (because they're not Italians!)  but decided to go anyway. Wanna know how it was? The best. Simply the best pizza in Barcelona I have ever had; and I've had a lot!
The staff is Italian, the menu is really Italian, prices are Italian too! The ingredients are premium quality, especially (Her Majesty) Mozzarella di Bufala, the original and only one. And the attention to detail is "tipica napoletana". Go and see with your own eyes: look at them cooking with the concentration and the engagement of a painter, or a pianist. It's amazing! Everything on the menu is really typical Italian food, from the starters to Limoncello. Take a look below:
Pizza Margherita for 4€, Melanzane alla Parmigiana (you must try!), Tiramisu for 3€, Limoncello & Caffè Espresso for 1€... Close your eyes and you are on the Amalfi Coast...
....and then you wake up and you are eating an amazing, delicious and homemade pizza in Barcelona!
NAP Neapolitan Authentic Pizzeria, Carrer Gombau 5, 08003 Barcelona Metro L4 Urquinaona or Jaume I). Open every day 1,30-4.30pm, 8pm-12am. Link: https://www.facebook.com/nap.bcn?fref=ts Suggestion: If you are a big group, try to be there before 10pm! La vita è bella!   :-) Did you try pizzeria NAP yet ? Let us know in the comments below what you thought about their pizzas! Have a nice day ! -Elio

Barcelona Brunch: A view you cannot resist

Barcelona Brunch combines most of my favorite Sunday activities - a killer view of Barcelona from above, enjoying all-you-can-eat delicious food, chillout music and fresh cocktails. Oh, pardon me, how could I forget - and all that in a pool located on the 11th floor of a quite futuristic-looking hotel. Yeah, it does sound tempting, right? The Barcelona Brunch, offered by hotel Barcelo happens every Sunday and is one of the best ways to spend your afternoon, especially if you are not a tourist and rushing around to check out the usual spots around the city. Besides, let's be honest - a lot of places are actually closed on that day, so is there a better way to relax after a long week?
As you can see in the link, the price of the brunch is 25 euros. I won't comment whether that's a lot or not, after all it depends on your budget, but what can I say from my personal experience is that its totally worth it. The brunch itself starts at 12:00 and there's enormous variety of food which would satisfy even the most picky ones. The personnel is very friendly and positive and there's a DJ spinning tunes in perfect synchron with the ambient environment you can see on your right. Ahh, and don't get fooled by the fancy look, being dressed-up is not necessarily at all. After all, the brunch is all about being comfortable. After your Barcelona brunch, you can head to the 11th floor of the hotel where you can enjoy the amazing view of Barcelona with a cocktail (all for free) in your hand. For those of you, interested in photography, the place offers very interesting angles of the city. As I mentioned, there's a pool on the 360º terrace of the hotel. Don't expect olympic size, but its good enough to make you feel you are in paradise!
To quickly sum up, this place has everything to offer for a proper Sunday Barcelona brunch. It costs 25 euros, it is every Sunday and the hotel is located in the Raval neighbourhood. Check out the flyer. Do you like how this sound? Don't hesitate and go charge your batteries for the next week. Hasta luego, Ivo

Discover the Work of Joan Miro - One of Barcelona's Most Famous Artists - at the Joan Miro Foundation.

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Gold Of Azure by Juan Miro[/caption]
A cute ET like Sculpture will greet you when you arrive to the Joan Miro Foundation, revealing some of the essence of the work of Miro. Indeed his work is as unique and childlike as this character so don't hesitate to bring all your family. Even kids will enjoy this museum.
Before going to the Joan Miro Foundation, I didn't really know Miro's work. I saw some of his work in art magazines and books like the Triptyque (the three blue paintings with bursts of color and marks exhibited at the Georges Pompidou center in Paris). However, I didn't know what to expect from this exhibition and I was blown away by it! I just fell in love with all his work with the simplicity of the paintings and the use of the colors.

The Joan Miro Exhibition.

When you go through the exhibition you can see the evolution of his work, the change in the geometry, the color or even the material. At the beginning of the exhibition you can see that for Miro there was an importance placed on the symbolic and the poetic nature of life. He has been classified as a cubist surrealist artist. During his life, he goes through different phases showing influences from Van Gogh to Paul Cezanne. But throughout the chronological exhibition you will understand that Miro's main obsessions were birds, women and stars. The last part of his life was especially dedicated to those three topics. My favorite Miro painting is the "The lark's wing ringed in the blue of gold meets the heart of the poppy asleep on the field studded with diamonds" this one for me is the most romantic. It is quite simple but the choice of the colors and the title reveals everything. [caption id="attachment_16812" align="aligncenter" width="286"]
"L'Aile de l'alouette encerclée de bleu d'or rejoint le coeur du coquelicot qui dort sur la prairie de diamants"[/caption]

"You are not alone" exhibition.

At the Joan Miro Fondation, there are also some temporary exhibitions. Currently showing is the "You are not alone" exhibition from the 1st of July until the 18th of September.

Even if it is not so present in the media Aids is still here and, of course, a lot of research to fight it is still ongoing. To make people aware of this everyday fight the Joan Miro Fondation welcome the exhibition "You are not alone". "You are not alone" exhibition is here to show the different visions that artists from everywhere in the world can have about Aids. Fourteen artists from Asia, Africa, and America are exhibiting here. It shows you how Aids affects people from different countries, cultures, and lifestyles. This exhibition is sponsored by Fundacion Banc Sabadell. It's the fruit of the collaboration between the Joan Miro Fondation and the ArtAids Fondation thanks to the work of the current FRAC Nord Pas de Calais director; Hilde Teerlinck, and Irene Aristizabal; the assistant curator, with the collaboration of Mr Han Nefkens. After Barcelona, this exhibition will move onto the Museo de Arte Contemporanea de Vigo (MARCO). This museum is one that you can't miss when you visit Barcelona. Miro is one of the most famous and best representatives of Catalan culture, so a visit is highly recommended to discover his work and vision. Don't forget to see the current exhibitions especially the "You are not alone" exhibition. Don't forget that you can visit it with the "Articket". For more information read this blog about the Articket : "Articket Barcelona : Check out 7 great Barcelona museums for one awesome price!" You can get more information about the Joan Miro Foundation at their website "Joan Miro Foundation" -by Kok Natha HEN.

Looking for a Barcelona Seafood Restaurant?

We found a delicious and cheap Barcelona seafood restaurant made for you: La Paradeta is the most unique Barcelona seafood restaurant due to its reasonable prices, its seafood's freshness and its informal "fish market" atmosphere. Barcelona seafood restaurant La Paradeta has been operating for 15 years. The first one of these alternative fish and marisco restaurant chains opened on Carrer Riego, 27 in Barcelona. It was not long before the owner, coming from South of Spain, opened 4 other marisco (seafood) restaurants in different locations in Barcelona, having established the popularity of his original concept. Ideed, La Paradeta is based on a very simple idea: people like fresh food and a fish market atmosphere. So the first thing La Paradeta's clients do is choose their fish and seafood directly from the market stall. I like to walk by just to see its explosion of colours enhanced by the pure white of the ice that surrounds all kinds of fish, lobsters, crabs, squids, shrimps, prawns and seashells. As La Paradeta's smiling manager on Carrer Comercial explained, the owner was very much inspired by Thaïland's fish markets where fish and seafood are caught, sold, cooked and eaten on the spot. Barcelona being a market's town, the mysterious Southerner decided to take advantage of this characteristic. All products are brought to the restaurants each day by La Paradeta's very own careful selection of general seafood and fish markets in Barcelona's famous port.
Once you've decided what you'd like to eat (it's not easy with so much choice!), you pay per kilo for the fish and seafood you want to eat (first reason for its cheap prices). Then you collect your cutlery, plates and drinks and chose a table while your delicacies are being cooked (you have a choice as well between several differnet and natural ways to have your food cooked). No waiter will come and harass you (in fact there are no waiters, which is the second reason for its cheap prices): you will be given a ticket with a number on it (similar to the system at In-N-Out Burgers, a famous hamburger chain that is well known in California) like at most European cheese, meat or fish markets. When you hear your number, just get up and fetch your food at the bar!

Some serious recommendations and useful tips about La Paradeta:

1) Make sure you understand numbers in Catalan or Castellano. 2) Order a few dishes at the same time in order not to wait too long between each of them. The cooking usually goes fast though. 3) Order the bread. I'm French and I know about bread. I ate, eat and will eat tons of it in my life, and believe me, La Paradeta's bread was a gift from heaven! 4) Order the white wine they serve there: el Vino Turbio: cheap, fresh, up-lifting, perfect after a hard day of work and with a lovely plate of marinated gambas (shrimp)! 5) La Paradeta doesn't accept credit cards. Please come with enough cash! My friend and I paid around 20 € each for a big salad, three huge plates of marisco, a big piece of fish and a bottle of wine. I loved this dinner.
6) Come early, before the opening if you can, especially on weekends, as the place is so packed you could not fit a pin in! However, you can sometimes be lucky: when I went to La Paradeta (the one located in Pasatge Simó) for the first time, on Wednesday, the 27th January at 10pm, I did not have to wait and could find a table very easily. However, don't court disaster! 7) La Paradeta doesn't sell drinks alone. If you want to drink you'll have to order a bite to eat as well. 8 ) La Paradeta is a NON-SMOKING area (rare in Barcelona, so enjoy it!). 9) Do not bring dates there, it is not a romantic restaurant but more for friends or already set-up couples. Unless your date is not a big fan of fancy crystal glasses and red roses in candle light and likes beer, loud noises and shouts from the kitchen and sudden bursts of laughter. Cheers! For more info on opening hours, locations and anything else you'd like do know, check their website. La Paradeta is simple and all about food (exactly how we like it here at SuiteLife). Do check it out: you will experience the best Barcelona seafood restaurant and seafood meal ever! Yours! Audrey.

BCN Map & Neighborhoods Map

A BCN Map is a must-have when visiting Barcelona but don't worry, we've got one for you as well as a Barcelona Metro Map! We've also written you an introduction to the Barcelona Old City so you can start exploring! We know you're new here so we recommend you start getting an idea of the neighborhoods of Barcelona by using our Barcelona Neighbourhoods map. Also, check out our Barcelona Neighborhood Guide! With a BCN map in hand, there is nothing better than taking a walk around the Barcelona Old Town (also called Ciutat Vella). Its made up of four main areas: El Raval, Barri Gotic, El Born and La Barceloneta. Its one of the most popular Barcelona tourist destinations as it is full of history and has its own distinct characteristics. Out of the four areas, the Barri Gotic is the most central to the Barcelona Old City. The Old City, as its names implies, is pretty flippin' old! Most of the buildings were originally built in medieval and even Roman times and quite a few of them are listed as World Heritage Sites. One famous one is the Palau de la Musica Catalana by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the only concert hall in Europe which is totally lit by natural daylight.

Another important BCN map: Tourist map of Barcelona

Once you have a tourist map of Barcelona, you can make sure that you won't miss any of the great tourist attractions in Barcelona. The best and most relaxing way to visit all the tourist attractions in Barcelona is to take the tourist buses. They are operated by Barcelona Bus Turistic regularly and all year round. They have three lines – red, blue and green. All the stops are located at the main and most famous Barcelona tourist attractions so you can't miss it. The map from Barcelona Bus Turistic can be downloaded from its official website.

The Barcelona metro map - One of the most handy Barcelona maps

If you think having a Barcelona street map is not enough, check out the Barcelona metro map. The Barcelona metro was started in 1924, and the very first line was between Lesseps and the Placa de Catalunya, which is still part of the modern Line 3. Nowadays, there are 8 metro lines (L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L9, L10, L11) and the FGC (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat) line with twelve routes. The network is operated by two different operators: Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB); and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC). The individual journey for the metro is 2.15 euro per ticket, and €9.95 for 10 trips and, remember, within one hour you can transfer to different lines for free. Don't fancy taking the metro? Check out the 23 Alternative means of transport in Barcelona!
A word of warning: when you're desperately poring over your new maps in search of your next stop, make sure to stand to the side of the road or duck into a shop. Standing with your head buried in maps is like a flashing neon sign over your head identifying you as a tourist and it can make you a bit of an easy target for pickpockets if you don't have your wits about you! Charlotte Jiaqian Chen, SuiteLifer