Let's Talk About Art: Famous Catalan Artists

Dear SuiteLifers, as you might have already realized art in Barcelona is a booming activity. The city is filled with artists who express themselves in many ways through painting, sculpture, architecture or music. You can easily run into some people drawing in the streets or performing music somewhere. In the coming posts we'd like to give you a little insight into some of the Famous Catalan People, first of all introducing some of Catalunya’s most respected and famous Catalan artists. These famous Catalan artists obviously had a great impact on the city itself and the artistic life in Barcelona.

THE TOP3 MOST FAMOUS CATALAN ARTISTS AND PAINTERS

1.   SALVADOR DALÍ (1904-1989)

Dalí was born in Figueres, Catalunya. He was one of the most defining surrealist painters of the 20th century. He was also influenced by many styles of art from academically classic - through cubism - to cutting-edge avant garde. Beyond his brilliant paintings he was also involved in sculpture, film-making and photography. He worked together with the famous Spanish surrealist director Luis Buñuel too, making the short film Un Chien Andalou and later L'Âge d'Or. He also collaborated with Alfred Hitchkock, and worked on a Disney cartoon production called Destino.

2.   JOAN MIRÓ (1893-1983)

He was born in Barcelona, the capital of Catalunya. He also did paintings, sculptures and ceramics, mainly influenced by surrealism and dada. You can see his art all around the city, for example on Las Ramblas, Parc de Joan Miró and obviously in the Fundació Joan Miró in Montjuïc, Barcelona. As one of the most famous Catalan artists, some of Miró’s work manifests the Catalán pride.

3. ANTONI TÁPIES (1923- )

Tàpies is also from Barcelona and one of the most famous European painters of our time. In his early work he was influenced by Joan Miró and Paul Klee, but soon became an informal artist, working in a style called “pintura matérica”- which means that the paintings may consist of some non artistic materials too. Later he got into Pop art, incorporating more unusual materials into his painting such as parts of furniture. He is also interested in sculpture and lithography. We could say that his work is associated with abstract expressionismtachisme as well. Tàpies is still living in Barcelona, where is the Fundació Tàpies located, dedicated to his life and work. Among the top famous Catalan artists it is difficult not to mention architectures who embody and epitomise the style and character of Barcelona, which is very famous for its buildings. It is therefore important to list the TOP 3 Catalán architects as well, to show their impact on Barcelona’s arhitecture. Why dont you check out our cool series on Barcelona Architecture & Catalán Modernism? It includes the work of Josep Puig i Cadafalch, Lluis Domenech i Muntaner, and naturally Antoni Gaudi - who's very famous work, the Sagrada Familia was consacred by the Pope in 2010.

As most of you know, there are tons of Barcelona sights. Luckily, there are still a few "secret" places, not overtaken by tourists. I was taken to one of them by a Catalan friend of mine, born and raised here and therefore full of inside knowledge about the city.
The Bunker, located at the top of Rovira in the Carmel barrio is the perfect place to enjoy an afternoon with your friends or your couple. And yeah - the bunker is more than just a nickname - the place is a remains of an old air raid civil war bunker. It was built in 1937 and has been renovated in the past few years. Renovated in sense that it's clean and safer than before, the sight still has its own unique vibe. Moreover, there are tons of graffiti improving the ambient atmosphere.
I must admit, the sunset view from the top of the mountain is very romantic. There's a 360º sight of Barcelona, which in my opinion is much better than the one from Montjuic. You can see absolutely everything - the vastness of the sea, the narrow streets of Barcelona, the city lights and the high mountain peaks. If you are a photography lover, this is the place to take amazing pictures of Barcelona!
So, the most important question - how to get there? You can see the location of the place on the map. The closest metro stop is Alfons X (L4, yellow) and from then on you can either walk or take a bus for two stops.
Interesting fact about the spot I chose to present to you - the Spanish rock band Nothink chose that particular sight in Barcelona for their music video of the song In a Row. Even if you are not the biggest rock fan you might like the video just for the astonishing location! I hope my words inspire you enough to go and check out the place yourself. If you have any tips about other cool Barcelona sights - drop a line in the comment section below! Cheers, Ivo

Barcelona Post Office - All you need to know about it!

Barcelona Post Office can be very confusing and scary to an English Speaker,especially if you don't speak Spanish at all or if you have a very limited knowledge about it.  So at SuiteLife we want to make it easier for you to use the Barcelona Post Office by telling you all you need to know.
Barcelona post office, and the Spanish post office (Correos) in general has always had a bad reputation and been widely renowned for slow delivery. However, in recent years, they have had vast improvements.  In Barcelona, the central Post Office can be located on “Plaça Antonio López” near the marina, just at the bottom of Via Laietana, and there are nearly 40 sub-postal offices dotted around the city.  See map .  Most of Barcelona post office have information services, sell stamps and can be used to send and receive letters, packages, telegrams, etc. If you simply want to send a letter then you can buy stamps in tobacco shops, which are all over the city, and then simply post the letter in one of the yellow post boxes spread around the city and outside post offices.  There are also specific boxes for local, national and international letters. At the post office in Barcelona the staff are generally pretty helpful, but if you don’t speak any Spanish or Catalan, it can be a little confusing and difficult.  Most of the Barcelona post offices staff speak little or no English, so you may need to go with a few phrases prepared.

My experience in the Barcelona Post office

I recently had to send a package to California, and all I could say was that I wanted to send a package to the united states and that I don’t have a box.  It seemed like everything went well.  A nice lady asked me in Spanish which size box I wanted, which I didn’t really understand until she pointed to the selection of different sized boxes.  She then pointed at a section on the box where I need to fill I the address I was sending the package and my own address.  Once I had done this, I went to a man and said I wanted to send the box I had to the United States and asked if I had filled it in correctly, both things I said in very basic Spanish.  He seemed to understand and said that I had indeed filled it out correctly.  I then tried to ask how long it would take for the package to get to its destination, and I asked for the “mas rapido” (quick).  He seemed to understand and proceeded to explain in quick flowing Spanish how the postal service works, which left me pretty confused, and all I could take from what he had said was that he wasn’t sure how long it would take.  So I then asked for the Urgent stamp, which was “mas rapido” and asked how much it was.  It turned out much cheaper than I expected, which could mean it wont be “mas rapido” at all, but the good new is that the package was sent.  A week later I have yet to receive confirmation that the package has reached its destination.

Helpful Vocabulary for the Barcelona Post Office

Now you can get through this process with little or no Spanish, but if you don't feel like waving your arms around a lot and trying to express yourself through charades the following vocabulary might make your life a bit easier: I'd like to send this to ________ = Quiero enviar esto a ___________ How fast will it get there? = Cuanto tiempo durará en llegar? Is there a faster option?  = Hay opción más rápido? How much will it be?  = Cuanto será? How much is the fastest delivery option? = Cuanto será la opción más rápido? Is there a tracking number? = Hay número de seguimiento? I want to buy insurance for the package = Quiero comprar seguros por el paquete I need a box = Necesito una caja

Basic Information About the Barcelona Post Office

Central Post Office (Correos) Plaça del Antonio López, 1 Tel: 902 197 197 / 933 183 048 Fax: 93 322 20 00 / 933 213 100 Metro: Jaume I or Barceloneta Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30am-9.30pm. Saturday 8.30am-2.30pm. Correos Website Hopefully this article will help ease your experience at the Barcelona post office.  If you have any more questions or think there's some valuable vocabulary we've missed out on let us know and we'll update the entry! Cheers, ~Matt

BBQ IN BARCELONA: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW!

With such beautiful weather, what could be better than a BBQ in Barcelona with some cervezas and loads of meat? Yes, I am a grilling fanatic! So in the last weeks I started looking for information on the internet, typing “barbacoa barcelona” “barcelona barbacoa” “grill barcelona”. It took me a lot of time to find a good place, but at the end I did it! So, I've done all the hard work for you - just read on to find the best BBQ spots in BCN.

IS IT LEGAL TO HAVE A BBQ IN BARCELONA?

First of all, I’d like to tell you about the Spanish law, what we are allowed to do and what we're not. Well, what I found is pretty damn confusing! It seems to be illegal to have a BBQ in Barcelona within the city limits. In other words, you cannot set up a fire in the middle of Ciutadella Park, for example. But for grills on your private balcony or terrace there is no restrictive law. But you might have to deal with your neighbors, that’s for sure! I have no terrace, so I decided to take my friends to to a place which sounded really interesting: just out of the city, totally equipped, one of those Barcelona Barbacoa places where you just need to bring your food.

FONT LES PLANES – RESTAURANTE Y MERENDERO

Well, we loved it here! Font Les Planes Restaurante y Merendero is a bar-restaurant, yes, but it’s also a merendero. They rent seats and grills (and wood and all the equipment, course) for a few euros per hour.It’s always open 9am to 7pm.
The location is amazing, it’s in Collserola Park, really well served by FGC trains from Catalunya and Gracia. It takes just 15-20 minutes to get there, at Les Planes stop, but you feel like you’re so far from the city! Collserola Park is beautiful and quiet, you get out of the train and find yourself surrounded by nature!

AN INTERESTING ALTERNATIVE

I haven’t tried this place yet, but it’s also easily reachable. It’s called Parc de la Trinidad and it’s a center for recreation with a BBQ and picnic zone. You can get there by Metro L1 “Trinitat Vella”.
It works exactly the same, you just need to bring your own food and drinks! If you guys try out a different place not listed here, please leave me a feeback so we can add it to this blog!
Do you know any other places where to have a BBQ in Barcelona? Please let us know in the comments below !
Have a nice and tasty weekend! - - Elio - -

Parking Gratuito en Barcelona: Tu Guia

Parking gratuito en Barcelona: Vienes a pasar unos días en Barcelona y te llevas el coche? Aquí como en todas las demás ciudades grandes no es nada fácil aparcar, hasta puede ser una misión imposible ! Con este blog intentaré informarte sobre los mejores parking gratuitos en Barcelona. Si deseas rentar un apartamento por un corte periodo mientras estés en Barcelona: SuiteLife

Weekends: Parking Gratuito en Barcelona

Para empezar, es bueno saber que durante los fines de semana puedes aparcar gratis en Barcelona, a lo largo de las carreteras. Sólo averigua que este el panel “Prohibido aparcar Laborables de dilluns a divendres 8-20h”

Parking La Maquinista

El centro comercial La Maquinista posee un parking subterráneo con 4.800 plazas gratuitas, todas ubicadas en las 2 plantas subterráneas del Centro Comercial, ¡gratuito y sin límite de tiempo! Lo único es que cierra por la noche. Pero, también hay un parking exterior abierto 24/24h y totalmente gratuito donde puedes dejar tu coche. Dirección: Calle Potosí, 2. 08030 Barcelona Metro: Torras i Bages (L1)

Parking Ikea

Muy pocos suelen pensar en los parkings de los almacenes, sin embargo puede ser una alternativa a los aparcamientos pagadores en Barcelona. El Parking Ikea Direccion: Calle ciencias, 100. 08907 Hospitalet de Llobregat Metro: Hospital de Bellvitge (L1)

Avenida Diagonal

Otra solución, es aparcar su coche gratuito en un barrio de la Avenida Diagonal. Esta avenida es grande pero al final de esta, en el barrio “Pedralbes” (barrio burgués de Barcelona), hay pequenas calles donde es posible dejar su coche en seguridad y de forma gratuita (calle Muntaner, Villaroel o Borell).

Parc Ciutadella

Detrás del parque de la Ciutadela, en la calle Ramón Turro es posible aparcar su coche gratuitamente, igual si subes hasta la Rambla Poblenou.

Zona Universitaria

Si llegas a Barcelona por la noche y que tienes suerte, puedes encontrar en la Zona Universitaria algunas plazas libres donde aparcar tu coche sin gastar un euro.

Montjuic

Cerca de la Fundación Miro, en Montjuic, hay muchas plazas de aparcamiento gratis. Parc de Montjuïc, s/n, 08038 Barcelona, Espagne

Calle Icaria

A 30 minutos caminando de la Rambla y a 5 mn en metro (Vila Olimpica L4, Urquinaona L1) en la calle Icaria puedes encontrar un parking gratuito en Barcelona.

Parking Viajeros

Este no es gratuito pero ofrece precios más baratos que en los demás aparcamientos de Barcelona. El coche se aparca en un parking subterráneo vigilado. Además el staff habla inglés, francés, portugués y español (práctico para los turistas). 28€ por 4 días (mínimo de 4 días) 7€ / días suplementarios (abierto 24/24h , reserva previamente en linea para beneficiar del tarifa 7€/dia ) www.parkingviajeros.com Dirección: Carrer Carreras i Candi, 65 Metro: Badal (L5), Mercat Nou (L5, L1) En cuanto a los los parkings públicos y pagadores de Barcelona, están administrados por la compañía BSM. En su página internet puedes encontrar una mapa de la ciudad en la cual todos los parkings están localizados. Los precios son bastantes caros (2,89€/hora 37,45€/dia) pero algunos ofrecen abonos interesantes.

Si te multan en Barcelona ¡ no pagues la multa de tráfico !

El Ayuntamiento sigue incumpliendo la normativa de las señales de tráfico: señalezar en Catalán Y en Castellano
Cualquier persona que haya sido sancionado con multas de aparcamiento puede recurrir por vía administrativa al Consistorio y exigir la devolución de la sanción. En efecto, las señales de tráfico en Barcelona y en prácticamente toda Cataluña siguen incumpliendo con la normativa legal vigente, que establece que deben estar en los dos idiomas oficiales de la Comunidad. Actualmente, solo están en catalán. ¡Pero el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona prefiere no cobrar las multas de tráfico a señalizar en Castellano! Si conoces otros parkings gratuitos en Barcelona, no vaciles en dejarnos un comentario! ~Orlane~

Barcelona's Most Famous Musicians - Ojos de Brujo

Questions NOT to ask when on a flat visit in Barcelona - don't get deceived!

What is good señoras and señores? Are you looking for a flat to rent in Barcelona? We strongly suggest that you do your homework first and take a look at this blog about questions NOT to ask when on a flat visit in Barcelona, because, you know, real estate agents are sales people after all, and if you ask the wrong questions you might not get a straight answer. Accordingly, we've put together a list below with those questions NOT to ask when on a flat visit in Barcelona, so take a look and see what you should (or in this case shouldn't) ask while searching for that perfect flat! :P

#1 HOW LONG HAS THE FLAT BEEN AVAILABLE?

This is one of the most frequent questions NOT to ask when on a flat visit in Barcelona, being the most seemingly benign and logistical questions can be the worst to ask. "How long has this property been on the market" might seem like a perfectly good question but in reality you're probably never going to get a straight answer. If an agent were to admit that a flat has been on the market for months and months, you would probably start to wonder, "Gee, how come?", and the flat wouldn't be as attractive to you. So normally agents will say it's been on the market a lot less time than in reality. They're trying to sell you on the place, so saying that it's been around forever and no one will rent it is quite counter productive for them. Remember, whether you like a flat or not should not be based on the popularity of it but rather whether you actually like it or not.

#2 ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THIS FLAT?

Don't you even think about asking this one! Another one of the questions NOT to ask when on a flat visit in Barcelona, and just like question #1, the agent will probably never be honest with you by revealing the actual demand in the flat or how many people are interested in it. Think about it,  you see a flat, ask this question and the agent says "no, nobody is interested in taking this flat, I can't seem to rent it for the life of me". You would probably be instantly dissuaded. Now if the agent says "OMG, we've had 3 other visits today, one couple sending me documentation this evening, so you better be really quick if you don't want to lose it" that would instill a sense of urgency in you. If you actually liked the flat, you might take the leap and reserve it more quickly if you know it 'might' disappear at any time. As you can see there is a lot of incentive in the agent misrepresenting the interest in a flat, so just don't ask, you'll never know if you're getting a straight answer.

#3 CAN I MOVE IN WITH MY PET?

The list of questions NOT to ask when on a flat visit in Barcelona continues and is now referring to pets. Mentioning you have a pet is often a deal killer for many property owners. Knowing that your little fur ball will be running around the apartment, possibly defecating all over it, and likely barking or making noises that disturb the neighbours (not to mention the extra wear and tear on the apartment itself) is not something that makes it easy to get accepted as a tenant. So, we suggest you don't mention your pet at all! If you find a place you like, before making any type of reserve payment, ask to see a copy of the contract, and if it doesn't mention pets, then sign and move in with your pet! If you constantly mention your pet you'll see doors closing very quickly. If you're one of those people that just HAS to know that the owner is ok with your pup, then ask on the phone before making appointments if each flat will allow pets or not so you don't waste your (and the agent's) time.

#4 HOW ARE THE NEIGHBOURS?

You might think that an agent knows everything there is to know about the flat you're seeing but that's not usually the case. They have knowledge of the product but more in terms of it's features and selling points. They usually have no idea who, or how well behaved, the neighbours are. After all, the agent maybe runs in and out a few times a day doing visits, but as they don't live there, they usually have no idea who the neighbours are. This, then, is another question not to ask because either they will say "the neighbours are great!", or they will tell you they have no idea. So remember this as a part of the list with questions NOT to ask when on a flat visit in Barcelona!

#5 CAN YOU TAKE OUT ALL THE FURNITURE?

OK folks, there tend to be two types of rental flats; furnished and unfurnished. There is a huge difference! You wouldn't believe how many people come to a visit for a fully furnished flat and then ask "can the owner take out all the furniture?" Usually, the answer is no. Not every person has the space to empty their whole apartment and store all their furniture. So, if you're looking for a furnished flat only look at those options and vice versa. If you love a flat you see online and want to know if it's possible to rent without furniture just call the agent and ask before setting up the visit. That way you avoid wasting your time.

#6 CAN I MOVE IN IN 3/4/5/WHATEVER MONTHS?

Keep in mind that most owners will not wait more than about 2-3 weeks for you to move in to the flat (read: starting paying rent) from the time you make a reserve payment. What that means is you shouldn't start your search much more than 4 weeks before the date of entry. If you do so you will be utterly wasting your time. "But I like to get a good jump on all my plans" you might tell me. Yes, we understand. People like to plan ahead and be prepared. However, that does not work in BCN. The flats you see AVAILABLE NOW are just that, available to move into now. So if you start to early you'll waste time on flats where they won't accept you. With that said, the worst you can do is see a flat and on the visit ask "can I move in in 2,3,4,5, etc... months?" The agent will tell you no, and probably want to kill you for wasting his or her time.

#7 ALTHOUGH IT'S A LONG TERM RENTAL, CAN I HAVE THIS FLAT FOR SHORT TERM?

Most rental flats you see on portals and websites are for long term contracts. Long term in Barcelona is generally 1 year plus. If you are looking for less time than that, especially if it's a stay of 1-4 months, we highly suggest you mention this on the phone before the visit. Every day we have people responding to ads asking if it's available for a few months when the owner wants only 1 year plus contracts. So the worst thing you can do, is setup a visit and ask "can I rent it for 2 months?", because most likely they are looking for long term tenants and most likely you will end up wasting everyone's time. So, with that said, if you're looking to stay somewhere for less than a year, make it clear to the agent while on the phone and before doing the actual visit. In conclusion, our advice is that you should read the ad carefully and thoroughly before scheduling your visit. Naturally, if you have any inquiries, it's the best to ask all the questions and things that you are confused about on the phone or by email. If you have any comments or suggestion on other questions not to ask on a flat visit let us know!  :D Till next time, PEACE OUT, SuiteLifers! Muchisimas gracias, Dragosh (El Dragon)

Top 5 Tips on how not to Get Screwed by a Landlord in Barcelona - 5 ways you can protect yourself against bad landlords!

Hello, SuiteLifers! This time let's talk about how to avoid getting screwed by a landlord in Barcelona. Have you ever been blamed for something damaged in your flat which wasn't your fault? Or have you ever been accused  breaching the contract for no good reason? Don't worry it happens all the time. Personally I have been through some tough landlords myself. Renting a new apartment can be a very fun experience or a living nightmare. That is why I want to share some tips you can use to avoid such annoying and stressful situations.

Always visit the flat personally

A lot of real estate websites these days provide virtual tours for their future tenants to view. Pretty cool, right? Whilst this is a great new way to appreciate a flat and its features in depth from the comfort of your own chair at home, this should not be your final step of the viewing. You should also be aware of landlords attaching false photos of the apartment online. Make sure you can spare half an hour and go visit the flat personally. What happens more often lately is that people make rushed decisions and even sign a lease contract without even paying a visit to the flat they are entering. As you can imagine a lot of times these people feel disappointed in their decision just because they haven't had the chance to try out the TV first.  So, gang, to avoid being disappointed in yourselves I advise you to book a viewing for the apartment of your interest and don't ignore this general rule of accommodation-hunting.

Have your smartphone handy and the camera on standby

Bad landlords have the tendency to blame you for damages you haven't done just because they don't want to spend money to refurbish the flat after you leave. And because you might have forgotten to inform them of any at the beginning of your lease, they'll try and 'outsource' the repairs to you. One of the most popular ways to get screwed by a landlord in Barcelona.
A great way to avoid this is by taking pictures. And I mean a lot of them. Find every nook and cranny where a sticking nail or a scratch cold be placed and photograph it for evidence. Don't worry that your landlords might find you fussy or weird. You are in your right to know everything about your future temporary home. Also this would be a perfect time to point out any flaws or damages to your landlord that you want fixed. You should print up the photos and have them attached to the contract as an annex.

Trial and error

A good way to guarantee your satisfaction with your future flat is to literally touch everything. Sometimes landlords would intentionally keep information from you about malfunctioning or broken appliances. This is when you come in. Don't hesitate to test anything you might consider dodgy. Make sure that you will be comfortable with every piece of appliance and furniture in the flat. So a few good things to try out would definitely be the bed in the bedroom, if you are a passionate TV lover, the TV set is a must. Another thing you should make sure works properly are the faucets and the showers. You would be surprised how many times tenants forget to check the water pressure in the shower, which makes showering a not so relaxing experience as it should be. Don't be afraid to demand a repair on something beforehand. But be aware, if the landlord doesn't get to it before you guys sign the lease be certain that any future problems you might experience will not be dealt with very quickly either.

Do a background check on your landlord.

It is always a good idea to know what you are getting into. Unless you have a friend or a family member working for the CIA or any of the other Intelligence agencies, I suggest you conduct your own background check on your landlord. Talking to the neighbours to get some insight on your landlord would be one way. Despite the common believe that you should keep your nose out of other people's business, neighbours sometimes hear or see things unintentionally (or not) so checking with them might be bring you some leads. Previous tenants would a good source too. A lot of times landlords would have their previous tenants' contact details and emails so you could always request that from them. As a first-hand experience in dealing with a landlord, ex-tenants would give you the most insight and best advice about the homeowners.

It's time for the paperwork

The following advice is supported by personal experience. If you are a student on an exchange program or a professional who is being relocated to another country and you do not speak the language of the country in which you'll be entering an apartment, then my dear friends, have that lease translated and legalized. Sometimes you are just too excited to travel to another country and all you want is to find a flat quickly so you can go out and experience your new life. And when the moment comes to sign your lease, because you are that excited and overwhelmed you sometimes overlook a few details. Well, gang, that guy was me a few months back. Not being aware of one tiny detail about my lease led to a whole month of stress and sleepless nights. Even if you can't get it translated (In Barcelona for contracts to be binding they must be in either Spanish or Catalán, you have other choices. The best is to get them to send you the contract a few days before you sign so you can take it to a third party (friend or lawyer, or google translate) and make sure that it is above board and standard. So if you are a victim of the monster called 'language barrier', always ask for your lease to be translated beforehand or at the very least verbally translated to you. It is always good to have a copy of your new contract in your native language (or whatever language you can speak) in case your landlords are trying to pull your leg. Another useful thing to do is before you sign the lease, get a copy of it from your landlord and send it out to anyone you may know that can help you 'decipher' it and scan it for issues. Again from personal experience let me just say that moms are ALWAYS right. True story. There you have it, gang, the best tips to ensure you will never ever will be screwed by a landlord in Barcelona. Following these 5 steps will make your apartment-hunting much easier and much more satisfying for you. Tell us in the comment section below if you have had any crazy experiences with bad landlords. Now for your joke: Q: If you were to drop a Slug and a Landlord off the roof of the 600 foot tall Calgary Tower, which one will hit the ground sooner? A: Who Cares? Sincerely, Chris

El Poble Espanyol de Barcelona - The Spanish Village in Montjuic

Poble Espanyol , located on the beautiful mountain Montjuic, was originally built for the world exhibition in 1929. The Spanish Village tells the story of Spanish history, culture and how the Spanish country got influenced by other cultures and countries. Poble español is divided into different sections, which were designed by basically two architects who travelled trough the entire country. Except for Mallorca, they saw every region themself which helped them to design the Spanish Village. Back then, they couldn't travel to Mallorca as their budget wasn't high enough. However, El Poble Espanyol gives you the possibility to experience Spanish culture in a unique manner.

El Poble Espanyol - The Spanish Village

The open-air museum is a really special place. One could say that the "poble" lives. It has 117 buildings which are represented by 40 craft workshops, 22 shops, 12 restaurants, and 1 Flamenco show. Also, there are  more than 300 works of contemporary art in a permanent collection. Furthermore, there is another museum in the open-air museum which shows modern works of different artists. I visited El Poble Espanyol last week and it was just great. The insight of Spain is unique. With the help of the museums headphones, we got to know information on all of Spain's different regions and cultures. My personal tip: Buy the headphones. (3€)

Nightlife in El Poble Espanyol

Besides the daily business, El Poble Espanyol has much more to offer. During the night the village turns into a place to go for party people and people who want to have a nice dinner or a drink. The best thing to find out where to go and what to do, is to check the official website. Under the categeroy "One Village, So Many Villages" they list every single bar, shop, restaurant and the two clubs. This is the link to El Poble Espanyol's website.

How to Get There & Helpful Information

As mentioned before, El Poble Espanyol is located on the famous mountain Montjuic right next to Plaza Espana. Thus, you get take the metro to Plaza Espana. If you prefer taking a bus, you are looking for line 13, 50 or the touristic bus. If you decide on taking the metro, it's quite a walk - the bus, on the other hand, stops right in front of the entrance. Here we go with the charges: Children under four go for free. Adults pay 9,50€, Students 6,60€ as well as Pensioners (+65). In general, there are different discounts and other prices. This official site gives you a great overview. Don't forget to buy the headphones for 3€. In my eyes, El Poble Espanyol for everybody who stays in BCN for more than one weekend. What about you? Have you been there? How are the clubs? Best, Alexander Kolb

Lomography Camera - Discover A Unique Store in Barcelona

In our series of unusual stores in Barcelona, we found another pretty different store that specializes in the Lomography camera. As I'm a big camera lover I was looking for an unusual, specialist camera store in Barcelona. You may say there are plenty of those here in Barcelona but they are just generic stores like Fnac or Fotoprix and I was looking for something more genuine, more unusual. And I found it: the Lomography Store in El Born. Since the opening in 2004, this specialist Lomography store is one of the favorite stores for all the city camera lovers. You can find this store in a small street of El Born where you will be welcomed by Tomas the manager and Federico who can help you find any camera from the Sardina Camera to the FishEye Camera. This store doesn't only offer cameras but also accessories like bags, t-shirt and even books. They also organize workshops at least twice a month, activities and picnics about photography. So if you're in Barcelona for few months don't hesitate to go there and take a photography class. Camera lovers will be happy to go back to their childhood, to grasp all the photographic effects that their grand-parents camera did. They can also make the perfect present. They are pretty classy and can be the perfect start to a collection.
Just name your favorite photography effect and they will find the camera for you !

The cameras look like toys but in fact they are great for real pictures.
They also have accessories like bags and t-shirts to complete the look of the perfect camera-enthusiast.
There are lots of different models of Lomography camera from the Fisheye Camera to the Holga Camera.

Where Is The Lomography Camera Store

• Address: Rosic, 3 esquina Mirallers 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
• Hours: Monday-Friday 11:30 to 20:30 and Saturday: 11:00 a 14:30 y 17:00 a 20:30.
• Phone: 0034 93 3197006
• Map

Go there, get an amazing Lomography camera for yourself and have fun taking pictures of your family and friends ! For more information on the different cameras go on the Lomography Website. -by Kok Natha HEN (pictures included).