The Best Property to Rent near Barcelona!

SuiteLife Presents a Luxury Property to rent outside Barcelona. Wait till you see this!
Can you imagine living here? Wanna spend a few days for a special occasion with your friends in an amazing house close to Barcelona? Why not relax in a castle like this one! The SuiteLife team presents this beautiful house called Chateau Ivy Blue. This unique property is a breathtaking house full of modernity and typical Catalan modernism. If you're a fan checkout our blog on the Modernist movement.

15,000 € a Month?!

OK, we must admit it sounds a bit excessive, BUT this 1100m2 mansion has 8 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms with typical features of modernism.  You can also rent it by the week. Imagine gathering your closest friends and basking in the luxury of this beautiful secluded house for a week. Just look at these amazing photos!


Chateau Ivy Blue is in a great location in Castellar del Valles, about 35 km from Barcelona, as you can see on the map below:

Just SOME of the awesome features included:

• 3 Living Rooms.
• an enormous kitchen fit for a professional chef.
• your very own wine cellar.
• private gorgeous pool and huge garden.
• in case your time in the chateau gets a little dionysian, the house has it's very own chapel where you can repent for your sins the night before!
• this place sleeps up to 20 people

Anyway, this house can be the perfect place to spend a very special week or month with a bunch of friends or even with the whole family, because this unrivaled mansion is just that awesome! If you fell in love with this place as SuiteLife team did, don´t hesitate to contact us! Click to see the full listing. So isn't it the best property to rent ? Do you know a better place to stay? Let us know in the comments below! Thanks and enjoy your week! ~Ivet

IESE Barcelona : Bus Transportation Guide for IESE Students in Barcelona

We want to say Welcome to all IESE students in Barcelona, and answer that very common question of how do I get to IESE Barcelona? We made this article for you, so you will be able to navigate through the city more easily. We know that your campus isn't very near to the center of the city, but we did some research and wanted to show you that regardless of its location, the buses can be very helpful and you can really live in quite a wide array of Barcelona neighborhoods and still get to school in no time. IESE students in Barcelona, this is for you. Let's begin with Line 68 , the bus stop is near the IESE Campus and it goes all the way to Plaza Catalunya, which is just above La Rambla, the whole route takes 33 minutes, and you will find yourself in one of the liveliest places in the city. What's interesting to note is how many neighborhoods the bus line passes through. As you'll see with the other routes, taking the bus to IESE allows you to greatly enhance the scope of your apartment search to include neighborhoods such as Borne, Gótico, Eixample, Gracia, Sant Gervasi, and Sarria!
View Route on Google Maps Another good options for all of the IESE Students in Barcelona is bus Line 22 , For 40 minutes you can get to the center of the city. Very near to El Barri Gotic, and also during this route, there are many stops near metro stations and the bus passes through in many people's opinion the best district of the city Gracia, so it is very useful. An easy way to reach Parc Guell as well.
View Route on Google Maps by Clicking Here A bus that can take you to the heart of the city is 63. Which stops at Placa Universitat, which is very central and near Macba, Placa Catalunya and many other places . IESE Students in Barcelona using this route can go from the campus to the Placa for 37 minutes.
Clich Here to See the Route on Google Maps And finally a map where we mixed these 3 very mobile routes, so you can know exactly which one will help you the most in reaching your destination.
We hope IESE Students in Barcelona will find this article helpful. Enjoy your stay in one of the best cities in Europe guys!! If you are new in the city you might also want to check out our article on The Top Experiences That You Need to Have Whilst in the City Etien

Staying Healthy : How to Avoid Hospitals in Barcelona?

When you plan a vacation you never plan for a trip (no matter how quick that may be) to the emergency room. But illness is unpredictable and it is always a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected. These Health Tips should give you a good knowledge base to make your trip a safe and enjoyable one, far from Barcelona's hospitals.

Water

According to Aspasio.com, tap water in Barcelona is graded as ‘potable’ which means people can drink it. All over the city of Barcelona you will be able to find public fountains (especially in Plazas) where people can refill their water bottles which is understandable as Spain is a hot country and good access to fresh water is considered a neccesity rather than a luxury. However, the water might taste a little...weird due to the heavy calcium found in it, so long term residents filter tap water to reduce the calcium and the chlorine which can be a bit much. If you're like me and have an ultra sensitive stomach, then it would be safer to buy bottled water.

Asian Tiger Mosquitos

Probably as a tourist you need not worry about this black and white striped little annoying creature - as you would probably be sleeping in a hotel room with air conditioning. In the past couple of decades this species has invaded many countries throughout the world through the transport of goods and increasing international travel from the tropical and subtropical areas of Southeast Asia. They have become a significant pest in many communities and can transmit pathogens and viruses i.e. the West Nile virus and Yellow fever virus.

Medical services

Everyone, foreigners and EU citizens alike, have the same right as Spaniards to emergency medical treatment in public hospitals. A EU citizen is entitled to the full range of health-care services in public hospitals but in order to obtain this, they must present a European Health Insurance Card. Even when they do show this card they may have to pay up front. Non-EU citizens have to pay for anything other than emergency treatment but not to worry as most travel-insurance policies include medical cover. Pharmaceuticals tend to be sold more freely without prescriptions for minor health problems. At least more freely than countries such as the USA, Australia or the UK. I remember asking the pharmacist how I could go about obtaining a prescription for antibiotics without going to the doctor and she replied that if I had proof such as copy of the prescription or the box then I only needed to pay for it. This comes in handy if you don't want to spend hours waiting for a doctor especially if its a reoccurring illness. Another thing that is good to know when travelling to Barcelona is that if your country has a consulate in here, its staff should be able to refer you to doctors who speak your language. Hospitals in Barcelona

• Hospital Clínic i Provincial (93 227 54 00; Carrer de Villarroel 170; Hospital Clínic)
• Hospital de la Santa Creu i de Sant Pau (93 291 90 00; Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret 167; Hospital de Sant Pau)
• Hospital Dos de Maig (93 507 27 00; Carrer del Dos de Maig 301; Hospital de Sant Pau)

Some 24-hour pharmacies follow:

• Farmàcia Álvarez (93 302 11 24; Passeig de Gràcia 26)
• Farmàcia Clapés (93 301 28 43; La Rambla 98)
• Farmàcia Torres (93 453 92 20; www.farmaciaabierta 24h.com, in Spanish; Carrer d’Aribau 62)

STD Testing Clinics

The Most Famous Spanish Gay Films Set in Spain

Last week, I wrote a blog on Films Set in Barcelona. This article made me realize that up until now, I hadn't thought about writing a similar blog but on Gay Films Set in Spain for our 'From Behind the Rear' series! Below you will find a list of our top 5 gay films set in Spain !

1. Nico and Dani

We start our Gay Films Set in Spain list with Nico and Dani (2000) not because it takes place in the Catalan town of Castelldefels and in various locations in the country of Garraf but because it touches on a couple of original concepts rarely found in other gay movies. First of the title of the film doesn't refer to the character's name but to a form of mutual masturbation practiced between the two main characters. I got to admit that I had passed over this film several times, thinking it would be your cliche packed coming-of-age movie - the plot description didn't help one bit either (Two teenagers awakening sexually, with one coming to terms with his homosexuality and the other with his heterosexuality). Ugh, I heard those lines many time before. Don't get me wrong, it's not a world classic but was a huge step for the Spanish gay cinema.

2. ChuecaTown

There aren't many gay films that I could say are very original or down right entertaining but Chueca Town slapped me on the face and yelled that there are some Gay films out there worth watching if only I took the time to search for them. The movie is funny (if you like to laugh at yourself, that is) and very entertaining. As in all the Gay Films Set in Spain list, the cliches that are found abundandly on gay movies were left out on the street for this one - thank you very much! The movie revolves around the gay bear couple Leo (Pepon Nieto) and Rey (Carlos Fuentes) who lives in the Chueca neighborhood of Madrid. To begin with they're not your stereotypical gay couple as they are not interested in fashion or gyms but instead love football. On the other side of the spetrum there is Victor (Pablo Puyol) who owns a real estate agency and has the ambitious plan to make Chueca a town of young gays by assassinating all the old people and taking their apartments. When Victor murders the bear couple's elderly neighbor, Rey discover he has inherited the woman's property. The tension increases because Victor wants to buy it from Rey but Rey wants to give it to his mother Antonia (Concha Velasco) who hates Leo and has a goal to make his life miserable. This creates relationship problems and Victor decides to take advantage of the situation by getting up close and personal with Leo with the bigger picture of killing Antonia. Meanwhile the police thinks the events are isolated except for investigator Mila (Rosa Maria Sarda) who ridden by phobias is certain that all the victims were murdered by the same person who sprays them with an expensive perfume after they're dead. I highly recommend this movie if you want to be entertained and not bombarded by cliches.

3. Amor de Hombre

Probably this 1990 Spanish gay film resembles every gay man's relationship with their female best friend at one time or another. The story revolves around a strong friendship between a gay man and his female best friend is tested when he enters into a relationship with another man. The girlfriend (used to getting all the attention from her gay male friend) becomes jealous changing the lives and friendship of all the characters involved. Amor de Hombre or love for another man was written and directed by Yolanda Garcia Serrano and Juan Luis Iborra. Loles Leon, Andrea Occhipinti and Pedro Mari Sanchez starres in the movie.

4. Spinnin'

To my opinion, Madrid is the Spanish city that makes the most gay films and most times they make it right. This is true about Spinnin'. Although the movie was shot in 2007, the story settings takes place in Madrid, 1995 and it concerns the story of Garate and Omar a young gay couple who wants to have a baby. After failed attempts with their female pals, they befriend Raquel, a pregnant woman whose partner has died of aids. Normally I wouldn't give such a conventional storyline the light of day, however, writer and director Eusebio Pastrana took it to a whole new level and turned it into an entertaining and inventive adventure brought to live by actors Damian Alcolea, Matilde Alcazar, and Maria Brea.  And now with gay marriage becoming legal in many places around the world, lots of gay couple should give this movie a go.

5. Cachorro (Bear Cub)

This Spanish film tackles pretty hairy subjects...and not just the unshaven members of the gay bear scene. It is a movie is about a handsome, husky, and promiscuous bear chaser named Pedro (Jose Luis Garcia-Perez), who leads an active social life and have a big circle of friends, until he ends up as a guardian to his 9-year-old nephew, Bernando (David Castillo). When it appears as though it might become a permanent arrangement, Pedro turns to his friends for guidance as his nephew begins to forge a household together. As you can see the films touches on the subject of gay-parenting with a flair for the dramatics...but don't be fooled by the lightheartedness this films brings throughout its 100 minutes as the film also depicts sex. There are more Gay Films Set in Spain but they are few and far in between. Most of you will probably be upset to find out that Antonio Banderas also did a Spanish Gay film in 1987 (La Ley del Deseo/Law of Desire) where he portrays a film maker whose sexual disorientation jepordizes his latest project - and there is a great sex scene! This list focuses on the most recent of them all. Do you guys have any great movies that we could add to the list?? Let us know in the comments! ~Argenis

Films Set in Barcelona : The Most Famous Ones

Back in 2010, SuiteLife released their post on the Top 5 Films Set in Barcelona, needless to say it is time for an updated list of films set in Barcelona - as the city is slowly but steadily becoming a popular destination for filmmakers (we know Woody Allen, you love the city first!). Need any proof? Then keep on reading...

1. The Orphanage

Or better known as the Orfanato, is a 2007 Spanish horror film by J. A. Bayona. The film stars Belen Rueda, Fernando Cayo, and Roger Princep. The script was written by Sergio G. Sanchez in 1996 but brought to the attention of Bayona in 2004. Director Guillermo del Toro was asked to help produce the film and to double its buget and filming time. The film opened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 and received critical acclaim from the audiences in its native Spain helping them win seven Goya Awards and North America for the director's delivery and actors' performances leading to New Line Cinema bying the rights for an American remake. Laura (Belen) returns to her childhood home - an orphanage - which she plans to turn into a home for disabled children but after their adopted son Simon (Roger) argues with Laura about his imaginary masked friend named Tomás (with whom he will run away), he vanishes. The Orphanage is worth watching for their lack of 'cheap scares' alone and for being one of the great horror films set in Barcelona.

2. Biutiful

In 2010, the Mexican director, producer, and writer, Alejandro González Iñárritu, decided to make a movie set in Barcelona starring Javier Bardem. Unlike the movie of Woody Allen's 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' - Biutiful, the story of a man named Uxbal who's every action is guided by his ability to see his death, shows the audience a side of the city that tourists never get to see. González also directed the movie 'Babel' starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in 2006. We know that Vicky Cristina Barcelona is one of those classics that will always be featured on everyone lists of best films set in Barcelona because of it's popularity and romanticism. However, critics have bashed Woody Allen's darling for just showing Barcelona's most touristic of places and neglecting to show the darker side no one never get to experience when visiting Barcelona.

3. Rec 1 & 2

I first saw the American version of this movie (Quarantine) unknown to me that it was based on both of these movies. Got to admit both versions scared the crap out of me and that is not an easy feat for any movie to achieve. Rec is a supernatural horror film made back in 2007 by Spanish writers and director Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza. The movie is about a reporter documenting the working life of firefighter men during night shift in Barcelona, that night an emergency call takes them to a building which they allow the reporter to tag along  unknown to them, the building is infected with something that the government doesn't want to spread out of the perimeters. Anybody attempting to escape are shot down immediately, leaving no options to the characters than to fight for their life against the snipers outside and the zombies inside. The only thing that I didn't like about the movie was that the camerawork was shaky and used the 'found footage' style that has become so over used in horror movies these days but I admit it worked to their advantage as you didn't get no foreshadowing. Two sequels were released; Rec 2 in 2009 and Rec 3: Genesis in 2012. A third film, Rec 4: Apocalypse, is planned to end the franchise.

4. Buried

Kudos for a film that could keep me interested and at the edge of my seat throughout its entire 90 minutes. Not only because Ryan Reynolds plays the leading role in this film but because the creator did a great job considering the movie only has one person and  location - a coffin. Did I lose you already? Then here's a better explanation: Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds), an Iraq-based American civilian truck driver, finds himself buried alive in a wooden coffin after being attacked with nothing more than a lighter, flask, flashlight, knife, glowsticks, pen and a mobile phone to help him escape before the oxygen in the coffin runs out. The movie was directed by Rodrigo Cortes and written by Chris Sparling (who later failed miserably at delivering with his script 'ATM'). Ironically, the film was shot in two location (beats me why this happened) in Barcelona and America.

5. My Immortal - Evanescence Music Video

Discover which shops open on Sunday In Barcelona:

Some of you already know this and some don’t, but just to make sure that you aren't surprised: Shops are closed on Sunday. Yes that’s true, besides souvenir shops in the city center and restaurants, cafes, bars, cinemas; supermarkets and other shops are closed. So if your habit is shopping or simply to stuff your fridge with groceries for next week like me, kiss them good bye! But don’t freak-out. For those emergency situations, there are a small number of shops that acquire a special license to open on Sundays and Holidays in Barcelona and we have made a list of them for you.

Groceries store - Supercor expres

Supercor Expres is an express supermarket chain that belongs to El Corte Inglés Group. Here you can find basically everything offered in other stores from food, drinks, kitchen wares, cosmetics, drugstore etc. Opening every day from 8a.m till 2a.m on the next day, also available for home delivery, this good guy will keep your party going! Of course since it is express store, the prices will be slightly higher. Check their website here for shop locations in Barcelona.

Shopping mall – Maremagnum

This is an unique shopping complex by the sea, consists of shops, movie theatre, amusement park, and restaurants with great ocean views. Maremagnum has a special license due to its location in the harbor, allowing them to open every day of the year (Shops: 10a.m – 10p.m Restaurants: 11a.m – 1a.m). Shops range from famous fashion brands cosmetics, electronics, sport accessories etc. basically anything you might need. How to get there:

• By Metro: L3 Drassanes, L4 Barceloneta
• By Bus: 120, 64, 59, H16, D20, 14, 51, 17, 45, 39, V17, N6, N9, N12, N15
• By car: there is a 24h parking lot in Maremagnum, Free Parking from 10pm to 3am every day until September 30^th

More Info

Shopping mall – Anecblau

If you have a car and want to go shopping on weekends and holidays in Barcelona, then Anecblau is a good choice. The huge 30.000m2 mall is located in Castelldefels, 20km from Barcelona. Beside shops, restaurants and cinemas there is also a stage for shows, exhibitions and special activities in the central concourse of the mall. Opening hours: Shops: All days from 10h - 22h. Leisure and restaurants:

• From Sunday to Thursday and holidays 9h - 1,30h.
• Friday, Saturday and holiday eves 9h - 3,30h.
• Information point: Saturday, Sunday and holiday from 12h to 21h

Parking:

• From Sunday to Thursday and holidays 9h - 1,30h.
• Friday, Saturday and holiday eves 9h - 3,30h.

More info

24h Pharmacy

Beside grocery stores and shopping centers, these 24h Pharmacy will help a lot in emergency situations. Farmacia Bonanova Plaza Bonanova, 6, 08022 Barcelona Tel: 934-178-032 Farmacia Torres Calle Aribau, 62, 08011 Barcelona Tel: 934-539-220 Farmacia Cervera Muntaner, 254, 08021 Barcelona Tel: 932-000-996 Farmacia Clapés Antoja La Rambla, 98, 08001 Barcelona Tel: +34 934 124 985 Farmacia Lda. Maria Joaquina Laguna C/ Provença 459, 08025 Barcelona Tel: 934 551 207 Farmacia Alvarez Passeig de Gràcia 26, 08007 Barcelona Tel: +34 93 302 1124

Clothes stores during sale season

There are 8 special Sundays and other days a year when shops can independently chose to open. They are normally during summer sales or Christmas shopping season. For example Zara and many other apparel shops open all Sundays during their summer sale in July and August. So if you are desperately want to go shopping my advice is to check the special opening hours on the shops’ own website.

Basar shops

There are also some small, independent shops you will randomly hit on. They usually have the basar/supermercat sign and independently owned. Some of them open on Sunday, too. Is there any shops where missed? Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to check out our free Barcelona Shopping Bible here peace! T.Vu

Barcelona Souvenirs: Where to find something authentic

Let us help you to decide, what to bring from Barcelona, when you are going home and want to bring the best Barcelona souvenirs for your family and friends! This way you can stay away from all the typical tourist JUNK!
Barcelona, much like all the other capitals and touristic places have plenty of those famously tacky souvenir stores and stands that offer you mostly cheap variations of popular magnets, pencils, ashtrays and miniatures of the Sagrada Familia. You can buy those if you want... just something small and easy for your weird uncle Bob or your cousins. If you want something actually Spanish or special, you should avoid the stores on La Rambla and instead explore a bit deeper into the Gótico or the Raval. Here we have some tips for you, what Barcelona souvenirs will your friends and relatives love.

Food and drink

Starting with the easiest part – you can't take a wrong step if you bring some nice Spanish wine or food, because, well, it´s delicious.

Sweets

If you decide for chocolate, you should visit the chocolate museum at c/ Comerç 36.  You will learn about turning the cocoa bean into a chocolate bar or a rabbit with a funny face and you can buy some pralines there as well. Another place that we love is the café and store Demasié at c/Princessa 28. They specialize in chocolate and cookies and their gift boxes are really beautiful and make the perfect present. Something sweet and traditional in Spain is turrón. Turrón is a Christmas sweet, but you can get it normally any time of the year in special turron stores (there are plenty of them in Gótico) and sometimes in supermarkets too. There are more types of turrón that differ in texture and flavor. One from Alicante is a hard, white sugar-like base with whole almonds in it; The one from Xixona is the most famous, it's soft, beige and made mostly from almond paste.

The pig´s leg and more

For Barcelona souvenirs for men, maybe you'll prefer something less sweet such as “Fuet”, the Spanish white-skin salami, red-coloured sausage “chorizo”, sausage-meat “sobrasada” or the very typical ham “pernil”. All of these meats are very strong in flavor and for someone, who is not used to them could be difficult to like them. For a meat lover though, they are quite the delicacy. Another food souvenir with a great reputation is the “queso de cabra” – goat´s cheese. It is very nice to bring a piece of the traditions and flavors as a souvenir from Barcelona, so what about buying some “brava” sauce. “Patatas bravas” are the easiest and most authentic tapas you can make for your friends.

Fashion

Desigual is a fashion brand that is very easy to recognize, because it is known for its colorful designs and patchwork style fashion. The brand has its quarters all over the world, but it´s originally from Barcelona. You will find less mainstream and more underground clothes in the streets of Raval, for example at c/Tallers and its surroundings. There are little fashion stores of young designers, funky hipster stores with second hand clothes or the black and metal gothic-style stores with clothes and accessories. Awesome design fashion is sold in the library and gallery Mutt at c/Comerç 15 where you will love the shopping and browsing. If you're looking for something old, original and on budget maybe go to the flea markets. Read about antique and second hand paradise in Barcelona. A more traditional type of Barcelona souvenirs might be a belt, handbag or handmade leather shoes, because leather is one of Spain´s most highly valued products. Have a look in Acosta, at Avingun Diagonal 262. It´s a family-run chain that offers a well-priced selection of leather goods. And if you can´t wait to stroll around at home in a genuine Catalan "barretina"  or a traditional low-key "campesino's beret", the place to look is Sombrería Obach in the old Jewish quarter of El Call.

Traditional items

Remember one thing when buying  Barcelona souvenirs such as fridge magnet and such things. The bulls are a spanish symbol, but the animal of Catalonia is a donkey, because it has a long tradition of helping on the farms. One very famous and a traditional item is the "Porrón", the special glass wine pitcher. Visiting Barcelona during Christmas? You won´t miss this weird Catalan Christmas character "Caganer" an Caga Tío. Read about them in Ben´s blog about The strangest Catalan Christmas traditions

Design Barcelona Souvenirs

If you decide that Flamenco dress, Gaudí style ashtray and the salamander magnet is not what you are looking for, you can find curious Barcelona souvenirs in the bookshops of the MACBA and CCCB museums and the art libraries such La Central at Muhba – that one is of our favourites as they have a lot of books, many cool design things and toys. You will find great Barcelona souvenirs in the store Wawas at c/ Carders 14, or Art Montfalcon at c/Boters 4 and Barceloning at c/ Mallorca 332.

Do not, we reapeat, do not buy a Mexican Sombrero!

This has to be one of our biggest pet peeves. Many drunk, or just unaware, tourists parade around Las Ramblas wearing very expensive Mexican sombreros to bring home as a souvenir.  News flash people!! There is nothing SPANISH about a Mexican hat! Just as we don't use the Peso here, you might wanna wait to make your next Mexican sombrero purchase when you're on that vacation in Cancún. Have you already found something really cool to bring home? Did we help you to decide? Leave us a note on the fridge, or better underneath the blog :) Sharka

Best Blogs About Barcelona: The Complete List

Have you ever spent a tremendous amount of time searching for  blogs about Barcelona? I have to say it's kind of frustrating and you wish you could find what you want in the blink of an eye instead of wasting time that you could be using to sip a fresh Mojito on one of Barcelona many beaches! With that in mind, we've handpicked our favourites and written a blog on the best blogs about Barcelona! We hope you will enjoy these entertaining sources of information as much as we do!

• Barcelona Photoblog

Barcelona photoblog is one of the blogs you definitely can not miss!

This blog will let you discover Barcelona through all the incredibly beautiful and unique pictures. And on top of that, each picture is explained and discussed by the author. For example if one picture is about a museum, you will find information about the museum: its history, location, what the author thought when he visited it etc...

In my opinion, this is what makes this photoblog stand out, as other photoblogs usually post beautiful pictures but do not give additional information on the things that were shot.

As a combination of aesthetic pictures of Barcelona and useful information about the daily life of the city, Barcelona Photoblog is worth having a look at so check it out here!!

• Standing in a Spanish Doorway

This blog is mainly about social and public issues and cultural life in Catalunya but it also covers these issues from a Spanish and European perspective.

Indeed, some of the social problems encountered in Catalunya are also present in other countries throughout Europe and it's always interesting to discuss things from a wider point of view.

The author's name is Brett Hetherington. He is an Australian journalist and is now working as a freelance writer, blogger and teacher in Catalunya. He also happens to be a regular commentator on Spain's social and cultural life for an Australian radio called "ABC Radio". The content is really interesting and diverse as it combines politics, social issues, economics, daily life and facts about Catalunya, Spain and Europe in general.

So if these topics are of interest to you, you definitely have to read this blog!

• Fleas and Dogs in Barcelona

Funny name for a blog isn't it? As you might have guessed, this blog is about Barcelona's daily life and features all the advantages and drawbacks of living in this city. As its slogan says, "Si quieres el perro, Acepta las Pulgas". In english,  "If you want the dog, you must accept the fleas"!

In my opinion, the name has been wisely chosen as this metaphor perfectly describes Barcelona. The dogs are the things that we see in tourist guides, the good sides of Barcelona, its charming streets, districts and monuments. On the other hand, the fleas are all the less savoury things that you don't hear about, such as the drunk tourists on the beach, the drug dealers, the squaters, the thieves etc...

If you want to know more about all the thrilling action happening every day in Barcelona, you must checkout this blog!

• Barça Blaugranes

This was inevitable! A football blog about FC Barcelona had to appear in my list of Barcelona best blogs!

In case you come from another planet, Barcelona happens to have one of the best (if not the best) football teams in the world and it can count on the unconditional support from Barcelona's citizens!

This blog will keep you up to date with the club's daily life, transfer rumours, match results, highlights and so on! What I like the most about it is that some articles in the blog are written and edited by fans and there is an impression of community when you browse the website making the blog highly interactive and 'live'.

I totally recommend it if you're a Barca fan! You can check it out here! PS: Visca el Barca i Visca Catalunya!

• Barcelona Street Art

This blog is dedicated to street art in Barcelona. It features many different creations from graffiti to urban sculptures. What I find really cool is that it is a way to discover Barcelona in an original manner as every creation is usually geolocalized meaning that its location is mentioned. So if one street art creation really catches your attention, you might be able to go and check it out for real! The only obstacle to fully enjoying this blog is that it's written in Spanish, but I guess it will be a good opportunity to practice your spanish and to be honest this blog is more about the pictures of street art. Barcelona street art reminds us that art is not only in museums! You can discover it here.

• Forever Barcelona

Written by passionate local tour guides, this blog's objective is to show you Barcelona in a way that you will always remember visiting it. Marta and her colleagues will give you advice on where to eat, what to see, where to go on a friday night or the best places to stay during your trip for example. This insider knowledge is always useful when coming to Barcelona!

Check it out here!

• Homage to BCN

Homage to BCN is a very complete blog where you can find a lot of different articles related to Barcelona. There is of course a lot of insider info on Barcelona such as "The top 5 Nightclubs in Barcelona" or "The best Barcelona bodegas" but also some interesting videos, infographics and fun facts about Barcelona!

My favourite section of this blog is the "BCN days" where people living in Barcelona describe their perfect day in the city to share what they love most about Barcelona.

Reading this blog is highly recommended!

• Barcelona Besotted

Besotted is a play on words with "beso" that means kiss in Spanish. As the author explains, she has been kissed by the beautiful city of Barcelona and is now living a love story with it! She shares why she fell in love with Barcelona by posting pictures of her favourite places, restaurants, bars, neighbourhoods etc...Check it out here!

• Bcn Bar Culture

A very interesting blog dedicated to the Barcelona bar scene. I truly enjoy this blog as it allows you to discover many Barcelona bars and the majority of them are not really famous but rather authentic and original bars that you don't often hear of. You can discover it here. Their instagram account is also worth a "follow"!

• Food Barcelona

Food Barcelona is a gastronomic blog providing reviews about Barcelona restaurants but also some attractive homemade recipes! Very useful if you wonder where to go for dinner in Barcelona. Food lovers, this blog is made for you!

• Guiri Girl in Barça

As you maybe already know, "guiri" means expatriate. This blog is written by a Scottish woman who moved to Barcelona a few years ago. Throughout her blog she shares her experience of living in Barcelona with her observations, feelings and the occasional funny story! Check it out!

• The Barcelona Bible

Last but not least, the SuiteLife Barcelona Bible!!! This blog is the most complete in terms of insider info about Barcelona. Updated every 2 days on average, it is also really active and always keeps up with what's happening right now in Barcelona. Amongst the numerous articles this blog has to offer, some are particularly worth a look!

The Barcelona Neighbourhood Guide will tell you everything you need to know about the city's different districts. Same for The Gaudi Guide that will make your Gaudi Tour much easier to organise! And I bet you want to discover the Top 10 hot Spanish Women, don't you? I won't make you wait any longer, you can browse this blog here!

That is it for our list of the best blogs about Barcelona!I hope you enjoyed reading this article and these blogs. If you know of any Barcelona blogs that could appear in this list, let us know in the comments section and we might include it!

Cheers, Rémi

Some are young and playing some have became legends, but they are the top 10 Catalan footballers

Cataluña and Barcelona in particular have always been a breeding ground for many famous footballers in the world and so we at SuiteLife have picked the 10 most famous Catalan footballers of all time to narrow it down for you. You’ve probably heard of the well-known names like Xavi Hernández, Carles Puyol, Sergio Busquets, Victor Valdes etc. but how about the legends from the early-middle of twentieth century?

1. Ricardo Zamora (1901 - 1978)

The legendary Goalkeeper was born in 1901 in Barcelona. He is probably the only player who played for both FC Barcelona, Real Madrid C.F., Spanish football team and Catalonia national football team. During his career as player he has won 3 Copas del Rey, 5 Catalan football championships, 2 La Liga. As football manager, he helped Atlético Aviación (former of Atlético Madrid) win 2 La Liga championships. For individual titles, he was awarded the best Goalkeeper of the 1934 FIFA World Cup and the honour of best Goalkeeper in La Liga, the Ricardo Zamora Trophy was named after him.
Trophies as player:

• 1 Copa del Rey with Espanyol, 2 with Barcelona
• 2 Catalan Champions with Espanyol, 3 with Barcelona
• 2 La Liga with Real Madrid
• 2 Copa de España with Real Madrid
• 3 Copa Princep de Asturies with Catalan XI

Trophies as manager:

• 2 La Liga with Atlético Aviación

Individual honours:

• Fifth in World - Goalkeeper of the century
• Best Goalkeeper of the 1934 FIFA World Cup

2. Antoni Ramallets (1924 - 2013)

Antoni Ramallets Simón was born in Barcelona. He is honoured by FC Barcelona as one of the best goalkeepers in the history of Barça and the whole of Spanish football signed up from Europa. During the era of maximum glory for the team, later called as “Cinco Copas”(Five Cups) era, he has achieved many awards with the team. Antoni Ramallets, together with another Barca goal keeper Victor Valdes are currently the two goalkeepers that have obtain the most Zamora trophies (5 each)
Trophies as player with Barcelona:

• 6 La Liga
• 5 Copa del Rey
• 3 Copa Eva Duarte
• 2 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups
• Latin Cup

Individual:

• 5 Zamora Trophies

Manager for Zaragoza

• Copa del Rey
• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

3. Estanislau Basora (1926-2012)

Born in Colonia Valls, Barcelona, the Catalan winger/striker joined FC Barcelona when he was 20 and spent most of his football career with the club. With great technical abilities, great pace and ability to lose his marker he became a member of Barcelona’s famous forward line at that time (Basora, Kubala, César, Moreno and Manchón). Trophies:

• 4 La Liga Championships:
• 2 Latin Cups
• 4 Copa del Rey
• 3 Eva Duarte Cups
• 1 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

4. Carles Rexach (1947)

Born in Barcelona in 1947, Carles Rexach joined Barcelona junior team when he was 12 and also spent his whole career in FC Barcelona. Although Rexach was a great midfielder with one Pichichi Trophy (awarded to top goalscorer in each La Liga season) in 1970–71, the once popular Catalan footballer had his best years on the Barcelona bench as assistant coach to Luis Aragonés and Johan Cruyff before he was appointed manager in 2001. After his playing career, he worked for the team as a scout; Carles is the one who discovered and brought one of the greatest footballers in the world - Lionel Messi- to the club.
Trophies as player:

• 1 UEFA Cup
• 2 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups
• 1 La Liga Championships
• 4 Copa del Rey
• 1 Pichichi Trophy

5. Roberto Martínez (1973)

Roberto Martínez Montoliú was born in the town of Balaguer, Lleida, Catalonia. The defensive midfielder started his football career at Real Zaragoza and shortly changed his career path to England. Here he’s archieved many titles with Wigan Athletic and Swansea City, both as player and on the coaching bench.
Trophies as player:

• Copa del Rey: 1993–94 with Real Zaragoza
• Football League 3^rd Division with Wigan Athletic
• Football League: with Wigan Athletic
• Football League: 2005–06 with Swansea City

Trophies as a manager: Swansea City

• Football League One: 2007–08
• 3 League One Manager of the Month
• League One Manager of the Year: 2007–08

Wigan Athletic

• FA Cup: 2012–13
• Premier League Manager of the Month: April 2012

6. Josep Guardiola (1971)

The incumbent manager of Bayern Munich is inarguably one of the most successful Catalan footballers, in both his playing and managing career. He was born in Santpedor, Barcelona and joined La Masia (youth academy of Barcelona) at age of 13. He is the player with most titles won as player and manager: 16 as a player and 14 as a manager. He is also the manager with best percentage of titles: 14 titles from the 19 possible between 2008 - 2012. As FC Barcelona manager, he’s brought the Tiki-taka style to its greatest success, allowed the club to win 2008–09 and 2010–11 UEFA Champions League.
Trophies with Fc Barcelona:

• 9 La Liga with FC Barcelona (6 as player and 3 as manager)
• 4 Copa del Rey (2 as player, 2 as manager)
• 7 Supercopa de España (4 as player, 3 as manager)
• 3 UEFA Champions League cup (1 as player, 2 as manager)
• 1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup as player
• 4 UEFA Super Cup (2 as player, 2 as manager)
• 2 FIFA Club World Cup as manager
• 1 Olympic Gold Medal with Spain national team

Trophies with Fc Bayern Munich:

• Bundesliga: 2013–14
• DFB-Pokal: 2013–14
• UEFA Super Cup: 2013
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2013

Individual title:

• Catalan of the Year Award: 2009
• La Liga Coach of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
• World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year: 2009, 2011
• FIFA World Coach of the Year: 2011

7. Xavi Hernández (1980)

Born in Terrassa, Barcelona and join La Masia since the age of 11, Xavi has spent all his football life at FC Barcelona. The current number 6 together with Iniesta, they have made a fantastic duo in the centre. Xavi stands out for his tactical vision, ability to win the ball back and control the game pace. That explains why Xavi is irreplaceable during the club’s successful seasons. Proved via numbers, he holds the records for players with most appearances (822 games)/ most appearances in Liga (474 games)/ most appearances in international competitions (168 games). He is also the player with most titles in Barcelona (22 title, only one less than the national record of Real Madrid’s Paco Gento).
Trophies with Barcelona & Spain national team:

• 2 Clubs World Cup
• 3 UEFA Champions League Cups
• 2 European Super Cups
• 7 La Liga cups
• 2 Copas del Rey
• 6 Spanish Super Cups
• FIFA World Cup
• 2 UEFA European Football Championship
• Summer Olympics Silver Medal
• FIFA World Youth Championship

Individual trophies:

• World Soccer Player of the Year: 2010
• FIFA Ballon d'Or 3rd place: 2010, 2011
• Ballon d'Or Bronze Award: 2009
• FIFA World Player of the Year 3rd place: 2009
• 4 times IFFHS World's Best Playmaker
• FIFA Club World Cup Silver Ball: 2011
• FIFA Club World Cup Bronze Ball: 2009
• And many others

8. Víctor Valdés (1982)

Víctor Valdés i Arribas was born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona. The current number 1 Goalkeeper of Barcelona joined the team in 1992 and has been one of the best goalkeepers in Barcelona's history. The second goalkeeper in this Catalan football players list currently holds the title of unbeaten for the most consecutive minutes in official competitions: (896 minutes in season 10/11)
Trophies with Barcelona and Spain national team:

• 6 La Liga
• 2 Copa del Rey
• 6 Supercopa de España
• 3 UEFA Champions League
• 2 UEFA Super Cups
• 2 FIFA Club World Cups
• FIFA World Cup 2010
• UEFA European Football Championship 2012

Individual trophies:

• 5 Zamora Trophies
• La Liga Goalkeeper of the Year: 2010–11
• Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010
• Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011

9. Carles Puyol (1978)

Carles Puyol i Saforcada was born in Lleida, Catalonia. He has served FC Barcelona since 1995 and that is his only football club till he retired in 2014. Interestingly, Puyol started his career as goalkeeper, then striker which explains his ability to score goal in Fc Barcelona. Only when he joined Barcelona his position changed again to defender. Although Puyol is not very tall (178 cm), his physical strength makes him very strong in the air and he is capable of man-marking opposing forwards who are taller than him. Puyol is a great leader and model for the rest of the squad due to his discipline, pride and total identification to the Club.
Trophies with FC Barcelona and Spain national team:

• 6 La Liga
• 2 Copa del Rey
• 6 Supercopa de España
• 3 UEFA Champions League
• 2 UEFA Super Cups
• 2 FIFA Club World Cups
• FIFA World Cup: 2010
• UEFA European Championship: 2008

Individual trophies:

• UEFA Club Best Defender: 2006
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010
• BBVA Fair Play award: 2011–12
• Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010
• Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011

10. Sergio Busquets (1988) Sergio Busquets Burgos was born in Sabadell, Barcelona. He joined Barça youth system in 2005, then he was promoted to play in the first team. Sergio is a complete midfielder with field intelligence and well positioning. He creates a solid shield in front of Barca’s defense line and brings stability to the team, thus helping Barcelona achieving many successes.  His father Carles Busquets also played (as Goal keeper) for Barcelona and they became the third father-and-son combo that have won Europe's top club competition playing for the same team.
Trophies with Barcelona:

• 4 La Liga
• 2 Copa del Rey
• 4 Supercopa de España
• 2 UEFA Champions League
• 2 UEFA Super Cup:
• 2 FIFA Club World Cup

With National team:

• FIFA World Cup: 2010
• UEFA European Championship: 2012

Individual:

• La Liga's Breakthrough Player: 2009
• Bravo Award: 2009
• Prince of Asturias Awards: 2010
• Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011

That's our top 10 Catalan football players list. Do you have any other favorite ones? Feel free to share in the comment section below. I would like to hear it! And hey if you still looking for sport bars in Barcelona, check out our list! Enjoy the 2014 World Cup! T.Vu

Living in Barcelona : A Quick Focus On Pros & Cons !

Writing this article on the 6 pros & cons of living in Barcelona reminds me of Alanis Morissette's song 'I'm a Bitch.' This beautiful city can be your hell and your dream and everything in between. So if you're planning a quick visit or moving in read on to so that you can be better prepared on what to expect when coming over.

1. Customer Service

A. Cons Most places that I have gone to, whether that would be to eat, to buy groceries, or get a haircut, the customer service in Barcelona could be a bit better. There have been places (restaurants to be exact) where I felt unwelcomed. Does it kill people to smile a bit more often? A friend and I went to eat a pizza for lunch at a restaurant a block away from where we were working; the waiter/hostess looked at us in a way that told us to get out. We sat down anyway and ordered, if we needed something extra (god help us) there was no one around to attend our need and when we finished we got a feeling that they couldn’t kick us out fast enough. B. Pros Of course, not everyone is like this. In my stay in Barcelona I have met some friendly people in the service industry, i.e. where I go to buy my coffee in the morning before work, I got to know the woman that served me and we enjoyed chit-chatting about anything and everything and sharing a few laughs and the pharmacist across my street has always provided me with friendly service and even gone the extra mile to genuinely help me out with my problems and questions.

2. Foods or Lack Thereof

A. Cons For a Mediterranean city, I was extremely disappointed to learn that the variety of dishes was nearly non existent. I’m not saying that a great restaurant that serves delicious food doesn’t exist in Barcelona. I’m sure that if you are patient and take your time searching you’ll find hidden gems but if you’re in the city on a limited time this will probably be a challenge. B. Pros You can find fresh fruits and vegetables everywhere. If you’re into healthy living or are a vegetarian, this is your type of city. The only thing to keep in mind is that no one buys fruits and vegetables on Saturdays and Mondays because the stores don’t restock their shelves with fresh product with the desire that people would buy off the ones that are a week old.

3. Living in Barcelona : Parties

A. Cons Don’t get me wrong, I love a great party as much as the next person but sometimes people can take it to the extreme (or perhaps I’m getting too old). The Spaniards are known as party lovers and my flat mate born and raised in Barcelona is no exception. He would go out four days out of seven or even more sometimes to party until six or eight in the morning (no exaggeration). This going out wouldn’t bother me much – live and let live – but they would arrive back home and not consider their sleeping flat mate in the other room so they would bang doors, cabinet doors, turn the television on and talk as if they were having a conversation with someone a mile away. What does this have to do with partying? It doesn’t matter if it’s your flat mates doing the party or not. That’s why. When Barcelona is celebrating a festival they will make all the noises they desire and they’re in their right to do so but it can get chaotic. I remember one time during the European Football Match (?) I was strolling down the street and out came a Barca fan (happy that his team made a goal and tackled me (wouldn’t mind it if he was at least cute – but he wasn’t). B. Pros Like mentioned briefly above, the Spaniards love a great party and you can find these in abundance while staying in Barcelona. There’s always something to celebrate and even when there’s not, the clubs are fantastic! So if you visit the city you won’t have a shortage of drinks, dancing and fun.

4. Great health care but long waiting at the emergency room

A. Cons Probably like most big hospitals around the world, the waiting time in emergency waiting room is horrendous. I went to the emergency room at one of the big hospital in Barcelona, Hospital Clinic and I waited nearly two and a half hours before the doctor saw me. Mind you, that there were like seven people in the waiting room and most of them waited even longer. Even when you make an appointment with a doctor, these waiting times don’t change much - that was the first route I took before heading to the clinic. I walked to the receptionist at noon and made an appointment, I had to go back at five thirty that afternoon because that’s when the doctor arrived at work. Another thing to keep in mind, is that as a tourist you have to be insured properly or else you have to spend a large sum of money i.e. 60 euros for the consultation, and 60 euros and up for any extra tests, analysis, etc. that is need afterwards. B. Pros The health care system is great. An example of this, is when I went to the emergency (once again at the Hospital Clinic), the doctor asked me question (like they should) but didn’t leave things as an estimated guess of what my illness was, so they rolled me to the radiology room, took blood test for analysis and thought I waited for nearly seven hours in total, they came up with evidence of what I really had and the exact medicine that I need. A part from this they give you copies of everything they did if you’re not local to take to your doctor once you’re back home. And they treated me well and professionally. Back in the Netherlands (where I’m from), the doctor would probably just have a look at the infected area, make an estimated guess and prescribe something. Not to mention the aloofness and lack of empathy for their patients. This is not to put my country down but honest is honest and I was indeed impress with their services.

5. Traffic lights

A. Cons If you’re new to Barcelona and you’re driving, you need to orient yourself with where all the gas stations are located because they are not all over the city.  I’ve been here for six months and have only seen two – by accident! So, I’m counting my lucky stars I do not drive here. The traffic lights is another thing that works in a strange way, as pedestrians are crossing the street cars have the green lights to turn the corners at the same time, which can be infuriating for the driver if you’re trying to beat the lights and you’re behind two others vehicles. And pray that you’re not running late for an important appointment. For pedestrian this can be quite scary because you’ll have cars and motorcycles zooming right behind you as you’re crossing the streets – so you have to cross it quickly. B. Pros August is a great month to drive in Barcelona because the roads are cleared. In this month everyone goes on vacation so the city is practically a ghost town – which isn’t a bad thing from time to time.

6. Public Transportation

A. Cons Taking a bus anywhere in Barcelona is a little bit tricky because their system is difficult to understand and you have to memorize the bus number and their designated destinations. Metros run until midnight from Sunday to Thursday, on Friday it runs until two in the morning and Saturday it runs twenty-four hours.  So if you’re taking a quick vacation during the week to party, your means of transportation will be night busses unless you’re staying near the city center. If you don’t know which bus goes where, there are two ways to get this information, their websites which list all the bus numbers and their destination or you can walk from bus stop to bus stop until you get the right bus. B. Pros The good thing is, is that if staying close to the city center you can walk it anywhere and because most, if not all, of the parties and going out takes place on Friday and Saturday it makes sense that the metro runs until later to accommodate tourist who wants to have a good time (this probably is the case with all major cities). Public transportation has a webpage with all the information any one would need from schedule to which numbers to take to reach a certain place, etc. And there are plenty of taxies stations with drivers ready to take you anywhere in the city at any time of the day. Here at SuiteLife we are sure that you got your own opinions and experiences gained during your own stay in Barcelona. So, why not share what you think with us? We'd be more than happy to hear your side of what is living in Barcelona ! ~Aregenis