So by now, you must have heard that Barcelona has plenty to offer: legendary nightlife, stunning architecture, fascinating culture, mouth-watering cuisine, beaches- the list goes on and on. However, did you know that Barcelona is not just a great city for adults to let loose and play, but a fabulous destination for family trips and kid-friendly activities? One of the first things I noticed upon arriving in the city and exploring my neighborhood, Gracia, is the plethora of children’s shops in the area- they are seriously the majority of stores and once or twice I have walked past a window and seriously considered trying to squeeze myself into the largest size available! This certainly explains all of the well-dressed children I have seen here- be them running around in the large playground/ park in the middle of Via Augusta, splashing in the water at the beach, laughing hysterically as they navigate the maze in the Labyrinth Park, or simply enjoying a meal with their parents. Okay, so you get the point that if you bring your children here, you will be able to take them shopping- but for most people that does not really make for an enjoyable family vacation. So what else is there to do with the kids? I have already briefly hinted at certain activities, such as the beach, Labyrinth Park, and eating, of course. However there’s so much more - check out the “mornings at the zoo” organized just for kids in Park Ciutadella, the Barcelona Aquarium, the amusement park at Tibidabo for fun with an incredible view of the city, Bubbleparc in Maremagnum, expose your children to some of the fabulous culture with special art programs run at the MACBA, and, if you all can stay awake, the Magic Fountain show at Montjuic is a must-see! Barcelona never fails to offer something for everyone, on any given day and if you somehow can’t find something just right for you or your family, we’re up for the challenge, so just ask us!!

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This past weekend I, along with what seemed to be enough people to fill the entirety of the city, went up to “Plaça Espanya” decked out in my yellow and red gear on Sunday night- ready to cheer my head off for the Spanish team! The crowd was packed tight, the projected game barely visible for a 5′ 4” girl, the sangria and cerveza was flowing, and the chants of “yo soy español” reverberated enthusiastically. Although the game stretched on for a long time without a point being scored by either side, the crowd continued to gasp, shout, cheer, and endure the occasional “cerveza” shower in support of the Spanish team. Perhaps the fact that more than a third of the team members are from Barcelona influenced the spirited and thrilling atmosphere of the night. No doubt, when the game-winning goal was scored and 2 minutes later the championship title officially became Spain’s first, the crowd went WILD! And who better to score the winning goal and bring Spain their first World Cup victory than one of Barcelona’s own- Andrés Iniesta The excitement was off the charts and the celebrations, cheers, dancing, fireworks, fountain- splashing, horn blowing, singing, outrageous festivities and merriment lasted well into the night. The pride and genuine happiness those in Barcelona displayed in support of the Spanish win cannot be denied and I feel incredibly lucky to have been here during such a weekend- definitely one for the history books!

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The last Saturday, 10th of July, more than 1 million zealous Catalans were claiming their independence from Spain. The manifestation was peaceful, yet full of emotion! All the important figures from the Catalan government were leading the march and giving the speech to the nation. People were singing the national anthem of Catalonia, carrying Catalan flags and posters with some fierce slogans and phrases. The march went from Diagonal through Passeig de Gracia, ending in Tetuan. The whole distance, which in fact is around 2, 5-3 km was fully packed! Just for the record for those of you who don’t know Barcelona’s streets very well, Passeig de Gracia together with Gran Via are one of the biggest and widest streets in Barcelona! People seemed very determined to show their attitude and unite with the Catalan spirit of independence, despite the heat and humidity of the Spanish summer weather. Many of you might wonder why on earth they want to separate themselves from Spain so much? Behind the idea of being independent for cultural issues, there are a lot of financial connections that Catalonia has with the Spanish Government that are not really at all convenient for Catalans. And on top of that, there are the different languages and different cultures… But on the other hand, would Barcelona and Catalonia be so attractive to the tourists without the Spanish “background”? Would people be interested in coming to Barcelona as much as they are right now if it was not Spain? Would bars and restaurants withdraw” bocadillos con jamon Serrano” and “tortillas de patatas” from their menus? There are some very fair points speaking for Catalan independence indeed, but independent Catalonia as a separate country raises many more questions…..

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My friends and I had been hearing about Montjüic de Nit (the Night at Montjüic) all week long and had made plans to check it out on Saturday night. In true Spanish fashion, we arrived pretty late into the night. Unfortunately, not in true Spanish fashion, the festivities were set to end pretty early at 2 AM. Instead of approaching the merriment head-on from the Plaça d’Espanya, we approached from a quiet, lonely side of the mountain where we could vaguely make out the vibrations of some music and felt unsure as to whether we had made a wise decision to spend one of our precious weekend nights in Barcelona at this seemingly unpopular event. It was my first visit to this mountain overlooking the city and, upon reaching the top, not only was I taken aback by the gorgeous views, but I was also in awe of all the locals and young people who had come out in droves and were milling around all over the mountaintop and hanging out on the steps of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. We were excited to find that this art museum had remained open for the special night and was offering free admission to those in attendance. Without a doubt, we could not pass up such a wonderful opportunity. Since we had only given ourselves the chance to spend a little over an hour enjoying the entirety of the Nit de Montjüic, we each decided to pick the exhibit that most intrigued us, split up, and come back together in the lobby in approximately a half hour. I chose to check out the modern art wing and was immediately struck with the beauty of an immense stained glass panel located at the entrance and the feeling of reverence lasted the whole of my exploration; with pieces by Gaudi, Picasso, Camarasa, and many other legendary artists, I could barely contain myself from drooling- just kidding…maybe. Over a half hour later, my friends and I reconvened in the lobby and each raved about what we had just seen. We headed back outside and in the direction of the source of music we had heard before: a huge, live techno show down below. There were moving colorful lights, an excited and jam-packed crowd, a feverish, raging beat, and plenty of “cerveza”- what could be more conducive to a night of incredible fun? We danced on the outskirts of the crowd for a bit and all the way through Plaça d’Espanya to the metro. The atmosphere of the entire night was perfect and exemplified the mixture of culture, fun, spontaneity, and aesthetic splendor that makes Barcelona one of the best cities on earth! I would love to see you all at Montjüic de Nit 2011! However, beware of the tendency to arrive late as it was quite a shame to not have been able to enjoy the entire variety of music, sports, museums, and galleries that the night had to offer

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Booking add-on trips to your client’s Mediterranean cruise itinerary just got a whole lot easier, thanks to Lifestyle Barcelona. Offering travel agents more than 350 answers to the “What can we do in Barcelona?” question, the city’s premier experiences company puts its flexible, English-speaking team at your disposal for ideas and on-the-ground information.

Since it was set up by London-born siblings Tony and Josephine Anagor in 2003, Lifestyle Barcelona has built up a strong network of professional Spanish providers and trusted collaborators to offer clients a seamless service and an unmatched range of fun experiences in and around the city.

The company takes experiences the locals have been enjoying for years, such as tapas making, cava drinking, shopping, mountain climbing, Flamenco dancing, fishing, sailing, and much more, and add its own creative twist so it becomes an unforgettable part of any vacation.

Beautiful Barcelona is the undisputed cruise capital of the Mediterranean, welcoming 1.2 million passengers a year. It is also the top European city from which to start or end a cruise, meaning many passengers choose to enjoy extra days in this vibrant city.

Whether your clients have only half a day to find out what makes Barcelona one of the most-visited European destinations, or a whole weekend, leave it to Lifestyle Barcelona to organise a tailor-made or off-the-shelf experience that will bring a smile to the face of every customer.

From the romantic honeymoon or anniversary couple, to the family of four, Lifestyle Barcelona has done all the ground work to find an experience for every profile of client and for any number of people; all the travel agent needs to do is help them choose from relaxing, cultural and gastronomic packages to the more active airborne, driving or water sports possibilities.

“We pride ourselves on our large portfolio of happy customers and strive daily to exceed expectations through our innovation, style, professionalism and energy,” Miss Anagor says. “It is our goal to keep providing unique and fun ideas that can be easily organised at short notice and that are guaranteed to be remembered by your clients for all the right reasons.”

www.lifestylebarcelona.com

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As a newcomer to Lifestyle Barcelona, I thought it would be fun to begin sharing my experiences with you all. Work itself has been pretty great so far; does there exist a better way to accustom yourself to a brand new city than by working for a company dedicated to researching, spreading the word, and introducing people to the city in question in an exciting and unique new way? ¡Creo que no! But, when I’m not in the office, I spend my time exploring Barcelona and becoming even more amazed by what the city has to offer every single time I venture out. As I have only been here for slightly over 2 weeks, of course I have spent some time hitting up a few of the most popular tourist locations: Parc Guëll, Casa Batllo, Porto Olímpico,etc.- ring any bells? I doubt it will come as a surprise that their fame is well deserved, but I will be living and working in Barcelona for the entire summer and have already begun to love the city in a way that goes far beyond a touristic appreciation. For a girl who lives off of turkey sandwiches at home and finds eating a hamburger to be a stretch, I was shocked to discover the simple, but undeniable pleasure of a bocadillo con jamón y queso or going out with friends for some cava or tinto de verano and sampling some delicious new tapas that I never had imagined I would enjoy. And I swear to you that the Spanish have the right idea when it comes to indulging in the biggest and best meal of the day at lunch with the menú del día. I could rave about the food all day; however, there are so many other wonderful aspects of the city to share! Even if I am just wandering around the streets (whether by choice or a failure to understand a map correctly) I am never disappointed- there is gorgeous architecture to be seen everywhere; none of the buildings look as if they are trying to fit in with the rest, they are all intricate, beautiful, and have their own personality. Even the sidewalks on the Passeig de Grácia are ornately flowered tiles! And when said wanderings have happened due to a failure to orient myself correctly, a not uncommon occurrence thus far, I have been lucky to discover that the locals here are extremely easy-going, friendly, and more than willing to offer directions and a patient ear as I practice my rough Spanish (even though the official language is Catalan). I look forward to learning more about the city in the coming weeks and being able to enlighten you all with my findings…¡Hasta luego!

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Sant Joan is the biggest Spanish public holiday….and the celebration was also pretty big!! Although the official holiday starts on 24^th June, the main part of the event starts already the night before, which is called the night of Saint John. There are always loads of parties organised for this special night and this year was no different!! Apart from many concerts and big parties in the clubs, the most popular are the beach parties. The whole area of the Barcelona beaches (which in fact is 5km!) was packed with people, music, alcohol, fun and fireworks. Everyone celebrates in their own way – some people are sitting, drinking, talking, some other are dancing, some throwing bangers and lightening the fireworks up. I decided to have a proper beach party this year so I went to a big one, organised at the Forum beach, literally speaking at the very end of Barcelona. And it was amazing!! Seriously, one of the best parties I’ve ever been to! Bare feet dancing on the sand to a great music…..what a wonderful feeling!! I never lived in a city that has a beach so these sorts of parties always seem extraordinary to me! The view of the sea with millions of fireworks in the sky plus a bunch of good friends, who make the whole party, really gave me some unforgettable memories. If you can’t stand noise, it migthn’t be the best party for you though… Bangers and fireworks were blowing up during the whole night and some of the most persistent music fans kept on till 5 o’clock in the morning! But if you like partying, good music and a beach atmosphere, the Sant Joan celebration is definitely for you!! If you plan on coming to Barcelona in June 2011, don’t forget about San Joan celebrations and be prepared for 23/24^th big party! Well…I guess I have nothing more to say, but see you next year?

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The summer has already arrived in Barcelona and this is just a perfect time for all the festivals and open-air concerts. My last discovery of a great open-air event was the Reggae Music Festival in Parc Guell. It was set a little further back from the park’s main touristic sites and had the feeling of a typical local party. The festival lasted 12hours - from 12 am till 12 pm. Organizers took care of the drinking side of the event and provided bars with caipriñas, mojitos and beer. For those who felt low in energy after plenty of energetic dancing there was also a generous offering of hot dogs and a barbequed assortment. With the incredible view of Barcelona from the Parc Guell…it was certainly worth going there if only for this reason!! There’s nothing better than a relaxed Saturday afternoon a with good company, a beer and a spectacular view of the beautiful Barcelona city!

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Barcelona is a city that has plenty to offer… everyone can find something for themselves. It is a city that suits different lifestyles, personalities and tastes. Last weekend eco-enthusiasts could find something interesting for themselves…5th of June is the World Environmental Day, so the city of Barcelona together with the help from the sponsors organised a whole day event “Eco-Art al Parc”. It took place at the Poblenou Parc, nearby Bogatell beach, where you could enjoy a 14 hour-marathon of alternative activities. The program covered many interesting interactive recycling workshops where you could enjoy creating ecological detergents or even central heating from empty water bottles! For those, who are more into art, there were some creative activities such as photography, painting and engraving. Also for those who are slightly less environmentally or artistically-oriented, there were other activities, such as cooking or alternative natural therapies workshops. And of course no successful event can take place without the right music! Knowing this the organizers of the “Eco-Art al Parc” event provided great music and even additional visual effects, which were just spectacular! You might wish to attend but not know what to do with the children? Well, apparently the organizers thought the same, so they arranged a small circus and a 400m2 space dedicated to family games made from recycled materials! Regretting that missed the event…? See you there next year maybe??!

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I’ve just finished my last article about music events in Barcelona, when I realized that today another great musical event started and I felt that I had to share it with you guys! The new event is called “Música als Parcs” which means “Music in the Parks”, organized by Barcelona City Council. There will a series of outdoor concerts in all of the Barcelona parks starting from today! The concerts are completely free of charge and are intended for all audiences. The whole idea of the event began 10 years ago when the Barcelona officials wanted to make the summer nights’ atmosphere more pleasant. They started with small performances and since then, every summer, jazz and classical music are filling the parks of Barcelona, bringing some high quality music delights. The opening concert is today, 2^nd June at 20.00 in the Jardins del Teatre Grec, Montjuic. The inauguration is led by the Sant Andreu band – the youngest band in Europe, formed by artists between 10-17 years old. So… let’s enjoy the musical Barcelona even more!

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