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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Barcelona is undoubtedly one of the most vibrant cities, where there are always many things going on…Barcelona is also well known as the city with many music activities, where the artists from all over the world perform and get inspired by the atmosphere of this amazing place…The Spring time is often dedicated to the festivals and this year is no different! It is ideal as the weather is warm, but not overly hot, the sea is inviting and the city atmosphere is tantalizingly electric! …

Barcelona is constantly pleasing its residents and visitors with musical delights. There was the Indie Rock Festival last month, Primavera Sound festival this month and the famous Sonar Festival is next month. Apart from the festivals, there are always many concerts of both mainstream and alternative artists. Alicia Keys, Kiss, Black Eyed Peas, Aerosmith or Bob Dylan are just a few names that will be present in Barcelona in the coming month. There are also many live performances in casual clubs and bars. For example, many bars around Plaza Reial offer live music shows and Jam Sessions where everyone is free to join a band and play. Apart from so-called commercial musical offers, there are plenty of more classical music performances, such as orchestras, musicals and ballet, which are usually at the Palace of Catalan Music, The Grand Theater Liceu, L’Auditori or National Theater. The best way not to miss a thing is to follow the cultural guides and concerts’ agendas. Stay updated and enjoy the musical Barcelona!

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So the Spanish League ended… and FC Barcelona won the Championship, smashing Valladollid with a score of 4-0!! The Spanish League consisted of 20 teams from all over Spain. It began on 29 August and finished on 16 May 2010 with glorious victory of Barcelona. The incredible Barça team won 14 games, drawing 5 and loosing only 1.

But obviously there’s no true victory without the celebration! There was a huge celebration event at the Camp Nou stadium right after the game. The beautiful illumination display, fireworks, music and flags filled the whole stadium. Shortly after all of the players showed up and each member of the team, including the coach Josep Guardiola, gave a small speech. At the same time the crowd of cheering fans was celebrating the victory at Placa Catalunya and Las Ramblas. But it wasn’t just “celebration”… it was madness! I don’t know how many people there were exactly, but for sure a few thousand! The entire centre was literally packed with Barça fanatics. People were wearing FC Barcelona T-Shirts and waving the flags of both FC Barcelona and Catalonia, singing and dancing. Everyone was chanting FC Barcelona anthems and fire bangers and bonfires were blazing in the middle of the celebrating crowd! Totally insane! I was thinking that if you just happened to be visiting Barcelona that time, and didn’t know anything about the football celebrations, you would definitely think that the city has been taken over by some insane organization… But frankly speaking, this sort of event is only reserved for the great football fans! “Casual” visitors might find it even a little frightening…! I am not a huge football fan and I survived! And I have to admit that it was definitely a great thing to experience! Visca el Barça, visca Catalunya!

Note:  Check our Facebook page for the pictures from this event!

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Have you ever been bored in Barcelona? I don´t think so…or if yes, then only because of the laziness Even though, Barcelona isn’t the capital city and is smaller than most of the European metropolises, it has all the rush and glamour of the biggest cities in the world. There are always so many things happening that everyone can find something suitable for her/himself. For example, this week there is Barcelona Bike Week, Loop Video Art Festival, Poetry Festival and Stand up Comedy. There are also many concerts and music performances that listing all of them would completely fill up this post. Last weekend was Barcelona Formula1 Gran Prix, International New Rose Competition, Aeronautical Fair and Barcelona Asian Film Festival. Some of you might think that probably attending all these events would be incredibly expensive, but actually there are many activities completely free! For instance, some time ago I went to the totally free of charge Indie Music Festival promoting young, alternative bands from Barcelona, but it also included international stars from Spanish and non-Spanish speaking countries. One of them was famous Danish rockband, the Raveonettes. This 3-day-festival was set at Mare Magnum at Port Vell, which gave a summer spirit to the event, even though the weather was not that summery at all. The atmosphere was great and I discovered a few really good bands! So…….the moral of this story is: do try to keep yourself informed on what’s happening in the amazing city of BARCELONA!

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We can all feel that summer is coming… More and more tourists in the city, and beaches are getting more crowded as well. For that reason, it is vital to explore some beaches around Barcelona – they are much less crowded and cleaner. Recently I went to Gavamar beach, which is just 10 minutes drive away from Barcelona city. It is just next to two other really nice beaches – Castelldefels and Les Botigues. They are just a little bit further than Barcelona airport, so they are easily accessible by car or public transport. And what is most important is the feeling of being outside the city – the air is lighter, the sand is whiter, people are more friendly…And no matter how much we do love Barcelona, it’s great to leave the city once in a while…then you come back and you love it even more

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Last weekend was Barcelona’s Formula1 Gran Prix weekend so I thought I’d share my recent driving experience with you! I attended the Formula 1 driving event and I had a chance to try out some driving activities provided by our company…”Some” maybe is the wrong word here as it was a real Palmer Jaguar JP1!! I wasn’t actually driving the car by myself but I was co-piloting. Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter that much…because the experience was absolutely amazing! It was at the Formula 1 circuit in Calafat. Steaming sunshine, extreme speed and the smell of burning tires – unforgettable!! Personally, I love driving, but I was never really into fast cars that much so I am quite a novice to racing. I so much enjoyed the drive! Even not driving by myself gave me so much adrenaline and pleasure! For sure some of you have tried Go-Karting already, so you have an impression of fast racing cars, but driving a “real” sports car is an entirely different and more challenging experience…You wear professional uniforms, the F1 cars are bigger, faster, and you are in the setting of a real circuit. Even if you aren’t one of these speed fanatics, it’s certainly great to try it once in the lifetime!

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