Generator Hostels Barcelona ‘Win a Trip to Barcelona’ competition

Now let me be clear, I don’t promote just any old thing. It takes time to write even the simplest blog post. But any chance to get some friends over for a fun-filled week in my adopted city is fine by me. So let me introduce the Generator Hostels Barcelona competition to win a trip to Barcelona for you and 3 friends. Flights included! Read the rest of this article…

Eixample, Barcelona from the air

“It was around 7-8 years ago when I first stepped into the world that is Barcelona. I didn’t exactly choose a great time of year to visit (it was December) and I wasn’t staying in a particularly touristy area (Gràcia), but nevertheless I ended up falling in love with the city, making it my eventual home.

It’s funny, because over the past 7 years the city has seen the economy go from an all time high to a low. The first restaurant I ever ate at in Barcelona is now closed, many new shops have replaced old ones that just couldn’t make it… A lot has changed… Yet the city is always the same as I remembered it the first time I came here. I call this effect the Barcelona Charm.

So how can you experience Barcelona Charm; a memory of the city that carries on like a flowing story, as if you never left, each time you visit? Maybe if you experience the city the way I have, you’ll see what I mean. Read the rest of this article…

Street Artist: Kenor

I wrote about the Barcelona street art exhibition, Las Calles Hablan, back in August last year. The funding drive for the exhibition was a huge success as was the exhibition itself. It showcased street artists and their work in Barcelona.

Las Calles Hablan documentary

Well finally, the much talked about Las Calles Hablan Barcelona street art documentary is available to watch online. This feature-length documentary about street art in Barcelona is… “a story about discovering a hidden world, an extraordinary subculture and the struggle between an artistic community painting for freedom of expression and an increasingly restrictive dogmatic government”.

This is excellent work and I know for a fact that the project grew in size while the film was being made. Thus the delay in bringing it to fruition. But the wait was worth it. For anyone interested in street art, and particularly its recognised place in the culture of a city, this is a must-watch. Read the rest of this article…

I found this infographic through Facebook. The Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to the United States of America Facebook page to be exact. It visualises the export statistics of Catalonia during 2012 in a way that’s easier to digest than reams of data.

What, how much and where do Catalan firms export?

Overview: Catalan exports reached a record level in 2012 with 58,289 million euros and a 5% growth. These figures are even better than pre-crisis figures. Read the rest of this article…

He’s done it again. This time at night. Midnight Barcelona is the new time-lapse film from Pau García Laita. I wrote about Summer Barcelona shortly after it was posted on Vimeo in October last year. I still watch it now and everyone I show it to loves it.

Midnight Barcelona is equally impressive. More fast-paced. With another fitting track, this time called Starscapes from American Dollar. This is Barcelona at night, looking and sounding great! I particularly like the scenes of the Magic Fountain, the office building, and the underpass along Passeig de Colom.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Pau is a freelance film-maker from Barcelona whose main interest is extreme sports filming. You can check out Pau’s other work on Vimeo or at www.paugarcialaita.com.

This video was uploaded to YouTube in March of this year (2013), so is a very recent attempt at increasing awareness of the Catalan plight around the world. Even at half an hour it’s very fast-paced and I had no trouble sticking with it. And though the text is sometimes difficult to read it plays like a film trailer with evocative music that keeps you gripped. I thought it a great potted history of the Catalan state from the year 988 to the present day. If you’re outside of Catalonia and you don’t know what all the fuss is about I suggest you give it a watch.

As the quote from Carl Sagan at the start reads, “you have to know the past to understand the present”. Read the rest of this article…

‘Saint George and the Dragon’ by Raphael (1505-1506)

I have written about La Diada de Sant Jordi before when I wrote about Valentine’s Day in Spain. But I thought I could expand on it a little this time around and mention a few other things that might interest you.

Many countries around the world have Saint George as their patron saint and most celebrate it on April 23rd (the accepted date of Saint George’s death in 303 AD).

Here in Catalonia (and a few other regions and cities in Spain) St. George is the patron saint too. And the Catalans certainly need little reason for a celebration. Read the rest of this article…