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The Montmelo Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain

The Montmelo Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain

In the fast moving world of Formula One, it’s nearly time for the Spanish Grand Prix, which takes place at Montmelo, Catalunya, Spain on 27th April 2008.The Montmelo Track, which has recently undergone structural work to improve safety and race quality, promises to deliver an exciting race. The leading trio of Räikkönen, Heidfeld and Hamilton are being pressured by Massa, whose victory in his Ferrari in the Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend(March 30^th, 2008), puts him in good standing to climb into the driver’s top three. Only three races into the 2008 season, there are still plenty of exciting ones to come, with both the driver’s, and constructor’s table wide open.

The Montmelo circuit is located about 30 minutes north of Barcelona, and can be easily reached by train from either: Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gracia or Clot rail stations in Barcelona centre. Train Tickets are cheap,1.35 Euros each way, and if you are considering attending other events over the weekend, try buying a 10 trip bonotren, multi person ticket valid for 30 days.

Alternatively, there will be a special bus service operating. The bus leaves from Passeig Sant Joan 52. The nearest metro stops are: Metro Tetuan (Purple Line, L2) or Girona (Yellow Line, L4) Bus tickets may be obtained from the ticket office at Passeig Sant Joan, 52. The price of a Return Bus Ticket is 6.00 Euros. The Bus will operate from 06:00, leaving every 5 minutes on the 25th, 26th, and 27th April 2008.

Those spectators who are lucky enough to have time on their hands over the weekend, should sample the delights of Barcelona, where they will find a lot to offer, a lively mix of history, culture and fabulous nightlife converge, for those who wish to explore this famous regional capital.

Over the last few years, Barcelona has continued to become an increasingly popular destination, and as spring heats up, so does the search for quality accommodation, with more and more people heading for the city. This influx of people can inevitably lead to accommodation problems, with demand often far outstripping supply. Rental apartments offer a new flexibility and price advantage over hotels, and they often work out a better deal than hostels.

Fortunately, there are many short term stay apartments available, but be aware that the quality and standards may vary greatly, and it is worth researching to find one of the better accommodation companies. You can check out our various accommodations at welcomeapartments.com office: 0034 93 443 6673 Mobile:0034 678 538 632. We have clean, affordable accommodation while offering a very personalized and caring service. You can check out our website testimonials and blogs from previously satisfied customers.

For more information about the Grand Prix, check out: www.circuitcat.com/ingles/index.asp

For tickets you can check out: www.grandprix-tickets.com/index.asp

More Events This Month in Barcelona

On top of Montjuic near the Olympic Stadium is the open-air cinema which shows contemporary movies most week-nights and is a great excuse for a picnic. The cinema boasts a gigantic screen and each mobie is preceded by a live gig by a local band. It’s only 4 € to get in and free transport is provided from Plaza España.

For art lovers the Modern Art Museum (MACBA) offers discounts throughout the summer. On Thursdays after 8 PM the entrance fee is only 3 €. At the end of the tour the Museum’s Terrace Bar is a charming spot for a glass of wine.

On the 22nd of August is FC Barcelona’s Gamper Exhibition game against Bayern Munich, which would be a marvellous way to visit the Nou Camp stadium. The Gamper game is an annual event celebrated in homour of its legendary founder, Joan Gamper.

For any more info on BCN get in touch with us at Welcome Apartments.

Barcelona by Bike

A good way to get to know Barcelona is by bicycle. It only takes three hours approx to skim the city’s most interesting areas, although the Blog takes a little longer because he’s hideously unfit.

The Blog recommends you begin in the Barrio Gotico’s Cathedral Square and head down through the narrow streets of the Born district until Paseo Colon. From there a top idea is to stop for a breather and a refreshent in Ciutadella Park, built for the 1888 Universal Exhibition.

Next head for Gaudi’s Cathedral, La Sagrada Famila, up Calle Napoles, and then to Paseo de Gracia for a glimpse of the modernist buildings of Eixample- La Pedrera, Casa Batllo etc…

Then it’s back into the centre for lunch/dinner/a beer/a triple bypass operation.

If you want to hire a bike or want more information about visiting Barcelona get in touch with us at Welcome Apartments.

Day Trips From Barcelona

When the Blog (Welcome Apartments) was asked to come up with five woppingly good locations for a day trip from Barcelona he tapped his brow pensively. Then in a frenzy of excitement he flicked open his laptop and began wordsmithing frantically. Here are the results.

Sitges

A favourite of the gay crowd, this medieval fishing town, a trendy mini-Barcelona is only a half hour jaunt away by rail. Winding little streets lead down to a delightful beachfront promenade full of bars and terraces and there’s boutique shops and a fun nightlife. Hold on, what is the Blog doing living in Barcelona? Sell up and move down there, boy!

Montserra t

Weird rock formations tower over a medieval monastery where Barcelona’s football team congegrate to pray. Now and again. This inspiring place, any Catalan will tell you, is the region’s spiritual home, one hour away by bus.

St Pol de Mar

A traditional favourite for people sick of swimming past floating plastic bags on Barcelona’s beaches, this wide open playa is a short ride away on the train. Get your bucket and spade and your inflatables and git down there!

Tibidabo

Sitting in fairy-tale splendour atop Tibidabo mountain is a chapel surrounded by good spots to take in breathtaking views over Barcelona, as well as a restaurant, a hotel and a theme park, all reachable via rail from Plaza Catalunya.

Lloret de Mar

If you like your seaside resorts cheap and cheesy Lloret is an hour away by bus and is full of souvenir shops, tacky restaurants and boozy foreigners. Some might turn up their nose, but the Blog finds it all very cheerful.

For any more info about Barcelona, get in contact, we are hear waiting to hear from you! Welcome Apartments offers a hotel style apartments, giving you a home away from home feeling at affordable prices and in convenient locations around Barcelona.

Barcelona Destinations, Cadaques

To the north of Barcelona the Costa Brava is recognized as one of Catalunya’s foremost areas of natural beauty and is also one of Spain’s most popular holiday destinations. Cadaques is perhaps the most charming of its mainy sleepy fishing towns.

In the 1950’s tourism boomed in Cadaques, owing largely to its reputation as a chic hang-out spot for important artists; luminaries such as Dali, Picasso, Matisse, Duchamp, Man Ray, Max Ernst and Andre Derian.

Today the cobbled streets of Cadaques’ old town offer numerous art galleries, boutiques and artisan’s workshops. Indeed for lovers of art, among whose cultured ranks the Blog includes himself, Cadaques is home to Casa Dali, the extravagantly moustachioed genius’s house, which today holds a museum.

Buses for Cadaques can be caught at Plaza Catalunya and the ride costs 18 € (with a discount for students).

In the whitewashed backstreets of Cadaques there are a number of affordable hotels, while in the upper reaches of the town there is a campsite. Bookings should probably be made in advance, especially in summer as the crowds flock to Cadaques.

If the Blog has whetted your appetite for more information about Cadaques or other destinations around Barcelona give us a shout at Welcome Apartments. Welcome apartments hotel/ hostel style accommodations offers a home away from home in convenient locations around Barcelona.

Ruta de Graffiti/ Arte en la calle

En cuestión de arte, todo vale. El graffiti es una expresión artística admirada y practicada por mucho jóvenes en el mundo, y también una expresión denostada por otra parte de la población, sobre todo por aquellos que defienden que esta práctica es un acto vandálico e incívico. Posicionamiento sobre esta cuestión a parte, en Barcelona existe al menos 3 generaciones de artistas del graffiti; un hecho que no hace más que resaltar la importancia de esta expresión artística, en algunos casos apoyada incluso por parte de las autoridades municipales.
Actualmente abundan los tags (firmas casi ilegibles que se alejan del espíritu creativo del graffiti, para acercarse más al vandalismo), aunque los graffitis continúan bien presentes hoy en la ciudad. Poco a poco esta expresión va construyendo su identidad como creación artística y se ve mejor aceptada por parte de la gente en general.
Al tratarse de un arte efímero, resulta complicado diseñar una ruta permanente de estas obras murales, en algunos casos porque los muros donde los artistas deciden plasmar su obra, están a punto de ser derribados por alguna obra, o por la misma falta de muros en condiciones, algunos artistas sobreponen sus creaciones a la del artista precedente.
Para encontrar buenos ejemplos, sólo hay que perderse por las calles del Raval, muchos de sus locales optan por decorar las persianas de sus tiendas o restaurantes con graffitis de los más interesantes.
Otra zona que vale la pena conocer, es la zona de Drassanes, los Jardines Hortes de Sant Andreu, la calle Tarragona, cerca de la Plaza España. Otra zona interesante, son los alrededores de las vías de los trenes, del Clot hasta Badalona se pueden  ver obras interesantes, aunque en permanente cambio…
Así que si se trata de buscar cultura urbana, Barcelona es el lugar adecuado para ello. Para su búsqueda, es necesario un buen gorro y gafas de sol, una botella de agua y la cámara en mano, para hacer las mejores composiciones de esta expresión tan contemporánea y rebelde como es el graffiti.

Gaudi’s Barcelona, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral

The architect Andoni Gaudi’s most celebrated work, the Sagrada Familia, or ‘Sacred Family’, is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its golden spires can be seen from any spot in the upper reaches of the city, indeed, more than any other this building symbolizes Barcelona. This didn’t stop one particularly bright friend of mine (who’s lived in Barcelona for three years) calling it, ‘Gandhi’s Cathedral’.

The Nativity Façade is the only part of the temple whose construction was directly organised by Gaudi himself. It features four bell towers with a cylindrical structure- the tallest two reach a height of 107 metres.

The central spire of the entrance portico is decorated with a scultpure of a cypress tree and doves, symbolizing purity. Stone blinds in the bell tower create an acoustic diffusion of the tubular bells, as enviisioned by Gaudi.

Each of the planned twelve towers of the Cathedral are dedicated to an apsostle. The word ‘Sanctus’ appears nine times in different colours on each bell tower, yellow signifies the Holy Father, red the Holy Son and orange the Holy spirit.

The pinnacles culimate in stars in the shape of a crown and the words ‘Hosanna’ and ‘Excelsius’ below. The friezes, depicting themes such as the Adoration of the Three Kings and the Adoration of the Shepherds, offer breathtakingly intricate detail and workmanship.

Anyone, and I mean, anyone visiting Barcelona will be blown away by this most untypical of celestial visions, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. And remember it is still under construction, so you can come back and see it develop each year.

In summertime you can visit the cathedral between nine in the morning and eight at night.

Fees:
Single 8€
Group 5€
Student 5€

As always we will be glad to help you with any information about Gaudi’s Sagradia Familia and other tourist attractions in Barcelona and will be happy to fit you and your guests into one of our great Barcelona Hotels/ Accomodations. We will do all to ensure that you have a great stay with Welcome Apartments and a memorable time in Barcelona. Our accommodations closest to the Sagrada Familia Cathedral are our Quatre Gates Series and the Passeig De Gracia.

Barcelona Football Tour

No trip to Barcelona is complete without a visit to its football club, Barcelona, and the Nou Camp Stadium.

Football’s closest thing to a cathedral, the Nou Camp has a museum with photographs, film reels, curiosities, relics and, of course, an incredible collection of trophies and silverware, paying homage to the club’s illustrious 107-year history.

The tour begins in the changing rooms, then you walk out onto the hallowed turf itself and can have your photograph taken with a lifesize image of your favourite player, whether it be Ronaldinho, Messi, Deco or ‘Tarzan’ Puyol.

Then its up into the Presidential Box, offering extraordinary views around the ground. Also included in the tour are a visit to the Press Rooms, the club chapel and a chance to lift the European Cup with your own hands!

Souvenirs of every description- videos, balls, kit, leisurewear etc- are offered in the club superstore.

We can help you get tickets to this tour through our office at Welcome Apartments when you book to stay with us at one of our quality hotel/apartment style accommodations. Tickets can also be arranged through barcelona football tickets.

If you have any questions or need information on anything in the city of barcelona - please do not hesitate to drop us a line.