Flamenco in Barcelona
Interesting video from The Guardian on the “more powerful, more aggressive forms of experimental flamenco in Barcelona, steeped in the traditions of the Catalan gypsies and rumba catalana.
Interesting video from The Guardian on the “more powerful, more aggressive forms of experimental flamenco in Barcelona, steeped in the traditions of the Catalan gypsies and rumba catalana.
Music | Tags: Catalan gypsies, experimental flamenco in Barcelona, gypsies in Barcelona|
If reggae’s your thing, check out Rimshot Records (Gignas, 30) the only specialist reggae store as far as I know in Barcelona. Good selection of new releases and back catalogue and info from the guy who runs the store on what’s going on in town reggae-wise and how to get there.
Briefs, Directory, Interesting shops in Barcelona, Music, Shops | Tags: reggae in Barcelona, Rimshot records|

One of many people's favourite piece of public art in Barcelona is The Cat by Fernando Botero. The cat has moved several times around the city, but seems finally to have decided to settle down here in the Raval del Raval. It was originally bought by the council in 1987. I love watching people interact with it. Children like to (try to) climb it. Old men like to slap it. There's another sculpture of a horse by Botero at the airport.
For my money the best cybercafé in Gracià and one of the nicest in Barcelona is CiberVirreina. It is next to to Plaza Virreina on Carrer Asturias. Fast internet access from quality computers. Webcams and headsets available. All computers have a usb point. Wifi is also available for your own laptop. I spend some time here. Nine on the morn, till one at night.
Details
c/ Asturies 78,
Pl Virreina - Gracia
Tel: 93 368 5770
cibervirreina@yahoo.com
Nearest Metro:
Fontana L3, Joanic L4
These days, Barcelona has a good selection of bookshops selling books in English.
Hibernian Bookshop - C. Montseny 17, Tel. 932 174 796. The city's only second-hand English book shop
La Central Raval- C. Elisabets 6, Tel. 902 884 990. One of my favourite shops in Barcelona. In an old convent. Good selection of English and history books. See also La Central C. Mallorca 237, Tel. 902 884 990,
Come in C. Balmes 129, bis, Tel. 93 453 12 04/93 453 18 06 Specialised English bookshop number 1
BCN books Roger de Llúria 118, Tel. 93 457 7692, Specialised English bookshop number 2. Both good
Laie - C. Pau Claris 85, Tel. 933 027 310, Lovely shop with English selection in modernist building
And special mention to Oryx. The best natural history bookshop anywhere in Europe with huge selection in English, Spanish and Catalan. Good selection of scopes, binoculars, feeders and other wildlife gear too. Great for browsing away on a rainy day. A personal favourite.
And another special mention to Altair, possibly the best travel bookshop in the world. Hundreds of titles in English. Another fave of mine.
See also FNAC shops (www.fnac.es) and Casa del Libro www.casadellibro
La Piadina serves excellent takeaway piadinas. They make a good change from pizzas and bocadiillos. Ugly is my favouirite.
Address: C de Santa Creu 3. Street is off Plz Virreina by the church.
Spring returns to Barcelona
March 16, 2010
After a long, grey and grueling, tiresome and draining, never-ending cold, wet and miserable winter, spring appears to have finally arrived in Barcelona. More...
Las Arenas bullring
March 16, 2010
Excellent article on the woes of Las Arenas bullring by journalist Nicholas John Mead. Barcelona is already famous for problems that have beset the Sagrada Familia, but for the last two years the prestigious €100m Las Arenas bullring restoration project in Plaça Espanya has run into setback after setback with contruction only resuming a few weeks ago. Read here
There were once three bullrings in Barcelona - Plaza de el Torin which was built in 1834, but was demolished long ago ; the above Plaza de las Arenas, built in 1900 and closed in 1977; and the present bullring, the Plaza de Toros Monumental, built in 1914.
Barcelona's urban heat island
March 11, 2010
Barcelona’s urban heat island effect causes markedly higher temperatures in the city than the surrounding rural areas. The difference is most pronounced at night during anticyclonic conditions in the winter with temperatures as much as 6.9ºC lower. There heat is channeled along corridors of flats, and there a mere 200 hectares of green areas in the city, though the city’s 100,000 street trees have a mitigating effect. The heat island is most noted in the Eixample. The Besós River functions as a corridor bringing in cold air to the coast. More details in Catalan
Books in English set in Barcelona
March 8, 2010
The Oh Barcelona site has a short but good round-up of the books in English set in Barcelona. Montalbán, Mendoza, Ruiz Zafon, Tóibín, Hughes, etc. More here
Where is Columbus pointing to?
March 4, 2010
Not America that’s for sure. The Barcelonautes blog claims to have the answer: La Platja de Sa Calobra in Mallorca. After that it’s Algiers, the Sahara desert and the length of Africa.
Tàpies foundation reopens
March 4, 2010
The Fundació Antoni Tàpies opened its doors this week after being closed for reforms for several years. More in English
Timeline of Barcelona
March 1, 2010
I’ve put together this timeline of Barcelona in the history section. Still very unfinished.
Spanish flu in Barcelona
February 15, 2010
Spanish flu killed 1554 people in Barcelona in the terrible outbreak between 1918 and 1919. 370 people died in a single day in the city on 21st 1918.