Apartment Rental Barcelona

From January 16 to 18th is the Bread and Butter fair in Barcelona. It is a tradeshow for selected brands.

This event happens twice a year. In January and in July.

In July 2007, there has been a growth of 50 % of visitors compared to the Bread and Butter 2006 !

There is now the “Bread and Butter Bible”, practical and up-to-date reference resource on the progressive clothing scene today. 1000 brands are in this bible :  Adidas, Camper, Chevignon, DVB Denim by Victoria Beckham, De Puta Madre 69, Desigual, Dr. Martens, G-star, Harley Davidson Footwear, K Karl Lagerfeld, Le coq sportif, Wrangle, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Custo Barcelona, Lacoste Footwear, Levis, Lee Cooper, Lucky 13, New Balance, Nike, Pacha Collection, Playboy, Psssy, Thomas Burberry, Tokidoki, Von Dutch, Yoyo 32, Zen Spirit ….

Location   FIRA BARCELONA   Avenida Reina Mª Cristina s/n   08004 Barcelona

Many people working on this event hire an apartment for their stay in Barcelona. You can feel more at home.

Now we know what Harvey Weinstein’s secret trip to Barcelona was all about last week. Weinstein was actually securing the participation of Penelope Cruz in the musical drama “Nine”, Chicago director Rob Marshall’s latest musical.  Nine will revolve around Bardem’s character; play director Guido Contini, who must juggle all of the women in his life while he puts on his masterwork. His lovers include his wife, his mistress, his film-star muse, his agent, and even his mother. The script is based on Fellini’s Eight and a Half.
Cruz is mulling over the role of Carla, Contini’s mistress
Penelope Cruz is currently in Barcelona for the shooting of Woody Allen’s new movie. It is about a painter entering a relationship with two American tourists. Conflict begins with the painter’s jealous ex-girlfriend. Unfortunately for Allen, the filming in Barcelona is not certain to be set; some residents in Barcelona are furious that their tax money is being used to fund Woody Allen’s new movie. Ten per cent of the new film by Woody Allen comes from the city of Barcelona and regional government, paid by tax payers. Seventy-five percent of Catalans think that the public investment is “excessive”. A local director said: “Along comes Woody Allen with all his money and success and they help him? I could make five films with his budget.” On the other side, others say the investment in The Barcelona Project of Allen will promote Barcelona in the same way that Lord of the Rings helped New Zealand.

On a small place, the RAVALO is a Pizzeria with terrace on a street near the Macba in the Raval area.

Directly from Napoli, the pizzaloia will prepare for you a very good pizza napolitana, the dough is very thin and crusty…

Big choice of different type of garnitures.

plaza d’Emili Vendrell 1   ph : 93 442 01 00  open only at night and close on Mondays
From the Macba, take the carrer Joaquim Costa, go down and you will see this small place on the right and the pizzeria.

For your stay in Barcelona, you can hire an apartment near the Ramblas

The Barcelona World Race is a new two-handed yacht race (non-stop round the world) starting on the 11th November 2007 and will be held every four years. The world’s best professional sailors from both solo and fully crewed disciplines will be coming together to compete against each other in teams of two.

It will happen in Port Vell (down the Rambla)

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjNgnszpRbQ&feature=related

Address : passeo de Gracia 92 (corner with carrer Provença)
93 484 59 95
Open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Casa Milà (also named the Pedrera) is an apartment building. Previous Gaudi projects like Casa Batlló had consisted of remodelling the facade. Here the previous building was demolished and a completely new building created. The building was commissioned by businessman Pedro Milà i Camps.

For most people it is specially the amazing roofscape that they associate with Gaudi.  The different levels, and many sculptural forms seems like some fabulous children’s playground. It is worth visiting the roof, you also get a beautiful view on Barcelona.  One one floor there is an exhibition space on Gaudi.

On the Passeig de Gracia in the Eixample area

Address : North of the Eixample
Metro : Vallcarca then you have to walk 1,5 km
Bus : Number 24 from the Passeo de Gracia

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhA88rHGn44&feature=related 

Eusebi Güell (Gaudi’s boss) wished to develop a garden city with around fifty houses and asked Gaudi to work on the project. They managed to lay out the park in 14 years, and built only two houses before interest in the project stopped. It is now a fabulous city park. The two gateway houses with their eccentric roofs were built for the park’s guardians. The  main structure is the forest of columns which support a viewing platform over the city. Beneath the platform, the columned area was to be a covered market for the residents. The sound is very good and quite often musicians play there.

Address on the beach near the Arts Hotel, Olympic port

For many years, Frank Gehry has been concerned with fish imagery. In Barcelona, his fish fixation is a 35 metre x 54 metre fish made of steel lattice. The fish marks the start of the Olympic Port area and is placed at the base of two landmark towers, one of them is the famous Arts Hotel. This artwork grabs the eye for its scale and as its copper colour shines in the bright sunlight.

On the Barceloneta area in front of the beach.

Address Passeo de Gracia 43
Ph : 93 216 03 06
Web Casa Batllo

Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R97chBzKEzk&feature=related

The colourful Casa Batlló from Gaudi is known for its elaborate decoration and forms derived from nature. It is amazing to see it in the Passeo de Gracia. This building is a tour de force of an artist reaching the peak of his powers. At night the lightened facade attracks the attention. 

At the first floor level is a sculptural stone loggia framing windows decorated with stained glass.

On the Passeig de Gracia in the Eixample

Address : Carrer Mallorca 401
Metro : Sagrada Familia orVerdaguer
Phone : 93 207 30 31
Web Sagrada Familia

Opening from October to March 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
                          April to September 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Tip : to go up into a tower, there is usually a big queue waiting for the lift. At  the back door entrance of the church , there is also a lift. Price for the lift: 2,50 €

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0VeT9S4K3g

La Sagrada Família is under construction since 1882 and it should get finished by 2040.
Gaudi (1852-1926) devoted much of his life to working on the building. At the time of his death only the Nativity Facade with one tower and the crypt were complete.
Today visiting the building is visiting a construction site, the admission fees are paying for the building of the church.

The church as designed will have 18 towers, four on each facade, symbolising the 12 apostles and a massive central tower (560 feet high) over the nave crossing symbolising Christ. The other 5 towers will symbolise the 4 evangelists and the Virgin Mary. The three major facades will depict : the Nativity, the Passion and the Glory of Christ. The building will be three hundred and ten feet long by hundred and ninety seven feet wide. Finished it will seat 13,000 people.

As for his entire work, Gaudi had taken much of his inspiration from nature : there are giant turtles supporting the columns on the Nativity Facade, and giant shells on the apse.

The work has continued over the years leaving the building with different colours and different sculptural treatments. The work on the Passion Facade started in 1954, and the nave was roofed over in 2000. The interior of the church is breathtaking in its size and design.

Since 2003, the catholic chuch is considering Gaudi becoming a Holy Saint .

It is possible to rent an apartment in the Gracia area

Address Plaça dels Angels, 1
Phone : 93 412 08 10
Web Macba
Metro Universitat or Catalunya

Have a look at the Contemporary Museum of Arts, the Macba. very modern, white building from the american architect Richard Meier (he is going to build one of the building on the WTC in NY). Skateboarders skate in front of the museum.

Behind the museum, next to the Catalan Cultural

Name :” C3 BAR “  Montalegre 508001 BCN  tel : 93 301 33 15  concerts in the evening.