Posts Tagged ‘Barcelona’

San Medir festival

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

San Medir Festival 2010

San Medir Festival 2010

This coming Wednesday the neighborhood of Gacia is hosting once again the sweetest celebration of the year: the Festa de Sant Medir. This wonderful old tradition dates back to the 16th century where a pilgrimage was made in honor of Santo Emeterio, or Sant Medir, the patron saint of broad beans.

The festival gathers people from all Barcelona neighborhoods that participate in a parade of horses and carriages, decorated with colorful flags.

The parade takes place on March 6th, and starts around 8pm. A colorful parade of floats, flags, costumes and horses winds through the streets, and literally tones of sweets are thrown from the decorated carriages into the crowds. It’s like a piñata fountain of never-ending sweets. The parade runs from Gran de Gracia street all the way to the Gardens (The Jardinets), where a wonderful display of fireworks closes the parade.

To avoid the crowds and secure your accommodation, you should make your reservation now to witness this colorful and sweet event suited for all ages.

For more information on the event, visit the official San Medir page

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Ready, set, go! Barcelona Marathó 2010

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Barcelona Marathon 2010

Barcelona Marathon 2010

Thousands of experienced runners and amateurs are impatiently waiting for the big day where they get to take the streets of Barcelona for one of the most important sporting events of the year: the Barcelona Marathon.

On March 7th 2010, both runners and spectators will have the opportunity to enjoy this wonderful city by cruising by some of the most impressive and world-famous landmarks, including Camp Nou, Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera and the Hospital de Sant Pau.

The race, beginning at 8:30am at Plaza Espanya (below the Montjüic hill), covers a distance of around 42km, some of which includes a run along the harbor, around the old city and some steeper parts of the city.

The race started as the Catalunya Marathon in 1978 and has gained increasing popularity ever since. Last year, it featured over 10,000 participants, nearly half were visitors from abroad.

But not only the runners get to enjoy the day, there are also plenty of recreational activities aimed at the spectators: the Pasta Party on February 28th is free for all runners +1 guest, and on the day of the event, there will be music, dancing and lots of fun for everyone, thanks to the Batukadas, the brasilean percussion groups.

This year, I will proudly show my support to two of my friends who have decided to participate and who are very excited to travel and visit a new city. They come all the way from Costa Rica!

If you need more information on the race, visit the official website of the Marathó Barcelona.

So good luck to all and I hope to see you there!

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The Mobile World Congress 2010 is almost here!

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

GSMA Mobile World Congress at the Fira

GSMA Mobile World Congress at the Fira

The city of Barcelona is proud to be once again the host for the 5th year in a row of the 3GSMA Mobile World Congress, the largest mobile phone event in the world.

Despite the crisis, more than 1300 companies, some of them new to the event, are expected to attend. That’s around 47 000 participants gathered at the Fira from the 15th to 18th of February, 2010.

One of the highlights this year will be the presence of the Queen of Rania of Jordan, who will address the role of mobile communications in education.

Now one of the controversies this year was the impact of the exorbitant prices of flights and accommodation. It is well know that airline companies and hotels dramatically increase their prices during the event. After all, everyone wants a piece of the pie, right?

This is why the Barcelona City Council,the Chamber of Commerce and the Barcelona Tourism Board have turned things around this year. Due to the economic crisis, hotels and airlines have agreed to lower their prices. Hotels have reduced their room prices of an average of 20%, while tickets are 30% cheaper than last year’s (thanks. Spanair and Star Alliance).

At CitySiesta we believe in fair prices, so this year we are offering a special promotion to all the GSM attendees. For those arriving early or leaving a few days later after the event, we are offering a special discount. Visit our GSM promotions page to find the appropriate accommodation for you.

Compare prices and find out how renting an apartment can be turn out to be less expensive that a hotel room!

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Park Güell not free anymore?

Monday, October 26th, 2009

A few days ago I heard the news that the Barcelona City Council is considering to start charging an admission fee to enter Gaudi´s Park Güell.

The neighbors in the area have decided to speak up and complain, so the issue is now under discussion. This beautiful garden complex was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi and built in the early 1900’s. Nowadays, the park receives an average of 14,000 tourists every day. More that 4,000,000 visits per year!

Park Güell

Park Güell

They haven’t yet decided on the price of the ticket or when they would lunch the iniciative, but the main reason for this fee is to alleviate the high maintenance costs and to have better control over who enters the parc, discouraging sneaky pickpocketers from prowling around the area looking for innocent victims.

Overall, the cost of maintaining the park and its gardens in perfect condition is costing the city between 600,000 and 700,000 per year, not counting the extra costs for unforseeable damages.

In my opinion it’s a good initiative. After all, the park should be an enjoyable place to be, not a dirty, crowded and dangerous space to seek fictitious relaxation.

Check out more information on Park Güell.

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The last days of summer

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

Looks like we are going to enjoy a few more summer days here in Barcelona. The warm weather and clear skies are inviting everyone to stay at the beach and enjoy the sunny days and why not one or two mojitos.

The good thing is, the high temperatures of August are now gone, so you can actually enjoy a nice walk around the city or just have a nap by the beach and avoid the feeling of being cooked in a frying pan.

If you are one of those people who would rather live under a coconut tree than having to bear 3 months of cold bone-braking winter, don’t put away your summer clothes yet, grab your shorts and flip flops instead and escape to Barcelona for a last minute sun tan.

Hurry up and book your flight to Barcelona. Who knows how long this marvelous weather will last!

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