Nit de San Joan : the night of the fire

Also in Barcelona they are celebrating the Midsummer, but of course it’s once again different than it is celebrated in other parts in the world. The traditional midsummer party in Spain is the celebration in honour of San Juan, who is regarded as a prophet in many religions. The celebrations of midsummer are taking place in the evening of June 23.

The night of San Joan is the Catalan way to say welcome to the summer in the shortest night of the year.

Sant Joan traditions: 

Food

Food is like always in Catalonia also an important part of this Catalan celebration.
For Sant Joan there is a traditionell dessert that is called “coca”,which is a kind of cake.It consists of flour,suggar, eggs, baking powder, salt, zest and lard.The whole cake is covered with candied fruit. Of course there are various kinds of cocas in every part of Spain. In the Province of Alicante for example there is a variation with vegetables and tuna.
In Barcelona you can find during San Juan “coca” in every bakery.

Fireworks

In Catalonia there is a long tradition of fireworks allegedly date back to the arabs which had a big influence of Spanish culture.

In Barcelona every single borough has its own firework event, you can see bonfires all-night long. The neighbourhoods are full of people who are dancing and celebrating all night long in the streets and squares. Up to 10 days before the Night of Sant Joan small shops and huts are setting up where you can buy firecrackers. So say good bye to your daily deserved siesta when you are living in a lively neighbourhood.

Each barrio in Barcelona has its own firework display along with local all-night bonfires fuelled by collections of old furniture! In the barrios you will find dancing and celebrations in the plazas, street parties, music and entertainment. Firecracker – “petardos” – shops and huts spring up all over Barcelona and are usually open 10 days before the Night of Sant Joan. So be prepared for many small and big bangs on the days before Sant Joan. If you live in a crowded neighbourhood you can probably forget about taking a siesta.

Water
Besides the fire the element of water plays a central role in the celebrations of Sant Joan. Tradition has it that in this night you can yourself cleanse of sins with any water, you can do it in the sea, in a lake or in a sink, if you do so, you will be free of sind and completely cured of all diseases. If you are going to celebrate this night at the beaches, as many do, it’s of course the perfect possibility to drown your sins in the Mediterranean Sea. By this time the water temperature will be aroun 22-23 degrees, so this will be a good oportunity to cool down yourself. Everyone should have done an evening swim at least once in its life. If you can make it, you should defenitely be at the beach until the sun rises.It’s defenitly worth it.

You won’t miss the oportunity to celebrate this. And if you are still searching for an apartment in Barcelona, check out our website www.barcelona4seasons.com

Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig in Barcelona

The Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, the oldest of Germany and the great violinist Leonidas Kavakos, under the direction of Riccardo Chailly, will bring their culture and sounds to the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona,while performing works by Brahms and Shostakovich at declared cultural heritage by UNESCO in 1997.

This concert is part of Palau 100, a concert series devoted to great orchestras, conductors and soloists worldwide. Palau 100 is a decisive contribution to the splendor of the musical life of the city of Barcelona and the reaffirmation as a great musical center of one of the most outstanding concert halls in the world, the Palaude la Música Catalana.

Tickets are available here.

Lenny Kravitz at Sant Jordi Club

Lenny Kravitzwill present his new album “Black And White America” at the Sant Jordi Club on the 3rd of June.

It is the first work done in 3 years and has been composed and recorded at his home in the Bahamas and Paris, in an environment of solitude and nature.Musically recognizes that the disc is influenced by the music I listened listened as a teenager, “has a lot of elements of funk, soul, African music and jazz mixed withrock and roll.” Besides presenting his new album Lenny Kravitz live, give a longlook at all the greatest hits of his career.

You can buy tickets via ticketmaster.es

And if you are looking for an accommodation during your stay in Barcelona: check out our website www.barcelona4seasons.com

Bta. The International Food and Machinery Trade Fair

Between the 15th and 18th of May Barcelona will become the hotspot for the newest developments in the matter of food technology.

This fair attend to technology for the food and beverage industry and food process machinery and intermediate food product. So what is this exhibition really about?

• Machinery, equipment and technology for food and beverage processing (dairy products, fruit, vegetables, canned goods, fish and seafood, wine, spirits, soft drinks, mineral water, oil, etc.)
• Machinery, equipment and technology for the meat and meat products industry. Slaughterhouses, quartering rooms, meat product and meat derivative processors
• Equipment and technology for industrial and commercial refrigeration processes.
• Quality control equipment and systems.
• Cleaning, hygiene, safety and environmental protection equipment and systems.
• Engineering firms and turnkey projects.
• Packaging machinery and technology for the food, meat and beverage industry.
• Equipment and machinery for the sale of food and beverages.
• Services for the food, meat and beverage industry and trade.
• Intermediate food product (IFP): Special ingredients, Functional products (nutraceuticals), Food additives, natural additives, Enrichers (vitamins, minerals), Aromas and flavours, Spices and seasonings, Technological additives. Enzymes, Analysis laboratories, Technical consultancies.

For some figueres lovers:

• Total square metres: 45,000
  Total exhibitors: 750
  Total visitors: 50,000

Where does it take place? The adress of the venue is:
Fira de Barcelona
Recinto Ferial Gran Vía M2
Avenida Juan Carlos I, 58
08908 L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona)

For more informations check out the official website.

If you are coming to Barcelona and you are still searching for an accommodations have a look at our website www.barcelona4seasons.com

The Brandery Summer Edition 2012

Designers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, artists, buyers and much more who are important in the world of fashion or who ar thinking there are important are meeting every 6 month at The Brandery.

“WE’RE ALL BRANDERS!” is their slogan, so this is the way how they express their concept: everyone who represents a kind of style came together to create these group of fashion representatives to became a team,more than that, to became a fashion family: The Branders.
It is the seventh time that the brandery will be held. This year the dates will be the 13th to the 15th July 2012. For these days Barcelona will become the location for the latest fashion trends. It is a great business platform for modern urban fashion in Spain.

Last year there were more than 30,000 visitors, under them more than 15,000 professionals. 135 brands exhibited their latest fahsion and trends. Private catwalk shows, specialist workshops, working sessions with designers and personal shoppers are just some of the features of the Brandtown project, a dedicated area designed to bring buyers and brands together.

Beside fashion also the ears are going to be indulge by the bands which are going to perform in the so called and already mentioned Brandtown. The whole list of the bands you can see here.

In addition to the Brandtown the Trade Show will be the heart of the The Brandery.The following activities are what The Brandery stands for:

• The Brandery Catwalk
• The Laundry (debates on fashion and creativity)
• Speed Dating (organized meetings between exhibitors and buyers)
• WGSN (leading online source of inspiration)

If you are a fashion freak you can’t miss this! Buy your tickets via ticketmaster

And at these chance, why don’t you stay a little bit longer in Barcelona and enjoy the summer in this stunning city.Check out our apartments at www.barcelona4seasons.com

Pride Barcelona 2012

This year Barcelona welcomes the Gay Pride for the fourth time. It is one of the most important LGBT pride festival in the Mediterranean. The main celebrations will be on the weekend of the 29th and 30th of June and 1st of July, but the entire festival includes a program that will be held from the 22th of June to the 1st of July!

 

Within this week you can see Barcelona at its best fun-loving side and you will enjoy a week full of culture, debates, parties, movies, sports and entertainment. It is certainly one of the most joyous parades this year, the streets of Barcelona will be full of moving cars and freedom-loving people from around the world who are called to celebrate in the streets dancing and beats.
The Gay Pride in Barcelona is more than just a huge celebration, as well as make cultural and sporting activities, exhibitions, music and movies are an event has to offer something for everyone.

This event creates a worldwide awareness of the LGBT community and the Gay Pride express many homosexuals that they are proud of their sexual inclinations, and they all want to encourage them to accept their sexual identity. You should act like you are is one of the message, you shouldn’t hide yourself. Due to the Gay Pride 2012 in Barcelona, thus pressing many gays and lesbians from their pride in a striking and colorful and cheerful manner in public. The Gay Pride Festival in Barcelona is currently the largest LGBT Pride of the Mediterranean dar. are expected again this year more than 100,000 visitors.
Numerous organizations and companies support the Gay Pride in Barcelona, and without the support of the sponsors of the event could also not take place. These include Barcelona Turisme, Schweppes, El Público or Estrella, to name just a few examples. The full list of sponsors and supporters can be found on the official website of the Gay Pride Barcelona.

The main location where the festival will take part is the Avenida Maria Cristina (next to the Fountain at Montjiuc). There will be stands all along the street, the so called “Village”.
More informations about the locations you can find on the official website.

Come to Barcelona and be witness of liberality and peaceful life together! If you are searching for an accommodations for these days, check out our apartments at www.barcelona4season.com

In the footsteps of Alonso – el circuit de Catalunya

This weekend the Formula 1 circus approachs Barcelona! The Gran Premio de España will be hosted from the 11st to the 13rd May  in the circuit de Catalunya. So for everyone who runs gasoline in one’s blood and who don’t want to watch the race again in the television. For everyone who wants to hear the engine noises, to feel the smell of grit and to enjoy an incomparable experience I have good news for you: You can still buy some tickets for the race this weekend ! Just click here.

In addition, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce to you the circuit de Catalunya because it’s not just the Formula 1 race who brings the track back to life, petrolheads will have their fun with the race track all year around.
You can do a guided tour of the circuit, see what actually no one sees on a normal race day, except the officials and the race driver. Have a look behind the scenes and have a tour across the boxes or the briefing room. Check out all further informations and prices here

But now to something that will make hearts leap for joy: you can be a race driver for one day! Take part in a race with your own car or motorcycle, but pay attention to the rules.
Prices and available dates you will find on their homepage.

And when you are right here at the race track, why don’t you use the chance for a trip to Barcelona If you are searching for an accommodation you will find the right apartment for you at www.barcelona4seasons.com

Happyland Music Festivals

On the 21th of July Barcelona is for one thing more worth visiting. From 6 pm to 6 am the Happyland Music Festivals will take place in Barcelona. This year, after two years of partying and celebrating the art of electronical music, it’s gonna celebrate its 3rd anniversary.
The very unique at this festival is, that world class DJs will share the stage to perform for you the electronical music at its best, who have never worked together before.

Happy Land Music Festivals celebrates its 3rd year with the launching of a new festival in a new city Barcelona, Spain. Some of the DJ who will participate are old and famous masters of electronical music. No one else as DJ Tiesto, Sebastian Ingrosso, Jessy, Nico Hamuy and many more will rock the stage with you.

You can assure yourself of that it is really worth it, just watch this Youtube video which the organizer of Happyland Music Festivals had uploaded on youtube.

Until now the organizer haven’t abandon the location where the festival will take part,although they posted on facebook 3 days ago, that they will announce it. So just wait and see!

Tickets are available here from 55€ .

When you are coming to Barcelona and you are still searching for an accomodation, maybe you will make a find with one of our apartments at www.barcelona4seasons.com

The Cure at Primavera Sound Festival

The legendary British band The Cure, led by the charismatic Robert Smith, will perform at the San Miguel Primavera Sound festival, which will be held in Barcelona from May 30 to June 3.

The group, who had big successes with songs like ‘Friday I’m in love’, ‘Just Like Heaven’ and ‘Boys Do not Cry’, will rock on 1th of June in the grounds of the “Forum” with a show of more than two hours where they will do a review of its 14 studio albums they have recorded till now, including songs of the album ‘Wish’, a record that this year celebrates its 20th anniversary (by the way, the concert falls on a Friday, so we figured the madness that will arm you sing Friday I’m in Love, one of his most famous songs).
The band is in addition to the headliners Bjork, Franz Ferdinand and Wilco, as well as Death Cab For Cutie, XX, Spiritualized, Lisabö, Siskiyou, The Dirty Three, Beach House, Wilco, The Drums, Yo I have, Archers Of Loaf , The Drums, Mudhoney, SBTRKT, Shellac, Godflesh, Washed Out, Veronica Falls, Olivia Tremor Control, Death In Vegas, OFF!, Josh T. Pearson, Jeff Mangum, Codeine, Neon Indian and Other Lives.

We we can not wait to hear them live, do you? Do not miss the chance to see this great band, so buy your tickets now for this festival and book early for accommodation for the Primavera Sound in Barcelona. Just click here to check ot our apartments.

The Cranberries in Barcelona

The Cranberries are back in Spain to play aloud their new work Roses. The Cranberries are going to perform two concerts, one in Madrid and one in Barcelona in the Poble Espanyol on the 9th of July. Roses is their sixth studio album after they had 10 years without doing anything in the studio. Once before, 2 years ago, the Cranberries had been to Spain during their tour of reunification, who had thought that they will come back to Spain just 2 years later?

The album Roses features 11 songs, some of them can be heard from the official website of The Cranberries, so you can check out if it worthwile before buying the tickets. I am sure there will be just one answer for you .
As I already mentioned the concert will be held in Barcelona’s Poble Espanyol, which is not that far away from the “Plaça d’ Espanya”, so there is no problem to go by public transportation to the metro station “Espanya” and to walk the remaining way up to the Poble Espanyol. Don’t be afraid from the fact, that you have to go up a mountain, when you are arriving from Plaça d’Espanya you just have to walk down the Fira area in direction to the Palau Nacional and here comes the best, escalators which bring you to the top. From here it’s not very far to the Poble Espanyol.

This little map shows you the exact way.

The tickets are already on sale right now and there are still some to buy. The cheapest tickets can be ordered easy and quick via ticketmaster, just click here.
When you are cominng to Barcelona for the concert, why don’t you stay a little bit longer to enjoy this awesome city? Feel homelike in one of our apartments of Barcelona4Seasons.com