Do not let anybody tell you how Barcelona looks like. The best pics come out when they show a feeling, when they are the result of a life experience.  You will not find photos like these in a catalogue or in a travel guide of Barcelona.  These are photos of real people, of people like you, they have a heart and soul and you can only see them here.

How many times we travel looking for that typical picture shown in the leaflets of tourism of such and such city and when we are there we simply cannot find it… and we are right there?  that is because the eye makes the difference. Let’s run away from the typical manufactured view and let’s make something closer to reality.

Maybe you can name some of the places here shown…maybe not.  Barcelona is an amazing city full of amazing corners… is there any place that you have seen that is invisible to the eyes of others?   Do you want to share it with us?  Give us your personal view of places that everybody have seen, or give us your personal glance of places you have been the first one to discover.

Thanks to our lovely friends Maria and Olivia whose generosity allow us to see places through their eyes.

Mobile World Congress. Em. Double u. Cee. I finally find myself using the official abbreviation, after holding out for a long time still calling it 3GSM, like an old timer. Back when it started in Barcelona five years ago, it was a different beast. Back then, all the buzz was about highly technical network stuff I didn’t really understand. But there was a promise that it would make mobile internet fast, really fast. Well, I’m not so sure that we have a fast – really, really fast – mobile internet connection anywhere near Barcelona, or that I could afford it if it did.

So fast forward to 2011, and one more MWC – this time around it’s tablets, tablets, tablets… I am writing this on my ipad, finally cutting edge technology even I can understand. Used to be a time when 3GSM MWC week was the only time of the year I didn’t feel completely awkward about carrying two blackberrys, speaking into one, while writing messages on the other… at the same time!

A chance encounter with cool blogger Rob Kerr on Sunday night – his light light up while he tells me and a friend about the new Xperia Play game phone he just saw at the SonyEricsson presentation, and I’m hooked. There might be something in it for me, after all.

As anyone who’s ever innocently tried to book a Valentine’s day getaway to Barcelona on the expectation that it is the middle of February, so low season, and couldn’t find an apartment in Barcelona or anywhere nearby knows, this is the highest week of the year in the city. It is an incredibly busy week, everyone is in a rush to set up their booths, go to meetings, tweetups, more meetings… and did I mention the parties?

We often get requests from clients ranging from recommending a catering supplier, delivering a package to our office or getting a hair dryer. All in a day’s work. But what in the world do you tell someone who asks you for a submarine??

Monday 17:00 I walk through the gates of mobile nirvana, only a couple of hours to get my fix. Good. Don’t wanna overdo it, there’s still three more action-filled days to go.

Free as in free beer, courtesy of Miyowa

Special thanks to Markus Lonka and his great crew at Mixem Solutions for generously providing a pass to MWC.

my nephew's clock

What is the meaning of this question?

It is not the same time?

Of course it is the same time.  Here comes the problem of how we “name” the time.

One day has 24 hours, isn’t it? then let’s name them.  Therefore after 12 noon comes 13 and 14 and 15… and we will end the day -midnight- at 24 (or 00.00 – both are used without distinction).  This is called the “24-hour clock” and is a convention of time keeping in which the day runs from midnight to midnight and is divided into 24 hours,  indicated by the hours passed since midnight, from 0 to 23. This system is the most commonly used time notation in the world today.

But usually we don’t say “I saw James at 14.15…” , most of us will robably say “I saw James at 2.15 in the afternoon”.  Therefore it makes sense to say that the 12-hour time is mostly used in speech for ease of use, and 24 hour time is preferred in writing.

The 24 hour clock has also been called railway time (in Europe, therefore in Barcelona), continental time (in England), and military time (in the US).   It is also the international standard notation of time.  In the 12 hour time system, midnight is usually written as 12 AM, and midday (noon) as 12 PM.  The Latin tags Ante Meridiem (before the middle of the day) and Post Meridiem (after), abbreviated to AM and PM, are required to indicate the difference between, say, 1:30 in the morning (01:30) and 1:30 in the afternoon (13:30). You forget about AM and PM if you use the 24 hour time system.

A quick tip to convert easily the 24 hour time nomenclature into the 12 hour use from 12 (noon) onwards -needless to say only for the PM hours-  is to subtract 2 from the hour, and the last (hour) digit will tell you what the time is.  That way:

The 24 hour tower clock in Venice that lists hours 1 to 12 twice

13.00 hours – 2 = 11.00 hours (the last digit is 1 therefore it is 1 PM)

17.30 hours – 2 = 15.30 hours (the last digit is 5 therefore it is 5.30 PM)

22.55 hours – 2 = 20.55 hours (the last digit is 0 therefore it is 10.55 PM)

23.00 hours – 2 = 21.00 hours (the last digit is 1 therefore it is 11.00 PM)

and of course 24.oo (or 00.oo) is midnight because 24 – 2 = 22 and this means a 12 !!  NOTE that minutes remain the same…

Enjoy your time!

shop, shop, shop… shop til you drop!

At last Barcelona takes the train of the FASHION NIGHT OUT.

New York was the pioneer of the idea three years ago, in a bid to support the fashion industry.

Its original pretense was so simple – extending store hours along with additional incentives, all as remedies to shore up the weakening retail sector in New York City.  However a season later, the idea first facilitated by Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, the legendary Anna Wintour, is now a global event, with 16 countries participating.

This is now a young classic,

and therefore Barcelona City Council is launching an initiative similar to that done by Vogue in major cities worldwide where it achieved major success, becoming a classic in a very short time period. One of its latest editions was in Madrid.

It is not only shopping, it is fun, shows, famous dj’s, parties and cocktails in all shops, bars, restaurants and hotels participating in the event. Gifts and all sorts of surprises and promotions in bars and participating stores. Barcelona, unable to ally with Vogue Spain because the magazine can only choose one city per country, has teamed up with Harper’s Bazaar which will host a big tent at one of the side roads of Passeig de Gràcia.

The key is buying flowers,

Passeig de Gràcia is the stage where the show is performed and the city will look gorgeous because that precise night the Christmas lighting will be switched on for the first night this year. Get your Shopping Passport and enjoy the shopping night. The passport is the accreditation that allows you the access for shopping at any of the stores that participates in the project -from 8 pm to 12 am-… and even to participate in 5 draws, with 5 fabulous prizes!

You can register during The Shopping Night at one of the two accreditation booths that you will find along the Passeig de Gràcia to get your Shopping Passport. (Rosselló street with Passeig de Gràcia and Gran Via with Passeig de Gràcia. From 10 am)…  Then all stores will open up to the big party.  Each time you buy for a value of 20 EUROS, a flower will be stamped on your Passport. The more flowers you have stamped on it, the more opportunities you have to win at the numerous draws that will take place during the night.

Happy Shopping!

Barcelona is in general, a safe city and not to visit it because you are afraid of what might happen is a terrible waste of a potentially wonderful experience. Problems are most likely to start when you don’t take the right precautions and so you start to be the victim to a scam or pick pocket or bag snatch. Thieves prefer to choose easy victims so keep your wits about you and let us give you some hints that will help.

Pick pockets and scam merchants choose easy victims and often work in group and very fast – if a group of people comes to you attempting to gain your attention, turn your back and walk away.

what do you think?

Only carry around the money you need for that day. If you carry a backpack, wear it the other way around with the bag in front of you.

what do you think?

If you carry a bag its strap should go diagonally over your neck and shoulder, so that it goes under your arm. Keep the bag in front of you – choose a small ordinary day bag with a zip fastener top. THE INFALLIBLE HINT: place your bag diagonally as we told you over your shirt or sweater and over it all put your jacket or coat.

what do you think?

If you need to look up anything on a map go into a cafe and sit down rather than look up your destination in the street.

what do you think?

In Cafes and restaurants pay attention to your bags and wallets. If you can’t keep it in sight wrap the bag strap around your leg and keep it under the table.

what do you think?

Emulate the dress code of the Catalans – try to blend with the locals and take the opportunity to go shopping for the world-renowned Spanish fashion.

what do you think?

Avoid walking in dark isolated streets, especially if you are alone and when on the beach do not leave your belongings unattended.

what do you think?

Pay particular attention at stations – keep your tickets separate from your purse or wallet and keep your passport safe – a photocopy of your passport is often seen as sufficient by the Police.

what do you think?

Take out a travel insurance policy – make sure that you meet the terms of the policy; this often means making a police report and getting an official police statement which you can take back with you to make your claim.

what do you think?

You’re mad about spending some time in the city of your dreams. You get your tickets and then is when you decide to find the perfect place to sleep. Suddenly you discover that the city you have planned to go, has been chosen to hold a summit of world leaders, or an international technology conference, or a sports or fashion or gastronomic meeting, which has left no vacancies available and the few remaining, have fivefolded their prices … THE INFALLIBLE HINT: first book the place where you are sleeping and then, get the tickets.

what do you think?

Walk. Barcelona is a fantastic city for walking. Its wide avenues and boulevards are filled with trees and pedestrian areas and there is a bike boom since specific bike lanes are being built throughout the city.

what do you think?

You are what you eat…so take advantage of your visit to Barcelona to get your elixir of youth eating as locals do. Forget about “fish and chips” and “cheeseburgers” and renew yourself with the invaluable Mediterranean diet, the catalan garden vegetables, fresh fish, virgin olive oil, tasty fruits, rices and legumes, all of them healthful flavors. Discover the grill and oven cooking, so exquisite and easy (bizFlats offers you the best way to enjoy that cooking…their totally equipped kitchens). And finally do not forget that the best restaurant in the world “El Bulli” is only an hour and a half drive from Barcelona and its creative genious Ferran Adriá, has left his mark on the bizFlats Team.

what do you think?

Barcelona drinking water is very unpalatable. Although you can drink tap water safely because it is potable, its slight coloration and a high concentration of minerals, make its taste not so great. We highly recommend drinking bottled water whilst you are here.

what do you think?

Spray your favourite perfume on tissue paper and fold it together with the clothes. Your clothes will smell good, wrinkle less and you can leave the perfume at home. You might also use those perfumed little papers you find at the perfume shops to keep inside your luggage. It will always have a superb smell.

what do you think?

If you are about to buy a new bag consider getting it in a colour other than black or grey, or get a luggage tag in a bright neon colour to help distinguish your bag from others on the conveyor belt or find it easily within a mountain of luggage.

what do you think?

If you are considering taking your mobile with you, check with your service provider to make sure your phone works abroad, but the best option is to buy a phone with a local SIM card. Store useful numbers such as the local police and the nearest embassy or consulate. In Barcelona the emergency contact number is 112.

what do you think?

Uff! We are travelling with children … ok, relax. After selecting the proper place to stay for all the family usually via internet, make sure that your providers can arrange for you some funny activities specially for the little sweeties. Make everyone part of the trip; show them fotos of the choosen place and let them “organize” some of the entertaining.
One last thing, never forget a big pack of refreshing towels!.

what do you think?

Under the sun remember that latest health reports say that consistency is more important than a very high sun factor protection. It is good for nothing to use a SFP 50 if you apply it just once and forget about it. A factor 20 is good protection but don’t forget to reapply it every 45 minutes.

what do you think?

Even though you are travelling, by maintaining your normal dietary, exercise and relaxation programs, you will feel more at home. Being at home is a state of mind. Treat yourself to small luxuries, enjoy a massage, a facial or a pedicure and learn to say “no” to overbooking your schedule.

what do you think?

When planning your trip, do not forget including these essentials:

• Extra patience for when yours is destroyed by delays and grease stains
• A pair of ‘perspective’ glasses for looking at things from someone else’s point of view
• An open mind to view each destination as a chance to learn and
• Your sense of humour…it’s the best companion ever

what do you think?

Dear Friends, we have come to the end of this journey full of tips for travelling safely, wisely and with a positive mindset.

Here is our last tip for you, undoubtedly the mother of all tips…

• Hello kitty was born without a mouth (Ikuko Shimizu draw her like that), so if you are buying Hello Kitty items and she has a mouth, then you know for sure that it is a counterfeit!

and the one final and ultimate question…

when you go to Hello Kitty’s place…

• how will you salute her: “Hello, Kitty!” OR “Hello, Hello Kitty!”

¿¿??

This is our personal wink to travel, life and the universe beyond…

Barcelona is world famous as a city that emanates culture, creativity, art, trends and design, elements that combine and interact to trace the particular style of an international brand.

Pic from last edition of BCN Design Week

In the last 25 years, the city has become one of the favourite bases of operation for architects, designers, photographers, illustrators and creative professionals from all over the world.  These artistic professionals have turned design into one of Barcelona’s signs of identity, adding to the talent already in place, an building on the legacy of universal artists such as Gaudí, Miró, Tàpies or Brossa to name but a few.

After putting on one of the most impressive Olympic Games ever, Barcelona confirmed itself as the ideal context for major international events and launched itself as a benchmark city in the world of new trends and design.  The power behind all these activities lies in the creativity and enthusiasm of its inhabitants and the thousands of new residents, who arrive every year and choose it as the ideal city to live.

The famous Barcelona Chair and Footstool by Mies Van Der Rohe

In line with Barcelona’s design fever from October 18th to 22nd, the city celebrates the BCN Design Week, organized by BCD (Barcelona Design Centre), an international business-focused congress in the field of design that annually attracts companies like Google, HP, Vodafone, Microsoft and internationally renowned speakers like Ezio Manzini from Politecnico di Milano or Víctor Grau chief of D-Lab of MIT (Masachussets Institute of Technology) who offer attendees the opportunity to learn, share and dive deeper in topics like mobile design or design for the Networked Cities.

With the slogan “Facing new challenges through design”, this new edition is committed to giving new impetus to the creative minds and entrepreneurs to successfully tackle the difficult current situation.

Pic from one of the DHUB's exposition

As part of the BCN Design Week initiative, the DHUB (Disseny Hub Barcelona) offers its permanent exhibition manufacturing laboratory, and Full Print3d, to the congress’ agenda. Located in Marqués de Llió palace (Moncada street, 12) DHUB is a center dedicated to promoting awareness, understanding and good use of the design world but can not be considered as a museum or a design institution, as its name suggests.  The new space is set as a hub for all the design proposals to be carried out in Barcelona.

What do you think about de future of design? please, comment us

We shot this video in the midst of the protests on September 29th’s general strike from our balcony overlooking the Plaça Catalunya.

Is it really Barcelona? Or is it Gaza? Kabul?
Send your opinions in the comments below.

Only a few days ago, a group of protesters broke into the Banesto building on Barcelona’s Plaça Catalunya and set up a squatters’ camp to be the headquarters for acts of protest which would culminate in clashes with riot police coinciding with the 29 September general strike.
The Banesto building has sat empty for many years; now was our chance to see it on the inside, so risking life and limb, Albert and I grabbed a camera and shot some footage of the interior.

Flash back to 1937, and read the words by George Orwell in Homage to Catalonia.

Up at our end of the Ramblas, round the Plaza de Cataluña, the position was so complicated that it would have been quite unintelligible if every building had not flown a party flag. The principal landmark here was the Hotel Colón, the headquarters of the P.S.U.C., dominating the Plaza de Cataluña. In a window near the last O but one in the huge ‘Hotel Colón’ that sprawled across its face they had a machine-gun that could sweep the square with deadly effect.

These images of the same spot in Barcelona look eerily similar, even though they were taken 73 years apart.

Hotel Colón on Plaça Catalunya at the time of the Spanish Civil War

Banesto on Plaça Catalunya during the occupation by squatters

Did you ever have a wealthy neighbour with a big mansion who fell on hard times, and now the mansion lies empty, dilapidated and almost forgotten?
Such was the case of our illustrious neighbors on Plaça Catalunya, the Banco Español de Crédito, better known as Banesto. Occupying what is arguably the grandest building on the plaza, it was the bank’s Barcelona head office for many decades. It recent history is quite checquered, once vacated by the bank, plans first were to turn it into a hotel, then into luxury apartments. Finally, reality and the property market crash left an empty eyesore on the plaza.

Fly into Barcelona on the Airbus

Let’s talk about how you can get into Barcelona if you take the Aerobús. The Aerobús is quite a practical transport if you’re headed towards the places near Gran Via and Plaça Espanya as well as in the area surrounding Plaça Catalunya in the old town of Barcelona, for instance along La Rambla. If you’re headed
towards an apartment in those locations then you’ve certainly got a great transport in the Aerobús.

There are actually two Aerobús, one which goes from Terminal 1 called Aerobús 1 or A1 and the one which goes from Terminal 2 which is called Aerobús A2. Their routes from the airport converge on the main motorway into the city, once inside Barcelona, they both stop at the same spots.

the How-to

Just catch the bus in front of either terminal at the designated bus stop. The difference is A1 runs every five minutes most of the day and A2 runs every ten minutes from Terminal 2. The first stop in Barcelona is at Plaça Espanya in front of Fira Barcelona. In fact it’s also very convenient if you’re headed straight towards the trade show venues at Fira Barcelona at the Montjuïc venue.

Arrive into Town on the Aerobús

All right, cost is a flat rate of EUR 5.05 / person as of now, August 2010, and that’s inclusive of luggage. The first stop in Barcelona is at Plaça Espanya, then you have two more stops which are at Urgell and at Plaça Universitat before you come to the main stop which is at Plaça Catalunya which is ideal also if you are coming to pick up the keys to one of the apartments that we manage from the bizFlats office.

Also at all of the stops you have the metro L1 (red line) and at the Plaça Espanya and at the Plaça Catalunya you have the metro L3 (green line) in case you need to continue your journey onward. When you arrive at Plaça Catalunya if you need to continue your journey further along you can certainly do that. You have both the Metro Line 1 and Line 3 plus the FTC Lines 6 and 7 plus myriad buses that stop at Plaça Catalunya.

What are the pros and cons of taking the bus? Really the pros are that it’s quick. It takes about 35 minutes to go from the airport to Plaça Catalunya. It’s not basic especially at the A1. It’s very quick. You never have to wait more than five minutes to catch one and of course it drops you off in Barcelona’s main public transport hub which is Plaça Catalunya. The cons are that yeah you have to take your bags along and perhaps it’s not very convenient if you’re traveling with either lots of heavy luggage or with children and all things considered for three or four people you’re probably going to spend very nearly the same amount as you would on a taxi so you know consider that as well.

Mostra Aerobús Route and Stops en un mapa més gran

Let’s talk about how to get to Barcelona from the airport in a taxi today. Who’s it for? It’s just for anybody who wants to get into town quickly without having to wait at a bus shelter or at a platform for a long time, if you’re carrying a lot of bags and you want to be dropped off directly at your destination address.

Now, in terms of cost it will be around say 22 to 25 Euro mark by the taxi meter plus a 3.10 Euro airport supplement and 1 Euro per each piece of luggage. So likely around 25 to 30 EUR altogether to go to places in the center of Barcelona – in the Old Town and Eixample. It’ll cost a bit more if you need to go further out, say, to the Olympic Village or the Diagonal Mar district.

Taxis outside Barcelona Airport T2

The How-To

Take the taxis from the big taxi ranks in front of the terminals; at peak times there will be a couple of ushers there who will assign you your taxi and then off you go. Taxis run all 24 hours. At certain moments, especially early in the morning when there’s quite a few arrivals, there may be a slight queue for a taxi, but usually no more than 5-10 minutes.

Do bear in mind one thing – if your apartment is on a pedestrian-only street then, of course, the taxi will stop at the nearest practical drop-off point, which may be a block away from your front door.

What are the pros, what are the cons? I think the pros are it’s quick, you don’t have to wait long, and the taxi takes you direct to your destination. As for the cons, cost may be an issue for some travellers. My pet peeves about taxi drivers in Barcelona

• Smoking – unforgivable in this day and age
• Playing dodgy radio stations (at loud volume)
• The banter on the dispatcher’s radio
• Not knowing (or purporting not to know) where your destination is. Could this be a ploy to take you for a ride? Especially strange given that GPS are the new normal.
• And last but not least, striking up pointless conversations

However, if you don’t want to bother with this “entertainment”, there are good alternatives to taxis; in the next post in the series we’ll cover the special airport bus service.