As a Sushi addict I have had my share of good and bad sushi restaurants in Barcelona and developed a sense of recognising the right sushi places. So let me share this knowledge with you before I start talking about one of my most recent new experiences at a real Japanese Sushi restaurant in Barcelona: Koyuki.
Finding real sushi
In order to distinguish the pseudo Japanese restaurants from the real sushi restaurants in Barcelona you have to know about Chinese restaurants. This may sound strange but Chinese people own the majority of the pseudo Japanese restaurants. If you really are looking for real Japanese sushi keep in mind the following aspects. For instance the glazed windows you can find on the majority of Chinese restaurants tell that the owner of the so-called Japanese sushi place is actually Chinese. The lions and paper lanterns and other type of Chinese decorations tell you that the owner is Chinese. The signs above the door in bright lights tell you the owner is Chinese. If the waitresses are dressed like a geisha and the cook wears a kamikaze headband than get out of there! Read more...
La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s obsession and last burden, and Barcelona’s most famous church is a gorgeous monstrosity of stones and sculptures that will fascinate you. La Sagrada Familia (the Holy Family in Spanish) is a masterpiece of architecture you have to see before your death (or before you leave Barcelona) and we’re here to ease your task by giving you tips on how to fully admire La Sagrada Familia and go straight to the point! Have a look:
La Sagrada Familia in Figures :
- Years of construction : 128 (so far…)
- Completion year: 2026 ?
- Towers : 8
- Size : 12,800 m2
- Highest point : 170 m
- Stones employed so far: 22 different types
- People working on the site: around 350 persons
- Visitors: 2.5 millions each year
- Cost of the construction: € 18 million JUST for 2009…
Read more...
Category: All Blog Posts, Must-See, March 9th, 2010
OK, so we now have proof that the world’s climate is completely out of whack. It’s snowing in Barcelona… in March! Back in Toronto, Canada, where I’m from, it’s currently 10 degrees Celsius, sunny, and beautiful. What is going on?!
Snow in Barcelona is so uncommon that we can’t even get a reliable answer on when the last time was that it snowed like this (Edit: Local media sources are saying the last time was 1993). After 6 years living in Barcelona and I can remember snow one time, about a year ago, but it was nothing compared to this.
Barcelona weather in March is usually beautiful and sunny and quickly approaching summer, but alas, this March we find ourselves in a surprise winter wonderland. The bus system has gone down, people are leaving work early, traffic is at a stand still and snowball fights are breaking out all over the place! Read more...
Gracia was once a small village that became part of Barcelona after the “Eixample” (the extension) was build at the end of the 19th century. Gracia is situated directly above Eixample and as an originally tiny village it has a noticeablely different layout. The streets are narrow and short. There are a few longer streets such as Calle Verdi, which starts at the top of Placa de la Revolución and goes all the way up to Barcelona’s most famous parc: “Parc Guell designed by Antonio Gaudi”. The street is named after the world famous opera music composer from Italy: Guiseppe Verdi who lived from 1813-1901. Read more...
Are you coming to Barcelona and wondering what Barcelona taxis are like? Don’t worry, Barcelona taxis are a convenient and affordable alternative to other means of public transportation. Indeed, Barcelona cabs are not that expensive and don’t try to fool you as much as in other European countries.
I remember being completely nervous when I first arrived in Barcelona. I was looking for a BCN taxi and wondering if it would be like in Rome where the taxi driver took me on a joy ride and made me pay 68 €…
Actually, I have had only good experiences with Barcelona cab drivers. Barcelona taxis have rules and normally stick to them. Read more...
Category: All Blog Posts, Traveling, March 2nd, 2010
For a couple of years now the limo renting service in Barcelona has been booming and becoming more popular than ever. Limos are not anymore solely for Very Important People and business men but have become something for normal people that want a special night out. Limousine Rentals in Barcelona provide business for all kinds of occasions, for instance, when a group of friends go out and have a pre-party at someone’s place. People usually take a couple of taxi’s to go with their friends to the venue. Nowadays it has become popular to go in a stylish limousine instead of a taxi. People have always loved to travel in style and now they can. Read more...
Whoever wants to dance Tango, or Salsa, or anything else in Barcelona has only too much to choose from! I am not talking about clubs or discos but about this particular, elegant and incredibly rich ballroom dancing culture that has been passed on for generations, and especially Tango, Salsa, Flamenco and all other Latin dances. If you want to unveil the real nature of Latin culture, you’ll have to look at it through the dance window as well.
As a big Latin dance fan, I went on the hunt for hidden ballroom dancing places in Barcelona especially for you! My first prey was Barcelona milongas, or hidden Barcelona Tango cafés. After some research on the Internet, I realized that Barcelona Tango was big! Not only has the City of Barcelona organized yearly Tango festivals since 2004, but there’s also at least one milonga going on in Barcelona every night, usually starting around 10pm and lasting until 1am, if not later. Entries to the enchanted Barcelona Tango world are quite cheap also, starting from €4. Read more...
On my first post on how to learn Spanish online for free I presented some interactive Spanish learning websites and interactive platforms, which offered a variety of entertaining learning elements and, in some cases, some social networks as well. These offered the possibility to practice Spanish in real time with other platform members. Today I will present some different Spanish learning websites and tools which I really like and which will help me to practice and develop my Spanish speaking skills while I am here in Barcelona.
studyspanish.com
I will start with one of the Spanish learning websites which is a Must-Read for everybody who is seriously interested in learning the basics of the Spanish language. I am talking about the Spanish learning website studyspanish.com. This website gives you a great overview about a bunch of important vocabulary bundled in topic related units.Learning vocabulary is great but there are a lot of more interactive and entertaining Spanish learning websites. But what I really like about this website is its grammar section. Read more...
Gyms in Barcelona come in all shapes, sizes, and prices. My goal was to find the perfect one for me. I made a list of things that were important to me and set off on my search. I first tried using Google maps to locate the closest ones to my flat, but realised that the results were not exhaustive. Then I got my lazy self off the couch, put on my running shoes, and took a tour around my neighbourhood (BTW, if you’re interested check out our blog on “The Top 5 Barcelona Neighborhoods“). This is the best way to research gyms. After all, the chances of you actually going to gym is partly determined by it’s proximity to your place of residence. So get out there, walk around, and make your initial list of options so you can then evaluate them! Read more...
Going to a VO cinema in Barcelona is always a nice thing to do and today more a social event instead of just catching up with the latest Hollywood blockbuster. VO stands for Version Original and indicates that the films are shown in the original language. VO Cinemas in Barcelona are also a great way to practice your Spanish skills, because almost every VO movie has Spanish subtitles. This way you can improve your Spanish vocabulary and enjoy a night out. In general a cinema ticket cost around 7 € but some cinemas offer special discounts (e.g. movies which are shown during the day or special student offers). If possible you should always check if the Barcelona VO Cinema offers tickets and/or reservations online. Queues can, especially during weekend evenings, be very long.
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