Amazing 360º Views of Barcelona

Happy belated new year everyone, I hope you had a great time with your loved ones, ate too much, have already returned your gym membership, have spent all your wages in the sales, but still have a few sweets left from the cabalgata.

Really quick post today, just saw something amazing and wanted to share. The extremely clever people at Airpano.com have firstly got a pretty damn amazing website, but have included the city of Barcelona on there as well - of course. It's a little difficult for me to explain just how cool this thing is, and frankly I don't need to, just click on this link and enjoy exploring the city from a unique viewpoint, over various locations.

I think you'll agree it looks bloody amazing!! Can you spot your apartment building?!

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Salon Erotico Barcelona

I tell you what. I've been here for 11 years now, and I'm still amazed at the attitude towards sex and the sex industry over here. Maybe I'm a stuffy Brit, but I'm still a firm believer in the 9pm watershed, for example, and things of this nature. I distinctly remember waking up one Saturday morning when we had Canal+ and it was very early, like 8:30am, and they had Hannibal on the Movie channel. Like for you to just send your kids to watch TV whilst you stay in bed for a lie in and then traumatise them for life as Anthony Hopkins eats brains from Ray Liotta's skull. I know that example is not sex-related but I still found myself shaking my head and tutting.

I still find it incredible that you have so many sex shops and ahem "puti clubs" alongside normal blocks of flats in the city centre with no particular regard of where exactly. And I KNOW there's absolutely nothing wrong with it and that it goes on everywhere and would happen anyway so I'm not saying hide it, BUT this coming weekend does have me a little puzzled.

Yes, this Thursday sees the return of the Barcelona Erotic Show in nearby Cornella. You may have spotted those descreet bright pink posters with a woman's nipple around the town? The Salon Erotic is exactly what it says on the tin - a whole shebang of everything you can possibly imagine under one roof: porn stars, live shows, workshops, sex shops, galleries, massages, gay sections, S&M, you name it, it'll be there with bells on. Literally.

So here's my confusion. Who actually goes to these events ?! Ok, I can envisage a lot of geeky hormonal males and dirty old men going, but apart from that??? I keep thinking that it could be interesting but imagine if you bumped into someone you know...or just as you're leaving...my thoughts could go on...!! My guess is that you'll probably get some very "open" couples going too - given that there's a swingers area...anyone reading going?! Drop me a comment below!

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Star Wars at El Corte Inglés - Photo Update!

As I mentioned the other day, Plaça Catalunya's El Corte Ingles Department store has dedicated part of their 8th floor to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Original Star Wars Trilogy. I actually went last weekend but ill health has prevented me from updating (first the kids then mine!). Obviously I wasn't sure what it was going to be like, so the pics here are from phone cameras and therefore not of the highest quality, and most of the stuff on exhibition is in perspex cases with spotlights, which doesn't really favour a decent photo, either...but it's just a taste, too!




There is some really good stuff on display apart from the collecter-style scale models in fighting poses, etc. - signed posters, an amazing set of the complete original Hasbro action figures (which must be worth a fortune), many toys in their original boxes, and a couple of life-size storm troopers on a speed bike with yoda to keep the kids happy. Some interesting chunks of history as well such as the unbelievable demand for toys that the manufacturers in the 70s and 80s were not prepared for and their ways around this, and how the genre has even crossed over into other fantasy worlds (like Mickey Mouse!) for example.





The various films are on a loop around the store and of course there's plenty of merchandise, lego, t-shirts and models to buy.



If you're in the centre of town, it's well worth a 10-minute trip if you're with kids (mine loved it), or if you were born in the 70s ;o) like me!


Ever wondered what's under the mask??




Finishing touches for one of the best baddies of all time...



Newer Baddie Robots just don't have the same effect, right?!



Every kid's dream - Red leader anyone?!



I took loads of photos, but you should really head on down yourselves for a look, it's free, central and on until the 6th November.

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Google Map Car Out and About?

Just nipped out and saw what looks like the cars used to take Google Maps images on my street (going through a red light, by the way!).



Apologies for the poor quality image, but it was a quick pic on my phone and it's very bright outside! There was the name of a website on the side of the car, probably a collaborator or something, but I'm pretty sure it'll have been updating images, as those ones at the moment are a bit out-dated. You can see the camera here:



I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of Google maps - it's pretty incredible now, with the 3D buildings, similar to Google earth, and you can seriously check out your next holiday destination, for example before you even get there! I would use street view to check out a hotel before booking, for example, or the local area, etc. Any other uses you can think of? Let me know in the comments!

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New Facebook Page - A Better Barcelona?

Social media is becoming more and more a platform for people to vent their anger and protest for some very good causes. Like the story in La Vanguardia last week which highlighted the Facebook group "I was robbed in Barcelona", it appears that there might be more than just one group of annoyed locals using the site to gain momentum.



A better Barcelona is possible is another Facebook page with over 500 fans which aspires for...well, a better Barcelona! The site touches some wide topics regaring the city, from the shambles that was the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures to the new traffic lights and shiny bins that the city has installed throughout the city - pointing out that the citizens of Barcelona will be paying a cool 285 million Euros each year until 2017.

It asserts to be a platform or forum of discussion and debate about how to find a better Barcelona. Some of the messages left of the wall are great, and others seem rants, but I think it's great for people to embrace this kind of momentum and see what can be done.

So is it any good, making these platforms and groups? Well, it appears it is. Last Friday, the local council reluctantly accepted the resignation of the councillor in charge of the whole of Cuitat Vella, Itziar González. And this week there was a change in the penal law code regarding persistant pickpockets and the silly rule that less than 400 Euros is not considered a crime. Now, persistant offenders can and will be brought to trial and can be forced to go to jail (but only on weekends or public holidays, and at the centre closest to where they live - no really!). Why not send them a taxi while you're at it? They have all week to pickpocket (surely tourists are out and about mid-week, right?!). Good intentions, I suppose, but there's a long way to go if Barcelona wants to shake off that image of being the worst place for pickpocketers.

Blow Up Barcelona With a Click of Your Mouse

OK, so the title of the post probably had you guessing, but there's nothing afoot with today's first post. As I've mentioned before, it's becoming easier and easier to forward plan a holiday or a trip to a popular destination with some handy online tools. First there was the news that Google would be introducing Street View to their maps. This helps enormously with logistical planning (if you arrive in a car, for example) and even just a quick look at the street your hotel or rental accommodation is located on.

Next the Google guys teamed up with UNESCO to give even more detail on the city and its sights. Barcelona council got on the scene with their virtual flight over Barcelona and there's already an amazing project underway at Barcelona 3D. Not being one to feel left out, Google announced last week that Barcelona can also be viewed in 3D on Google Earth (requires installation).



Consider the above image, which I have stripped of all the usual ads and other people's photographs. It may take you a couple of seconds, but that is indeed how Sagrada Familia looks on a standard Google Earth (which is a bit like Google Maps, too). The shadow probably gives it away more than anything else. Well, with the simple click of your mouse, you can inflate the buildings presented in front of you into a 3D version - literally before your eyes. It's quite funny the first time, hence the silly title for the post.



Now before you all go accusing me of being a geek, I do realise that the 3D version of the picture is also still a bit pants, but it's still a pretty cool tool to move around and have a look at the city from another angle (and is much better than the council flight simulator - sorry council!). What would be really cool is if street view could somehow be integrated into this system as well, and you could literally plan your itenerary and see where you're going to go before you even got there!!!???

Expanding - or "blowing up" - the view of the buildings couldn't be easier. To the left hand column of menu bars, you have a section called "Layers" and within layers, you just need to mark the box "3D Buildings", and then you can see them all. Good, eh? What do you think about the 3D thing? An improvement to Google Earth, or something people are likely not to use? I'd be happy to hear your comments, so feel free to leave one below.

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Barcelona in the Year 2159 ?

This year sees the 150 year anniversary of Ildefons Cerdà's plans for Eixample being approved. Who? Well Mr Cerdà was the brain behind the biggest neighbourhood in Barcelona, the extension between the old town and the little villages such as Sarria, Gracia and Poble Nou. Eixample now houses some of Barcelona's biggest attractions, including 5 of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Despite the current acceptance of Eixample as the city's biggest neighbourhood and it's relatively few problems coping with traffic and the like, apparently the plans were not universally accepted at the time. Either way, this year marks 150 euros since the plans were approved by the council, and there are various activities to celebrate this fact.



So, in a clever move by the council, it's up to us residents to think about what Barcelona will be like in another 150 years - in 2159. Not only that, but a web has been built and everyone is encouraged to leave their message or time capsule right there on the web for others to see. AND these time capsules will be sealed and opened again in Barcelona in the year 2159!! Sounds cool, right? Well, check out the link for some funny videos and predictions from the residents of the city so far. There are some cool ideas....and some odd ones, too. Unfortunately the website is all flash, so I can't link to individual entries. Go and check it out yourself.

So, it has left me thinking. 150 Euros is a long time, and with the technological advances we have made only in the last 50 years, it's scary/impossible to predict what life will be like. Obviously (without trying to be too down about it all!) we'd have to sort out major issues with fuel sources and energy to power ever increasing computer servers and the like (robots?!). Just too hard to think about, really!
What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments and ideas. Feel free to comment below.

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Advice for setting yourself up in Barcelona

Before I came to Barcelona, I put it up there with other European cities like Paris, London, etc. so I pretty much was resigned to the fact that commuting would be part of daily life. Who in London doesn’t have to travel at least 1 hour to get to/from work? This is the downside of moving to such a big city – but the benefits outweigh these little niggles. So when I moved to Barcelona, I had no idea of the city’s structure or layout, no idea of the different neighbourhoods, hell I didn’t even know how big it was. 9 years ago I didn’t have internet at home and even of I did, there wasn’t the wealth of information available now as there was then. Or maybe there was, but I just wouldn’t have known how to find it. Anyway.

You’ll be pleased to hear that Barcelona is really easy to get around. The metro system is one of the easiest to get used to – there are only 5 lines (well plans for more, but 5 main lines), there are no zones, and all the lines are called Line 1,2,3,4 and 5 and are even colour coded! You’d be surprised at how small Barcelona is and how quickly you ca navigate yourself around. Because of its natural landscape, Barcelona can’t grow – you have the sea at the bottom and Tibidabo Mountain at the back, so it just goes out. Once you hit the river on one side, you’re in Hospitalet. There’s another river on the other side, and that’s Badalona. So relatively speaking, even if you lived and worked on completely opposite sides of the city (and who would do that if they had the choice) then it would only really take you around 1 hour to get to and from work. Taking that as the longest journey, I would say that those who live and work in the centre will have an average of 20 minutes. I could even walk to work in about 25 minutes when Ilanded my first job! I didn’t expect that before I got here!

The first thing you need to do is get the accommodation sorted. You need a base. This is where many problems can arise. Talking from first hand experience, there are many “agencies” all very centrally located and with nice offices, who offer alleged lists of available properties which they will pass on to you for a fee. Kind of like a finders fee. They will even show you printed lists of properties with telephone numbers and often go as far to conduct a small interview with you – I want 2 bedrooms, no more than XX amount per month, close to metro line, etc. Then they’ll tell you that they currently have 9 or 10 or whatever number of properties that fit your requirements and all you need to do to get this list is pay their “agency fee”. We did. The list was given and we called all 9, or maybe it was more, I can’t remember, and guess what? Yes, they were all gone – some rented weeks ago. Apparently they just scour the local listings in the newspapers and add the number and name to their list.

Nowadays it’s a lot easier and your first port of call should be loquo.com which is a great Barcelona portal, offering many things to buy and sell as well as accomodation. Be warned, due to the popularity of this site, there are new scams involving non-existant properties. Remember that if it seems too good to be true (too cheap for what you’re looking at) then it usually is. Take your time, and be patient – it’ll be worth it in the end. Most owners will ask for 1 or 2 months rent up front, as well as a month’s deposit for any breakages/damage. Bear that in mind when you’re looking. Contracts range from between 1 and 3 years, the maximum being 5. Check the small print if you can, or ask for a translation (you may have to pay) because although most contracts are standard, there may be one or two clauses that you don’t agree to. Mostly though, they have to adhere to the law. Another option is scouring the papers yourself, although if you have the language barrier (like I did) that’s not always an option. It’s surprising how quickly you learn certain words quickly though, whilst looking for accommodation! You should be fine, though, and the best thing to do is also ask around – when you go out to the bars and pubs, ask the people you meet, or look on the notice boards at the university and the cyber cafes you visit. Good luck!

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