Archive for May, 2007

Actividades para la semana que viene - Activities for next week

Thursday, May 31st, 2007

Hola a todos,

¿Cómo estáis? Yo muy bien por que este fin de semana tenemos un fin de semana largo y además mi madre viene a visitarme a Barcelona. :) ¡No hace falta decir que tenemos la semana que viene un programa de actividades muy interesente! Os doy algunas indicaciones: Puerto Olímpico, Tapas, Cine español… para saber más, seguid leyendo…

Hi everyone!

How are you? I´m really cheerful as it’s a long weekend an my mum will visit me in Barcelona! :) I don´t have to mention that we´re going to have very interessting activities for next week. I´ll give you some hints: Olimpic Port, ‘Tapas’, Cinema… To get more information carry on reading…

Lunes/Martes

Escuela cerrada/School closed

Martes/Tuesday 14:45 - Taller: El cine español más internacional/ Workshop: International aspects of Spanish cinema

Aprenderemos más sobre el cine español más actual e internacional. ¿Sabías que el director español Almodóvar descurbrió a Antonio Banderas y que ha ganado dos Oscars? ¿O que el director también español Amenabar dirigió la película Los Otros (The Others) con Nicole Kidman y ganó un Oscar por su película Mar Adentro (Sea Inside)?

We will learn more about the most modern and international aspects of Spanish cinema Did you know that the Spanish director Almodóvar has won 2 Oscars and that he discovered Antonio Banderas? Or that another Spanish director, Amenabar, directed the famous films ‘The Others’ with Nicole Kidman and ‘The Sea Inside’ for which he won an Oscar?

Miercoles/Wednesday 14:30: Paseo por el Puerto Olímpico/ Walk around the Olimpic Port

Daremos un paseo por el Puerto Olímpico y veremos esta moderna zona de Barcelona con sus bares y restaurantes.

We will take a walk around the Olimpic Port and see this modern part of Barcelona with its restaurants and bars.

Jueves/Thursday 20:30: Cena ‘Tapas’/'Tapas’ evening

Cena en un restaurante típico - ¡oportunidad perfecta para probar las famosas ‘tapas‘, bien ‘regadas’ con sangría!

Meal in a typical restaurant - the perfect opportunity to try those famous ‘tapas’ and some Spanish sangría!

Viernes/Friday 14:30 Película/Film: ‘Los lunes al sol’

Película española sobre el desempleo. ¡Ganó 5 premios GOYA! (Equivalentes españoles a los Oscars)

Spanish movie about unemployment. It won 5 GOYA awards! (Spanisch equivalent of Oscars)

 

Mi visita ‘especial’ al Hospital de Sant Pau

Wednesday, May 30th, 2007

Hola, ¿qué tal?

Pues yo ya estoy en la escuela otra vez, no del todo recuperada depués de unos días un poco malos de salud. Por eso, hoy os cuento algo sobre el Hospital de Sant Pau, que desafortunadamente he visitado por necesidad, ya que la semana pasada tuvieron que llevarme allí por una fiebre muy alta :( Espero que vuestra visita no sea por la misma razón por la que fui yo (¡¡¡pero me trataron muy bien!!!), ya que el Hospital sorprende por lo precioso que es.

Para ir allí sólo tenéis que coger la línea azul del metro (L5) hasta la parada ‘Hospital Sant Pau’ pero yo os aconsejo ir desde la Sagrada Familia a través de la Avenida Gaudí y disfrutar de la zona peatonal que hay hasta llegar al Hospital.

Es el edificio civil más relevante del modernismo catalán y os recordará seguramente a otro muy bonito, el Palau de la Música Catalana, también obra del arquitecto Lluís Domènech i Montaner. (more…)

Sitges: Fun at the seaside!

Tuesday, May 29th, 2007

Hello everyone!

Yesterday I treated myself to the luxury of a day off work :) and went to the local seaside town of Sitges for a lazy day on the beach!  And what a day - bright blue skies, golden sands and nothing to worry about apart from getting a tan (unfortunately, I forget to re-apply my suncream and now have very red shoulders :( )

In spite of my burnt back, I had a great day and if you have never been to Sitges, you really SHOULD go!  It is a beautiful little town, with its gorgeous winding streets and whitewashed houses and the beaches are lovely - very clean and well-kept.  I usually spend my time collapsed on the sand sunbathing, but you can also hire pedalo boats and take a little tour around the bay. (more…)

Más festivales de música - ¡Esta vez en el resto de España!

Friday, May 25th, 2007

¡Hola!

¡Vuelvo a hablaros de música! Hace un tiempo os hablé de los festivales de música en Barcelona este verano. Bien, ¡pues la semana que viene llega ya el PRIMAVERA SOUND! Desde el 1 de Junio podréis ver en Barcelona muchos grupos internacionales en el Fórum durante todo el fin de semana.

Y dentro de poco, el festival dance más importante de toda Barcelona, ¡el SÓNAR! Y en un mesecito, pues ¡el SUMMERCASE! ¡No puedo esperar, no puedo esperar!

Pero claro, el centro del mundo no es Barcelona, (aunque los que vivamos aquí lo pensemos…), así que hay muchos más festivales en toda España que merecen la pena visitar. Si estáis en Barcelona durante los meses de verano, y queréis salir algún fin de semana a otro sitio, l¡a mejor excusa es un festival como los que os voy a explicar!

- MONEGROS DESERT FESTIVAL - Es el 7 de Julio, y aunque es tan sólo durante un día, la verdad es que es bastante intenso. Es principalmente un festival de música dance y hip hop, organizado por una de las discotecas más impresionantes de España, la Florida 135 (¡visita obligada!). El festival tiene lugar en el desierto de los Monegros, en Huesca, provincia de Aragón. (A 2 horas en coche de Barcelona). Podréis ver a grupos como Asian Dub Foundation, Underworld o Snoop Dogg.

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Actividades 28 de mayo-1 de junio / Activities 28th May-1st June

Friday, May 25th, 2007

¡Hola a todos!

La semana que viene organizaremos en la escuela muchas actividades interesantes: podréis saber algo más sobre el flamenco, el baile más típico de España, ver en la escuela una película famosa que se estrenó hace poco, ‘El laberinto del fauno’, y no faltará el día cultural dedicado a la visita del Museo de Historia de la Ciudad. ¡Lee abajo para más información!

Next week we will organize a lot of interesting activities at school: you can learn more about Flamenco, the most typical Spanish dance, see the famous  and recently released film, ‘Pans’s Labyrinth’, and we will have a cultural day - a visit to the City History Museum. Read below for more information!   

Lunes/Monday: 15:30 - ¡Vamos a tomar un helado! - Ice cream!Rambla 1

Vamos a tomar un helado y ver las obras de arte de Igor Mitoraj expuestas en Rambla Cataluña. ¡Trae un par de euros para tomar algo!

We will have an ice cream and look at the sculptures by Igor Mitoraj displayed in Rambla Cataluña. Bring a few euros for your ice cream!

Martes/Tuesday: 14:30 - Taller: Los orígenes de Flamenco - Workshop: Origins of Flamenco

Nuestra profesora Leticia nos hablarà sobre los orígenes del Flamenco, además veremos imágenes de la película ‘El Amor Brujo’.El Amor brujo

Our teacher Leticia will tell us some interesting facts about the origins of Flamenco and we will see some images of the movie ‘El Amor Brujo’. (more…)

Something about Picasso’s childhood…

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007

Hi all! :-)

As you already know (most of you anyway if you had me as your teacher) I am not from Barcelona but from Málaga in the south of Spain; what you maybe do not know, it’s that Picasso comes from Málaga too!!!

Pablo Ruíz Picasso was born on the 25th of October of 1881 in Malaga as the son of an art and drawing teacher, José Ruíz y María Picasso, from whom he took his artistic name. Pablo lived all his childhood in the central “Plaza de la Merced” in Málaga, a famous square in the city, not only for being the market-place since the medieval times, but also for being a square where parents, nannies and children used to gather especially in the spring/summer-time to play and feed the pigeons, as it is full of them.

Pablo’s family lived in a nice building in the left corner of the square, I think on the second floor, in a nice flat of around 100m2. A big flat considering how families in those times lived all together in one room. My mother’s aunt worked there as “portera” (porter) and she used to tell my mum stories about Pablo and her sisters, Concepción y Lola, when she was a child. Stories like how Picasso’s father had pigeons kept in a big cage on the terrace of the building and loved painting them or how later Pablo, imitating his father, started painting the pigeons flocking in the square that he could see from his terrace.

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Terrace time - my favourite time!

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007

Hi folks!

This weekend had a current theme; well 2 actually: Parties and Terraces.  A fabulous combination, it must be said.  Now that summer is clearly here to stay, the whole world seems to want to invite you to a party on their terrace.  Which suits me just fine since I don’t have one myself and no-one can deny the delights of a crisp white wine - or a nice cold beer perhaps - al fresco.

But if, like me you don’t have your own terrace and cannot always guarantee an invite to someone else’s, you will be pleased to know that Barcelona has loads of cool bars, cafes and restaurants with nice terraces where you can work on your tan (or hide in the shade!) whilst you socialise!!

Below I’ve listed some good areas to find places with terraces, but there are loads in this city so pleeeease let me know if you find any nice ones! (more…)

¡Actividades de la semana que viene!

Thursday, May 17th, 2007

¡Hola chicos!

Hoy soy yo quien os viene a contar las actividades de la semana que viene. Espero que os gusten esta semana también, y que si tenéis alguna idea sobre alguna actividad, ¡enviadme vuestras sugerencias! Las actividades de la semana que viene son:

Hi everyone!

Today it’s me who will tell you about the cultural activities programme for next week. I hope you like them, and if you have any idea about a new activity that you would like to do, please send me your suggestions! Next week’s activities are:

Lunes 21/Monday 21st - 15 hrsCopa bienvenida

Copa de Bienvenida para los nuevos estudiantes, ¡que es la oportunidad perfecta para que los nuevos conozcan a los viejos estudiantes tomando sangría y unas tapitas!

Welcome Drink for the new students, which is the perfect chance for the new ones to meet the old students having some sangria and some little tapas!

Martes 22/Tuesday 22nd - 14 hrs

Haremos un taller sobre Pablo Picasso donde conoceremos algo más sobre este pintor andaluz, famoso en todo el mundo.

We will do a workshop about Pablo Picasso where we will learn more about this Andalusian painter, who is known all over the world.

Miércoles 23/Wednesday 23rd - 15 hrs Visita al “Palau de la Música” / Visit to ‘Palau de la Música’ concert hall Palau de la Musica

Visitaremos esta obra del arquitecto Domenech i Muntaner, que es un monumento modernista precioso y una de las principales salas de conciertos del mundo.

We will visit this work by Domenech i Muntaner, which is a beautiful modernist monument and one of the most important concert halls in the world.

Jueves 24/Thursday 24th - 14:15 DSC02219small

Iremos a comer un menú del día a un restaurante típico catalán, con primer plato, segundo plato, postre y bebida.

We will go for lunch to a typical catalan restaurant to have a ‘menu del dia’ which consists of starter, main course, dessert and drink.

Viernes 25/Friday 25th - 14:30

Veremos la peli ‘Locos en Alabama’, dirigida por Antonio Banderas con Melanie Griffith.

We will watch the film ‘Crazy in Alabama’, directed by Antonio Banderas starring Melanie Griffith.

¡Que las disfrutéis!

Enjoy!

Rocío

Sagrada Familia - The symbol of Barcelona

Wednesday, May 16th, 2007

Hi everyone!

How is everything going? Today I will tell you about my favourite monument in Barcelona: ‘La Sagrada Familia’ - The Sacred Family. When I was 12 years old I visited it for the first time and when I came back this year I went straight away to see what changes had been made. I know people say that there are a lot of building works, well, there are some but that doesn’t change the beauty of this church, which is really worth a visit!!

Let´s start with some pracitcal information. The Sagrada Familia has its own subway station, so you can´t miss it. With a student card the entrance shouldn’t be that expensive, at least it wasn´t when I went the last time. Once you are there you can lend audio guides or you can go on a guided tour, which I prefer, as you can ask as many questions as you want! ;-) (more…)

Barcelona: Salsa city!

Tuesday, May 15th, 2007

Hi everyone!

Last weekend I had one of the BEST nights out in AGES and felt I had to share it with you all!!!

I went with some friends to a Salsa bar called Mojito and it was fantastic!  Now normally I would do anything to avoid such a situation - I have a terrible case of 2 left feet and no rythm; the thought of all those toned Salsa kings and queens usually brings me out in a sweat!  But all my friends were going and I really had no choice.

Well, as it turned out, I didn’t have to worry at all- there were plenty of other amateurs like me and the atmosphere was really friendly.  The music was incredible too - a live band churning out up-beat latin tunes all night.  But best of all, it was free to get in before 1 am - all in all a great night! (more…)