Camino Barcelona Blog

 Hi everyone

On Wednesday the 30th, to coincide with turning on the Christmas lights, the Amazing Passeig de Gracia is going to offer all kinds of activities and will stay open until midnight.

This is an event that should not be missed! We’ll give you a quick summary of the best events right here.

Go into the most luxurious hotels in Barcelona and drink cocktails, see live music (in Hotel OMML), try haute cuisine specialities (in Hotel Alexandra, Hotel Condes de Barcelona and Hotel Mandarín Oriental). Enjoy a glass of cava in the Hall (in Hotel Avenida Palace) or watch concerts while sampling the gastronomic menus designed especially for this night (in Hotel Claris, bosanova en directo). You can also try the most fashionable cocktails in the world in the five star Hotel Mandarín Oriental, or sip them while you admire pieces of art from the world of fashion in Hotel Majestic. Or if you have a sweet tooth, why not try biscuits dipped in the very best chocolate in Hotel Alma.

The shops are offering DJ performances and discounts of up to 70 per cent, in Custo and Berska for instance. So pick up some Christmas shopping along the way, with more discounts on offer in Calcedonia, Mango and many more!

Everywhere promises to attract celebrities, offer music, drinks, presents and great discounts.

There is a grand tour of luxury fashion, and the design school of Barcelona will be giving workshops and putting on catwalk shows in the street.

It is sure to be a great night, and it all kicks off at 8pm.

I’ve already cancelled everything in my schedule! I can’t wait to try the marvellous food and drinks, and see all the glamour. Are you going to let yourself miss out, or will we be seeing each other amongst all the lights and all the surprises?

You can see all the information at: http://www.theshoppingnight.com

Cheers,

Anita

Hi!

My name is Anita, and as those of you who know me well, know that I am a huge fan of Spanish wines.

This week we are running an interesting activity- An Introduction to Wine Tasting.

So, to get you in the mood, I have decided to start a series of blogs dedicated to wine…

- The first one will be about the different areas and their characteristics;
- The second one will be about Catalan wineries and wines;
- The third about white wines and some recommendations;
- The fourth about red wines and some more recommendations.

So, are you ready?

WINE PRODUCING AREAS IN SPAIN

Spain is the third largest wine producer in the world and places a lot of effort and importance in their export market. Although wine production has been around for thousands of years, within the last few decades wineries have modernized to such a huge extent and the concept of the “wine culture” is becoming more and more commonplace, acquiring followers from all over the world.

Within Spain, wines are separated by (more…)

Hello fellow wine and food lovers!

Last year I went to CAVATAST, a wine festival celebrated in October in Vilafranca del Penedès.

Even though I live in Barcelona, I hadn’t visited this beautiful city in years and I was happy to see it, so beautiful with a party atmosphere and ready to receive visitors.

We went by train from Sants and the journey was short, we arrived in just 45 minutes. Straight away we were in the fair! They gave us a glass for the tasters with an ingenious device to be worn around the neck. We all looked like professionals! There were plenty of exhibitors from wineries, some very famous like Torres, others much smaller, well-known, unknown, specialists in Cava, white wine, red, rosé… personally I prefer red wine, but the truth is that trying the white wine over and over again has converted me into a fan, the same with Cava. Don’t forget that Vilafranca is where the wineries Codomiu and Freixenet are. You don’t need to reserve a visit but you can turn up on the same day and do everything.

For just a little more than 3 Euros you can try (more…)

Hi everyone!

If you like cocktails and you like them cheap keep reading…

There is a “magic” cocktail street in Barcelona: Joaquim Costa. There you will find lots of bars with a cocktail happy hour that I personally recommend.

Let me take you through them one by one.

If you like bars with a big front window: Old Land 3,95 per cocktail from 20.00 till 22.00 every day of the week (yipee!) From classic to exotic cocktails… they have everything to keep you happy.
If you enjoy bars with a cosmopolitan charm: Betty Ford is almost next door.
The cocktails are a bit more expensive but the bar doesn’t miss out, it’s full of people from all over with something in common: originality and the desire to have fun!
If you are a fan of English pop music: Manchester. 2*1 offer on classic drinks. It’s a great place to meet your other half if you love pop music. (more…)

If you like markets, taking some time out in the fresh air, haggling, finding bargains and mixing with the people then enter into a microclimate with its own rules… Els Encants is the place for you!

It is the only true flea market in the city. It has everything! Old clothes and new, all very cheap, lost objects, things for the home, shoes, necessary and unecessary articles, socks for very little money, antique tins, lamps from another era, flamenco dresses, retro jewellery, everything vintage and everything you never thought you would be able to buy.

They say that in the past Els Encants was the place where the things nobody else in the city wanted ended up. Now it is a heavenly refuge for those that love antiquities (like myself) to search for bargains (like myself) and to find the unexpected (like myself) and to spend some time doing something different with your friends… with its little stops for breakfast, later Vermouth in the wine cellars and then wander around a little more. (more…)

You can get there by walking up Passeig de Gracia or by metro, stopping at Fontana.
Just step off the metro and you will see a bustle of young people that are there to go out or are just wandering around.

There are so many shops with original clothes by young designers that are really inexpensive; you can find a precious dress made just for you for only 50 euros! And if you don’t want to buy anything you can be sure that you will love strolling through the streets that are brimming with things to see and observe.

You will love all of the cheap bars and restaurants bursting with young people, and tea shops that offer a magnificent selection. There are also plenty of “perfumerías” (cosmetics shops) as well as cinemas with films in their original version. Never fear, there are always lots of young people to be found out and about in the streets. (more…)

Hello!

From this week onwards I am officially a member of the “Friends of Wine Club”. I learnt of this club through Javier, the sommelier of the school who prepares some incredible wine tasting sessions for us at Camino Barcelona.

The club is held in a bar/ restaurant in Raval in the square in front of the famous MACBA museum: it is called D.O. Original and wines are its speciality. Every Tuesday they organise an activity such as; a presentation of wine cellars and their wines, a wine tasting session, “una cena con maridaje” which is a meal “of marriage” where the food and wine are chosen to complement each other perfectly. They also organise a blind wine tasting experience or they explore the best wines from a region of Spain. (more…)