Last week we had a really nice activity organised by Vahri and Cara: Language exchange.
All our students had the chance to practice Spanish with natives. Vahri has written a blog about this activity, so you have more information.

I personally was there last week and had so much fun! It is great to meet so many people from all over the world in one place and speak about different topics while enjoying a nice afterwork coctail.

Hello!

I hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and enjoyed New Year, especially if you were lucky enough to celebrate in Barcelona!!

Today I wanted to let you know about a new and exciting activity that the school is running – an English/Spanish language exchange!! We had our first sessions last Thursday and it went really well and so we hope it will continue this way!

This will be an ideal opportunity for those of you learning Spanish or English but who rarely get the opportunity to put it into practice with native speakers of that language. You will have the opportunity to meet Spanish and English native speakers from many different countries and therefore practicing and experiencing different accents and dialects of these languages. It is an open and COMPLETELY FREE activity for all of our own students as well as your friends or any other people studying these languages in Barcelona!

It will take place every other Thursday at 8.30pm lasting around one hour, the next session therefore being Thursday the 26th of January, in the Italian bar “San Tropez” on the corner of the same street where the school is! It will be lead by Cara and myself (two native English speaking work placement students at the school) with different themes each week to get the conversation started.

If you are interested then come along on the 26th of January and try it out, we will meet outside the school doors at 8.30pm and go together to the bar or if you prefer you can meet us there! Don’t forget that it will be happy hour in the bar so feel free to treat yourself to a cocktail or two at the same time!

We hope to see you there and whoever else you may bring with you!!

Vahri

Tags: intercambio lingüístico, linguistic exchange, language exchange, spanish language, english, Barcelona

Nikola has a really nice blog for you about Spanish food at Christmas time! Take notes of this recipe and try it out

In Spanish, Christmas Eve is called “La Noche Buena,” which literally translates as “The Good Night.” In Spain it is celebrated with a large family feast, which is eaten late in the evening and can last a couple hours. Some families attend midnight mass before or after the meal, although many are still finishing dining and sat around the table at midnight! In Spain, Christmas Eve is a time for celebrating in neighbourhood bars and cafes, and spending time with family and friends. It is not a time for giving gifts or for Santa Claus. Those traditions don’t begin until January 6th, which is called ‘Epiphany’ and which is also another religious holiday.
There are a wide variety of traditional foods that you will find served up across Spain on this particular night and each region has its own different specialties. It is particularly common for Christmas dinner in Spain to start with a seafood dish such as prawns or salmon, followed by a bowl of hot homemade soup.

Galets Soup is one of the typical Christmas dishes found in Catalonia, although it is cooked throughout the year, it is a most associated with Christmas Dinner and sometimes also even included in the Christmas Eve dinner. The Galets are specially shaped pasta shells; knuckles or also named sharks (as you can see in the picture) and although there are various different sizes, at Christmas the larger ones are used.

To make the soup you will need these ingredients:
Galet Filing: 250 grams of ground beef, 250 grams of ground pork. A large piece of dry bread put in a bowl of milk, two eggs, chopped parsley, minced garlic, salt and pepper.

Put all the ingredients into a large soup pot. Cover and let boil with Water for at least one hour but not more than one day. Then, strain and reserve the liquid “broth.”
Next, make the stuffing by mixing all the Galet ingredients together. Begin the process of filling each uncooked Galet with a bit of meatball mix. The Galets now you can put it into the freezer .

The main meal commonly consists of roast lamb, or seafood, such as cod, shellfish or salmon.

For dessert there is quite a range of delicacies, among them you can try for example Turrón: a dessert made from honey, egg and almonds that is Arabic in origin coming in various flavours such as almonds, sugar and many more.

Casadielles these lovely turnovers of puff pastry stuffed with buttery anis-flavoured walnuts, are a speciality of the northern region of Asturias, and are particularly popular at Christmas time.

No Spanish Christmas would be complete without few glasses of Cava, Spanish sparkling wine. Spanish cava is generally good quality and priced right.

Tell us how do you celebrate a Christmas in your Country¿ What kind of special food do you eat for a Christmas Eve? Share with us your traditions and customs.

Merry Christmas!!!

If you are staying in Barcelona for Christmas, we are happy to tell you that you wont be alone. Come to our school during the Christmas period and enjoy our Spanish Christmas course.

Also below you can see our special offer for the Christmas course.

Cheers,

Nikola

Pictures taken from:Galets soup, Turron, Casadielles

Tags: Spanish christmas food, galets soup, turron, Christmas Spain, cava

Hi Everybody,

My name is Nikola. I am from Prague, Czech Republic. I am currently studying in my last year at University specialising in International Relations.

Why I have chosen to take a work placement in Camino Barcelona?

At Camino Barcelona we are a large international team so you are always learning new things and getting to know new cultures and languages. In addition to this, the location of our languages school is perfect, right in the centre of Barcelona and the school has a really student friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

I chose Camino Barcelona for my internship in order to gain a new work experience opportunity abroad and also the opportunity to improve my languages skills. For me this work placement is such a valuable experience and a great thing to do while you are young. Such an experience broadens your horizons and makes you feel more independent. I would recommend it to everybody as a great preparation for your future professional life and most importantly for your life in general.

Right now it’s the 16^st of December, outside it’s a pleasant 15 C with the occasional sunny outbursts and the Christmas spirit is already building. I am from Prague and am used to cold weather and spending Christmas with chilly snowy days when the temperature is usually below 0 C: So it’s a quite pleasant change for me to be in Barcelona and to be enjoying these sunny moments during the winter.

This is my first Christmas in Spain and I hope it will be a good one! Christmas in Barcelona offers a large variety of special typical Catalan feasts which include a variety of Catalan delicacies and traditions .The Christmas market which takes place at the famous park  in front of the Sagrada Familia will impress you as much as it impressed me I hope. On the plaza Sagrada Familia over 118 stalls present a wide arrange of Christmas accessories, for example gifts, nativity scene figures, Christmas lights, trees etc… There are many stalls with tasty Christmas food and Catalan specialities too. You can feel a real Christmas spirit here, and a magic which is often forgotten in adult life.

Why Barcelona?

I chose this city for its diversity that you will not find anywhere else in Spain.

It is a very multicultural city which offers many different possibilities of how to have a nice time in Barcelona. The city has loads to see and to discover. From all the monuments and museums to its bustling nightlife especially in the streets of famous Raval where the  people don’t sleep, there  are  many bars and tapas restaurants where you can try good wine along with a Spanish typical cuisine. I have also seen some great live music and concerts which usually take place in the heart of ‘el Raval’. Besides fantastic museums and architecture, Barcelona is also full of galleries, concerts and theatres, there is always something going on!

The City centre of Barcelona is also famous for its Gaudí Architecture which follows you while you are walking and shopping around Passeo de Gracia. You will be fascinated by the beautiful streets and the beautiful balconies and terraces.

At the weekend, the city centre invites you to discover all it’s mysterious and small streets lined with lovely coffee shops and other shops of all kinds. If you are a fan of tapas then you might want to enjoy some of the tapas in the bars in el Born. It’s definitely worth visiting and there are great places to go and meet the locals and enjoy a Spanish atmosphere.

In conclusion Barcelona has everything you could hope for and the weather is very pleasant, even in winter months, there are so many sunny days which is something that keeps you happy and smiley!

Nikola

 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

Tags: shopping barcelona, shopping night, berska, custo, barcelona

I am sure many of you have seen long queues close to lottery offices here in Barcelona these days.

The reason is the Spain’s beloved Christmas lottery which gives out the biggest lottery worldwide - 2,520,000,000 Euros this year!

Yes, that’s 2.5 Billion Euros!

On 22nd December, most of Spaniards are glued to the TV watching the Christmas lottery (Lotería de Navidad in Spanish), also commonly known as “El Gordo” – the  ‘ fat one ‘ or the  ‘ big one’.

This draw is called el gordo because it is the most money played in Spain in the whole year.

The Spanish lottery dates back to 1812 and it is the oldest in the world.

Lotería de Navidad works differently to most lotteries in the world. Tickets are very expensive, but you do not have to buy the entire ticket. But, if you don’t buy the whole thing, you can’t get all the winnning!

Spanish people play the “gordo” as an old Christmas tradition. Everyone gets at least one lottery ticket like the one in the picture (decimo). They cost 20 euros each, and if you buy ten of them, you have the billete which is for “el gordo” and its cost is 200 Euros.

The day of the draw, people  gather around the TV or radio to watch if for the whole morning. The children of a school in Madrid sing the winning numbers. They have been practicing during all the year for this day. The children who sing the “gordo” become famous for one day!

Click here to view the embedded video.

According to reports in the press, about 98 per cent of all Spanish people hold at least a small portion of a lottery ticket in the Christmas Lottery each year.

You do not have to be a Spanish national to play el gordo. You can get Christmas lottery tickets in different places: If you want to get a ‘decimo’, you would have to go to the Lottery offices. If you just want little ‘participaciones’ on different numbers, you can get them in bars, restaurants, shops, and other public places.

Spaniards are very superstitious when it comes to picking the lottery numbers. Last year the number 11710 was sold in two hours and it was symbolic because it is the date when Spain won the World Cup in South Africa on 11th July 2010 – as the number 11710.

There are some lottery offices which become famous for ‘giving out’ the number of the ‘Gordo’ or other big prizes in a certain year. In Barcelona, there is a very popular Lottery Office just off Plaza Cataluña where a lot of people get a ticket from: ‘El Gato Negro’ (The black cat). On Saturday I passed nearby and the queue was up to Pl. Catalunya!!!

And there is a very popular village in Lérida, near Barcelona, called ‘Sort’ (Luck), where lots of people from all over Spain go every year to get their lucky lottery number in ‘La Bruja de Oro’ (The Golden Witch)! It is said that this ticket office is the luckiest one in Spain…

Why not try el gordo this year???

Suerte!!!!
Genta

Tags: Spanish lottery, el gordo, lotería navidad, christmas lottery

Today I would like to write a blog about a special Catalan tradition: Caganer

Caganer is a particular Catalan figurine commonly seen in the nativity scenes. This figurine is not wearing pants and appears to be defecating ..

“Cagar” means to poop in Catalan, so “el caganer” is the pooper or the pooping man, also known as the man doing his duty!

The caganer is usually placed under a bridge or behind a haystack, hidden, somewhere on the nativity scene since it is a lack of respect if this figure were situated in the landscape visible for everyone. It has a playful purpose, which is for the children to find him amongst the other more traditional figurines that compose the Nativity scene.

It is said that the caganer brings luck because his stools fertilize the earth; therefore he is a symbol of a good harvest for the following year. Putting this figurine in the nativity scene brings luck and happiness. Not doing it brings misfortune.

Traditionally, the caganer was a peasant in Catalan dress which the latest years is often the image of famous people such as politicians as Batack Obama, Silvio Berlusconi, Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin, Nikolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni, Queen Elizabeth, Prince William and Kate Middleton, José Luís Rodriguez Zapatero etc:

Or sportspeople as Messi, Pep Guardiola or Cristiano Ronaldo, Jose Mourinho:

The caganer of the year is chosen every year. Last year was Nikolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni. This year seems to be Piqué from FC Barcelona and Shakira.

Caganers are easily found in Christmas markets markets such as Fira de Santa Lucia in front of the Cathedral in Barcelona. Join our Christmas course starting on 19th and 26th December which includes a special Christmas activities program where one of them is a visit to Santa Lucia market.

Come to Barcelona and meet this typical figurine! You’ll love it! Take your favorite politician “pooping”!

Cheers,

Genta

Tags: caganer, christmas barcelona, shakira pique, messi, cristiano ronaldo, obama caganer

Don’t you know what to do this weekend in Barcelona?

Hi again!

If you were wondering what to do this weekend or looking for something different besides the usual tourist attractions to discover, this week Barcelona has another special event lined up for you!

This weekend Barcelona is putting on an ‘Open House’ event which for all you architecture lovers or simply those interested in discovering some hidden treasures of this cities history, is an exciting opportunity to gain entry to buildings throughout Barcelona that would not usually be open to the public.

On the 22nd and 23rd of this month, for the second year running, Barcelona invites you to come and visit more than 130 historical and architecturally innovative buildings that will be opened up to the public for this weekend only and what’s more is that it is completely free!!

Many buildings will have their creators there ready to talk you through the inspiration for the buildings construction and any other interesting anecdotes or information relating to each building. The types of buildings on offer to visit vary from old libraries, private houses, hotels and much more, all dotted around the ten ‘barrios’ of the city.

Last year more than 25,000 visitors partook in this event along with over 100 architects at the ready to tell the story of each of their creations.

This is an unusual but worthwhile activity that should not missed, even if you are not normally an architecture fanatic, this is an event of interest to all who love Barcelona and want to discover more of what it has to offer! For more information on this event you can visit the following website: Open House Barcelona

Enjoy the rest of the week and keep checking this space for more events and information to come!

Vahri

Tags: open house barcelona, barcelona architecture,

As you probably know, tomorrow is a bank holiday in Spain. Our school is closed and Cara is here to explain the reason why…

Hello again everybody!

It may come as no surprise that we are celebrating once again in Spain, this time on October the 12th with the “Día de Hispanidad”!

Known in Latin America as “Día de la raza” and as “Columbus day” in the states, this fiesta celebrates the day in 1492 when Christopher Columbus first landed in the Americas and it has been celebrated for many years, becoming an official holiday in the 20th century. The main event is a military march in Madrid, attended by the Spain’s royal family, important political figures and many of the governors from Spain’s different autonomies. The Patron Saint of this event is the “Santísima Virgen de Pilar”, being the patron saint of “Hispanidad”, a term referring to all people, cultures and communities which share the Spanish language.

The effect of this historical event on Spain and of course on Latin America too was monumental, with huge cultural, linguistic and economic consequences.

This part of history has had a profound effect on the Hispanic culture and language that we all know and love today, so what are you waiting for? Make the most of the bank holiday, get out there and celebrate with the Spaniards!

Cheers,

Cara

Tags: día de la hispanidad, columbus day, 12 october, spain natilnal day

How are you? If you are here in Barcelona, are you enjoying our indian summer? There were so many people on the beach this week-end!!!

Today Vahri decided she would write a blog about our Special Offer for our courses taking place just before (or during) Christmas. Do not miss them!

Hi guys,

I hope you have all been taking full advantage of these unusual hot and sunny days for September and getting some last minute bronzing in!

I just wanted to fill you all in on some limited special offers that we have just introduced!

If you have enjoyed Barcelona by summer, I’m sure you’ll love ‘Barcelona does Christmas’! A little early for planning Christmas you might be thinking? I would usually agree, but not when there’s a bargain to be had! From now until September the 30th, you can bag yourself a saving of €20 off ANY course starting on the 19th and 26th of December or the 2nd of January! This is an offer not to be missed as Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year in Barcelona with hundreds festivities to get involved with.

For example there is the Santa Lucia Christmas market which is a winter wonderland for all things Christmassy, you can go shopping in the Gracia district for your last minute presents, taste a variety of special traditional Christmas foods of Barcelona for example the “Turroneria” and much more!

So if you fancy a Christmas with a difference this year, then come and join us at Camino Barcelona and have a happy 25th with a difference!

To have a look at the courses we offer to make use of this special offer, you can check out the following page on our website! Do not miss our Christmas course as it includes a wide variety of Christmas Activities. To give you an idea of what we offer, you can check our 2010 Christmas programme!

One more thing: You can get your hands on a good deal if you are interested in reserving a Spanish Course for 2012: You have until the end of the month to benefit from 2011 rates for any course starting in 2012.

We hope to see you in December! Meanwhile make the most of what’s left of summer!

Vahri

Today Vahri, our new trainee has decided to write a post on one of the biggest celebrations in Barcelona: “La Merce”. Read it carefully. She will give you many tips.

Have a gorgeous sunny week-end if you are here in Barcelona!!!

Hi guys,

My name is Vahri, I’m the newest work experience recruit at Camino Barcelona! I arrived here about 3 weeks ago and I have loved every minute so far! Barcelona is one of the most welcoming cities I’ve been to; everyone I know who has been here raves on about how lucky I am to spend a year here so I hope there will be lots of good times ahead! I already feel at home here and I’m sure that you will feel the same if you decide to pay a trip to this amazing city! One thing that I LOVE about Barcelona is that you can never get bored! There is always some form of party to go to, a street festival or a cultural event going on. In my three weeks here I’ve already been to two massive street festivals and there are more to come!
 

If you want to come to Barcelona, now is the time to do it as the famous ‘Festival de la Mercè’ is just around the corner! This is Barcelona’s biggest street party that runs from Thursday the 22nd of September till Sunday the 25th. It takes place all over the city, in each different ‘barrio’ there is something different to experience. I had never heard of it before I got here but since my arrival, everyone seems to be talking about it so I thought I better get myself in on the action and you should too! 

La Merce takes place in celebration of the ‘Mare de Deu de la Merce’ who is the patron saint of Barcelona. This year there will be hundreds of activities taking place all over the city, with the streets being taken over by arts performances, parades, fire runs and people everywhere! Amongst a variety of new acts this year, there will of course be the annual favourites returning. For example each year the famous ‘Correfoc’ (Fire-run) takes place at dusk around Via Laietana and is a magical but potentially adrenaline filled arts display that runs through the streets. If you want to get a sneak-preview of this unusual tradition, you can check out the video that I have put below. The ‘Devils’ run up and down the streets with giant hand held spiralling fireworks and bangers along side fire breathing dragons spraying flames from sparklers into the crowds! This is not for the faint hearted however and it is recommended to wear protective clothing to shield you from the fire of these ‘Devils’! There is however a tamer earlier version if this is not for you!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Of course there are plenty of other things to see including a ‘Giants parade’, the famous ‘Castellers’ Human-tower attracting thousands of people each year (make sure you get there early to get a good view!) and if you’re looking for a party (what Barcelona does best!) there are live music shows and bands of all genres playing all round the city each day and night. As with every party in this city, there will also be copious amounts of beer and other drinks on offer for your consumption! There is something to interest everyone at this festival and as Barcelona’s biggest party of the year, it should not be missed!!

You can find the full schedule of activities on-line at the following link.

And if you want to combine an exciting cultural experience such as La Merce with your Spanish studies we still have availability for our courses this month!! You can find more information about our different courses and accomodation and reserve your place on our website! Make sure you don´t miss out!

We hope to see you there!

Vahri