Camino Barcelona Blog

Hi folks,

So, you fint it difficult to learn a new language? Problem solved!
Our colleague Olga has some very useful tips for you to learn Spanish.
Do not miss this blog!!!

It is not easy to learn languages! It is a very interesting process but it is also very difficult. I am always eager to find new ways to make learning languages faster, easier and more effective and I would like to share some of these ways with you today.

Use different learning methods
Try to approach your learning in more than one way. The brain Read the rest of this entry »

Hi everyone

Today, Laura, our new intern at Camino Barcelona will give you her first impressions about the city and the school.

Enjoy reading it!

Hola a todos!

I hope you are all enjoying the arrival of the sun in Barcelona!

This is my first blog I have written for Camino and I would like to use it to present myself to you all.

Now, to introduce myself; my name is Laura and I come from the Italian island of Sardinia, well-known for its impressive coastline and landscapes as well as its sandy beaches and crystal waters that make it a little piece of heaven on earth!
After getting my high school diploma I decided to move to another city, Genoa, to study at University where I finally got obtained a Bachelor’s master degree in Foreign Languages for International tourism.

Since my teenage years I have been Read the rest of this entry »

Hi all!

It is nice to be back on our blog!

Today, my Italian colleague Claudia  will give you very useful information about one of our popular courses Our Evening Course.

If you live and work here in Barcelona, I am sure that you will find it very useful!

Hi everyone!

 Long time no seen.

As our next session for our Evening Course will start again next week, I decided I would write a blog about this course this week.

Do you live and work in Barcelona? Do you struggle to understand what your colleagues are saying and want to improve your Spanish? Maybe you speak Spanish very well but you need to be able to understand specific vocabulary in your field of work? Do you work during the day and would prefer to do a course which fits into your busy schedule?

  Read the rest of this entry »

Hi folks!

Are you all enjoying the sunny days we are having in Barcelona? The days are getting longer so you will have more time to enjoy this beautiful city!

And here comes Claudia’s turn te present herself.

Hi everyone!
My name is Claudia and I am from Verona in the north of Italy, famously known as the city of Romeo and Juliet! I am currently doing an internship at Camino Barcelona Spanish language school in Barcelona. I have been working here since the beginning of January after having obtained a three-month scholarship from my home University. Working at Camino is a good opportunity for me not only to improve the languages I have been studying up until now, but also to gain valuable experience working in a young, international and professional team. I study foreign languages and literatures at the University of Verona and I have always been interested in travelling abroad to learn about new cultures and people. I really do believe that gaining experience living abroad is an invaluable opportunity that broadens your horizons and helps you get to know yourself better.

This internship has Read the rest of this entry »

HI folks,

Welcome to spring in Barcelona! Finally the winter is over and the sun has started to shine!

It has been a while since the last time we updated our blog with news about Barcelona and our school however today our new colleague Olga (a previous student of the school) will present herself and her favourite places in this beautiful city.

Hi everyone!

My name is Olga and I am a new intern at Camino Barcelona and I feel really lucky to be here! Not just because it’s the beginning of a new experience in my life, or because I am now working in one of the best Spanish schools in Barcelona, but most importantly because I am back at the school where I first learnt to speak Spanish just two years ago! It feels amazing to be back in my favorite school, with my favorites teachers and with my the new friends I have made!

I have been living in Spain for more than 2 years now and from what I have experienced, Barcelona seems to be a city which will always surprise you. Every day, every second, at any moment you come across something that you hadn’t seen before and had not even noticed.

I have now finally discovered my favourite places in Barcelona: Read the rest of this entry »

Hi everyone!

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 Read the rest of this entry »

Hi folks,

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 Read the rest of this entry »

Hi folks,
This time is Nikola’s turn to present herself:

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 Read the rest of this entry »

 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 again,

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!

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