Hello everyone!

This Thursday, 1st of March we are meeting at 11 o’clock in the morning to go to the MNAC to see one of the most important exhibitions that is on this year. We will meet outside Plaça Espany, metro station, L3 L1. (The exit by the towers) The exhibition is 5€ and well worth it.

For the first time in Barcelona it is possible to see about forty works from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which, in a visit that begins in the seventeenth century and comes to a close at the end of the nineteenth, looks at the main artistic periods in the history of the European art of those centuries. Outstanding, among others, are names so important in universal art, like El Greco, who opens this visit, Van Dyck, Tiepolo, Longhi, Mengs, Gainsborough, Fragonard, Goya, Corot, Courbet, Millet, Pisarro, Manet, Degas, Sisley, Monet, Renoir, Gauguin and Van Gogh, without forgetting Cézanne, who closes the exhibition.

Hello everyone!

This Friday, 23rd of February, we are meeting at 23:45 in front of Santa Maria del Mar Church (Born). We will then walk to a Bar Restaurant called La Fianna, to have a couple of drinks. I won't be there until 23:45, but if anyone wants to go there and have a bite to eat, we can just meet inside. The address of the bar is: Carrer Banys Vells 15.

La Fianna is a really cool Bar in the windey streets of “El Born” its stylish glamorous decoration mixed with its relaxing happy atmosphere makes it the best bar to chill out in, you can sit at a table or lay on a bed and drink the many cocktails or beers they have to offer.

See you all there!!!

“Carnaval” is from the 15th to the 21st of February

Hello Everyone!!! Are you ready to party like you’ve never partied before?!?!?!This weekend is the biggest weekend you will experience whilst you are living in Barcelona, where to go what to do you might ask yourselves, ITS CARNAVAL!!! Dressing up, dancing, drinking, laughing and basically partying all weekend! There are a few places you can go to celebrate, so don’t miss it!!

Carnaval is celebrated in most parts of Spain The Islas Cannarias is famous for its street parties, although as you might have heard in the news recently, there is group of neighbours who have complained about the noise the street parties cause and have been trying to ban them, I personally would not worry too much as it wont be a fair fight considering its the whole country against a small group of 90 neighbours!

Here in Catalonia the main Carnaval celebrations are in Sitges and Vilanova i la Geltru, If your here for it, you really cant let yourself miss it, its a one in a lifetime experience, if your in Barcelona for Carnaval, then find your most original costume and make your way to Gracia!

“Carnaval” a brief history

There are various different theories on the historic origin of “Carnaval” but they all lead to the same conclusion; the need to celebrate the arrival of spring by the means of ritual, a basic transformation in which dressing up and happiness plays a huge part, we could compare this to the awakening of nature, Spring.
Although “carnaval” has always been closley related to Mediterranean customs and cultures it goes further back in history, this “Carnaval” is born from Saturnalia, Lupercal and Roman Matronals.
The arrival of the Christian culture has deeply marked our modern day “carnaval”; it is now very closely related to Quaresme which was a period of abstinence.

Here are some useful websites to get all your information you need for the craziest weekend!!!!

http://www.sitgesvida.com/fiestas/carnaval/
http://www.vilanova.cat/carnaval/
http://www.bcn.es/


Xavier Kaye, COINED Spain

Every one likes chocolate! What better way to spend an afternoon than visiting Barcelona’s chocolate museum. It will be different to other museums so don’t miss it!

We are meeting this Wednesday 14th February at 5 o’clock at the Arc de Triumf, right underneath the arch so that we can all find each other! It is very easy to find, it is on the red line on the metro. We will then make our way down to the Museum which is situated on C/ Comerç. The entrance price is 3.90€. If you can’t make it to the museum because it is quite an early activity (due to the museums closing time) perhaps we could meet a bit later in one of the cafes on the Passeig Del Born. I hope to see you all there!

The initiative of the Barcelona Confectionery Guild to promote the Chocolate Museum as part of our determination to innovate and modernise the sector based on the traditions of the world of confectionery.

The Chocolate Museum is the first facility of its kind in Catalonia. Its creation has been possible thanks to the determination and efforts of the members of the Guild and their suppliers. This initiative is reflected in the privileged setting of the museum itself.

Hello everyone! This week on Wednesday (07-02-07) at 6pm we are going to MACBA to see the temporary exhibition of Pablo Palazuelo. We are meeting outside the MACBA by the entrance doors, it closes at 7:30pm so try to be on time, after the exhibition we can go for a beer to one of the many bars in the surrounding area. The best way to get to MACBA is to take the metro to Plaça Catalunya or Plaça Universitat. If you walk down the Rambla and take your second turning on the right you will get to C/Bon Succes walk right to end of the street (the street changes its name to C/Elisabeth’s) you will find a big square with lots of skaters, the big white building is MACBA (museu d’art contemporani de barcelona) you will find the entrance doors on the left part of the building. The entrance fee is 4€ but if you all have student cards there is a 1€ deduction. Hope to see you all there!

This will be one of the most complete exhibitions of Palazuelo's work to date. It contains about 350 pieces –some of which have never been shown to the public before– and takes us on a journey through all the periods of his career as an artist, with special emphasis on the works done in the fifties and sixties. Pablo Palazuelo (Madrid, 1915) is one of the key figures of Spanish art of the second half of the 20th century.

For more information www.macba.es