The stadium was the venue of the 1992 Olympic Games. There is also a cafe and gift shop. I found it very interesting!

www.barcelonaturisme.com
Av. de l'Estadi, Barcelona, Spain
+34 93 426 2089

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A treasure of funeral art, located on the Route of Montjuic on the hill, lies Montjuic Cemetery. This graveyard of about 57 acres boasts sea views and a place of calm away from the city's hustle and bustle. The cemetery, which was featured in Pedro Almodovar’s 1999 film All About my Mother, opened in 1883 after an escalation in the population. Montjuic Cemetery is more than a place of the dead as its modernist architecture, sculptures and beautiful, exotic gardens are works of art. The extravagant design meant the graveyard became a prevalent spot for the rich to be buried and many of them had their own mausoleums built in the cemetery. Indicative of this, the cemetery houses some excellent examples of funeral art that include architecture, sculptures and stained glass creations. This is a great place to visit if you’re interested in modernist art, architecture and sculptures and are looking for a free-of-charge, peaceful way to explore Barcelona.

www.cbsa.cat
Mare de Déu del Port, 56-58, 08038, Barcelona, Spain
+34 934 841 999
Nearest station: Magòria-La Campana
Google map: bit.ly/UcQvIe

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The stadium tour was brilliant and I would also suggest you go to a match there if you can.

Carrer d'Arístides Maillol, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
+34 902 18 99 00
Google map: bit.ly/Tdr1cs

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For views of Barcelona minus the crowds head to the Carretera de les Aigües, a track that runs for several miles around the shoulder of Tibidabo, the mountain that dominates the top end of the city. Buy a standard metro ticket, take the Ferrocarrils to Peu Del Funicular then change onto the funicular railway and get off at the next stop up, called Carretera de les Aigües. A left turn at the station entrance and you've got three miles of country track among trees with only the panoramic views, a few joggers, and birds for company. At the end of the track you come out next to the Tibidabo funicular where you can either head up to the very top of the hill or take the Blue Tram back down into town. Before you do either, stop for a quick drink at the Mirablau café, and gaze out through the picture windows at yet another fabulous view of the city.

www.mirablaubcn.com
Carrer de Manuel Arnús, 2 08035 Barcelona, Spain
+34 934 185 879
Google map: bit.ly/LW7uQY

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If you or a friend/family member is a fan of F1, but cannot afford the astronomical costs of going to watch it abroad, how about trying a day at the F1 testing in Barcelona? It takes place over four days, usually early March (in 2012 it was 1st - 4th March) and cost just 20 Euro's per person.
Although "just" testing, we had a fantastic day. The stadium was extremely empty, so we were able to wander around, sitting in the main grandstand and several other areas to try out the view or avoid the direct sunlight. My partner is a huge fan of F1, while I'm a more casual observer, but I must admit that on seeing the cars drive I was both stunned at the speed and skill, and delighted that my slightly leftfield Valentine's gift had gone down so well. Honestly, it's a great day out for relatively little money. Just remember the earplugs!

The circuit is remarkably easy to get to, it's only 20km north east of Barcelona. You just need to jump on a train from one of three stations in the city Barcelona Sants, Passeig de Gràcia or Clot and head to Montmelo. It takes about 30 minutes and costs a couple of Euro's. From the station you can walk or take a taxi - I'd recommend the walk as we met and chatted to a number of other fans, and just follow the amazing sound of the cars roaring around the track. I had read that the walk was "difficult" but I'd strongly deny that, 30 minutes at most on quite flat terrain.
Circuit de Catalunya, Carretera Granollers, A PARED, 08160 Montmeló, Barcelona, Spain
+34 935 71 97 00
Google map: bit.ly/NsHWq0

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Barcelona’s summer festival of theatre, dance, music and more starts on Saturday 30th
June and goes on till the end of July. As the website proudly announces, The Grec 2012 Festival of Barcelona is about to begin! It will start with a great party, open to all, with free admission, featuring the fusion rhythms of Canteca de Macao and La Troba Kung-Fú and “Pedalejant cap al cel”, a show by the Antwerp-based aerial and visual theatre company Theater Tol.
Then, starting the very next day, July 1, the city will host a huge programme of theatre, dance, circus, the finest music and many other activities, right through to July 31st.
The inaugural party takes place on Passeig Lluis Companys, that’s the big wide avenue just above the Parc de la Ciutadella.
I saw the visual theatre company Theater Tol quite a few years ago in another summer
festival and if this year’s show is anything like the one I saw, it will be visually stunning and breathtakingly beautiful.

Sala Montjuic.
One of the popular on going events of the festival is the Sala Montjuic. Held in the dry moat at Montjuic Castle near where Catalonia’s last Republican President was murdered by the fascists after the civil war, the summer evenings are given over to the more peaceful pursuits of outdoor cinema and concerts. At least on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. All films are in their original version with Spanish subtitles,
although the odd one might be dubbed in Catalan and begin after dark, at 22.00.
Concerts begin at 21.00. Tickets cost 5 euros and you can get them online. The box office opens at 20.30. You can rent chairs for 3 euros. With a pre-prepared picnic it’s a very pleasant, cool way to spend an evening.
A great way of getting there is to take the Funicular from Parallel, then the cable car,
with all Barcelona spread out below you, to the top.
Otherwise there are special buses, you can use your T-10 pass, from Plaça Espanya.
One will take you back after the film or concert.

www.salamontjuic.org/?lg=2.
www.grec.bcn.cat

* PeterGuest is our Been there local for Barcelona. You can read his profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/barcelona-local-peter-guest.jsp and follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/PeterGuest. Meet more of our locals here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp

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If you’re in town this week, Monday is Saint George’s Day –the Patron Saint of Catalunya– and the streets will be full of stalls selling roses and books, as well as excited, happy people enjoying this traditional Catalan festivity. It’s a kind of local Valentine’s Day.
This is one of Catalonia’s most popular festivities and people throughout the principality enjoy spending their time browsing the stalls to buy a book and a rose as gifts for their partner or, if they don’t have one, for someone else they love. Traditionally, a man would give a rose to his partner and she would give him a book, but nowadays people give both to their partners and to other loved ones as a token of affection.
Roses for Saint George's Day:
Barcelona’s streets are beautiful on Saint George’s Day; the colourful rose stalls and booksellers’ stands are everywhere, bargains and best-sellers abound –popular authors madly signing copy after copy– and the balconies are decked with the gold and red of the Catalan Flag. If you have a walk around, you’ll probably see rose stalls belonging to NGOs or charities, perhaps you might prefer to buy from these rather than some of the more commercial stalls.
Perhaps you can give a loved one a pleasant surprise as a fond remembrance of your stay in Barcelona.
The tradition of giving a rose on Saint George’s day is said to date from the 15th century Festival of Roses, celebrated on the 23rd of April by which time Saint George was firmly established as an important Saint and when the sculpture you can see on the façade of the Palau de la Generalitat in Carrer Bisbe was made.
The rose bedecked Palau de la Generalitat is open to the public on the 23rd of April, so this is your chance to see Marc Safont’s wonderful Gothic architecture on the Ceremonial Stairs, Gothic Gallery and the Chapel of Saint George, and Pere Mateu’s Pati dels Tarongers, all hidden behind the Neo Classical Façade. The Sardana national dance is widely performed on this day.
Saint George appears in several accounts of battles in Catalunya –naturally, on the winning side– and Jaume I mentions the Saint’s contribution to the conquest of both Mallorca and Valencia.
This may seem strange to some because Saint George –as the first Crusaders discovered to their dismay in the 11th century– was known to the Saracens as the Green Knight and appears several times in the Koran, as well as in many popular legends in which he rescues damsels from dragons.
The name George means farmer or person who cares for the land, the saint has always been connected with the springtime, and he is a protector of the harvest. It is perhaps also for this reason, along with his legendary penchant for rescuing damsels in distress from marauding dragons, (a rose bush is said to have grown from the dragon’s spilt blood) he is associated with the romantic gift of a spring rose. Perhaps also George’s connection with husbandry is the reason the roses all come with an ear of wheat, usually tied to the stem with a little ribbon of Catalan Flag.
The gift of the book on National Book Day is a much more recent tradition, beginning in 1926 throughout Spain. The 23rd of April was chosen because it was the date of Cervante’s death. Although the custom disappeared in many areas of Spain, the practice soon became popular in Catalonia and quickly became part of its Patron Saint’s Day, its origin soon forgotten.
Have a nice day!

Eixample, Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla Catalunya

* PeterGuest is our Been there local for Barcelona. You can read his profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/barcelona-local-peter-guest.jsp and follow his tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/PeterGuest. Meet more of our locals here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/been-there-locals.jsp

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The venue for the diving events at the 1992 Olympics, the Piscina Municipal is set into the Montjuic hillside overlooking Barcelona, so you get unbeatable views of the city while you're sunbathing. There's a large swimming pool, a separate diving pool and a small bar. A short walk away is another pool complex, the Piscinas Bernat Picornell, which hosts naked nights and 'film & swim' evenings during the Grec festival (Jul-Aug). Both cost €5.30 for the day and are a great way to cool off from the heat of the city.

Piscina Municipal de Montjuic: opposite the Parc de Montjuic funicular station. Piscinas Bernat Picornell: further up the hill on Avinguda de l'Estadi, almost directly under the spiral white tower of the Torré Telefónica.

Av. Miramar, 31, Barcelona - 08038
archivo.marca.com/natacion/mundial2003/sedes_montjuic.html

Google map: tinyurl.com/398nmvs

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An international group of locals and expats who meet twice a week to socialise, practice their Spanish or English and exchange tips on Barcelona.

Don't watch TV in your hotel, meet the locals (Barcelonians and expats). Socialise and get all the insiders' info you could never get from a guide book. Every person is a walking, talking, up-to-date guide book. Ask and we shall answer!

The group meets at least twice a week. For all the details check out their website: www.englishoasiscafe.com

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Ten-storey-high castles made from humans are built upwards into the blue hot skies. A little five year old shimmies up the concentrated mass of bodies, straddles the top section and raises one hand in the air while a massive burst of cheering and applause breaks free from the Catalan crowd. This is one of the stunning traditions celebrated regularly in Catalonia. The company, culTOURa, runs tours to these events from Barcelona centre.

tel: (+34) 93 473 1731; email: info@cultourabcn.com;
www.cultourabcn.com

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