Found this online 3 day guide to Barcelona
DAY 1: BARRI GÒTIC AND LA RAMBLA
Start your day with a cortado at your local café, and head down to the Plaça de Catalunya, the nerve center of Barcelona and home to Barcelona's biggest shopping venues. El Corte Inglès is Spain's mega-market, peddling everything from clothes to CDs and books — it even has a travel agent! Nearby Zara is Spain's answer to the Gap. If you aren't carrying too many bags, visit the Palau de la Música Catalana (C/ Sant Francesc de Paula, 2; +34-93/295-72-00;
www.palaumusica.org), just down from the Plaça, for a tour of the Modernist masterpiece. The music hall's inverted stained-glass dome is not to be missed. Advance tickets are required; buy them at the box office or check with your concièrge. For lunch, enjoy classic Catalan dishes at the nearby Els Quatre Gats (Carrer Montsiò 3 bis; +34-93/302-4240; entrées: 13-25 EUR), a beautifully restored Modernist café best known as the venue of Picasso's first art show in 1900.
After lunch, head back to the hotel for a siesta — nothing's open in the mid-afternoon anyway. Once refreshed, head back to the Plaça de Catalunya and take a relaxing stroll down the famous La Rambla, the tree-lined boulevard that carves a jagged line through the heart of Barcelona. Admire the various street vendors selling everything from books to birds, but keep a watchful eye open — La Rambla is infamous for pickpockets and gypsies. The Rambla's open-air cafés can be a nice place to stop and people-watch, but the food is generally overpriced and mediocre. Note the Canaletes Fountain (a drink insures you'll return to Barcelona), the teeming Boquería food market, and the Miró-designed pavement, Take a detour through the twisty streets of the Barri Gòtic and poke your head into the Cathedral (Avinguda Catedral; +34-93/315-1554), in all its gothic splendor. Continue meandering through the Barri Gòtic and on to the adjacent Borne district, full of galleries, shops and funky restaurants. It's Barcelona's answer to SoHo in New York. Again, be careful of pickpockets.
DAY 2: MARKETS AND MODERNISMBegin your day at — you guessed it — Plaça de Catalunya, and stroll up the Passeig de Gràcia through the Eixample, enjoying some of the finest window shopping anywhere. Even with the stronger dollar, Spain can still be expensive, especially for clothes. Here you'll find upscale boutiques as well as in the chic mall Bulevard Rosa (Passeig de Gràcia 53-55;
www.bulevardrosa.com), an arcade with men's and women's fashions, shoes, leather goods, jewelry, and gifts. Nearby Rambla de Catalunya is also a paradise for shoppers (or window shoppers, depending on your budget); designer Antonio Miró's showcase, Groc (Rambla Catalunya 100), features trendy fashions; his outlet (Carrer Consell de Cent 349-351) has a great selection for women.
The Eixample is also home to a myriad of Modernist buildings, most notably those by the city's greatest architect, Antonio Gaudí. You'll first encounter Casa Batlló (Passeig de Gràcia 43), with its fishscale-like roof tiles. The $15 entrance ticket to Gaudí's La Pedrera (Passeig de Gràcia 92) includes a tour, but the highlight is the rooftop of abstract chimneys, like an alien landscape, from which you can steal views of the Sagrada Familia (Plaça Sagrada Familia; +34-93/455-0247;
www.sagradafamilia.org), Gaudí's unfinished church. A trip to the church is recommended, but as it is a work in progress, there is little to see inside.
For lunch, grab a quick bite to go at the Catalan version of McDonald's: Pans & Co., scattered throughout the city. Hip and spotless, they serve sandwiches, salads, and gazpacho. Take your sandwich and a cab up to Parc Güell (Carrer Olot, up the giant escalator from Av. Hospital Militar), Gaudí's crowning creation, with its own phantasmagoric plaza (with a great view) and a spectacular entrance. Stroll the grounds, or just hang out and people-watch for the afternoon.
DAY 3: GET HIGH!For a change, do not start your day on the Plaça de Catalunya (unless you're staying there); rather, fetch a cab and get thee to Montjuïc, a hill above the city with great views of the port. There you will find two parks, the Jardins Mossèn Costa i Llobera, with a large cactus and succulent collection, and Jardins Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer, with over 100,000 plants year-round. Don't miss the Fundació Joan Miró (Parc de Montjuïc; +34-93/329-1908), housing over 200 paintings and nearly as many sculptures by the 20th-century Catalan abstractionist. A highlight i s Calder's Fountain of Mercury (1937) which recirculates five-and-a-half tons of mercury. Lunch options are few in Montjuïc, though the café at the Fundació Joan Miró is not bad and fairly reasonably priced. You may want to pack in another sandwich from Pans & Co. Take the funicular up to the Castell de Montjüic, the fortress perched atop the hill, for sweeping vistas of Barcelona and the coast. If you're still hankering for an outdoor ramble, descend to the Parc de la Ciutadella, the largest in the city, with tree-lined paths, an enormous fountain, a lake, and the Barcelona Zoo. Or, for the best view of the city, head up Tibidabo, easily reached by public transportation
Evening falls, and it's back to Punto for the nightly fix of drinks and party planning. For dinner, Citrus (El Passeig de Gracia 44; +34-93/487-2345; $8-18) is right down the street from La Pedrera and still within easy reach of the activities in the Gaixample. Situated on the second floor and boasting large windows, Citrus offers great views of the main street.
Labels: barcelona, New Year
A message from R Swipe about Barcelona
Please sir, can I recommend a tapas bar, sir, please, please sir?
Bar Celta. It's in a little side street just off on your right at the harbour end of the Ramblas. They do a stonking Gallician cider there (you can only buy it by the bottle - always a good sign!) and there's a beautiful old chrome horseshoe bar with all the food on little dishes under the glass - you just point at what you want. I haven't been back to Barca for about ten years but this place is bound to still be there. Also go to the Gaudi designed parc that overlooks the city. Stunning views. Are you there for Wednesday's game? Should be a fantastic atmosphere!!Well these recommendations are exactly what we are looking for and if you have any more Mr Swipe - please do be forthcoming.
Don't know about the game. I'm a gay you see - us types don't know about these sporty things - but Jonny and Alan and Richard will be able to enlighten us all - are we going to be there for the games?
Mr Swipe I will be pleased to go to Bar Celta and have my photograph taken swilling Gallician cider as a tribute to you and you will see them here on THIS VERY SITE - that I promise not only you but the entire Fredordead community or my name isn't Freddy Matchett.
Labels: barcelona, richard
New Burning Question. Please Vote
Fact of the Day
The human intestine, if taken out and measured with a ruler, would no longer work properly.
The Diary of Ann Frank (Continued)
Jan 8th 1945
Franked a whopping 853 letters today- library book reminders mostly and about 28 letters of rejection for applicants who wanted a job at Blockbuster in Surrey.
I hate this attic. Earlier today I found an old mouldy raisin which cheered me up.
Jan 9th 1945Franked 500 letters today - we have a campaign on at the minute - mostly mailshots to Tesco Clubcard customers.
I really hate this attic. I wish I was a free woman so I could get a publishing deal for this diary
Jan 10th 1945
They're downstairs looking for me. I've switched off my franking machine as a precaution.... wish me luck!!
This article is fictional and completely bizzarre and was entirely made up by Isla and Freddy
New clock
In honour of "24" which is currently being shown on SKY now every Sunday night, I have adopted a 24 style clock. Do you all like it?
Barcelona
In exactly one week I will be in Barcelona. For those who don't know, that's Spanish for Barcelona.
I thought that I would over the next few days post up a few places to go in Barcelona. Not that I expect most people to care, but I'm going to take advice from RSWIPE and post up any old shit here on this very page.
There are at this moment in time 5 people going to Barcelona:
Me
David
Alan
Richard
Jonny.These same people also went to Barcelona this time last year. You've probably all seen the video and bought the G string, so I'll not bore you with that. However it's important to reflect on what we DID last year and what we must make sure we do this year to make it an equally enjoyable but slightly different trip.
Last year we:
1 - Drank (pretty much all the time) - I propose no changes to this item. Drink is essential. It's perhaps how we all survived last year. It's very possible that Barcelona is a toilet of a place and we just didn't notice we were so snottered. Let's leave the drink on the agenda.
2 - Ate (badly mainly except for a visit to a very nice restaurant) Let's cut out Pizza Hut this time around and breakfast in that dirty hotel is not happening again. Some nice restaurants / eateries will be posted up here presently
3 - Went to Sagradad de Familia. This was staggering and I had one of the best days there - but once seen there's no point in going again - do we agree?
4 - Went to Barcelona Cathedral - Again lovely place - no need for a second look
5 - Went to the beach - YES YES YES!! Definately have to go there again - I loved it.
6 - Did Piggy backs through the city at two in the morning - Bad idea NO NO NO!!!7 - Went to Il Clansman - Scottish bar off a dirty side street - YES YES YES!!! Have to go back!!
8 - Tapas bars - yes we should do these but a different one - again I'll post up some options.
9 - The erm "sexy sexy" bars - well.... We'll see! But I shall not be wearing my Homer Simpson boxer shorts this time. You don't catch me out twice....
So people - what else should we do in Barcelona??? Any ideas??Labels: barcelona, richard, video
Whatever....
Want to know how I manage to keep my audience hoodwinked into checking back to me every day? (You know who you are fans).
Want to know what special secret ingredients are used in the batter of my blog that makes my loyal readers reach for me every time they hit their bookmark list?
Then you need to read
THIS article - a concise point by point guide to reaching desired levels of spontaneous creativity.
THEN you need to see
RSWIPE's own version of this guide for additional pointers....
Weddings
If you know anyone who needs music for their wedding, why not mention
THIS CHOIRThis musical group have made themselves available for weddings and are nearly totally booked up in the busy summer period as demand has been so high!
They are really good. I should know. I'm in it!!
Tell all your friends and relatives!!
Picture of the week
I'm not allowed to tell you why, but here is a picture of Freddy getting into an ambulance on Saturday afternoon. Don't worry nothing bad happened and he is fine, and if you want I can tell you the story by e-mail!!!
Here also is a picture of me with a paramedic's "helmet" on my head taken from inside the vehicle....
Where has our Freddy been?
In case you are wondering (not that you probably are) I have been a bit quiet recently.
That's because I was at the annual conference that my employer has every year in Birmingham. I don't want to go into the details of where I work but it's a large telecommunications firm and this conference was a BIG deal!
They must have spent a bloody FORTUNE!
There were 600 delegates and the hall was massive. It was all multi platformed set and interactive keypads on seats with televistion cameras and microphones - it was more like appearing on Oprah Winfrey than going to a work thing. VERY scary as you felt at any second they might shove a microphone under your face and ask you something in front of 600 big wigs.
Near the end they had an awards ceremony, and as some of you know I was one of 5 people nominated for the UK Customer Service Ambassador award. The prize was two nights at the Ritz in London for me and Freddy, and I would have loved to have reported to him and to you that I got it but some other bitch did!! However I really was delighted to be nominated - out of all those employees we have (Thousands in the UK), it was quite a big deal.
Once the evangelist style speeches and back slapping were all over, we had to get changed into DJ's and black dresses and go to the "Gala Dinner". This it was really over the top - fabulous. They had dinner entertainment in the form of this "Stomp" style group who banged percussion in a tribal style in crazy outfits - really breathtaking stuff. Also a Trio of opera singers who were dressed up as chefs and who came out into the audience with microphones and made people sing!
Then after the meal "DJ SPOONIE" (From BBC Radio One) took over and rocked the hall - by that stage I was so plastered that I didn't know where I was. DJ sSpoonie is pictured right with my boss and the NI Sales manager - my boss is on the left and "Spoonie" is in the middle!
Meanwhile, I had befriended someone from credit control in england called Laura Doda (whose name rhymes with Voda) and I was trailing her round the place and having a great time!! She and her friend were gorgeous and all the men wanted her but they were draped round me cos that's what wee poofs do!! My male colleagues from NI suddenly started showing a great interest in finding out how I was getting on......
The following morning - not so good. Agonising head and a flight home to face. They still wanted us to come back for a few more lectures and they kicked these off at 10.00 with a woman who got us all singing and clapping. She made us sing (with thumpingly full hangovers) a reworked version of Queen's "One vision" with the words changed round to be all about teamwork and goal achieving in the work place. It really was like something out of "The Office" and it was surreal and
here is a very short but you will agree very bizarre flavour of that.
I had a ball overall even though I am too cynical to buy into the whole message of "One big happy family" - but Christ I wouldn't want to be the man who signs off the expenses sheet...
Brokeback Mountain Glasgow style
Thanks to Katrina for this
Mama Mia
Some people have been asking me how I got on at Mama Mia - I completely forgot to tell you.
The above is the only picture I took. Mainly because I was too hammered to remember to take any more!!
The show (as I recall) was fab. We WERE in a corporate box and there WAS free drink all night so ..... put it like this, the first act is fresher in my memory than the second....
The venue was huge and the actors seemed tiny. Every time they spoke they had to make some very large gesture so that the audience could tell who was speaking. This was rather distracting and kind of stretched the suspension of belief lines for me - however I suppose it's not supposed to be a Pinter play - it is a musical. Also there was a bit of flat singing from the pretty boy male lead - but I suspect he was hired for his chest and not his voice...
All in all a very hilarious night however and as camp as it gets frankly. What bowled me over was all the big gruff men with their wives singing and clapping along to Waterloo and Dancing Queen! What is happening to the world?
Dust (Don't ask - won't tell)
Jenny my younger sister... at her Formal!!
Labels: family
My weekend was boring.
An exciting thing has happened to me already today. My boss was in London at the weekend and bought me this lovely mug, which I now share with you all.
Thankyou for the music...
Tonight I am going to see Mama Mia in the
Odyssey - my employers have reserved a corporate box and given me a ticket!!
I'm really excited. I will let you know how I got on. THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL!!
Labels: Odyssey
Wake me up!! Before you Go Go!!!
Some of you know this already but I am quite excited at the moment because I have just been promoted. I was actually promoted in January but due to various internal reasons was not allowed to tell anyone until some other people were pacified. So it only really officially went through this month and now everyone knows I can tell you my gorgeous reader!!
In addition to this I have been nominated for an award so I will be going off to a black tie ceremony next week as our company has it's annual Gala Dinner. That's quite an honour so I'm chuffed.
So to celebrate this "double whammy", above is a picture of Wham, a rather well known 80's boy band.
Announcement about my Job!!
As you all know I am extremely happy in my job. However I have my sights set on a new job and I can't tell anyone in work for various reasons.
However I can put it on here so you can all advise me on whether you think it would be a good place to work. I also feel sure it is the perfect place for me to realise and evolve all of my killer deliverables
HERE is the link. What do you reckon??
Some people have been asking me recently what a DOUCHE BAG actually is. Please feel free to
follow this link should you need clarification.When you next feel tempted to call someone a "Douche Bag" - this is what you are actually calling them
Hope this helps.
Today's caption competition...
Bucking Bunny
I have to give full credit to
SMITHY for unearthing this one (otherwise he will cry like a baby)
In honour of the Director ANG LEE getting a nod from the Academy, this is the 30 second version of
Brokeback Mountain with main characters played by little bunnies. Click the picture above and turn the sound up but make sure your boss is not about....
Labels: smithy
Bon Voyage
Bon voyage to Richard and Susan who are going away on holiday tomorrow to Gran Canaria. Have a great time guys and see you soon - and no sex please we're British.
Labels: richard, Susan
If you buy one album this year - only one (and let's face it there are not a lot of albums these days that make you want to reach for your wallet) Then I ask you to consider the voice of
Cara Dillon. Her new album "After the Morning" is simply sensational.
Cara is from Northern Ireland, (Dungiven I believe) and I have a thing about Dungiven. I used to have a call there when I worked as a DVD rep. I used to call into the large MSVC supermarket there once a week (yeah right) and do business with the manageress there who was called Madonna. She was one of the funniest woman I have ever met - she had a thick accent which I could never fully make out so I would go on fragments of sentances and hope for the best. It was hilarious and after a difficult start we ended up really hitting it off. So as a complete alien to Dungiven (a really small town set on a very high mountain road) I was given a great impression. When I hear Cara sing I think of Dungiven and Madonna in that hellish supermarket running around multi-tasking and communicating with 10 people at a time and I smile...
Her album can be found
hereLabels: New Year, Northern Ireland
Cut out and keep map of the London Underground
Today's Caption Competition
Bare Bums on a hilltop?? Award winning craftsmanship?? Bloody poofters.
Now I know that there are many many sites banging on about the Oscars in a much more informed and detailed way than I ever could, but I thought I would provide a FLASH CARD guide to what is going to be going down on Sunday. Firstly all you need to know is that Bareback Mountain is widely believed to be the leading contender so expect a clean sweep for the cowboys. I really hope Crash gets best picture but I don't think it will. However go and see it immediately - I've told you about this film before. Anyway here are all the nominees for you for all the categories that matter and my prediction. Who do you think will win what?
Best picture Brokeback Mountain
Crash
Good Night, and Good Luck
Munich
Capote (My prediction)
Best director Steven Spielberg - Munich
Ang Lee - Brokeback Mountain (My Prediction)Paul Haggis - Crash
Bennett Miller - Capote
George Clooney - Good Night, and Good Luck
Best actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
David Strathairn - Good Night, and Good Luck
Heath Ledger - Brokeback Mountain
Joaquin Phoenix - Walk the Line (My prediction)Terrence Howard - Hustle and Flow
Best actress Dame Judi Dench - Mrs Henderson Presents (My prediction)Felicity Huffman - Transamerica
Charlize Theron - North Country
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
Keira Knightley - Pride and Prejudice
Best supporting actress Rachel Weisz - The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams - Brokeback Mountain (My prediction)Frances McDormand - North Country
Amy Adams - Junebug
Catherine Keener - Capote
Best supporting actor George Clooney - Syriana
Jake Gyllenhaal - Brokeback Mountain (My prediction)Paul Giamatti - Cinderella Man
Matt Dillon - Crash
William Hurt - A History of Violence
Best animated feature film Howl's Moving Castle
Corpse Bride
Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (My prediction)
Best original screenplay Crash (My prediction)Good Night, and Good Luck
Match Point
The Squid and the Whale
Syriana
Best music (score)
Brokeback Mountain
The Constant Gardener
Memoirs of a Geisha
Munich
Pride and Prejudice
Best music (song) In the Deep - Crash
It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp - Hustle and Flow
Travelin' Thru - Transamerica
Best documentary feature Darwin's Nightmare
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
March of the Penguins
Murderball
Street Fight
Best visual effects
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
King Kong (Dead Cert and my prediction)War of the Worlds
Best cinematography Batman Begins
Brokeback Mountain (My prediction)Goodnight, and Good Luck
Memoirs of a Geisha
The New World
Best costume design
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (My prediction)Memoirs of a Geisha
Mrs Henderson Presents
Pride and Prejudice
Walk The Line
Best make-up The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Cinderella Man
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (My prediction)
