As well as the Gamper Trophy, being played on August 22nd against an as yet undecided team, Barça will also be playing in the Spanish Supercup. This cup is played between the winners [...]]]> This summer FC Barcelona is heading for the USA for a series of friendlies, before returning for business as usual in August.

As well as the Gamper Trophy, being played on August 22nd against an as yet undecided team, Barça will also be playing in the Spanish Supercup. This cup is played between the winners of the Spanish League and the King’s Cup so this year that means yet another two “clasicos” against Real Madrid.

The first leg is on August 14th at the Satntiago Bernabeu, followed by the rteturn leg on the 17th at the Nou Camp:

14 Aug Real Madrid v Barcelona
17 Aug Barcelona v Real Madrid
22 Aug Barcelona v TBA

Tickets for all three matches are available now, while you’ll be able to order FC Barcelona tickets for La Liga when the fixture list is drawn later this month.

Following on from Barça’s fantastic season in which they won the Spanish League and Champions League trophies demand is sure to be high, and with Jose Mourinho going for broke in his second season at Real Madrid it is sure be be a fantastic year!

Mientras los niños jugaban

In the end the vote passed by an absolute majority – [...]]]> Yesterday saw the Catalan parliament vote to ban bullfighting in Catalonia from 2012. However, the move, which was supported by the three main pro-Catalan parties, has been widely condemned in other areas of Spain and is likely to be challenged. The BBC report notes:

In the end the vote passed by an absolute majority – a wider margin of victory than animal rights campaigners had dared hope for.

In fact Catalonia is the second region of Spain to ban bullfighting, the first being the Canaries in the early 1990s. While many see it as an art-form, it is difficult in the 21st century to imagine continuing to allow a practice that involves taunting an animal to get it agitated; wounding it with spears so that blood runs down its back; and finally putting it out of its misery after 20 minutes to cheers of approval from the crowd.

Read Catalonia’s bullfight ban provokes emotional response on the BBC website

“Speaking in London, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said flights to three Irish airports from the UK would [...]]]> Ryanair is blaming the UK government’s air passenger duty for its planned 16% cut in UK winter capacity, saying that it would cut costs and boost profits by moving operations to new bases at Barcelona and Valencia.

“Speaking in London, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said flights to three Irish airports from the UK would be cut significantly this winter unless the Government does away with passenger taxes and reduces Dublin Airport charges.”

The article goes on to say that services at Leeds-Bradford and Edinburgh would not be cut as these airports are working with Ryanair to keep costs down.

Read “Ryanair to cut UK winter capacity by 16%” at The Irish Times

Read “Barcelona, Spain: My kind of town” on The Telegraph

As well as the constructions of Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona was home to Joan [...]]]> Barcelona is the place to go for people looking for a modern city with a strong sense of tradition, the most eccentric architecture ever designed, one of the world’s greatest football teams, and unrivalled choice of options for eating, drinking and nightlife.

As well as the constructions of Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona was home to Joan Miro, and the artistic scene acted as a magnet to the young Picasso – both artists have museums dedicated to their works.

Barcelona has a streak of independence running through its veins that is apparent in all aspects of daily life, but in the years of repression that followed the Spanish Civil War the city lost all self-confidence and Barcelona seemed to be in a terminal state of decay. Its rejuvination can be traced back to the 1992 Olympics, when Barcelona was finally able to escape the shadow of Franco’s dictatorship and shine once more in front of the rest of the world.

The massive increase in tourism only happened after the launch of the no-frills airlines and these airlines, led by easyJet, now dominate the routes to Barcelona. And the addition of direct flights from the United States means that the city has been opened up to visitors from America for the first time.

Why this guide is different

The aim of this guide is to really get under the skin of life in Barcelona and while you can’t escape the sweeping tide of tourism completely, there are many places that have yet to be reached. Rather than offer just the usual tourist advice, we want you to experience life as it really is in Barcelona, by sharing what the locals know from first hand knowledge.

As most visitors spend just 2 or 3 nights in Barcelona, you have little time to waste. So why waste a moment of it if you can afford not to. We’ll show you:-

• How to get there
• Where to find the best deals
• The best hotels
• The different accommodation options
• What to see and do when you get there
• The best time of year to go
• Where to eat and drink

So to get going and learn more about your weekend break in Barcelona, just follow the links to your left. And don’t forget to bookmark us so you can find us again next time.

Don’t forget to see FC Barcelona at the Nou Camp when you visit Barcelona. You can reserve FC Barcelona Tickets online to ensure you don’t miss out – check out the video below

“The destinations bmibaby has confirmed it will be flying to from East Midlands next summer are Alghero, Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Cologne, Dubrovnik, Faro, [...]]]> BMIBaby has announced Barcelona is included in its summer 2011 flight schedule from East Midland Airport. It is among 16 top European destinations offered to travellers between March and October next year.

“The destinations bmibaby has confirmed it will be flying to from East Midlands next summer are Alghero, Alicante, Almeria, Barcelona, Cologne, Dubrovnik, Faro, Geneva, Malaga, Malta, Mahon, Munich, Nice, Palma, Prague and Venice.”

Read “Bmibaby announces East Midlands summer 2011 schedule” at flightmapping.com

“From $57 a day, two weeks in length, on ships supplying all the normal amenities, these are known as “repositioning cruises” because [...]]]> A cruise from Barcelona to San Juan in Puerto Rico features on the list of 20 best travel deals by Arthur Frommer in an article on thestar.com. The recommendation features at #7, noting:

“From $57 a day, two weeks in length, on ships supplying all the normal amenities, these are known as “repositioning cruises” because they move ships in autumn from the Mediterranean, where they are no longer needed, to the Caribbean for the start of the tropical high season. They make several stops in European waters, and then make a lengthy, several-day crossing of the Atlantic (which makes them unpopular), at charges that are marvelously low”

Read “Arthur Frommer’s 20 best travel deals: Hit St. John’s” at thestar.com

The article in Travel [...]]]> SinceJune 24th Spanish airline Vueling has been operating a flight between Edinburgh and Barcelona, opening the route up to thousands of Scottish travellers looking to escape to warmer climes. Vueling has three flights per week, in addition to its existing UK operations between London Heathrow and Bilbao, La Coruna and Seville.

The article in Travel Daily News states:

“Edinburgh-originating passengers will also be able to make through connections on to other destinations in the Vueling network from July 5th, when the airline’s connections programme, centred on its Barcelona hub, launches.  Passengers travelling from Edinburgh to Barcelona will be able to book onward flights from Edinburgh (with the convenience of through checking their bags to their ultimate destination) to Alicante, Asturias, Bilbao, Grenada, Ibiza, Malaga, Mallorca, Menorca, Santiago and Seville. Through fares are available to book online at vueling.com.”

Read “Vueling gets set for new Edinburgh-Barcelona route” at Travel Daily News