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

“Because of EU security restrictions on travellers taking liquid on flights, only those people who had bought drinks in the air-side of the terminal were carrying water with them.

Cabin crew told them they were unable to offer service from the drinks trolley because the products were marked as duty-free, and would be taxable if consumed before take-off.”

This does seem like a wholly uncomfortable way to spend six hours. Why on earth did Ryanair board the aircraft when they were expecting a three hour delay, which was later extended?

Read “Ryanair passengers left without food or water for six hours” at The Herald

“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

“Mary-Ann Gallagher recommends a trip to Barcelona for its streetlife, culture and tapas cuisine.”

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

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. Check out the video below for FC Barcelona Tickets.

Check out the availability of FC Barcelona Tickets from Simply Barcelona Tickets.

“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 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 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

“From this week on, and until the end of the month, stalls on the Rambla that are licensed to sell animals will start moving over to a new line of business, selling gift items as well as quality and protected designation of origin (PDO) goods. Four of these stalls will be starting the new line of business from July. “

So says an article on the official Barcelona website, signalling an end to this cruel practice. Birds and other animals are kept in small cages and locked in their stalls overnight.

Read “The Rambla’s bird stalls change their niche” on BCN.cat

With a variety of international cuisines to choose from, including local Spanish and Catalan dishes, foodies will love Barcelona, as will anyone liking fresh fish available and seafood.

Take a look at the video below for more information.

Watch “Barcelona Restaurants & Food” on the YouTube channel of www.TravelGuide.TV