And more!

And still some more!

More great reviews in Toursbylocals!

I've decided to start copying here all the reviews I get on Toursbylocals, so you can consult them easily. Here you have a few:

Picasso in front of Degas

Last week was inaugurated the temporary exhibit Picasso in front of Degas at the Picasso Museum. Today I'm spending my rare afternoon off enjoying it and I can't stress enough how much I've loved it.
Although belonging to different generations, they were once neighbors in Montmartre (Paris) and had friends in common - but there is no evidence they ever met. Anyway, Degas was always a reference for Picasso until his late days.
Don't miss the comparisons of each artist visions of dancers and bathing ladies, and the (scandalous!) sense of humor of Picasso portraying Degas amongst prostitutes in his series of engravings.

http://www.museupicasso.bcn.cat

Show on until January 16th, 2011.
Do you want to learn more? Follow my Picasso Tour!
Enviado desde mi dispositivo BlackBerry® de Orange.

Shopping for your beauty

I had had this post in mind for a while, and here it is! Were should you go to buy all those beautiful cosmetics to indulge yourself?
I have a list of my favorite places in town.

Let's start with http://www.alqvimia.com, a Spanish brand of luxury ecologic cosmetics that combine the latest technologies with the ancient parfumerie tradition. They have an Alqvimia Beauty Space in Barcelona, and you can also find their unique products in selected stores and spa's.

Then here is an usual proposal: the Lda. Teresa Castells pharmacy. This very centric pharmacy opening for long hours in the city center has also its own line of cosmetic products that use high-end products such as gold and pearl to take care of your skin.

Also in the city center is Perfumeria Regia, an elegant parfum store that keeps a fun secret inside: the Museum of Parfum!

In the Old Town, you can also find a store of the famous Santa Maria Novella, oldest parfum shop and lab in Europe. The original one opened in Florence in 1221! And in its Barcelona headquarters you can also buy some of their most renowned and glamourous products.

And finally, if you are adventurous enough to move off the beaten track, take a taxi ride to the High Zone and visit http://www.thecosmeticoh.com. In this recently open parfum boutique you'll find trend-setter cosmetic products and limited editions. A must for all beauty-aholics!

Enjoy your shopping!
And remember I can take you to all these places in a customized shopping tour!

48h Open House Barcelona

This weekend many remarkable buildings in town open their doors to share its architecture and history with the locals. A great opportunity to enter places that are often just seen from the outside.

Being so busy with tours, I could only manage to save one morning and now I'm in the 22@ district with my architect friend Eva enjoying the latest architectural projects in town. We've been so far in the refurbished old factory of Can Framis, now housing the fascinating collection of contemporary painting of the Fundacio Vilacasas (http://www.fundaciovilacasas.com), now we are waiting for the tour in Indra to start and later we'll go to the Mediatic headquarters. What an exciting morning!

Next year they'll be repeating it and I'm not missing it! More info: http://www.48hopenhousebarcelona.org

Do you want to discover more local Contemporary Architecture? Take my Contemporary Architecture tour!
Enviado desde mi dispositivo BlackBerry® de Orange.

Beautiful food at Fonda Gaig... and we met the chef!

Today I'm writing so many posts! But these last weeks have been so busy I had no time for the blog, sorry about that!

Well last month I showed the city to a delightful couple from Singapore, the Kraipun, and their lovely friend from London, Ms. House. They were clients of one agency specialised in wine and food travel that relies in my whenever they need a guide in Barcelona: Cellar Tours.

On our first day we visited the Gaudí sites, then had lunch in a great modern bistrot: Fonda Gaig, second restaurant of the Michelin-Starred chef Carles Gaig. We ate a delicious selection of Catalan cooking, and had the pleasure to meet the chef at the end of the meal. Can't wait to go there again!



Are you a foody? Take one of my Gourmet Tours!

The Sagrada Familia is getting ready for the Pope!

Altar and chandelier

This last months there is been lots of news at the Sagrada Familia. The Pope Benedict XVI is coming to inaugurate and consacrate the inside on November 7th, and they are hurrying to have the naves nice and ready for his visit!

In a short perior of time I've seen how the last scaffolding remaining inside have been dismantled (of course, outside there is still a lot going on!), the final pavement placed, and lots of new details added: decoration in the skylights, stained-glasses around the altar, lamps at the capitals of the columns... and my favorite: the Christ and a gorgeous chandelier with crystal grapes hanging over the altar.

Lifting up skylight decorations

I love to see new things everytime I go in!
Plus now it's easier to see the architects, that otherwise are working in their office. Here you see the Head Architect, Mr. Bonet (the one holding the helmet).


For more information on the Pope's visit (site in Catalan and Spanish).

Feedback from Samuel Gould

Samuel Gould booked me through one of the sites where I advertise my tours. Here is the letter he sent me after visiting Barcelona with me:

Marta:

We all want to thank you for a truly outstanding tour yesterday. You are interesting, knowledgeable, informative and, equally important both fun and engaging. One of our best tours anywhere and we have traveled lots with many tour guides.

I sent the booking company an outstanding recommendation for you and Ilissa passed along your email and phone information to a former classmate currently traveling in Spain.

Thank you so much for an excellent day!

Sam

Here is his review in Toursbylocals. I copied what I could see on the screen, however I'm afraid the site deletes them after a few months so their visitors can read only the latest reviews, so it might be substitued by other posts in the future...

The MNAC is in the street!

Walking around Barcelona you might be surprised to see pictures of Catalan paintings placed somewhere that has some connection with the subject of the painting. For instance, beside the gorgeous Gratacós fabric store in Passeig de Gràcia stands a colorfully dressed Granada girl by Anglada Camarassa. Or next to the city council in Plaça Sant Jaume, the gothic retable of the Verge dels Consellers (Madonna of the Counselers) by Lluís Dalmau. All of the paintings can be seen in their original version at the MNAC, but at the Museum they have decided to bring their collections to the street so everyone can enjoy them as they walk around the city. What a wonderful idea!
If you want to discover where the pictures have been placed, check it out here!

Thank you letter from the Barel

Last week Itai Barel and his son Yotam came to Barcelona, and Míriam and I showed them around:

On their first day I took them visiting the Gaudí sites, then the second day Míriam took them to the Old Town, left them at some great restaurant for lunch, and in the afternoon I took them shopping: they loved the shoes at Panama Jack! Then on Wednesday they managed to avoid the Spain General Strike and visited the Dalí Museum and Montjuïc with Míriam, who was also with them on their last day in town.

Here is the letter they have just sent us:

Dear Marta and Miriam,

We would like to thank you both for the interesting and wonderful time we had in Barcelona.

Your guiding was excellent and both of us learnt a lot on Barcelona Catalunia Spain ( and Franko- this is to Miriam).

In addition the time with both of you was very pleasant.

Again thank you very much and hope to see you some day again.

Yotam and Itai Barel