Even though most of Barcelona is busy celebrating LA MERCÈ today, working outside the city center means business as usual for us. LA MERCÊ is an official city holiday, that has been celebrated since 1871. The festivity has religious origins and honours the Lady of Grace, the patron Saint of Barcelona.

Actually, the celebration has been going on for a few days already, with different concerts and many cultural & artistic events. Today the most visible part of the celebration, will be the Giant parades, human towers, the fountain show at Montjuic and of course, the fireworks. Tonight, the sky of Barcelona, will be lit up with beautiful colours, a crowd-pleaser without doubt.

LA Mercè can also give you the opportunity to taste some great local wine, as we are in the middle of harvest now. The cellars use the festivities to expose the best of wine and cava so we can all make a toast for the Lady Mercè herself; Salud!!!

If you want to catch a glimpse of Spanish traditions, you’ll probably have a chance if you happen to be in the country this week. A lot of villages and also neighborhoods start their FIESTA MAYOR today, which can include parades, concerts, decorations, street food & fairs, fireworks, giants and human towers.

There is no entrance fee for these street festivities, and anybody can join, but each village or neighborhood have their own program. The biggest events are likely to happen today, as tomorrow is bank holiday in Spain, and the celebrations play a big part in the cultural and social life of the locals.

One of the most famous neighborhood parties happen in Gracia (BCN) where the streets are decorated, crafted by residents, from recycled materials. Each street gets a special theme and a jury will decide who has done the best job. It’s likely to be a crowdy business, if you decide to go, but you’ll see it’s worth it, once you get there.

Let the celebrations begin!

July is, without a doubt, the month for Summer music festivals in Spain. Next week one of the biggest festivals takes place in Barcelona, the 24^th edition of Sonar. This is where creativity and technology meet music and you are able to dance the night away together with the most famous names in the industry.

Going on, as we speak, is MAD COOL in Madrid and Bilbao BBK Live, which will be followed by Barcelona Beach Festival, gathering some of the greatest DJs in the world. FIB in Benicàssim draws a huge crowd combining beach, sun and festival living, and you’ll find artists like Lana del Rey, George Ezra and Franz Ferdinand, on this edition’s repertoire.

If you are into Jazz, San Sebastian might be the place to go towards the end of the month, when Jazzaldia lands in this beautiful city. International & local musicians awaits the attendance of Jazz-lovers from all over the world.

We can’t wait to take you to your next festival experience in Spain, so please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

This weekend we celebrate “la Verbena de San Juan” in Spain, which is a festivity taking place on the night of the 23^rd of June. The shortest night of the year has a special traditional significance, through 3 different symbols; Fire, Water and Herbs.

• The fire symbolizes purity and bonfires can be seen both in town squares and on the beach.
• The water symbolizes healing, and the tradition says it has a special effect to take a swim, at midnight.
• The herbs symbolize remedy and some claim that the ones picked on the night of San Juan, has an enhanced curative effect.

All in all, it’s a festive tradition, where family and friends come together to eat, drink and dance all night. By midnight fireworks and loud firecrackers can be seen and heard around the cities and along the beaches. It’s an electric atmosphere, topped off by eating “La coca de San Juan”, a cake in different varieties. The following day, 24^th of June is a public holiday, spent to clean up the streets and beaches from last night partying and maybe heal that hangover with some fresh herbs;-)

Buena verbena, everybody!

Motor lovers have an important date in Barcelona this weekend. The F1 racetrack can be found a 35 minute drive from the city center and this year’s 29th edition will be packed with adrenaline and excitement, like every year before. The F1 festival, in addition to speed, will also bring other activities for the fun of the fan. Local music and culture, for all audiences, goes hand in hand with the celebration of motor sport, which is broadcasted all over the world, of course.

The track is also available for events and for company incentive activities, including the chance to drive top notch vehicles or a Formula 1 car. If you don’t like to get behind the wheel, it’s also possible to hit the tracks on bike or simply get a guided tour through the facilities, like the paddock, the podium or the briefing room.

Good luck to the racers and may the best one win!

Today we celebrate St. Jordi, the patron saint of Catalunya. It’s not a public holiday, but a romantic tradition, much like Valentine’s Day. The streets are filled with roses wrapped in the ribbon of the Catalan flag and book stands, coinciding with The World Book Day.  Today, women are supposed to receive a rose and men, a book, even though it doesn’t necessarily have to be from your partner. It can just as well be from a co-worker or friend, or from children to their parents.

The legend of St. Jordi (St. George) is the same as the one told worldwide, where the knightly hero saves the princess and her village from a terrorizing dragon.

The main streets of Barcelona are crowded today, with a festive feeling and lots of couples strolling, with books and roses. Don’t miss the chance to get in that romantic mood!

Between the 5 -12th of May, one of Seville’s biggest, yearly events takes place. The week-long celebration of La feria de Sevilla, has been marked in the calendars of the locals for a long time, and it’s soon time to dust off their flamenco dresses and hit the streets.

Every day, in the afternoon, the city’s streets fill up with horse carriages, kids and adults in traditional dresses, and tourists can come and take part in this unique event. During the afternoon and early evening, it is customary to spend time with family and friends, enjoy local exhibitions, ferris wheels and local dishes, such as Pescadito Frito (small, fried fish). In the evening, when the youngest part of society are tucked in their beds, the big party starts. In private tents sat up along Guadalquivir river, called Casetas, partying and dancing will continue until late hours.

We can help you to be a part of this magic event! Contact us for help with accommodation, transfer and tips!

Sevilla, here we come! Ole!

We recently posted on our Instagram, some pictures from one of this season’s Calçotada. This is a Catalan custom which takes place during spring, when the barbeque season begins. The “Calçot” is a vegetable that resembles a leek but taste more like a mild onion.

Calçots are grilled on an open flame, until they seem burned, then wrapped in newspaper and finally served on a terra cotta tile. This is a traditional appetizer, that can be quite messy to eat. First you peel off the burned part, then you dip in a delicious almond and tomato sauce and finally you eat the tender parts. In restaurants you often get a bib and a pair of gloves, to stay somewhat clean, but on a countryside barbeque, you better not wear your best clothes. After all the peeling and dipping, it’s time to dig in some grilled meat, often lamb chops and sausages accompanied with white beans.  Do you want to join us for the next Calçotada?

We are in the middle of Chinese New Year celebration. But did you know that the service sector, in Barcelona, also count the year different from the Roman calendar? The world’s largest exhibitions for the wireless industry, open their doors from the 25^th until the 28^th of February. Here they will present the latest news and innovations for more than 100.000 professionals and tech lovers, from over 200 countries across the globe.

The exhibition actually sets the date for when the season/year begins and ends for the tourist sector in Barcelona. We, quite literally, count the year from GSM to GSM. If a new hotel or restaurant is to open, it needs to be done before GSM, if refurbishing is on the agenda, it needs to be finished before GSM. More than 10,000 official taxis will work 24h to reduce the endless lines of people, at the airport – and trust us, it is almost impossible to find an available taxi in town during these dates!

Barcelona’s contract to host the event ends in 2023, but with the ever-increasing reliance to wireless technology, we hope they will continue to consider our city for many years to come. If not, we might have to go back to the old, boring calendar.

Happy (GSM) New Year!!!