Heels & Skirts

picture of the day - :)

2011-10-11T00:23:00.001+01:00

Barcelona - photos

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map of Barcelona

Casa Batlló

La Pedrera

Sagrada Familia

Parc Guell

Las Ramblas

The National Museum of Art of Catalonia

Port Vell

Plaça Catalunya

Arc de Triomf

Camp Nou

Panoramic View

Barcelona - Quick guide

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Barcelona is the passionate capital of Catalonia, an unforgettable city of art, culture and beauty. Gaudi's works, museums, concerts and FC Barcelona’s football team homeland. Walk along the Ramblas to enjoy street musicians, living statues, hustlers and just plain loonies. Hop onto the Tramvia Blau for a tram trip up to the top of Tibidabo and take in the magnificent sights of the city below you. Shop along the Passeig de Gracia, at the most well known boutiques in Barcelona.

Have a sunset drink at a chiringuito bar on the Barceloneta beach, then after dark, join the locals for pub crawling at the Barri Gotic for a huge selection of tapas bars, wine bars, cocktail lounges and even Irish pubs! Now that you've worked up an appetite, head for El Born where you'll find the finest in new catalonian cuisine.

City Information:

Population: 1.6 million
Currency: Euro €
Language: Catalan and Spanish
Opening hours: Usually 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday – Friday with some variations. Many establishments have the same opening hours on Saturdays and some open until lunchtime on Sundays. Shopping centres and many large stores do not close for lunch/siesta.
Emergency numbers: 112 all emergencies / 092 local police / 061 medical emergencies

Getting There:

The easiest way to get to Barcelona is by airplane. But watch out with the different companies. Easyjet, Vueling, Condor, Air Berlin, Niki and others flies to Barcelona El Prat airport, which is the principal airport in Barcelona, and can reach the city by bus, train and taxi or if you have a higher budget, use our private transport directly to your hotel in less than 30 minutes. Ryanair, probably the cheapest one, flies to the Girona or Reus airports. From there you need to take a bus (one way aprox. 12€) that takes about 1:10 hours and leaves you at the Estacio del Nord.

Check our flight search engine for the best value flight to come to Barcelona, including all low cost companies.

Moving around – Transportation:

Walking: ok and obvious, but also the best way to visit the Old Town, Gothic quarter streets, the old fisherman’s village of Barceloneta and the beach, the fantastic Palau de la Musica Catalana in the Borne district, leading you all the way over to the garden of Barcelona – La Cuitadella . This is a huge part of Barcelona and is a really great way to spend a day, believe me.
Buses and Metro: Metro stations are the best way to move around and the fastest way. You can buy a 2 day (11.20€) or 3 day (15.90€) tickets. You can combine the metro with the bus system, and the new "tranvía". With the public transportation system, you will save time, money and will be more ecological. For a global visit, we recommend to use the Bus Turistic, that has 2 different routes and visits the major tourist places in Barcelona. Also called the Hop-on Hop-off Bus.
Car Rental: If you will be visiting for a few days and have limited time, do not bother renting a car. Otherwise you can rent a car to go outside the city and visit the Costa Brava, Montserrat or other places worth if you have the time and already visited Barcelona. Also, the Barcelona Card gives nice discounts on transportation and museums.

What to Visit (do no miss!)

Museums & Monuments

Sagrada Familia: Gaudi's unachieved cathedral

Address : Sicilia, 286 / Phone : 00 34 932073031

La Pedrera – An impressive Gaudi building at the Passeig de Gracia

Address : C. Provença, 261-265. / Phone : 00 34 93 484 59 00

Santa Maria del Mar : XIV century Gothic Church with famous stained glass windows.

Address : Plaça de Santa Maria

MACBA : Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona

Address : Pl. dels Angels, 1. ( el Raval) / Phone :00 34 93 412 08 10

Picasso Museum (La Ribera, El Born)

Address : C. Montcada, 15-23 / Phone : 93 319 63 10

Areas to walk & visit

Las Ramblas & Gothic Quarter

Port Vell, Barceloneta & Port Olimpic

Interesting

Nou Camp : The F.C. Barcelona football team Stadium

Address: Avinguda Aristides Maillol, s/n

Restaurants by budget:

Very low-cost restaurants from 10 to 15€

Typically Catalan… Often tapas or worker menu (fixed price menu).

El QuimIn the Boqueria market, on the Rambla. Delicious tapas for your lunchtime stop..

Phone:+34 93 301 98 10

Ès: In the Raval area, this little restaurant has a very fine 10 Euro menu!

Address: Carrer del Doctor Dou, 14

Phone: +34 933 185 865

Restaurants at low-cost 15-30€

Quality menus that includes wine, or very good bargain restaurants.

Cuines Santa CaterinaThis restaurant offers 4 different types of kitchens: Asian, Mediterranean, Italian and vegetarian in the beautiful market Santa Caterina. Not to miss.

Address: Avinguda de Francesc Cambó, 20

Phone: +33 - 93.268.99.18

Los CaracolesTypical Catalan restaurant specialized in paella and rice..

Address: C/ Escudellers 14

Phone: +34 933 023 185

Average cost restaurants from 30€ to 50€

Very good restaurants… But at the Spanish price!!

Vinya Roel is a restaurant enoteca in Barcelona where you can enjoy traditional catalan recipes in combination with a full wide-ranging list of wines.

Address: C/ Villaroel, 190-192

Phone: +34 93 430 72 79

Cinc SentitsThe Cinc Sentits (Five Senses) is one of the nicest tables in Barcelona. Creative dishes far from traditional flavors but with incredible tastes...

Address: aribau, 58 Phone: +34 93 323 9490

High prices restaurant, over 50€

It is expensive obviously… but it is really an experiment…

AlkimiaJordi Vilà the Chef of Alkimia (alchemy in English) is part of the young guard of the New Catalan cuisine. The best for this experience…

Address: C/ Indústria 79

Phone: +(34) 93 207 6115

Casa CalvetFor the ones in love with Gaudi, the unique experience of having lunch or dinner in a building of the Master: La Casa Calvet.Adventurous Mediterranean kitchen.

Address: Casp, 48

Phone: (+34) 93 412 40 12

Going Out

A Drink

Shhh... No se lo digas a nadie for special quiches and cocktails

Address: C/ Torrijos, 53 / Phone: 93 566 28 93

Macarena Mar Beach Club luxury party in the beach

Address: Port Forum / Phone: 34 933 560 328

Mantra exotic place

Address: Salvà, 21 / Phone: 93 441 59 90

Torre Rosa for the finest mojitos and amazing views..

Address: Francesc Tàrrega, 22 / Phone: 93.340.88.54

Night Out

Night clubs for never ending nights:

Sala Becool best electronic music

Address: Pl. Joan Llongueras, 5 / Phone: 93 362 04 13

Sala Apolo a top of the city, indie and electronic music

Address: Nou de la Ramblal, 113 / Phone: 93 441 40 01

Luz de Gas in the “zona alta “

Address: Muntaner 246 / Phone: 00 34 93 209 77 11

Razzmatazz for the big sound

Address: C/ Almogavers 122

Sala Apolo for Nitsa club and Dj’s

Address: Nou de la Rambla 113 / Phone: 00 93 441 40 01

The Sutton Club for glamorous people

Address: Tuset, 13 / Phone: 93 414 42 17

Hotels:

http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_hotels/hotels_we_recommend_in_barcelona

Beware of:

Violent crime is almost unknown in Barcelona, but bag-snatching and pickpocketing are rife – the former especially occurs in the Old City and on the beach, the latter on public transport and along La Rambla. Leave whatever you can in your hotel, and be ware of anyone trying to clean something off your shoulder or sell you a newspaper. Those wanting to swap a coin for one from your country may also try to empty your wallet.

Chanel Nail Polish ‘April,’ ‘May’ & ‘June’ - Spring 2012

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CHANEL have released the details of their new spring/summer 2012 Les Vernis nail colours, and we can confirm that they're as covetable as ever.

After the pretty yellow Mimosa from spring/summer 2011 and the metallic two-tone Peridot from autumn/winter 2011-12, spring/summer 2012 brings three new shades named April, May and June. April is a rich fuchsia, June a summery tangerine and (our favourite) May is a pretty shell pink.

The colours have only just been created but were in action at the spring/summer 2012 show earlier this week. Also used was a pearly white polish that Chanel Make-Up's creative director Peter Philips created especially for the show, but it has today been announced that it will be released in May 2012, under the name Attraction.

All three spring/summer 2012 polishes will be available from January.

Emma Watson on the cover of 'ELLE' France - October 2011

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EMMA WATSON prances around a studio in her latest editorial feature for 'ELLE' France. Photographed by J. Welters, Watson dons a checkered shirt for the cover and working-woman attire throughout the editorial.

"Short Hair, Sweet Victory!

About a year ago, Harry Potter having just ended, she asked herself what she would really like to do in order to celebrate. Without telling a soul, she went to the hairdressers. She said: “Cut everything.” Obviously, the hairdresser didn’t dare touch Hermione’s hair. She insisted. He cut. “All the experimentation that teens get to do, I couldn’t. At least here I could and did. Short hair, sweet victory!” What do you plan on doing later on? “One day, but really later on, really not any time soon, yes, I’d like to have a family…” She’s also been thinking about writing, she paints… but she is too intelligent to ignore that fact that we can be a little ridiculous saying these things, so she apologizes. She admires Joni Mitchell and Patti Smith. Today, she has an agent, who is here to take Emma wherever she would like, taking into consideration, of course, her meetings and obligations… Bonne Route, smart girl."

@Elle France - October 2011

Style: Leighton Meester

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Leighton Marissa Meester (born April 9, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Meester first garnered attention for playing Blair Waldorf in the CW television series Gossip Girl. She most recently appeared in the 2010 country drama film Country Strong, the 2011 thriller The Roomate, and the 2011 romantic-comedy Monte Carlo.

Sometimes people forget that television is fictional and just because her character Blair Waldorf may quite possibly be one of the best dressed characters on television, that the real life actress may not share the same taste in clothing. Leighton Meester's day to day style choice is a casual style. Many celebrities choose to look like Princess Diana on and off the carpet, but Leighton certainly doesn't share the severe celebrity style that most celebs do.

Casual:

Red Carpet:

Unlike the preppy Upper East Side, the actress prefers less conservative clothing.

Hair Braids

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So easy to do and perfect for the carefree looks of Spring and Summer…

Armani Campaign

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Rihanna strips down to her underwear in a provocative new short film for Armani Jeans. Lit only by the headlights of vintage cars, the ever-changing hair chameleon chose a platinum blond pixie look to pose in this fall’s latest denim pieces, styled with super-sexy lingerie. The pop superstar joins the ranks of
 Megan Fox, Victoria and David Beckham, and Rafael Nadal to represent 
Armani.  