Flea markets in Barcelona are a great place to shop if you are interested in Barcelona antique, art, clothes or in general second hand „stuff“.

We went to see two of the most interesting Barcelona flea markets and although this way of shopping is very cheap, it still left us broke!

El Flea Market Barcelona – “One man’s garbage is another man´s gold”

That´s the main philosophy of the Flea Market Barcelona, which is organized monthly in the streets of Barcelona. The last one that we visited took place on Plaza Blanquerna just behind the Museu Marítim. The market has an open friendly atmosphere with some nice guitar tunes and people chatting away the afternoon from their little stands with clothes, jewelry, books, LPs, and much more. All the wares must be in good condition and at reasonable prices so I bought 2 bags, 2 scarves and 3 t-shirts, because I just had to have them, and in the end I spent around 10 euros. This place is great for anyone who wants to reduce waste and consumerism, because a longer life is given to products.  Also these Barcelona flea markets are perfect for those who love to hang out on the street and buy original pieces that really can’t be found anywhere else.

You can easily set yourself up as a vendor at the Barcelona flea market as well.  Just contact the organizer, setup your stand and enjoy. There are several reasons to do so, but I liked the story of the boy who sold me the 3 t-shirts for 5 euros. „My girlfriend has so many clothes and there wasn´t any place for me in the wardrobe, so I made her to get rid of some ” I sent her my best greetings and went home quite satisfied about the deal I made.
You will find more info about upcomming markets here www.fleamarketbcn.com.

Largest Barcelona flea market – Mercat dels Encants

If you like this way of shopping you should visit the best known flea market in Barcelona. It´s just enormous and you can get really everything from Barcelona antique, books, cosmetics, computers to rasty bicycles and used mattresses. You’ll see as much variety as London´s Harods, but in more lively, cheaper, and more bohemian way. Mercat dels Encants takes place close to the metro Glories every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but some of the sellers close their stand around midday, so it´s always better to come in the morning. When I came, the market was literally packed. It was on Saturday at 11 a.m., probably the worst time to go in hindsight. The nice thing is that the merchants are quite motivated so you hear “barato barato” (cheap cheap) or “one euro one euro” a lot.
If you go, be prepared to bargain. It´s the way of shopping here.  It´s more than expected and it´s fun too! The prices are usually set about 2-3 times higher than what the merchant will accept, so you better get bargaining quick!

I wish you the best deals!

Did you manage a real bargain lately? Let us know!

Sharka “like the animal”

If you like fashion, you could be interested in the blog La Maquinista mall Barcelona that Kathy wrote for you

Or read our free e-book dedicated to fashion here.

SuiteLife Joins Pinterest Phenomenon

Yes that’s right we’ve joined Pinterest, the fastest growing social media platform on the web.  It’s a great site where you can pin your favourite photos and videos onto a virtual pin-board for your friends and the world to see, re-pin and comment on.  SuiteLife has 4 of these virtual boards so far to showcase all of Barcelona’s best sights, tastes and of course our beautiful apartments for rent in Barcelona.

If you’re not already on Pinterest what are you waiting for? There are loads of cool photos and ideas, from recipes to interior design and there is all our cool Boards.

Follow us now and we will follow you too, we would love to see what SuiteLifers are interested in.   Oh, and if you’re in need of an invite to join Pinterest, send us a message or leave a comment and we will try to help you out.

Find our Pinterest page here.

Cheers
Matt

Barcelona Spas: 3 Great Options to Treat Yourself

Barcelona spas are all over the city and if you lead a stressful lifestyle like us you should consider taking a trip to one of these three Barcelona spas, sure to leave you feeling refreshed and ready to take on the town. Every metropolitan city has a whole host of luxury hotels offering everything from planned excursions to Michelin starred restaurants, and Barcelona is no different. The high rises near the beach are well-known for catering to the rich and whether you have the dinero to stay there or not, the unique Barcelona spas housed inside are worth a trip. Amidst all the partying, everyone needs to relax. I’ve been thinking about this a lot and so I decided to create this list of three unique Barcelona spas for those of you who are thinking like I am.

1. Sit Atop the City at The Majestic Spa Barcelona

The Majestic Spa in Barcelona qualifies as both unique and also one of the best rated Barcelona spas. It was the first in Europe to be awarded the prestigious Spa Excellence certificate by the American organization, Spa Quality LLC, and it takes its reputation seriously. The Majestic Spa Barcelona boasts a hot and cold sauna, a steam bath, a “sensations” shower, an ice fountain, and stations for beauty treatments from head to toe. Its treatments do not come cheap, but when it comes to pampering, many people are willing to pay top-dollar for what has been deemed THE BEST. I find that cost closely parallels quality, most of all when it comes to massage. You can visit the spa, located in Eixample off Passeig de Gracia, seven days a week from 8 am until 9 pm.

Pool at the Majestic Spa Barcelona

2. Enhance your Green Energy at The Spa by Six Senses Barcelona

The Spa by Six Senses in Barcelona is located in the Hotel Arts Barcelona right next to the beach. With its natural wood flooring and breezy terraces, it was clearly designed with the Barcelona-beach goer in mind. The spa provides all of the traditional treatments, as well as Thai and Oriental massage, Ayurvedic treatments, and a Hopi Ear treatment (curious about this one). The Six Senses Spa also has a holistic calendar on their website of “wellness consultants,” who visit regularly to explain to their guests the benefits of beauty rituals and massage. Of all the Barcelona spas, this one is the most “green.”

Thai Massage at Six Senses Spa Barcelona

3. Experience the Middle East at Aire de Barcelona

Aire de Barcelona is known for its unique atmosphere, modeled after a traditional Arabic bath, and its distinct Aragan treatments, which can be included in the “wet” series of temperature controlled pools.  The baths have special weekend breakfasts, tea and fresh fruit on the weekdays, and singing every Sunday morning. For a very reasonable price, you can soak in all three pools (hot, temperate, and cold) and finish with a 15, 30, or 45-minute massage. Unlike the previous two mentions, Aire de Barcelona is not inside of a hotel. This is just one of several Barcelona spas located in the hip Borne district, and it is open from 10 am until 2 am most days.

Candelit Bath at Aire de Barcelona

Have you been to any spas in Barcelona? What are some good ones you’ve found?

Ciao bella
Kathy

Personal guide to Park Güell, the spectacular park designed by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.

Park Güell was commissioned by Count Eusebi Güell and was originally intended to be a gated community to house the Barcelona aristocracy but in the end only two houses were built and the estate proved to be quite commercially unsuccessful.  Park Güell is now a municipal garden and a world heritage site.

Visiting Park Güell

When visiting Park Güell I came from the Vallcarca metro station.  By arriving this way I came across a wonderful street that was one of the steepest streets I’ve been on, and I’ve been to San Francisco.  Just off Avinguada de Vallcarca near the metro you will find “Baixada de la Glória”.  It is mostly a pedestrian only street with stairs and escalators and when you reach the top be sure to look back and enjoy the view.  At the top of the street you reach Park Güell, although you won’t see much Gaudí influence there as most of his work is near the centre of the park.  You do however come across a great viewpoint at the top of the hill with brilliant views of the city.  As you walk over this hill and down towards the centre of Park Güell you begin to see the works of Antoni Gaudí.

The main terrace has an unmistakable serpentine mosaic bench weaving around its edge.  Interestingly Gaudí designed the bench so you don’t get a wet bum.  The bench is tilted to ensure rain runs off it and the bench dries quickly.  Gaudí also installed small bumps, to ensure people don’t sit on the wet bits.

Being very popular and famous ensures that Park Güell is full of tourists and, as I found, children on school trips.  One downside of this is the amount of rubbish lying around.  You will also find salesmen trying to offer you tacky souvenirs off what seems like a bed sheet. (One guy was selling earrings off an umbrella).  But don’t let me discourage you, it is still a must see.

Under the terrace you will see what I found to be the most spectacular sight in Park Güell.  The terrace is supported by a series of spectacular columns, and the ceiling is decorated with unique mosaics that perfectly reflected Antoni Gaudí and his crazy visions.

Further down is the famous entrance with the mosaic dragon fountain.  This is an iconic Gaudí sight and so it is a little busy with tourists. You may struggle to get a picture with other tourists posing for their photos.  There are also the two iconic Gaudí buildings near the entrance, which are used as gift shops.

Opening times

January to March – 10.00 to 18.00
April – 10.00 to 20.00
May to September – 10.00 to 21.00
Oct ober – 10.00 to 20.00
November – 10.00 to 19.00
December – 10.00 to 18.00

If you like Antoni Gaudí then try our Gaudí one day tour or check our guide to the Sagrada Familia.

If you have any comments or have any good tips for visiting Park Güell then we would love to hear them.

Cheers
Matthew Rutter

Breakfast in Barcelona is the best thing before starting your sightseeing or after finishing your party and so we bring you the top restaurants and cafes to have a real Barcelona breakfast. Let’s a have a look, where to eat in Barcelona, when the sun is still above the sea.

Breakfast in Barcelona, and in Spain in general, usually consists of coffee with milk. You can add in a croissant and you will survive on it. But what about letting your imagination float on and find some delicious bagels, sandwiches and frilly pastries? Whether you’re an early bird or a late party animal, a nice breakfast or brunch in a calm friendly place may be the thing you need to start your day. Even though breakfast is not the most important Spanish meal, there are still some great places where us breakfast lovers can rejoice in Barcelona.

La Parodia

If you decide for the coffee with croissant, we have a place that claims to have: The best croissant in Barcelona. We have tried it out and it´s de- wait for it- licious! The place is called La Parodia and it´s on the street carrer d´Aribau, between c/ Mallorca and c/ Provenca. La Parodia is a small and friendly place just a few minutes from the Plaza Universitat. They have an amazing lunch menu as well, which you can read about  here.

There are bagels rolling to you!

Barcelona History: Two Tales of a City

Today SuiteLife is giving you a quick and painless Barcelona history lesson as we explore everything that is Barcelona. Former monikers include: Barcilonum, Barceno, BCN, Barca, Barna, Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelona, and Barchenona. Our favorite city in the world has a deep rooted history, and it has plenty of names to show it. Barcelona has 5 million visitors each year and a population of 1.6 million inhabitants. We love to live here, we love to visit, but do we know where the name Barcelona comes from and what it means?

“A Tale of Two Cities” is a classic story by Charles Dickens describing two amazing European cities; London and Paris. However Barcelona is so special that it has two tales for itself. Catalonia’s capital city goes back hundreds of years, so far that there are different ideas to it’s origins. There are two legends that refer to the founding of Barcelona.

Our first tale brings us 400 years before the creation of Rome. It is a time of gods and monsters. Our favorite mythological hero Hercules was surviving perilous adventures before he was singing and dancing in Disney movies. Hercules braved his famous 12 perils, which included fighting the three headed dog Cerberus, taking the head of Medusa, defeating the hydra, and going to the Underworld. One story many forget is that Hercules actually accompanied Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the golden fleece. Jason, Hercules and the Argonauts set sail with nine ships filled with the strongest and bravest men of their time. During their travels one of the ships was lost in bad weather off of the Catalan coast. Hercules set out to find his lost friends only to find them days later along a small hill, all alive and safe. The crew were taken by the beauty of the coast and hills that they decided to remain. It was on this coastal landscape that Hercules and his men founded the city Barca Nona, or Ninth Ship.

Our next story may not include Roman gods but it contains famous historical figures just the same. The great Carthaginian leader and father of Hannibal, Hamilcar Barca won many battles and was noted as an excellent general. He obtained permission from the Carthaginian Senate to recruit and train his own army in hopes of expanding Carthage’s empire.  Barca took his army of brave Carthaginian soldiers across northern Africa and crossed into Europe along the Strait of Gibraltar. After eight years of war Hamilcar Barca obtained a large stretch of land in Espanya along the Mediterranean coast. Barca established the port city of Barcino in 230 BC, only two years before his death in 228 BC.

Between the Carthaginians, the Catalans, Romans, Moors, Pyrenees, and Spanish, this stunning city has had many names. It has two wondrous stories that share it’s beginnings, and it has millions of people the world over to continue keeping its spirit alive.

Which Barcelona story do you prefer? Tell us about your favorite Barcelona historical spots.

Cheers,

Brettsky

Top 5 Reasons to Break Up on Valentine’s Day in Barcelona (2012)

Many of you out there are excited to be celebrating Valentine’s Day in Barcelona. There will be flowers, chocolates, cards, and bears. But what if you can’t handle the ball and chain another minute and you aren’t looking forward to a night of love and romance when you cringe at every word out of her mouth? You thought about being nice and waiting until after Valentine’s Day like a true gentleman, but it is impossible for you to get through one more date. Here at SuiteLife we mentioned recently some great places to take your love for Valentine’s Day in Barcelona. As there are already enough blogs on lovey-dovey things to do, we’re gonna flip it on it’s head and tell you the top 5 reasons you should break up with your honeypie on the big VDAY.

SuiteLife’s Top 5 Reasons to Break Up On Valentine’s Day

1. Dealing with an Extremely Uncomfortable Date Night

You have already had more then your fair share of awkward Valentine’s Days, why have another one. Those people who say its harsh may be right, but how are you able to sit through an evening of what is supposed to be passion and fireworks when you are already thinking about ending it. Its already going to be uncomfortable and miserable, just do what needs to be done.

2. You Want to Take Your Mistress Out Instead

It is Valentine’s Day in Barcelona and you are excited for a night of love and passion. Unfortunately this excitement is not from your regular gal, but maybe instead from that mistress that tickles your funny bone. If you have had enough Valentine’s Days with the girlfriend maybe its time to say goodbye with some chocolates and a Cameron Diaz movie, then you will have plenty of time for a night out with dancing and wine.

3. Meeting That Perfect Sad Single

Valentine’s Day in Barcelona is the best night of the year to cheer up that lonely girl at the bar. Everyone looks at Valentine’s Day as the day of love for couples, but turn that around and make it a day of love for singles out there. Don’t wait until after the most important day of love to end a bad relationship, especially when there is a lonely heart out there waiting for you.

4. Not a Good Enough ROI on your Christmas and New Year’s Presents

You went all out for your love during the holidays and New Years. You spent several months of salary on gifts meant to spice and entice your dreamy dream girl. Instead of the desired response you get luke warm kisses and faux pax fervency. If you have no cash left and you don’t desire giving another cambio then today may be the day to end the game of love.

5. J. Lo. Did It

If Jennifer Lopez does something then it must be right. In 2001 our favorite girl from the Block broke up with Sean P. Diddy Combs on Valentine’s Day. Im sure if one of the record industries biggest names is willing to forgive, then so can your date.

Let us know if you have any good ideas for breaking up, Valentine’s Day or any other day.  Happy Valentine’s Day Barcelona!!!

Cheers,

Brettsky

Check out some more SuiteLife blogs about Valentine’s Day here in Barcelona.

Where to Go on Valentine’s Day

Romantic Ideas for Valentine’s Day

The Post Office in Barcelona can be very confusing and scary to an English Speaker.  So at SuiteLife we want to make it easier for you to use the Barcelona Post Office by telling you all you need to know.

Barcelona post office, and the Spanish post office (Correos) in general has always had a bad reputation and been widely renowned for slow delivery, but in recent years they have had vast improvements.  In Barcelona the central Post Office can be located on “Plaça Antonio López” near the marina, just at the bottom of Via Laietana, and there are nearly 40 sub-postal offices dotted around the city.  See map .  Most of the post offices in Barcelona have information services, sell stamps and can be used to send and receive letters, packages, telegrams, etc.

If you simply want to send a letter then you can buy stamps in tobacco shops, which are all over the city, and then simply post the letter in one of the yellow post boxes spread around the city and outside post offices.  There are also specific boxes for local, national and international letters.

At the post office in Barcelona the staff are generally pretty helpful, but if you don’t speak any Spanish or Catalan it can be a little confusing and difficult.  Most of the Barcelona post offices staff speak little or no English, so you may need to go with a few phrases prepared.

My experience In the Barcelona Post office

I recently had to send a package to California, and all I could say was that I wanted to send a package to the united states and that I don’t have a box.  It seemed like everything went well.  A nice lady asked me in Spanish which size box I wanted, which I didn’t really understand until she pointed to the selection of different sized boxes.  She then pointed at a section on the box where I need to fill I the address I was sending the package and my own address.  Once I had done this, I went to a man and said I wanted to send the box I had to the United States and asked if I had filled it in correctly, both things I said in very basic Spanish.  He seemed to understand and said that I had indeed filled it out correctly.  I then tried to ask how long it would take for the package to get to its destination, and I asked for the “mas rapido” (quick).  He seemed to understand and proceeded to explain in quick flowing Spanish how the postal service works, which left me pretty confused, and all I could take from what he had said was that he wasn’t sure how long it would take.  So I then asked for the Urgent stamp, which was “mas rapido” and asked how much it was.  It turned out much cheaper than I expected, which could mean it wont be “mas rapido” at all, but the good new is that the package was sent.  A week later I have yet to receive confirmation that the package has reached its destination.

Helpful Vocabulary for the Barcelona Post Office

Now you can get through this process with little or no Spanish, but if you don’t feel like waving your arms around a lot and trying to express yourself through charades the following vocabulary might make your life a bit easier:

I’d like to send this to ________ = Quiero enviar esto a ___________
How fast will it get there? = Cuanto tiempo durará en llegar?
Is there a faster option?  = Hay opción más rápido?
How much will it be?  = Cuanto será?
How much is the fastest delivery option? = Cuanto será la opción más rápido?
Is there a tracking number? = Hay número de seguimiento?
I want to buy insurance for the package = Quiero comprar seguros por el paquete
I need a box = Necesito una caja

Basic Information About the Barcelona Post Office

Central Post Office (Correos)
Plaça del Antonio López, 1
Tel: 902 197 197 / 933 183 048
Fax: 93 322 20 00 / 933 213 100
Metro: Jaume I or Barceloneta
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8.30am-9.30pm. Saturday 8.30am-2.30pm.

Correos Website

Hopefully this article will help ease your experience at the Barcelona post office.  If you have any more questions or think there’s some valuable vocabulary we’ve missed out on let us know and we’ll update the entry!

Cheers,

~Matt

I mentioned in my last blog not going to Maremagnum on a Sunday, it was the first mall that I visited in Barcelona and all in all a failed mission due to the crowds; not one to give up on shopping I did some research online and discovered La Maquinista Mall, a ways outside of the city, and decided to check it out on a Thursday. I had no idea La Maquinista Mall was open-air and on the day that I went it was freezing outside. It actually turned out to be a good thing because I discovered all the stores and cafes were heated (the ones outside had heat lamps) and the cold deterred the crowds to the point that I practically had the entire place to myself.

La Maquinista Mall is three stories high, four if you count the lower parking level. It has over 230 stores that offer everything from specialty goods (Iberian ham) to electronics to the latest fashions. On the top floor there is a cinema that plays movies in 3D and stays open later than the rest of the mall. There are also several themed restaurants, two of which offer American style barbecue. Haha. I was by myself so I didn’t bother eating at either one but I’d love to go back and see how authentic it really is! There are so many variations on BBQ that it is difficult to do it “wrong.” But not to get sidetracked, La Maquinista Mall was quite the experience and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves shopping as much as I do.

The mall seems to be designed with Spanish shoppers in mind as there is a big free parking lot on the lower level. If you don’t have a car, you can take the green line to Torras y Bajes station and when you get off you will be able to spot La Maquinista and just walk towards it. It’s huge and impossible to miss. The stores are all on two main levels, sandwiched between parking and the cinema at the top. I had no idea how big it was when I embarked on the first level. My assumption was that it followed a straight line so I could walk to the end, turn around, go up an escalator, tour the second level, and exit at the same point I came in. But no, there is an entire wing to La Maquinista that veers off on both levels and has even more stores.

I was looking for shoes and warm clothes so some of the highlights for me were definitely Blanco, H&M, Desigual, Bershka, and Pull & Bear. There are several American stores at La Maquinista Mall that I imagine are worth a look for Spanish shoppers but for me were not of interest. These include Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21, and Guess.  I also noticed The Body Shop, which I’m not sure is an American store, but is  a wonderful place if you’re looking for fragrant body washes and lotions or all natural cosmetics. For the guys, there’s a massive electronic store on the first level and several “Gamer” stores. There is a grocery store, and specialty food shops that sell the aforementioned Iberian ham, coffee, candy, chocolate specifically, and other gourmet stuff.

There’s really not much else I can say about this mall, other than, for an American shopper it can be kind of overwhelming (in a good way). Let’s face it, the European aesthetic in fashion is something that hipsters in the United States are copying and also willing to pay top dollar for. Look through any Urban Outfitters catalog and you’ll notice a striking similarity between what the people here in Spain are wearing and the clothes on the pages. Does that mean Europeans are more fashionable? I don’t have the authority to say but it is nice that copycat versions of the same stuff are available all over La Maquinista Mall for much cheaper. I bought a puffer coat and a knitted scarf for 20 euros.

Some of the stores are located in other parts of the city, but if you go on a weekday to La Maquinista Mall you’ll probably find the stores are much less crowded and will have a better selection. Just make sure you leave for the metro before it gets dark, I’ve heard the area around the mall gets a little sketchy at night.

Here is a map to get there:

View Larger Map

and the web address too!

La Maquinista Mall

What malls have you been to in Barcelona? What do you think about the American/European fashion dynamic?

Ciao!
Kathy

For all you Rugby fans in Barcelona, SuiteLife.com has compiled a list of the Best places to watch Rugby in Barcelona so you know where to watch the 6 nations in Barcelona.

The best place to watch the 6 nations in Barcelona is in an Irish Pub, there will be lots of other rugby fans there and the atmosphere will be great.  Check out our list of the best Irish pubs in Barcelona, all of which will be showing the 6 nations rugby this year.

There are loads of Irish Pubs in Barcelona and most of them will show the 6 nations rugby, and there are also a few good sports bars in Barcelona that will show the rugby.  Here is our list to help you find them.

Our top Irish Pubs in Barcelona

P. flaherty’s

Shows all the 6 nations matches and has lots of screens to watch them.  In our opinion the best Irish Pub for sports.

Website

Map

The Temple Bar

Shows all the 6 nations matches and is a great for a good atmosphere, you may find it hard to get a seat though.

Website

Map

The George payne

Also shows all the 6 nations rugby games.  The George Payne is the biggest Irish Bar in Barcelona, it has loads of flat screens for the sport and they also have a big projector for sports.

Website

Map

Ryan’s

Shows all the rugby matches and is our favourite cheap Irish Pub in Barcelona.  They also claim to give you a free shot if you are wearing your team colours and they win.

Website

Map

Michael Collins

Shows all the 6 Nations rugby matches.  In our opinion, the best old style cosy pub in Barcelona.

Website

Map

Dunne’s

Shows all international rugby matches.  This is what we would call the nicest pub in Barcelona.

Website

Map

More good pubs in which to watch the Rugby in Barcelona

Scobies

Nice little pub near the university of Barcelona.

Website

Map

The Black Horse

Shows all the 6 Nations rugby matches.

Website

Map

The Queen Vic

Shows all the 6 Nations rugby.  It didn’t quite make the top 5 list but this is a great English Pub in Barcelona

Website

Map

Sports Bars in which to watch the 6 nations rugby in Barcelona

Sports Bar rambles

Will show all the 6 Nations rugby games.  This is a big bar with loads of screens but is on la Ramblas, so expect to pay a little more.

Website

Map

7 Sins

A great bar near the University of Barcelona

Website

Map

Here is a list of the start of TV coverage for the 6 nations rugby games, just so you don’t miss them.  (the games start 30 minutes after).

Saturday, 11 February

Italy v England, 1630

France v Ireland, 2030

Sunday, 12 February

Wales v Scotland, 1530

Saturday, 25 February

Ireland v Italy, 1430

England v Wales, 1700

Sunday, 26 February

Scotland v France, 1600

Saturday, 10 March

Wales v Italy, 1530

Ireland v Scotland, 1800

Sunday, 11 March

France v England, 1600

Saturday, 17 March

Italy v Scotland, 1330

Wales v France, 1545

England v Ireland, 1800

If you know of any other cool places to watch rugby in Barcelona or just want to express your opinion on the ones mentioned then please leave a comment below, we would love to hear it.

~Matthew Rutter