The Shopping Night Barcelona 2011

The success of the first edition of The Shopping Night Barcelona means it is back with more to offer than in 2010. Because on Wednesday 30 November, 90 shops on Passeig de Gràcia and neighbouring streets, from Carrer de Casp to Carrer de Rosselló, will be waiting for you to buy, taste and enjoy the city’s main shopping district.

They will be open from 8pm until midnight so Shopping Night participants can go in and do some shopping, although there will be things going on until 1 am. It will be a special night then, as the evening of 30 November is when the Christmas lights will go on for the first time.

Apart from shopping at participating shops, on Shopping Night you will be able to visit cultural amenities like the Pedrera and the Museu Egipci, enjoy activities out on the street, parties in the most exclusive hotels and restaurants in the area or win one of the prizes in this year’s draw.

What’s more, this time round you will find a public area called Open Village, between Carrer d’Aragó and Carrer de València, opposite Bulevard Rosa, with fashion, design and gastronomic items on show.

Barcelona is a marvellous city for the shoppers, for that reason book now your stay at Núñez i Navarro Hotels and benefit automatically from our Autumn Promotions in Barcelona.

Barcelona hosts the Big Air during the World Snowboard Championship La Molina 2011

Barcelona is a joint venue for the 2011 World Snowboard Championships, which are being held in La Molina. On 15 January the opening ceremony and first event, the Big Air, will take place here. It is one of six events people will be able to watch at the championships and consists of snowboarders showing off their skills while leaping between 2.5 and 3.5 metres in the air and completing several rotations.

The Palau Sant Jordi has set up a 31-metre high ramp in preparation for the event, which is expected to draw crowds of 8000 people.

This year there are 400 snowboarders from 40 countries taking part in the World Snowboard Championships, between 14 and 22 January. There are six competitions, including Snowboard Cross, Half Pipe, Parallel Giant Slalom, Parallel Slalom and Big Air, all Olympic sports, and Slopestyle, which is not yet an Olympic sport.

The big favourites are Canadian Maelle Ricker, Austrians Benjamin Karl, Stefan Gimpl and Doris Guenther, Frenchman Paul Vaultier, Catalan Queralt Castellet (back in good shape after pulling out of the final in Vancouver earlier this year following a fall) and the Vergés brothers, among others.

More info in La Molina 2011 – Snowboard FIS World Championships

Our Best Wishes for 2011

Traditional Christmas Fair on the Gran Via of Barcelona

As with every year, the fair stalls are setting up shop on the Gran Via, selling the toys and sugar “coal” the Three Kings of the Orient will be bringing every child in the city on 6 January.

The traditional Christmas fair has more than 300 stalls selling toys, records, CDs and sugar “coal“. There are also solidarity stalls for collecting new toys and ensuring no child goes without a present on such a special day. As is the tradition, the fair will be open on the night of 5 January.

 Three Kings Fair | End date: 05/01/2011
Gran Via Corts Catalanes, 580 between Rocafort & Muntaner | Eixample

Barcelona Christmas lights: Swicth ON

Yesterday, 2 December, when Barcelona’s streets are infused with the Christmas spirit. That’s the day for the traditional switching on of the city’s Christmas lights, when you can also visit the Plaza de Sant Jaume nativity scene.

This year’s novelties include even more streets with lights and a greater use of sustainable technology. In fact, for 36 days beginning 2 December, over 300 city venues and 60 km of the public highway, 15% more than in 2009, will be lit up until 10 pm from Sunday to Thursday, until midnight on Friday and Saturday and until 1 am on 24, 25 and 31 December, and 5 January.

New streets with Christmas lights this year include Avenida del Paralelo, where the Music Hall will be lit up, Barceloneta, fish-shaped lights of different colours, Rambla del Raval and Passeig de Maragall.

Moreover, 98% will be LED lights, which reduce the voltage and produce better quality light. Despite covering more kilometres, these lights will produce a 40% saving in overall energy consumption.

The star of the lights, never better said, will be the Christmas Star. This is a giant decoration designed by Ramon Bigas and put up at twenty different city locations.

What do you remember from Christmas in Barcelona?

We will draw a free New Year’s Eve in Barcelona among all voters.

Christmas is always a special time on the year. For one reason or for another, everybody remembers Christmas. Núñez i Navarro Hotels wants to join you on next Christmas, and has started a poll to know what represents Christmas in Barcelona.

How to participate:
First thing you need to do is visit our facebook page, and join us (Like)

Once you are part of our facebook community, you can check the Poll tab, and cast your vote.
And that’s all you need to do. Wining a Free Stay in Barcelona has never been so easy.

Xmas street lighting.
With beautiful old buildings, narrow streets and numerous plazas, Barcelona is a great backdrop for Christmas light displays. Central streets and commercial areas such as Plaça Catalunya, Portal de l’Àngel and Passeig de Gràcia have large and beautiful displays, while small streets have traditional settings usually maintained by neighbours and shops.

Traditional market Santa Llúcia.
Fira de Santa Llúcia is not only a traditional market in front of the Cathedral, but one of the oldest and most firmly rooted Christmas traditions of Barcelona. First written evidences date back to 1786, referring to it already as a tradition. In this market, you can mainly find Nativity scenes and all their complements, Christmas greenery such as moss, bayleaves or Christmas Trees.

Caganer and nativity scenes.
In Barcelona, as well as in Spain, France or Italy, traditional Christmas decorations consists of a model of Bethlehem, similar to the Nativity Scenes of the English-speaking world, but encompassing the entire city rather than just the typical manger scene. The caganer is a particular feature of modern Catalan nativity scenes, and accompanying Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Shepherds and company, the caganer is often tucked away in a corner of the model, typically nowhere near the manger scene. The figure is depicted in the act of defecation. The exact origin of the Caganer is lost, but the tradition has existed since the 17th century. Originally, the Caganer was portrayed as a Catalan peasant wearing a traditional hat called a barretina — a red stocking hat with a black band; but nowadays you can easily find other popular characters assuming the caganer position, such as nuns, celebrities, sportsmen, politicians, etc…

The 3 Kings Parade.
All children in Barcelona impatiently wait the evening of January 5th. The visit of the 3 Wise Men, the famous distinguished foreigners who are said to have visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, myrrh and frankincense. They usually arrive to Barcelona sailing, and are greeted at Port Vell by the City Authorities. After that, the 3 Magi start a long Parade through all the city, accompanied by their large entourage and Royal Carriages, where children can see them and give their wish letters. Those who have been good during all the year, will receive their Christmas presents at night.

Join us on facebook and participate in our poll. The prize consists of:

• 2-nights stay at B-Hotel, on a double room, on December 31st 2010 and January 1st 2011.
• Breakfast included.
• 1 Bottle of Cava.
• The prize can not be used in conjunction with other item or goods.
• The prize can not be exchanged for any other item or goods.
• The prize is personal and non-transferable.
• People under 18 years old can not participate.
• Maximum one vote per person. People voting with more than one profile will be automatically disqualified.

Winner will be randomly chosen among all voters of the poll. Winner will be announced on November 26th 2010.

Barcelona awaits the Three Kings of the Orient Parade

The arrival of Their Royal Majesties, the Three Kings of the Orient will be arriving in Barcelona thomorrow Tuesday, 5th of January, with various street theatre groups and choreographers helping to create a great big moving spectacular that will pass through the city’s streets for nearly three hours.

With over 1.200 participants and almost one kilometre of floats, the Kings’ Parade will start off this year around 5 pm when the Kings arrive on the schooner Santa Eulàlia and the Mayor, Jordi Hereu, gives them the key to open all the doors of the city so they can leave presents for everyone who’s been well-behaved this year.

This is the biggest street show ever held in Barcelona so, as a novelty this year, each King wanted to include a street theatre company with its own choreography on his float, making this five-kilometre procession a veritable moving stage

What’s more, the 2010 Kings’ Parade will have six newly created floats, three brand new mobile elements and more pages collecting dummies because the youngest onlookers will have to hand over their dummies if they want sweets.

This year’s Three Kings’ Parade, which will be setting off from Avinguda del Marquès de l’Argentera, next to Ciutadella Park, at 6.30 pm, has opted more than ever for artistic creation in the city, with the participation of professional companies, scenographers and choreographers who will be recreating the native lands of the Three Kings during the parade.

It will be broadcast live on Barcelona Televisió and go on to Via Laietana (7 pm), then Plaça Urquinaona and Carrer Fontanella (7.20 pm), to reach Plaça de Catalunya and Carrer Pelai at around 7.30 pm.

It will then continue on along Plaça Universitat and Ronda de Sant Antoni (7.45 pm), Carrer de Sepúlveda (8.00 pm), Carrer de Vilamarí and Carrer de Lleida until it reaches Avinguda de Rius i Taulet, which is expected at around 9.00 pm.

Source: www.bcn.es

Children cook workshops

Let children touch, mash, observe, smell and taste food up without any restrictions. This is the method used by Eulàlia Fargas, who runs “Cuina per a nens“, cooking workshops for children and teenagers held at the Boqueria market.

The aim is straightforward and sure to be of interest to many mums and dads: for children to learn to feed themselves in a healthy and varied manner, so they’ll able to make their own judgement in the future when it comes to eating.

In a fun and engaging way, Eulàlia Fargas shares her knowledge with the children and the pleasure of experimenting with the vast range of food we have in our country, to arouse their curiosity and make them aware of all the different kinds of food.

Young children are involved in the whole process of making the recipe, with a little bit of help. In that way they learn about what they eat, taste products in season, study an animal’s anatomy and even listen to stories about the origin of food. And, to round that off, every one of them can savour what they have cooked at home.

Teenagers, on the other hand, start learning to be independent in the kitchen and go through the whole process, from the market place to the dining table. They prepare, cook and then eat everything they have cooked, to discover the pleasure in cooking and educating the palate lies in eating better.

From Núñez i Navarro Hotels, with nine hotels in the center of Barcelona, we take this last post of the year to wish the best for this new year 2010!

The Children’s Festival during Christmas holiday

Immersing yourself in a mysterious jungle, painting recycled water bottles, taking part in a cart race, jumping on trampolines, playing on “Planet Basketball”, cooking fruit and vegetables, travelling through virtual settings, becoming a firefighter for a day, scaling artificial climbing walls and taking part in juggling, magic and circus workshops, are just some of the many activities you’ll be able to do at the Children’s Festival, which is being held from 27 December to 4 January at Fira de Barcelona’s Montjuïc site. This year’s event will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Convention on Children’s Rights.

Sport will be one of the Festival’s pillars. Children will find areas for playing football, basketball, climbing, skating, hockey, Olympic shooting, cycling, cart racing, athletics and taekwondo. Other highlights in the programme include game activities, such as merry-go-rounds, trampolines and games of every kind, plus shows, with this years featuring performances by clowns, magicians, storytellers, puppets, children’s theatre, human castle makers and Bollywood artists.

Children’s rights will have a place in several of the festival’s activities, which will be promoting creativity and solidarity among children in a playful and educational way, as well as encouraging sport, physical activities and healthy eating habits, instilling values such as respecting diversity, integration, healthy coexistence and looking after the environment.

47th Children’s Festival  |  From 27/12/2009 to 04/01/2010
Fira Barcelona -> Av Reina Maria Cristina, 2 | Sants-Montjuïc

Merry Christmas!!

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