Top 10 Where Are We? – Barcelona, ES-CT.

Hola a tots! Com estàs? Barcelona is the biggest city of Catalonia, second largest city in Spain, behind only Madrid and largest city of the whole Mediterranean coast. In the land of Gaudi, the charm is not concentrated only in his grandiose sights such as the Sagrada Familia or Parc Guell. Is in them. You are in every corner bending as in the late afternoon sitting under the tree Parc de la Ciutadella.

1. Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família or just Sagrada Familia – There isn’t words to describe what it is. Magnificent! The facade has a lot of elements of nature and religion. The symbolism of these elements is the most eloquent expression of the genius of Gaudi and his love for nature, and own Catalan cultural identity. The Sagrada Familia began to be built in 1882. The following year Gaudí, with 31 years old, took over the project, working on it until his death 40 years later. With the Spanish Civil War in 1936, the works were suspended and still have not been completed. The expectation is that only be ready in the year 2020 with eighteen towers. It will be the highest Catholic Church in the world. But much depends on the donations and numerous studies to maintain the most accurate work possible for Gaudi’s designs. The ticket to enter in the church costs € 13, 50 for adults and € 11, 50 for teenagers from 11 to 18.

2. Barri Gotic – It’s not a real gothic style, because the neighborhood was restored before 1929. Even with this, the area is one of the coolest places in the city. The shadows projected on the narrow alleys of the “Barri”, fruit of the palaces and mansions of blackened facades, are the perfect picture of the Gothic imagination, nowadays. On this place, you can find the Temple of Augustus. It’s just the ruins of the real temple, but it’s great to see. You really feel inside history.

3. Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria – Barcelona has about 40 food markets. This was built in the first half of the nineteenth century when there was a liberal revolt in Barcelona. The revolt leaders destroyed many assets of the church and the market was a convent called Convent de Sant Josep. The market has become a much visited tourist attraction and thus, it has become very expensive. People say that if you want good food there, you must try one of the dishes of Pinotxo. And if you don’t want to hear a scolding from a salesman, do not touch in any food without permission.

4. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya – MNAC – On the Montijüic Mountain, we see, nowadays, the MNAC. In a modernist style, the palace was built in 1927 and was reformed in 2004 to be the museum. MNAC collection has over a thousand years of Catalonia art history. The famous sections of the museum are: romantic art and modernist sections (with Dalí and Picasso works of art). The museum also has a terraced (you pay separate for the visit of both) that you can have a full view of the city. If you leave the museum in the end of the day (8pm – 9pm), you can see the Font Màgica of Montijüic.

5. Parc Güell – Located in a mountain behind the city of Barcelona, the park, that today is must-see in the city, previously was a failure. The area was destined by Güell, in 1900, to be a garden-city with a lot of houses (people would live in the middle of nature), but no one showed to be interested in the houses. So Gaudi decided to live there. Today, the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (was declared in 1984). Gaudí was inspired by nature forms. The Salamander is one of the icons of the park. It was inspired in Greeks dragons. Behind it, you can see the Hall of 100 Columns. It’s amazing! It’s easy to see Gaudí style there. Under the Hall, you can enjoy a wonderful view of Barcelona.

6. Camp Nou – After the repressive regime of Francisco Franco from 1939 to 1975, the only way to the Catalan people openly express their pride and their identity was through football. Catalan people appear to love more the FC Barcelona instead of the Spain national football team. Especially if the opponent was Real Madrid, which has always represented the central government. Years later, the passion and the flashy football players like Cruyff, Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Messi won admirers around the world and are well represented in the museum mounted worth a visit to Barça field, the legendary Camp Nou. As in NYC, I think that is important to go to this place too. Of course, is very expensive (a ticket cost around € 500), but I think that it’s a good value for the money.

7. Parc de la Ciutadella – It’s kind the Central Park of Barcelona. The park was built in 1888 in an area of the ancient fortress of the city, Ciutadella. The project was inspired on gardens from France, England and Italy. In the park, we can see a lot of monuments as: the Monumental Fountain (is one of the most beautiful places of the park), Castell dels Tres Dragons, The Umbracle and the Hivernacle (two greenhouses installed in the park; the second was built using iron and glass, imitating the Crystal Palace in London) and the many statues of the park.

8. Casa Batlló – This building in one of most important of the genius, Antoni Gaudí, as a reflex of the most creative period of the artist. The building is known as “casa de las máscaras” or “casa de los huesos” (bones) for the similarity with these elements. Its history started in 1903, when Josep Batilló bought the building and asked for Gaudi to do the reshuffle. The work was completed between 1904 and 1906 and was so pleased with Batlló the work of Gaudí, who referred to the construction of La Pedrera, his friend Pere Milà i Camps. Gaudi worked on a new facade for the house and he add his personal style on it. When you see the house for the sidewalk, is kind an impressionist art work right in front of you. Every detail has a symbolism for the whole house. I don’t have words to describe it, guys. So, you should understand why I want to go there. The ticket costs around € 20.

9. Plaça de Catalunya – It’s the most important plaza of Barcelona and it’s on the heart of the city. It’s also the biggest plaza, in Spain, with 30 thousand m². Begins on La Ramblas (it is an avenue that begin in the square and, end at the Columbus monument. It has a lot of cafés and traditional stores to visit).The Plaça de Catalunya is surrounded by great shops, including El Corte Inglés stores, FNAC and the main Apple Store in Barcelona and buildings that were already occupied by elegant hotels, bars and theaters, in the early twentieth century. This place has the most expensive m² of Barcelona.

10. Tibidabo – Tibidabo is a mountain dominating the landscape Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With 512 meters is the highest point of the Serra de Collserola. It provides beautiful views of the city and the coast of the surroundings. There is an amusement park, a telecommunications tower (Torre de Collserola) and a Catholic church, the temple color Sagrat at the top of the mountain, all three visible from almost everywhere in Barcelona. The top of Tibidabo can be accessed by funicular of Tibidabo, by bus, by road. The funicular Railway, dating from 1901, was the first of its kind in Spain.

My travelers, sorry for the delay in posting. My classes started is three weeks and I’m adapting me yet. So I am counting on the patience of you. Malu loves you and hopes you next week with another top 10 of a very famous and cultured city.

Top 10 Where Are We? – Munich, GER.

Hallo alle zusammen! Wie gehts dir so? Yes, I would love to visit Germany. The first city that I would visit, would be Munich! Yes, not Berlim, but Munich. Although known worldwide for Oktoberfest, the annual beer festival held since 1810, Munich offers a number of attractions that make this one of the most popular holiday destinations in Germany. Full of beauty and untold riches, the capital of the Bavarian region also draws attention for being a place where history and tradition coexist with the modernity of a potentially industrial city. Deshalb fangen wir?

1. Marienplatz and Neue Rathaus – The heart of Munich (because it has a lot of tourist attractions near it), Marienplatz is a beautiful square, located in Altstadt neighborhood. In the north of the square, you will find the Neue Rathaus (the new town hall), a gothic building built in the 19th century. Ace 11, 12 and 17 hours, the Carillon, in the one of the towers, plays a dance with miniatures. That time, everybody stop to catch the moment with their cameras. Especially on a sunny day, it’s said that you must visit the tower of the Neue Rathaus to get a wonderful view of Munich and the Altes Rathaus (the old town hall).

2. Frauenkirche (Munich Cathedral) – This is one of the most important sights of the city. The cathedral was built in 20 years (a record for that time) and it was started in 1468. It has two towers and both are 99 meters high (nothing, in the city, can be higher than these two towers). The cathedral is known for the “Devil’s footprint”. It’s said, to the tourists: “The architect, when he was building the church, he was being pressed for it to be completed soon. The devil, knowing this, went to church one night and looked at him and said, ‘Look, I’ll help you build this church with the condition that you will not build anymore windows’. By the entrance of the church, he could only see only a window, which is the stained glass. This way the church would be known as the Dark Church (Devil’s Church). The problem is that the devil did not know that behind every pillar, there was a window. So, one day, he went to church, in the morning, and saw all the windows and that it was very clear. He became very angry and hit his foot very strong on the floor. And since then there is the footprint of the devil in the church.” Other thing to see there is the beautiful tomb of Emperor Ludwig IV of Bavaria.

3. Shopping Streets – Every place you can go, you should visit the shopping streets. The department stores, the regional stores and the small stores of the city are different and it makes you see and understand the “culture”. Neuhauser Strasse and Kaufinger Strasse are popular streets, where you can find stores as Zara, H&M, Mango and others; Maximilianstrasse and Residenzstrasse are more glamorous streets, where you can find expensive stores and cafes.

4. Viktualienmarkt and Englischer Garten – Viktualienmarkt is a place where you will see people coming and going and small tents placed side by side selling fruit, breads, cheese, wine and candies. It’s in this square that you can find one of the most popular ‘biergartens’. Biergartens are gardens facing the tasting of beer, where you can experience the drink, in addition to various types of sausage that are part of the cuisine of the area. The fair is near to Marienplatz (550 meters of it). The Englischer Garten is a park where you can also find biergartens. The most famous there, is the one located near the Chinesischer Turm, a sculpture 25 meters high. In this park, people usually go to the Monopteros to watch the sunset.

5. Hofbrauhaus – It’s brewery worldwide known. It was opened in 1589 by Duque William V. Located in the heart o f Munich, near Marienplatz, is place is obligatory stop for those who want to try a good quality of a beer. The place is very thematic: with rustic decor, waiters and waitresses dressed up, a lot of German music and animation. In the list of famous people who visited it, are Mozart and Lenin, amazing, no?. The food is also good. The famous dishes as Weisswurst and Sucling Pig are very affordable. The beer has seven types and, if you want, you can buy a traditional mug where the beer is served. If I went there, I would like to try the traditional Bavarian breakfast (sausages with sweet mustard).

6. Dachau Concentration Camp – 20 kilometers from Munich, in the small city Dachau, you will do a dip in the more sad and gloomy part of German history, but people said that worth it. During the visit, you can see how the prisoners were treated, objects of that time and a testimony of the survivors. Temples of some religions were built there to honor that ones who died there. Everyone that go there say that it has a heavy energy, but worth it, as I said before.

7. Neuschwanstein (A fairy tale castle) – The view seems to be a piece of art. Near a forest and a cascade in the city of Füssen, the castle built by the King Ludwig II in the middle of 19th century. The king could only use it for 170 days till his death. The castle was opened to the public in 1886 and, nowadays, Neuschwanstein receives 1.3 million visitors each year. The tour, in the castle that inspired Walt Disney to build the Cinderella Castle, takes 35 minutes. The tickets costs 12€ for adults over 18 years.

8. Alter Peter (St. Peter church’s) – More than 300 steps can take you to the top of the church. It’s like the Eiffel tour of Munich (no, better not compare haha). But, when you are on the top of the tower, you have a full view of Munich and is also possible to see the region of the Bavarian Alps (Zugspitze). It’s said that it’s good to arrive early to avoid lines. To see the schedule of the church click here.

9. Nymphenburg Palace – Schloss Nymphenburg in German is a baroque palace in Germany, located in Munich. Served as the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. Inside the palace, they try to keep with the original decoration: baroque, neoclassical and rococo. Among the museum’s main attractions are the magnificent carriages and sleighs of King Ludwig II.

10. Oktoberfest – It is the world’s largest beer festival in the city of Munich. He appeared in October 17, 1810 as the Prince Ludwig von Bayern wedding party with Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, who offered to their guests food and typical drinks of the state of Bavaria. In these 200 years of Oktoberfest, drunkenness only stopped because of major problems such as wars and diseases. Despite its name, the Oktoberfest now starts in mid-September, when there is little rain and does so cold, and extends to the very beginning of October. Every year, the mayor of Munich opens the festival with a hammer in the first keg of beer to be consumed. In 2010, it had 6,4 million visitors who consumed 7 million litters of beer and it moved a lot of money: 830 million euros.

Well guys, another Top 10 for you. The next week, I’ll be back with another wonderful city that I love to meet. So, if you like this post, leave a comment below! See you next week!

Top 10 Where Are We? – Paris, FRA.

Bonjour tout le monde! Comment allez-vous? Yes, we start this post already feeling French. “The city of light”, of course, wouldn’t be out of my series of Top 10. Paris is a historical city in France, drawn on the banks of the Seine, was the scene of great revolutions that have marked the history of the world. At the same time guard secrets of arts, religion, culture, cuisine and fashion, which only the most passionate visitor can discover. So, let’s find out!

1. Musée du Louvre – Amazing isn’t the word to describe it. This museum is one the greatest museums ever! 8 million people visit it every year. It was a 12th century palace, but became a museum after the french revolution in 1793. The museum houses Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa (La Gioconda), La Liberté guidant le peuple, Le Sacre de Napoléon and so many other priceless artworks. The museum is open daily with varying hours. Mondays, Thursdays and weekends from 9 am to 17:30; Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 am to 21:15; It has tickets prices of £10 to £14 and at certain times it is free.

2. Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées – This two are together because they are close of each other. Champs-Élysées is one of the famous and glamorous avenues in the world. It’s 2km of green trees and luxury stores in the middle of Paris. It links the Arc de Triomphe with Place de la Concorde. The Arc de Triomphe is a neoclassical monument built to commemorate the military victories of Napoleon Bonaparte, who ordered its construction in 1806.

3. Pont des Arts – Why don’t go there? It’s so lovely! The bridge has a legend: the couple that write their names on the padlock, lock it at the bridge and thrown the keys on Seine river will stay together forever. I don’t know with whom I would lock a padlock, but for while, I would just enjoy the view.

4. Tour Eiffel – One of the most known structures in the world, built by Gustave Eiffel in 1889. The tower has 310 meters, ten thousand kilos of iron and has already been visited by 250 million people. The tower has some platforms that you can see a museum of Gustave Eiffel and you can also have a dinner in the expensive restaurant called Jules Verne. In the top of the tower you can have a view of Sacre Coeur and Arc de Triomphe. I have certain that I will climb the 740 steps to have that view of Paris. It would wonderful.

5. La Basilique du Sacré Cœur de Montmartre – the symbol of Montmartre neighborhood. To reach the basilica you must climb 324 steps that is worth. When you get the basilica you see an amazing view of Paris and you can enter and appreciate the architecture of it. 6. Château de Versailles – World Heritage of Humanity by Unesco for more than three decades, the Palace of Versailles was the playground of Marie Antoinette that was taken of her before she died during the French Revolution. The palace is located 35 minutes from Paris by train, in Versailles. There are three basic sections, all very different: the Palace of Versailles itself, the gardens and the properties related to Marie Antoinette: the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and the home country. People say that is good to take a whole day to meet the three and make some stops to have a coffe or enjoy a panorama with a meal in some restaurant.

6. Château de Versailles – World Heritage of Humanity by Unesco for more than three decades, the Palace of Versailles was the playground of Marie Antoinette that was taken of her before she died during the French Revolution. The palace is located 35 minutes from Paris by train, in Versailles. There are three basic sections, all very different: the Palace of Versailles itself, the gardens and the properties related to Marie Antoinette: the Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon and the home country. People say that is good to take a whole day to meet the three and make some stops to have a coffee or enjoy a panorama with a meal in some restaurant.

7. Cathédrale Notre Dame – It’s the ground zero of the city. The construction of the cathedral was started in 1163 and was finished two centuries after. It’s unreal the visual impact that the cathedral has with its dimensions – 130 meters deep, 48 wide and 35 high, which makes it able to accommodate up to 6000 people. I love seeing churches architecture. The cathedral has already been the scene of some major events as the Napoleon coronation in 1804.

8. Montmartre – It’s a very famous neighborhood (18) ,in north of Paris, because of the Amélie Poulain movie. It’s high in a hill and it offered a wonderful view of the city. People just go there to visit the Sacré-Coeur, but it has a lot of interesting things to do: you can visit the Cafe Le Deux Moulins (appeared in the Amélie movie, as I read), you can visit the Place des Abbesses (it has the most beautiful art nouveau subway station and Le Mur des Je t’Aime, that is a wall where is written “I love you” in more than 300 languages) and if you are allowed, you can visit the famous Moulin Rouge, which for me, will be a place just to take a photo of the outside.

9. Place de la Concorde – It’s located in the end of Champs-Élysées and it’s the second biggest square in Paris. The square was guillotine headquarters during the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI were beheaded there. The Obelisk Egyptian was a gift, and not Napoleon’s conquest, from the Egyptian King Méhmet to King Louis-Philippe I and it was placed there in 1836. In addition of the Obelisk, the square has two water golden fountains: one to symbolize the inland waterway navigation and other one to symbolize the maritime navigation. These three monuments are so beautiful that worth to go to there.

10. Galeries Lafayette – It’s a department store. Ok, what makes you want to go there? Ah, let me think… the architecture! It’s amazing! It’s wonderful as so many other things that I wrote to you on this post. Well, as a department store, you will find a lot of brand stores there as: Dior, Chanel and Prada. The store has also some restaurants and coffee bars.

Well guys, another Top 10 for you. The next week, I’ll be back with another wonderful city that I love to meet. So, if you like this post, leave a comment below! See you next week!

Top 10 Where Are We? – London, ENG.

Hello, guys! Other “Top 10” here! Well, today’s post is about the rainy city of London! Yes, I have a dream to go there. It’s a beautiful city like “old but gold” (haha). London is not only considered as the capital of England, but the capital of Europe. It’s an excited city!

1. Tower Bridge – Next to Big Ben and the London Eye, Tower Bridge is one of the most important sights of London. In addition to the unique design, the Tower Bridge also fascinated by engineering who conceived it, making it a movable bridge. When I think in London, the first things that appear in my mind are: Tower Bridge, London Eye and Big Ben.

2. Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey – Buckingham Palace has served as the official London residence of Britain’s sovereigns since 1837 and today is the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. It’s the house of the queen Elizabeth II! It’s cool to go there and watch the changing the guard, but we must pay attention on the schedule. The guard change timing is: 11:15 (guards and band start arriving), 11:30 (official start time), 12:00 (guard change ceremony ends). Westminster Abbey is where monarchs are crowned and buried since the eleventh century and was the scene of trendy wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton. Amazing! It’s beautiful to see! The visitation schedule is: Monday-Saturday, always, 9:30 until 16:30. The tickets cost is 18 pounds for adults and 8 pounds for children. Since we’ll be in Westminster, other thing that I would like to see is the Marble Arch. It’s a monument in front of Buckingham Palace to represent a passage to the Palace.

3. Big Ben and London Eye – The attractions in London I’m grouping then because they are very close each other. So, from the Big Ben you can see London Eye, of course, because London Eye is almost bigger than everything in London. It has 135 m high, was opened in 1999 and is known as “Millennium Wheel”. The London Eye ride is probably one of the most excited things that I want to do if one day I’ll visit London. The Big Ben is name of the most famous bells, not the name of the palace, as many think. I would like to visit the bell, enter in the tower to see it, and of course, visit the Westminster Palace, where the bell is.

4. Cultural day – It’s good to have a cultural day to visit one of the hundred museums that has in city. I choose some museums that would be cool to visit: British Museum (Night at the Museum feelings), Natural History Museum, National Gallery, Tate Modern and The Globe (William Shakespeare was one of the partners and he turned into an arena for the representations of plays like Hamlet and King Lear).

5. Hyde Park – It’s a beautiful area and, of course, that I would like to visit. It’s a large park where Londoners lay down on the grass and relax. The park is open since 5 am to midnight.

6. St Paul’s Cathedral – Is a postcard of London city. The church has the biggest dome, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1675. Hot spots of great historical significance, the cathedral appears as the seat of the Bishop of London, so it’s a must-see to visit there in London. The tickets cost £16 for adults and £7 for children.

7. Camden Town – It’s a traditional exotic neighborhood in London. People with blue hair, piercings in some non normal places and tattoo all over their bodies are very normal there: you are the strange. All people that went to London visit this place for one reason: it’s amazing! Everything is different and it’s cool to see. To get there, you can take the Camden Town (Northern Line).

8. Piccadilly Circus – For me, Piccadilly Circus is kind a Times Square of London. It has the giant billboards from Coke, McDonalds, Samsung, and TDK that are there for years. It’s here, in my top 10, because is a place that you must visit and take a picture there. The best way to get there is by subway; the station is called Piccadilly Circus Station, and can get there by Piccadilly Circus Line and Bakerloo Line.

9. Oxford Street – Again, for me, it is kind a 5th avenue of London. The street has more than 500 stores and it is the busiest commercial street in Europe. The avenue is the Westminster area, in London. Some of the famous stores are: H&M, Topshop, Nike, Zara, Gap and Primark.

10. Harry Potter Warner Bros Studios – As a huge Harry Potter fan, I couldn’t finish this top 10 without this amazing attraction that has in London. The “Warner Bros. Studios Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter” is a chance for the fans to meet the backstage, the secrets and the special effects of the whole series. Among the highlights, you can walk through to Great Hall, the biggest room built for the movie, the Dumbledore office, some of the clothes used in the movies and some of the icon items of the series as the Nimbus 2000 and the Hagrid’s motorcycle. The tickets cost are: £31 for adults, £23,50 for children under 16 and it’s free for children under 4 years.

So, guys, I hope you enjoyed this post. If you liked, leave a comment here below and a “like” in the post. Next week, I’ll be back here with another Top 10 Where Are We ?.