Costa Brava's Blog - Holiday Tips, Travel Guides, Hotel Reviews, Travel News from Spain and Worldwide

Top gadgets for the modern traveler

Cbrava Blogger — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:17:03 +0000

Ready to explore and conquer? Well, as a modern tourist, you will find yourself in a unique situation. People want to know what you are doing and they want to know it now. You want some of the best gadgets for your trip, then be sure that you are connected.

Samsung 9 Series Laptop

A lightweight, compact and easy to carry laptop, this one saves you a pound or more compared to fatter laptops. Only 2.89 Lbs, it has a very unique design that is a sleek as a sports car. It uses the top notch Core i5 processor from Intel and the battery can handle 6.5 hours. You have to get this if you want to keep connected with your friends and family and share some amazing things with them. This is also great for those who prefer a proper computer than smaller gadgets.

Xoom by Motorola

Of course, tech lovers love their tablets and if you want to flash a tablet, be proud in showing off this one from Motorola. It uses Verizon Wireless and uses the latest Motorola processor which is quite zippy, it is a close call to the Apple OS to some extent. It runs on Android 3.0 and it has incredible cameras offering better video quality. This is great if you are bored, and you want to enjoy a book or a game while at the bar or maybe you just want to have a quick blog post or a scrap book piece on the spot.

Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot

Let’s face it, we do not get enough internet connection on the places where we want them and for those who need to stay connected, that is a massive booboo. If you are hardcore with your connectivity, then this is an incredible device to have. This device offers portable Wi Fi connectivity that can handle connections for computers. It is pocket sized so you can carry it anywhere without causing much clutter. The 4G connection is great since it is faster than 3G.

FujiFilm FinePix X3P0

If you like a camera that can go along with you everywhere you go: brave the dirt, the heat the cold and underwater, this waterproof, shockproof and compact camera will be your new best friend. Capture with this 14 MP camera and take immaculate, high quality photos worthy of the travel destinations you are currently visiting. The best thing? It is not that expensive!

An Icon of Surrealism: the Eccentric Salvador Dali

Cbrava Blogger — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 11:50:46 +0000

When it comes to Catalan arts and surrealism, there is one visionary man who is worthy of being called a master: Salvador Dali. His creations are mind boggling, psychological, artistically unique and most importantly, modern. A fantastic draftsman, he was most popular for his surrealist paintings as well as collaborations with numerous artists and fashion designers particularly Elsa Schiaparelli in which Dali created the painting for the Lobster Dress, an iconic dress. He is not just an artist; he was a great commercial influence and was incredibly open to the media.

The most iconic work of Salvador Dali would have to be the Persistence of Memory which he completed in 1931. Right now, it is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It is an image of a landscape with striking images of watches, seemingly melting, a disturbing but highly influential image that still appeals to a massive crowd. The painting was inspired by the theory of Softness and Hardness by Dali himself. It was said that soft watch meant the space and time relativity and this painting is a representation of the collapse of the fixed cosmic order.

Salvador Dali was an eccentric man and he was a man who loved passions and indulgence. He liked luxurious things, gilded and elaborate things and so it is no wonder why he had an affinity for orientalist fashion. He was attention seeking and this is a way to irritate his critics more and more.

Salvador Dali used symbolism, a lot, actually into his paintings. There are phallic undertones, elephants, obelisks and eggs. His works are provocative and often times analyzed in a psychological manner, more than artistically. His works seem to really manifest more very deep ideas mixed with subconscious elements and cosmic, pseudo scientific or carnal elements. Nonetheless, Dali has his fans and his patrons support his work though they seem to also not like him being extremely publicized in the media.

Dali created more than 1500 paintings in his lifetime. He was also cited as an important source of inspiration for a lot of modern artists like Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and modern day surrealists. His face was iconic, even his ever changing mustache that has its own personality. Indeed, Dali was a personality. He is an icon of art, and of popular culture. Nonetheless, the depth of his work and the incredible complexity of his paintings show that he is a force that is to be lauded and praised, deserving of praise in the industry.

El Bulli in Rosas Spain

Cbrava Blogger — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:58:33 +0000

What kind of restaurant would be voted for 5 consecutive years as the best restaurant in the world? That is exactly what El Bulli restaurant, a three star restaurant located near the town of Rosas in Spain has managed to do. When it comes to restaurants, there is El Bulli and then there is everyone else. It is managed by the now world famous chef Ferran Adria and overlooks the Cala Montjoi bay of Costa Brava.

The restaurant is reservation only and has a limited open season each year. It attracts a whopping 1 million reservation requests each year even though it can only take in a total of 8000 guests each year. This is despite a standard meal at the restaurant costing in excess of 200 Euros. The overwhelming demand has also not resulted in a net profit for the restaurant - it has been running at a loss since the year 2000 and is primarily funded by the sales of its books.

The name El Bulli was derived from the bulldogs of the couple that sold the site of the present day restaurant to its first owners. The restaurant itself opened in 1964 and won its first Michelin star in 1976 under the leadership of Chef Jean Loius Neichel. Chef Ferran Adria joined El Bulli in 1984 and was made head chef in 1987. The restaurant received its second and third Michelin star in 1990 and 1997 respectively.

From 1993, the El Bulli restaurant started publishing books on the different menus available. Books are sold in hard copy or in CD ROM format at major supermarkets and book stores in Spain and around the world. One of the most popular publications by the restaurant is one done in 2008 and that covered a typical 24 hour day at the restaurant. Done by Ferran Adria, Albert Adria and Juli Soler, it featured details of various recipes interspersed with commentaries and pictures.

Reservations can be made online or by fax. Guests must patiently wait until they receive confirmation on their successful reservation with details of the date and time. With over a million applicants, the odds of a successful reservation are just over 100 to 1. The menu is dynamic and guests usually have no way of knowing what will be served on the day they have been slotted in. The chefs go to great lengths to deliver food that the guests are unlikely to have eaten before.

To get to El Bullis, the most popular approach is taking a flight to Barcelona then covering the journey to Rosas via taxi. There are a number of hotels nearby that one can stay in when visiting El Bulli.

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Costa Brava, Spain

Cbrava Blogger — Thu, 05 May 2011 08:15:39 +0000

About location

Located on the north eastern coast of Catalonua, Spain, the Costa Brava region stretches from the French border to Blanes (a resort town 60 kilometres north east of the city of Barcelona). The name Costa Brava is derived from the Catalan word ‘Costa’ which means coast and ‘Brava’ that stands for wild or rugged. The region has gained international repute for its popular tourist resorts. Costa Brava’s seaside towns signed a charter in 1998 to ensure that the phenomenal tourism growth goes hand in hand with the sustainable management of the environment.

Climate

Costa Brava’s position at the north east end of Spain makes it wetter and cooler than all other sea adjacent areas of Spain. Broadly speaking, the climate of Costa Brava is Mediterranean with hot summers and milder winters. However, the region’s climate is a confluence of weather systems originating from the Mediterranean, Africa, Europe, the Atlantic and the Pyrenees and this makes it difficult to predict at times. It is not unusual to experience substantially different weather on two consecutive years. There are also several distinct microclimates depending on where one is in the region.

The summer kicks off in June with average highs at about 25C peaking at 28C between July and August. The sirocco wind that originates from the Sahara can occasionally push up day temperatures past 35C. During the peak of summer, nights may be uncomfortably warm for some tourists with average lows sometimes at 21C. In, autumn temperatures start to fall and rainfall increases. Thunderstorms may occur especially over the month of October. By the winter, average lows are at 7C and highs at 13C. Spring sees increased in rainfall though not as much as the autumn and by May, day highs are at 21C as the summer season begins.

History

Costa Brava is filled with many signs that demonstrate the presence of Romans in the area at some point in its past. Archaeological findings have also shown the presence of Arabs, Visigoths, Greeks and Iberians at different times in the area’s history. By the 1950s, local entrepreneurs and the Spanish government had identified Costa Brava as an area suitable for development and promotion as a tourist destination. The target market was tourists from France, the United Kingdom and other countries in Northern Europe. It was shortly after that apartments and hotels started to come up leading to the formation of the Llorel de Mar, Tossa de Mar and Blanes seaside resort towns.

Attractions

Costa Brava’s key allure for holiday makers has been its coastline which is evidenced by the thriving coastal resorts. However, several parts of the interior have retained the traditional feel of the area and are a suitable holiday alternative for persons that want something different from the seaside attractions. Cadaques, a town at the base of the Pyrenees not far from the French border, has played host to such famous artists as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali thanks to its calm and serene demeanour.

Along the shores of Banyoles Lake is the Santa Maria de Porqueres, a Romanesque church whose history dates back to the 12^th century. It is one of the most visited sites in Catalonia. Then there is Fageda Beech Forest, whose natural beauty is nothing less than enchanting. Other places to see include Parc Art (the open air art gallery), the 6^th century Greco-Roman Empuries park, the 18^th century Sant Ferran Castle (Europe’s largest fortress), the 10^th century Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery, Girona’s old town and Breda’s Sant Salvador Monastery.

Spanish Airport Strikes Cancelled

Cbrava Blogger — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 09:32:10 +0000

AENA has come to a pre-agreement with airport workers and strikes have been called off.

With the new agreement Spanish government protects not only the so important tourism industry, but also all holidaymakers who are expecting to celebrate their vacations in a peaceful and enjoyable way.

A dispute involving AENA, the Spanish state-owned firm which runs Spain’s key airports, would have meant a total of 22 days of stoppages starting at Easter and spreading into summer.

News Published in Spanish press EL MUNDO

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Valencia Fallas 2011

Cbrava Blogger — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:48:32 +0000

In the middle of the Mediterranean coast, Valencia city, celebrates each year the final days of the winter and the arrival of spring with spectacular fires and pyrotechnics. From March 15 to 19 (the feast of Saint Joseph, day of the father in the whole country), Valencia is given over to a carnival of bonfires, fiesta, fireworks and a healthy dose of satire known as Las Fallas, the fires.

Displayed on every corner all over the city are colourful ninots, giant papier-mâché figures often 20 feet tall or even more that have been paraded through the streets and then placed in fantasy groups to tower over excited spectators. Each one in some way satirises a political figure, or a soap star, or more exotic creatures from the movies, TV, sports idols, or simply imagination. Some of them are grotesque – others playful and charming – all are larger than life and up for public scrutiny.

Every day at 2pm firecrackers rip through the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in an noisy event called la Mascletá. This concert of gunpowder is very popular and involves different neighbourhood groups competing for the most impressive volley, ending with the terremoto, (literally means “earthquake”) as hundreds of masclets exploting simultaneously. While this may not be for the frail or faint-fainthearted, you understand how hearted, the Valencians got their valiant name.

Another important event is the Ofrenda de Flores a la Virgen de los Desamparados, a beautiful ceremony every March 17 and 18, that honours Valencia’s patron Virgin. Thousands of Falleras and Falleros arrive to the city from every corner of the Comunitat (Valencia State) and take the streets wearing traditional costumes and dancing to their neighbourhood or village bands as they wend their way to the Plaza de la Virgen to offer bouquets to the giant image of the Virgin.

Historians say that the origins of the festival go back to the time when carpenters cleared out their workshops and talleres at the end of winter, throwing out odds and ends of wood and old candles and lighting them on the street the day of Saint Joseph.

Nowadays, celebrations draw to an end with a fabulous firework display in the Paseo de la Alameda, called the Nit del Foc (literally “The Night of Fire”), on March 18. All Fallas burn all over the city the following night (including the winner of the competition) in a tremendous spectacle of fire and joy. Valencia is at that moment like Nero´s Rome, a city in flames. That’s why Valencians call this the best firework fiesta in the world! Don´t miss it!

The Fallas Programme 2011

1 March