Do It Go

“Plaza Eliptica, I like the sound of that, let us go there,” I told Tam in my usual unplanned, let us just go out the door and see the city approach to visiting foreign lands. But Tam, to her credit, was more planning oriented, and liked to actually have an idea where we might go, so we made a good team for exploring, and rarely got on each others nerves. We are both mindful of each other’s traveling strengths, and we happily traveled as much as we could. We could be as happy at a road side stall eating some fried concoction as visiting an expensive place, like we did at the luxury hotels Bilbao offers. We love the evenings in Spain as just about everyone goes out for a stroll in the nice air, and Bilbao is no different. They all seem to dress up and look smart as they parade about, families with children, teenagers, everyone. We were really taken by the permanent installation of the Puppy  outside the wild Guggenheim in Bilbao, a living floral sculpture in the shape of, well, a puppy. It is great fun to see this big, flowery friendly fellow (um, I think it is a boy), a pop art piece of such happy fun you just want to look at it all day. Flowers actually grow on the sculpture, and it is watered from some kind of internal irrigation system. The Puppy looks like a Cairn Terrier to me, I just know that it takes a lot of flowers to make this puppy bloom. Apparently, this was supposed to be a temporary installation, (I guess it is actually a Scotty) but I certainly would not confuse this fine dog with a cat, as some do.

Tags: Cairn Terrier, luxury hotels Bilbao, puppy, Spain
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Of all the amazing cultural landmarks, elements, and attractions to be found and experiences in Barcelona. Spain, not to mention the great beaches, views and amazing architecture and historical icons of the city, it might be surprising to learn that many visitors to the city spend a great deal, or at least a portion of their time the casino. This is even more likely when some of the top Barcelona hotels are located all too conveniently close to some of these fabulous gaming centers. However, this is not intended to slight those tourists who enjoy experiencing the excitement and thrill of the casino, Barcelona culture is definitely alive and well in these establishments, as well as throughout the city. In fact, many people have their preferred way of experiencing the culture of any place they visit. Some chose to find the unique flavors of a particular city or region’s cuisine, some people experience as much of the local performance scene as possible, and some people feel they gain true insight into a place by spending some time in the local casino.

It’s important to keep in mind that gambling and poker playing is not the only thing offered by the major casinos. The entertainment options are often a main reason why some people are attracted to them, and this is particularly common in what most people consider to be the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas, Nevada. In Barcelona, an evening at the casino can be a social event and generally features great food and a quality performance. This does not preclude the professional player who is at the table for one reason only. Whatever the reason or intention, casinos are extremely accommodating places, though appropriate behavior and sometimes attire is expected and required. Casino Barcelona is one of the most popular casinos in the region and is frequently referred to as the casino by the sea. There are also multiple bars, restaurants and the nightclub Baccara, which features a dinner show, associated with this casino.

Tags: Casino Barcelona, Las Vegas Nevada, Spain, top Barcelona hotel
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There is only one reason my best friend planned our vacation in Ibiza, Spain, the clubs. And we weren’t disappointed. We arrived in Ibiza around 10pm, checked into one of the Best Hotels Ibiza offers, put on our club clothes and headed out with no time to waste. We were ready to party and maybe, just maybe meet our future girlfriends.

We managed to make it to the latest hottest club ‘London’ just around midnight. We were surprised to find everybody was inside, apparently to make to most of the ‘drink all night’ price. We headed immediately to one of the two main rooms upstairs. We were excited to find Jo Mills spinning to a cavernous room crowded with clubbers dancing beneath a white camouflaged cloth suspended from the high ceiling. We caught the club fever as a spontaneous ‘Woo oooh’ broke out among the dancers. Luckily we were dressed appropriately, this was no t-shirt and jeans crowd. We managed to work our way to where most of the clubbers were wearing their luminous accessories and fluorescent painted faces and exposed body parts. We brought our our rave rings, wristbands and the newly popular shutter shades with which Kanye West wears. We fit in quite nicely.

My friend and I danced with a lot of hot girls and we were impressed with how quick we got drinks served to us. After about an hour of intense dancing and flirting, we take a quick chill and find a seat in the main room. We talked to this guy sitting next to us, he was a local and he said he’s addicted the all the colors and clubbers. He comes all the time. We were envious to say the least. We have nothing like this back home. Nothing.

The free drinks kept coming and the girls flowed up to us as well, but unfortunately, there is a side effect to free drinks, a downfall really, we became too drunk and tired. It was only 3:30 in the morning, so we hailed a taxi and headed back to our hotel room, without new girlfriends, but not penniless. Ah, there’s always tomorrow night.

Tags: accessories, best hotels, Clubbing, Ibiza, London, Spain
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The Balearic Island of Majorca is the largest of these major Mediteranean islands located off the coast of Spain. It has much to offer residents and tourists who stay in one of the 5 star hotels in Palma , the capital city, as well as the resorts located throughout the rest of the island. The city and island are rich in entertainment, dinning options, as well as cultural history and heritage. Majorca has become one of the world’s most popular tourists locations, and for good reason. Its beautiful beaches are only the icing on the cake for this diverse and captivating island.

Palma is located on the southern coast on the Bay of Palma. It is the home of approximately half of the island’s population. The Spanish royal family has had its summer home there for many years and it is also the chosen summer residence for many other people. It has an extremely interesting history, which is incorporated into its current cultural orientation. It dates back to the Roman period BCE when it was founded upon the remains of a Talaiotic settlement. This early history is also extremely politically turbulent as it was the center of numerous Vandal sackings that occurred while the Roman Empire fell. Consequentially it was overtaken by the Byzantine Empire before being colonized by the Moors.

The arrival of the Moors took place at the beginning of the 8th century and has had lasting effects on the culture and architecture, particularly in Palma’s Old Town area. This constituted a transitional period in Palma’s social structure and began an area of self sufficiency partly based on piracy. The Islamic expansion overtook the smaller Byzantine population, which ensured their power status and began the decline of the imperial based society. Through the centuries various other transitions and elements of power took over the island, each one leaving lasting effects on the people and heritage. Most of these are still evident in some form in Palma and throughout the island today.

Tags: 5 star hotels in Palma, hotels in Palma, Palma, Palma history, Spain
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There are many opportunities for work in the tourism industry throughout the country of Spain.  Many travel to the city and fund their ‘vacations’ by working in the service industry, such as in the restaurants, bars, or the five star hotels.  Spain is a very laid back and welcoming country, and in most of the cities many of the people and the businesses will give foreigners the opportunities for employment throughout their stay.  And if one is in need of learning the language as well, the people are extremely helpful in teaching one along the way, while still offering employment.  Any traveler from one of the other European countries will find it extremely easy to find work.  There are various regions throughout Spain, and each region speaks with a different dialect, so while most businesses are willing to give outsiders jobs, it goes without saying that should one speak the dialect of a region, finding work becomes much easier.

Due to the tourism, there are opportunities to work in various cities and villages along the coastline.  More than half of the population living in Spain works in the service industry, and many in the country alternate jobs, working in the industry during the season and picking fruit during the off-season.  For those skilled at water activities and sports, there are many positions available, through teaching scuba diving, to surfing, to sailing and windsurfing.  One of the more popular spots for diving are the Medes Islands.  More that 60,000 dives are taken into the waters of the Mediterranean here each year.  Many of the schools located here cater to English speaking tourists, so this may be a better location to find work if one does not speak on of the dialects.

And of course there are the Balearic Islands, which provide a wide range of opportunities for seasonal work.  Many who work on the islands do so while they are taking their own vacations as well.  The club scene in Ibiza is legendary, and the staff in most of the clubs and bars are internationally diverse.  Mallorca has many opportunities for work in the bars and restaurants and tends to be a bit less trendy and more relaxed.  There are many British owned businesses on the islands as well, for those seeking jobs, that are a bit more suited for older people, without the party atmosphere.  In all, this is a great way to travel, especially in these times when vacations may be a bit out of the financial reach of some, they are able to finance vacation time, by working in the vacation spots of Spain.

Tags: Balearic Islands, hotels, Medes Island, Spain, work
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The term ‘culture jamming’ has become the phrase used when describing the ways that artists intervene with commercialism.  The band Negativland is credited for coining the phrase.  One of the local street artists in Barcelona has been ‘culture jamming’ for years.  Jorge Rodriguez Gerada a Cuban born painter has been living in the city and has been adding to the amazing street art scene in many ways, one of which includes the altering of billboards and other forms of public advertisements of Barcelona, Spain.  Hotel walls, and street signs have been painted over by Gerada in an attempt to parody the ads and to change the messages that are conveyed.  Gerada is known as one of founders of this art form, one of the most creative and skilled.

He has been creating a series throughout Barcelona called ‘The Identity Series‘  for almost seven years.  Beginning in 2002, Gerada put large scale charcoal drawings of people on the building walls in various locations throughout the city.  Charcoal will not stand up to the elements but this fact is all part of Gerada’s process and message.  His intention in creating these works that will be destroyed eventually by the wind and the rain, is to convey the message that memory and place are two important components in the establishment of identity.  He wants to question the control enforced through the use of public property.

He questions commercialism and brand name items, and the way in which these companies advertise their brands.  He states that everyone should question those who appear to be choosing the role models and the icons of culture, and to be aware of the manipulation of corporate companies.  He creates his works using models of everyday people.  His hopes being, that when an anonymous person becomes important, people will begin to become more empathetic and aware, that even though the image will fade the memory will remain.  His works are throughout the city in Spain and should be a part of every walking tour through the street galleries of Barcelona.

Tags: Barcelona, Culture Jamming, galleries, hotel, Identity Series, Spain, street artists
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Last November, a giant sand painting was created in Barcelona, Spain.  Luxury hotels,  cafes, and city walls of Barcelona have long been known to provide the street artists with the ‘canvases’ in which to express themselves, artistically, politically, and philosophically.  This sand painting is no different.  The piece is titled ‘Expectation’ and is the work of Barcelona artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada.   The artist had a consultant in architect Alex Gimenez Imirizaldu.  The painting is a portrait of United States President Barack Obama.  Rodriguez-Gerada used a graphics system, and a topographical map to plan the piece of art work, before the 2008 elections took place in 2008.  The artist stated at the time that the work was on such a grand scale because of the sense of hope that Obama’s supporters had felt, and that the entire world felt, about the campaign and about the man that Obama is.  Obama had evoked such a yearning for change that extended the boundaries of his own country and affected most all other countries in the world.

Rodriguez used six hundred and fifty tons of colored sand to create the piece that signifies the impact that the election had for the world, the power that was felt in the idea of a man such as Obama, is in modern times and history, without precedent.  The artist’s choice to create this massive mural with sand has symbolic connotations as well.  Many indigenous tribes of the world such as the Monks in Tibet, the Native Americans in the United States and the Aborigines of outback Australia, all practice the art of sand painting during rituals of healing ceremonies.  This is a metaphor very easy to distinguish as the idea of Obama’s leadership created the idea that with him leading the U.S., not only would the U.S. be able to heal, but again, the entire world would also.  There are many examples of street art in Barcelona,  and this is one piece that is most brilliant and astounding.

Tags: Barcelona, Expectation, hotels, Naitive Americans, Obama, Rodriguez-Gerada, Spain
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