Page 22 of 31

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:59 am
by bruce schmaltz
Great work Jorcx and team Barcelona
I have two tickets row 11 cost 180 E for the 2 great seats.I do not want
To open this up to the general public .I want an easy way of selling them
And I thought you would know who still needed good tickets .I will be
In Barcelona on the 17 th ,if you have an interest I will provide hotel
Information
Bruce we are 119 and 120

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 8:30 pm
by Birdonawire
Hi all,

I'll be arriving on the morning of Thursday 17th and staying at HOTEL GAUDI, Nou de la Rambla.

If anyone is in Barcelona by then and you want to meet up on the Thursday, Friday or Saturday let me know.

Eric.

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:27 pm
by tinderella
Just wonderin' if anyone is flying from Dublin on the early Aer Lingus flight on sunday morning ?

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:54 pm
by ispellit
Anyone else staying at the Hotel Toledano?

Leonard Cohen in Barcelona

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:11 pm
by ForYourSmile
It is a beautiful and warm day.

Dave, two excellent restaurants. Cal Pep good food and a bit expensive. Bomba Bar is one of those typical places of Barceloneta, really interesting.

See you soon friends, the natives must work until the weekend ;-)

Leonard Cohen in Barcelona

October 12 & 13, 1974
It was at the Palau de la Musica Catalana, a modernist building designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner (1908), maybe the most beautiful of Barcelona, more if we bear in mind its social function. It is the home of the Orfeó Català, a lyrical association.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau_de_l ... a_Catalana

Image

October 12 was Saturday, after the success of the first concert a second concert was hurriedly scheduled on Sunday morning (a matinee), October 13.

Cohen presented his album "New Skin for the Old Ceremony".

Jeff Layton, banjo, guitar, mandolin, strings
Johnny Miller, bass
John Lissauer, keyboards, saxophone, woodwind
Erin Dickens, vocals
Emily Binding, vocals

Years later Cohen has given us many surprises, but I personally love this time, this sound (that of John Lissauer), and these songs.

Leonard Cohen remained concentrate on his music in the first part surrounded for a warm public who recognised the songs.

Returning to the stage for the second part, he thanked the attention for his music and said the famous phrase: "My guitar is come home". He spoke about the many social changes, expectations and dreams of those years. (Spain - in this moment still in a dictatorship - lived times of political transition, times of hope and fear in front a possible regression, many people had political commitments. Gigs as this were a gateway to the world). This changes and turbulent times were in the Chelsea Hotel too. He introduced the song mentioned a famous singer without giving her name.

Click here to listen: "My guitar is come home"

In this second part he presented nearly every song, after the "Sisters of Mercy" introduced the band, them the song written for "the soldiers of both sides": "Lover Lover Lover". Before a beautiful "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy", Cohen played some dots of "Los cuatro muleros", a popular Spanish song recovered by Lorca. Federico García Lorca wrote the lyrics and he recorded it, playing the piano, with La Argentina. It's a song linked to the Civil War.

Click here to listen: "Los cuatro muleros"

At the end he performed a heartrending blues, "The Butcher" and repeated as encore "Bird On The Wire" and "The Partisan". When he reached the expected phrase "freedom soon will come, then we'll come from the shadows", the public began in applause, the applause was a demonstration of the longing for the freedom. Because in Europe kept the fascism at the end of WWII.

I could not be in this concert, although I lived it many times, thanks to GB, JA and unknown people.


November 17, 1980
He performed at the Palau Municipal d'Esports, ugly and inappropriate place where all important concerts and events were celebrated in this period.
Image
Rehabilitated in 2000 as Barcelona Teatre Musical.

Mitch Watkins, guitar, keyboards, vocals
Roscoe Beck bass
Steve Meador, drums
Bill Ginn, keyboards
Raffi Hakopian, violin
John Bilezikjian, oud, mandolin
Paul Ostermeyer, flute, saxophone
Sharon Robinson, vocals

In the current tour, only 29 years later, Roscoe Beck and Sharon Robinson return to Barcelona. Part of the band was the Passenger, they had a very full and powerful sound, with special richness provided by Raffi Hakopian, John Bilezikjian and Sharon Robinson. Jennifer Warnes did not come.

We can consider as the late presentation of Recent Songs, but from this great album only he sang "The Gypsy's Wife" and "The Window".

At first Cohen seemed concerned about the acoustics and for performance in front more than 1,000 people, we were 7,000, but soon everything started to work perfectly. He talked in French and English.

Click here to listen: "Intro Barcelona 1980"

Sharon Robinson is also a wonderful Joan Of Arc, though Julie Christensen is very special to me.

The concert ended formally with "Memories" on crooner style, microphone in hand and passionate. Introduced the band and said good night with "buenas noches".

Then, as encore, he performed "Sisters of Mercy", "Tonight Will Be Fine", "Lady Midnight" and "I Tried To Leave You" another introduction of the band and "buenas noches my darling." We still get a "Bird On The Wire" reciting the first verse in French, my recorder exhausted the batteries before finishing this last song. Historic.

A memorable concert and "a landmark in the musical year in Barcelona" as it were published in a newspaper.

May 24, 1988.
"I'm Your Man" tour came. A brilliant album produced by Cohen with master songs that captivated new and younger fans. Leonard seemed happy with these sunglasses and the banana. Promoting it in Spanish television with Perla Batalla and Julie Christensen performed in playback "First We Take Manhattan," "Take This Waltz" and "Is not No Cure For Love" with a static and serious look, they seemed very funny.

Again in the Palau d'Esports, 8,000 audience.

Bob Metzger, guitar, steel guitar
Bob Furgo, keyboards, violin
John Bilezikjian, oud, mandolin
Tom McMorran, keyboards
Steve Zirkel, bass, keyboards, trumpet
Steve Meador, drums
Perla Batalla, vocals
Julie Christensen, vocals

He kept Bilezikjian, appear Bob Metzger and the unforgettable Perla and Julie.

They started with what would be the classic begin: "Dance Me To The End Of Love".

He appreciated the assistance at the concert, and for not watching a basketball match than Barça was playing that night. Although he expected to win Barcelona, but win or lose, Ain't No Cure For Love.

This time Perla Batalla was his translator into Spanish. He is not so stupid because he had a beautiful woman to speak for him.

Click here to listen: "I have a beautiful woman"

The concert takes two hours and my recorder one-thirty. An unforgettable show.

May 15, 1993.
He returned to the old Palau d'Esports.

Bob Metzger, guitar, steel guitar
Bob Furgo, keyboards, violin
Jorge Calderon, bass
Bill Ginnl, keyboards
Paul Ostermeyer, flute, saxophone
Steve Meador, drums
Perla Batalla, vocals
Julie Christensen, vocals

The Future seemed too dark to me and it left just a video with six songs taken from the Catalan television with subtitles in this language: "Democracy", "Closing Time", "Sisters of Mercy", "I Can not Forget", "Hallelujah" and "Tried to Leave You" (thanks to GB.).

for my little daughter than taught me four easy things to make a simple video ;-)

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:24 pm
by margaret
ispellit wrote:Anyone else staying at the Hotel Toledano?
I will be at the Toledano from Saturday evening, and Joe and Anne Way are already there. Daveeliver is also there from Friday night.
Looking forward to meeting everyone :D

Thank you to all the Spanish team for organising such a great celebration.

Margaret

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:29 pm
by ispellit
How nice, Margret!

Thank you for telling me! I'll be arriving on Sunday, late morning.

Looking forward to meeting you all! :D

Kerstin

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:41 pm
by Womanfromaroom
I will be there from very early on Saturday morning. I will just post my mobile phone number to you people in a PM, so perhaps we can already "do" something...
I so look forward to meeting you all!!

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:02 am
by BEATRIZ SALLES
Birdonawire wrote:Hi all,

I'll be arriving on the morning of Thursday 17th and staying at HOTEL GAUDI, Nou de la Rambla.

If anyone is in Barcelona by then and you want to meet up on the Thursday, Friday or Saturday let me know.

Eric.
I work near Hotel Gaudi, you can email me when arrived.

Anyway don't miss the London bar at carrer Nou, one of the oldest, charming ans even "sublime" (LC words...) in town. A couple of minutes from your hotel oposite from Las Ramblas.

And please you all, avoid Las Ramblas to eat or drink!!! bad and expensive, jus for tourists.

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:17 am
by BEATRIZ SALLES
Hi to all the forumites arriving soon to BCN, my city.
I've thought it would be useful to copy-paste some posts I wrote in a cruises board about the city. Here we go,

Default NYT articles on BCN
Always searching, I've found those three articles from the NYT. I 100% agree with.
A tip, all sandwiches at Viena are perfect. They produce their own bread and sausages. There's another bigger one in Pelai st, a block from plaza Catalunya


http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/03/04...s.1.html?fta=y

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/tr...ewanted=1&_r=1


http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/10/15...tes.html?fta=y

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:20 am
by BEATRIZ SALLES
Another one:

Hi from BCN,
this is a restaurant I tried last week.
Mostly seafood and paella.
Last Sunday was absolutely crowded, all locals.
Nice decor.
Make a reservation and ask for the terrace in summer or a table with port views if inside.

http://www.rte-barceloneta.com/

Bea

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:21 am
by BEATRIZ SALLES
I would strongly reccomend the Born.
It is now one of the "coolest" districts in Barcelona.
10 min from Gòthic Quarter, 20 min from las Ramblas, 15 min from the waterfront in the old port.
Santa Maria del Mar church (my favourite in BCN) and Montcada street with the Picasso Museum are in the Born district.
All around you will find new designers stores and little fashion restaurants. A nice place to finish a tourist day.
Have fun

Bea

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:23 am
by BEATRIZ SALLES
Quote:
Originally Posted by JSR View Post
HI BCN Lady,
DO you have any restaurants you can recommend near the Cathedral? We are staying in that area.


http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/eng/b...staurante=agut
http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/eng/b...-de-l-academia
http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/eng/b...can-culleretes
http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/eng/b...=casa-leopoldo
http://www.bcnrestaurantes.com/eng/b...te=la-gardunya
Others in the area are:
Quatre gats, Quinze nits, Los Caracoles, Passadis d'en Pep ......
Reply With Quote

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:25 am
by BEATRIZ SALLES
Tapas

This are three of the best in town:


QUIMET & QUIMET, Poeta Cabanyes 25 near paral.lel, this is a true must, you won't find any tourist over there. It's an old wine & spirits store where Quimets prepares his very personal and original tapas.


INOPIA, c/Tamarit 104,esq.Rocafort. 934245231. From Ferra Adrià brother, you will find traditional tapas. Here you have a link fron the New York Times
http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/gui...=1154677436583

TAPAÇ24 http://www.comerc24.com/ Diputación 269 08007 BCN. This is a taps bar from the Comerç 24 restaurant owner.

Don't spect to find formal tables. As you have seen we talk about tapas bars, not tapas restaurants. For us, tapas are not a meal but a little portion to have with some wine or bear before a meal. You have your tapa and you go home for lunch! So if you want to make a tapas's dinner it will be informal and probably standing.
As you can see places were you seat at a table and you order a tapa's menu are not traditional places even if they can be good (Cerveseria Catalana, Ciutat comptal...)
Reply With Quote

Re: Barcelona Celebration 20 and 21-09-2009

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:29 am
by BEATRIZ SALLES
Hello from Barcelona,
this is the oficial site for Barcelona transportation in English, you will find information about fees and itinerary too.
http://www.tmb.net/en_US/home.jsp

For your asked destinations:

Sagrada Familia: line 2 (purple) from Passeig de Gracia station to Sagrada familia.

Camp Nou and Magic Fountain: line 3 (green) Les Corts for the stadium and Plaça Espanya for the fountains.

Cathedral and Barri gotic walking 5 min from pça Catalunya, mostly pedestrian roads.

Park Güell: a 30 min bus ride line 24 from Passeig de Gràcia/Casp st. You can use the same transport card than metro.
Reply With Quote