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1. Most of the Hungarians appreciate modern music, including most mainstream dance that you will find here in Britain. If you stray into the little villages, old traditions are still preserved. So if you want to experience some authentic old-style culture in Budapest, this is where to go.

2. The normal way of greeting people is to shake hands; no hugging or kissing.

3. When speaking to someone, always address them by their first name.

4. During any meal, it is quite common for a toast to be carried out. It is essential to respond to this, in order not to offend your host (Believe me; you don’t want that to happen ;-). A simple ‘cheers’ will do, or ‘egészségünkre’ in local language (pronounced Ay-gash-ay-gun-gre).

5. The knowledge of German is very useful. Indeed, few persons speak English except very touristic places such as hotels, large restaurants and tourist offices.

6. Very important: it is normal, and just polite, to present your host with a present if you are invited into their home for a meal. It doesn’t have to be expensive as it’s the thought that counts.

7. With regards to tips in Budapest, it’s normal to add around 10 to 15 % on most bills. This doesn’t apply in some places such as food restaurants, but be prepared to add around 10-15 % in general.

8. the general dress code on the street is quite relaxed but be prepared to get a little more dressed up in restaurants and chic bars. If you are invited to someone’s house for a meal for example, it is courteous to be smartly dressed; were not talking ball gowns and top hats, just no shorts or bikinis.

9. Like in most countries nowadays, it’s prohibited to smoke in all public spaces, except for on trains

10. It is very important not to photograph military buildings and parades. There are posters that indicate other restrictions so be alert and don’t do anything the locals aren’t doing.

One more piece of advice, if you plan to spend your holiday in Hungary, it would be wise to think about your accommodation for a long time in advance. Indeed, Budapest is becoming more and more a tourist destination and you certainly don’t want to stay in the most expensive hotel of the city, especially when we know there are a number of more practical and economical possibilities.

Numerous web sites propose Budapest apartments with affordable prices, especially for group, family and business trips. Also, if you book in advance you will find special offers for hotels Budapest. Most of these sites will also offer you practical advice for your journey. See you soon and viszontlátásra!

Are you wondering what to do on Valentines Day in Barcelona this year? Want some discounts?. Oh-Barcelona.com have sorted some great offers and discounts on activities that will make your loved one love you even more! Get discounts on things such as audio guides, massages and spas, wine tasting and deluxe car tours.

To receive these offers and discounts, just go to the Barcelona Valentines blog and print the PDF file at the end of the article!

The Caribbean, also known as the West Indies, is the common term given to a group of islands found in the Caribbean Sea.  Located from the southeastern areas of Mexico to the northwest of Venezuela in South America, these Islands are organized into 25 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies.  There are at least seven thousand islands, islets, reefs, and cayes in the entire Caribbean region.

because of their location and their natural beauty, the islands in the Caribbean region have become favorites to travellers, due to the many things they offer like style, isolation, niche gifts, and nightlife.

Planning a trip to the Caribbean soon?  Read the tips below to make the maximum of your holiday.

hire or get a beachfront villa If you have the money, the simplest way to totally enjoy the Caribbean is to rent or purchase a Caribbean villa.  The prices of Caribbean villas range between the cheap to the outrageously costly.  The costs depend in the location but virtually all villas are beautiful.

generally, beachfront villas in the Bahamas area are dear while beachfront property in the Dominican Republic is more cost-effective.  Both locations are beautiful but the Bahamas is frequented by significantly more tourists than the Dominican Republic.

IF you are planning to stay for just a few days or a few weeks, it is highly recommended that you rent a beachfront villa instead of staying in a hotel.  There are numerous benefits to doing it this way.  It is more private and gorgeous than a crowded hotel.  Another merit of a rented beachfront villa is the incontrovertible fact that you can cook your own meal there.  In a hotel your decisions are to all meals, in a cafe.  You can even hire somebody to cook for you in a beachfront villa.

rent a Caribbean Island But if you want to have a really perfect Caribbean vacation then hire a whole Caribbean Island for yourself or for you and your buddies or family.  That?s right!  You can hire a whole Island in the Caribbean.  You can really live like a king on the island as it incorporates staff and everything you must spend a luxurious vacation.  Renting an entire Caribbean island is also a very nice idea for a wedding or any party.

Charter a Yacht If the island is too much activity for your preferences, you could just charter a luxury yacht.  There are many Caribbean yacht providers which will certainly be ready to meet your desires and budget.

Get in contact with a Caribbean holiday expert naturally you can simply go online and start searching and learn everything there is to do in the Caribbean and the places to go when you get there.  But it is unquestionably a lot better to simply employ a Caribbean vacation consultant to help plan the perfect Caribbean holiday.  Getting the services of a Caribbean holiday specialist will save you a heap of time and energy.  You might also save cash with this strategy because they know better refunds and preferred rates.  They have insight and knowledge and many years knowledge booking Caribbean holidays so you don?t have to do heavy work and effort to arrange the vacation yourself.

Villas International — The second largest international vacation rental company in the US. With over 25 years experience and more then 25000 rentals in Europe, Caribbean, and the Mediterranean.

Barcelona may have a reputation for glitz and glamour with its Michelin starred restaurants and the designer shops of Passeig de Gracia which could eat up some peoples yearly salaries within a matter of several purchases. However the city has many more sides than that and one of its more edgy ones is that of its street art.

Across the city, perhaps it is more common in the less well-to-do areas, you will find graffiti (or street art which is probably what the artists prefer it to be called). The majority of this is simply writing on a wall where some extremely bored soul has bought a can of spray paint and decided to scrawl some sort of signature. This could hardly be referred to as street art and generally only helps to bring the image of the city down.

In Barcelona, unlike most places, graffiti is embraced and not always thought of as a form of vandalism like it is in so many other places. This attitude towards street art has resulted in some public walls of the city being transformed into giant canvases ready to be used to showcase some modern art.

What could be referred to as street art is what Debens and Mister do. These are two of the most respected names of Barcelona’s underground street artists. Despite the fact that graffiti is technically illegal in the city it hasn’t stopped them from doing what they love.

But these two street artists are now transferring their work from the concrete of the city to the canvas of the art gallery. Starting Thursday 14^th June and up until 26^th June, you will be able to check out their work at the Montana Shop & Gallery at Carrer de Comerç, 6. The display entitled ‘Survivors’ or ‘Supervivientes’ is showcasing the work from the artists’ collectives, 1980 and Double Cobra.

For more information on the artists visit their official websites below:

http://www.deliriumdebens.com/

http://www.krop.com/elmistersomostodos/

Technorati Tags: Barcelona Street Art, Carrer de Comerç, Debens, Mister, Passeig de Gracia

Last weekend in Parc Ciutadella and el Passeig de Lluís Companys, La Fira per la Terra-Catalunya was celebrated. It is an annual event organised by the group La Día de la Terra-Catalunya. Its general theme is to raise awareness of the abuse by society on our natural ecosystems. The overriding subject of this years fair was global warming.

It’s a topic dominating not only environmental affairs but something that is hitting the main news headlines. Anyone who takes any interest of the news via the TV, radio, internet or newspaper will have surely heard the term ‘global warming’.

It the major environmental issue of our generation and it is one that is not going away in a hurry. Scientists predict that a failure to address this issue could be catastrophic for the planet.

Greenhouse gases are mooted to be the primary cause of global warming. Various factors are to blame for this, including heavy industry (in which fossil fuels are used) and the number cars used on a daily basis.

The massive increase in commercial flights in recent years has also greatly contributed. Even things as simple as hair and body sprays have taken their toll. Natural events like volcanoes have played their part but it is the human factor which has played the biggest part in this issue.

The consequences have already begun. Melting of the Artic glaciers and ice-caps has been taking place for years and rising sea levels can be directly attributed to this threatening the lives of many people of lower lying countries, like those in the Pacific islands (ironically somewhere which hasn’t contributed to this problem at all).

Further consequences include the shrinkage in the Amazon rainforest, an increase in the intensity of extreme weather events and even the extinction of species. There are even threats to water and food supplies should the problem worsen!

It’s up to mankind to change this situation and you Barcelonans can play your part! So ask yourself if you could take the metro instead of your car in the morning! Is it really that hard to walk an extra few metres to put your rubbish in the bin? Do you really need all that hairspray? Maybe next time you fly you could pay that voluntary carbon-emission tax that some airlines now offer which goes towards helping the environment?

While Barcelona’s fair probably did little in the grand scheme of things to help things, it serves mainly as a reminder of how careful we should be.

It’s up to you….we only have one world!

PS. Check out this link on a few tips to become more eco-friendly… http://www.myecostore.co.uk/html/ecotips.html

Technorati Tags: Barcelona, eco friendly, environment, la fira per la Terra-Catalunya, recycling barcelona

Another of the bands that breathe life into Barceloneta during spring and summer is ‘Gadjo’. They are a very original group from Eastern Europe, who will delight you with their Gypsy sounds made by their instruments; the accordion, cello, flute, drums, guitar and trombone.

This band does their concerts just at the start of the beach so if you are visiting Barceloneta on foot and have arrived at the beach you will find them easily. They do four shows beginning at 1, 2, 3, 4 in the afternoon.

Along with the other shows in this area, it is totally free although at the end they do ask for a little, which I recommend giving so that this beautiful tradition in the city never dies.

‘Gadjo’ is composed of seven members of different nationalities and all of them in addition to being excellent musicians are excellent entertainers so during the shows the public will be able to see interesting dances and choreography that will surely result in admiration or bring about a laugh.

The music of this band brings with it a very festive atmosphere but with the mysticism of Eastern Europe to which this city is not accustomed. However after seeing one of their shows you will agree that Barcelona beach and Gadjo were born to be together.

Another advantage of this band is the fact that their shows happen so close to the sand, since this will allow you to listen to the music while you are lying resting on the beach or you can see the spectacle up close, whatever suits you!

Their shows last approximately 30 minutes during which you will hear 6 different tunes, with English and Spanish lyrics. Just in case you’re going during April you ought to bring a jacket as there is a strong wind in that part of Barceloneta.

‘Gadjo’ have 3 CDs which are all priced at 10 euros. I have not listened to any of them but if these CDs have the same tunes that they play live then I am sure that you will like them.

The closest metro station is Barcelonesa on the yellow line, however you can take the no. 59 or 64 bus which leaves from the Ramblas and will leave you at the beach only a few steps from this magnificent band.

Technorati Tags: bands in barcelona, barcelona beach, barceloneta, free music barcelona, music in barcelona

It’s that time of the year again, the annual ‘Torneo Godó’ is returning to Barcelona on 20th April. Usually billed as Spain’s second most important competition after the Madrid Masters, it attracts not only the top players Spain has to offer but from around the world as well.

This year the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona will welcome back reigning champion and world no.1 Rafael Nadal. Having won the tournament for the last four years running and playing in the form of his life, he is odds on favourite to take home the ‘Trofeo Conde de Godó’

Although competition is sure to be fierce for Rafa as a selection of the world’s best will be joining him in Barcelona. He will be accompanied by several of his countrymen in Fernando Verdasco, who has given some stellar performances in recent months, and David Ferrer who finds himself ranked no.12 going into the tournament. Veteran Spaniard and former winner of the Open, Juan Carlos Ferrero, has been given the first of five wildcard entries for this years competition.

Three of the last four finals have been all-Spanish affairs and it would be no surprise if it were to happen again given the talent Spanish tennis is currently blessed with but there will be plenty of other nationalities out there looking to upset the home crowd.

Argentineans have had some success with three reaching finals in recent years and David Nalbandian has a good a chance as anyone else in trying the pry the trophy from Rafa Nadal’s hands.

With Gael Monfils, currently ranked no.9 and the energetic Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 11, the French may fancy their chances of causing an upset.

You would be stupid to bet against Nadal walking away champion for the fifth time but you never know!

The tournament begins on Monday 20^th and runs through until Sunday 26^th. You can reach the stadium by taking the green metro L3 to Maria Cristina or Palau Reial, it is located on the crossing of Carrer del Marqués del Mulhacén and Carrer de Bosch I Gimpera. Tickets are selling out fast with some days already sold out, visit the Barcelona Open official website below to see if you can still get yourself a piece of the action!!

http://www.barcelonaopenbancosabadell.com/index.asp?lang=eng

Technorati Tags: barcelona open, barcelona tennis, barcelona tourism, what to do in barcelona

When the sun begins to beat down more strongly on the coast of Barcelona, it is difficult to ignore the holiday feeling that it brings to atmosphere of the city.

People walking through Barceloneta dance in sync to the different beats of music from bands of various genres. I will comment a bit on one of my favourite bands from this area.

There is a band that is located just moments away from the Museum of the History of Catalonia which is known as “Made in Barcelona”. The band is composed of 10 members of varying nationalities and any visit to the port is made better by their very distinct Latin style.

Within their music they give attention to well known issues in Latin America and they have even done a remix of Bob Marley’s famous tune, “No woman no cry”, which has been edited to suit their style.

It doesn’t cost a thing to watch these artists, though they do ask at the end of the concert that you make a small contribution saying in a few words that it will go towards finishing building the Sagrada Familia.

You can find them on Saturdays and Sundays from 3pm and if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see 1 of the 2 daily concerts.

There is the chance of buying one of their CDs at the end of the concert for 10 euros. Always ask for the most recent CD as if you buy a previous CD then you may end up listening to the voices of previous members of the band who were not performing with the band at the concert.

So if you find a spare 30 minutes during your pleasant walk under the sun in Barceloneta then you should check out this great group amongst others that breathe life into this part of the city.

Check out the video below to see what you’re missing out on!

Technorati Tags: Barcelona, barceloneta, dancing in barcelona, free concert barcelona, music in barcelona, spring in barcelona, walks in barcelona

I was recently speaking to a friend, a local of Barcelona, and was asking about any big music festivals that were happening in the city soon. That is when he told me all about the ‘Festival Primavera Sound’ that takes place at the end of May every year. Naturally I was intrigued so as soon as I got home I had to do my research and find out all about it and who would play at it!

So I got on the internet and discovered that this is the 9^th year that it has been held and each year it has offered music fans the chance to see the newest bands while mixing in some of more the well known and established artists. It gives unknown or less reputable groups the chance to showcase their talent and make their name in the cut throat world of the music industry.

The concert takes place at Barcelona’s Parc del Fòrum and lasts for 3 days from 28^th – 30^th May. The music seems to be pretty wide ranging with a lot of it coming from the Rock, Pop and Electro genres. There is a massive line up of bands and I couldn’t go into naming them all now, but after glancing through list of names of the bands you can get a fair idea that its certainly not a concert for mainstream artists!

Names like ‘Tokyo Sex Destruction’ and ‘Fucked Up’ certainly grab your attention, even if it’s just to offend you! 90’s Brit Pop fans will no doubt recognise the name of Jarvis Cocker, the former frontman of the popular Pulp. And a more popular British band of recent times will be making an appearance in the form of Bloc Party.

You can your ticket now from various stores now (see link below for a full list). From now until 15^th April you can get a 3 day ticket for 145€ and 1 day ticket for 60€. The venue is locate on the coast very close to Diagonal Mar shopping centre.

Don’t miss out! Get yours now, I certainly will!

http://www.primaverasound.com/index.php?idioma=en&sec=home

Technorati Tags: bands, Concerts, music in barcelona, Tourism, Travel, what to see, Whats on barcelona

The ‘Can Paisano’ bar, best known as ‘La champañería’ is one of the most frequented in Barcelona for locals and tourists alike. They serve hot and cold sandwiches, relying on a small stall at the back from which you can get cava, cheeses and meats.

The experience begins when we arrive at the place as its very individual, traditional décor will catch your eye immediately. Remember to arrive early (before 2pm) as you will undoubtedly find a queue to get in.

Once inside you ought to get yourselves near the bar in order to set your drinks down, as there are no tables in here, however it is all part of the unforgettable experience that it provides us.

The selection of sandwiches on offer is as big as its history and tradition, so I’m sure that you will find something according to your own tastes. For people that have a king’s palate and the stomach of a worker like me, I recommend that you try the rib and pepper sandwich.

In this place the simplicity in the way things work is always emphasized, just like its décor, and in the way in which you order and continuing in this way la champañeria only offers 2 types of drink, cava or water. For groups of 4 or more, remember that for every 4 sandwiches that you buy, you can get a bottle of cava for only 5€.

That is why a visit to la champañeria is always a pleasant experience which you will undoubtedly enjoy.

If you want to visit it, it is situated in Barceloneta on Calle Reina Crisitna and the closest metro station is Barceloneta which is found on the yellow line L4.

For more information, visit their website at www.canpaixano.com

Technorati Tags: Bars in Barcelona, bars in barceloneta, cava, champañería, Tourism, what to do in barceloneta, where to go barceloneta