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Akaza Newsletter October 2008 |
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The Akaza Newsletter October 2008 will bring you the news, facts and figures and the must-sees for the upcoming month.
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Andrea
Heini
Christiane
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| Akaza News |
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Did you know that......?
...Kristina Petersen has decided to return back to her home country
Denmark at the end of this year and she not coming back to Akaza. We will miss her and we want to wish her all the best!
...Heini Kiiski from Finnland is already working at Akaza for two months. She is responsilbe for the reservation process as well as she deals with the accounting.
...Christiane Klitzsch joined Akaza in the beginning of August 2008. She is dealing with our guest enquiries as well as to take responsibility for the customer service.
...Akaza started dealing with long-term rentals of apartments in Barcelona. Mostly the flats can be rented between one and eleven months. Below you can find two of the actual long-term rental offers.
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Akaza offers more than 90 apartments in Barcelona. We offer apartments in different price ranges and the apartments are located all over town. However, we are specialised in the Barceloneta Area (the old fisherman neighbourhood next to the sea).
This month we would like to highlight the following apartments:
Teresa -
long term rental
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This apartment has 40m2 and it is situated in the heart of Barceloneta. Kitchen with full electric hob, full fridge, and washing machine. 2 separate bedrooms (1 normal, 1 small) both with double beds and storage units. Living room with 2 sofa beds, chairs, fold up table and 4/6 seats for dining. Separate bathroom with shower and toilet. Linen for 8 including quilts and covers.
Newly refurbished in April 2008. First let May 2008.
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Avinyó Creature Comforts
- long term rental
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This spacious 2 bedroom flat (125 m2) has been completely renovated and features a huge bathroom with full bath, a fully equiped kitchen-breakfast nook with barstools along with a regular sized dining table. Master bedroom features tatami mats as base of bed and full walk in closet. Secondary bedroom is full size bed as well. Living room has a full size pull out sofabed. Television, DVD, stereo. Local telephone calls and ADSL Internet. Parquet floors through out with Central Heating and Air Conditioning.
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Beach View - long term rental
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Beach View is a spacious one-bedroom apartment located 5 min. from Barcelona's most popular beach and a nice 20 min. walk to Las Ramblas. This apartment has been nicely renovated and has a very comfortable and relaxing ambient. There is tile floor throughout, and the rustic ceilings have been nicely preserved. The bright kitchen is fully equiped with all utensils for eating and cooking and there is also dinning table and chairs. From the kitchen area you enter the terrace, which has a nice Beach View. There is also a fresh bathroom with shower.
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Must-sees in October
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Sitges Film Festival |
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SITGES International Film Festival of Catalonia is the number one fantasy film festival in the world and represents, at the same time, the cultural expression with the most media impact in Catalonia. With a solid experience, the Sitges Festival is a stimulating universe of encounters, exhibitions, presentations and screenings of fantasy films from all over the world.
Born in 1968 as the 1st International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies, today the Festival is an essential rendezvous for movie lovers and audiences eager to come into contact with new tendencies and technologies applied to film and the audiovisual world.
Sitges' status as the number one fantasy film festival in the world allows it to receive visits from top-level movie stars, directors and producers like Quentin Tarantino and Sir Anthony Hopkins.
Where: Sitges (30 min. by train from Barcelona)
When: 2nd - 12th of October
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Docúpolis at CCCB |
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Now in its 8th edition, Docúpolis has established itself as the major documentary film festival in Europe. Over 100 documentaries from 5 different continents will be shown at this year's event, offering a rich and varied sample of works from around the world. This year's country retrospective focuses on Mexico. 6 documentaries will be screened, exploring the different aspects of the country, with themes including everything from legendary political figures to complex social movements.
The International Documentary Competition will also take place during event, with films from more than 70 countries competing in four different categories. If you're interested in learning more about documentary film-making, you can take part in one of the seminars and workshops led by the director Isaki Lacuesta. These take place throughout the festival, although advanced booking is required as spaces are limited.
Where: CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporáni de Barcelona)
Calle Montalegre 5
When: 1st - 5th October
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Our Services
As many of you probably know, besides renting out apartments, Akaza also offers a variety of services in order to make its clients happy. We want to present you some of them:
Events
You want to do something special but yet you do not know what it should look like?
Get some ideas from our webpage www.akaza.net and see if there is something that fits to you.
Or you know exactly what you want but not how to realize it?
Contact us and it will be our pleasure to find a solution to get our ideas reality.
Our team has gained experience from our customers from all over the world, throwing the parties they never dreamed of. We make sure that it gets tailor made according to your needs, or if you are not sure of what you want, let us surprise you!
Quad Tour
Two of the Akaza workers, Christiane and Heini went to try a quad tour in Montnegre nature park.
If you like motorsports as well as being in the mountains this might be the right adventure for you. Only 45minutes from
Barcelona you can find the nature park Montnegre - it is also worth the pain taking the train there along the coast side.
Once arrived there you will be provided with helmets and protection against the dust for your eyes and your mouth. After a short introduction and some emergency breaks you are ready to go. The guide takes you on different routes through the park, so you can try and test different challenges like going up and down pretty steep roads, taking narrow bends and moving your quad to very stony areas.
Christiane and Heini enjoyded the tour a lot and they recommed everybody to try this experience once!
If you want to get more information about quad tours or other activities you can contact us by e-mail info@akaza.net or call us +34 626 658 548.
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Festival ULLS |
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From 8-12 October, theatre, dance, music and open air cinema will be the main characters of ULLS Festival, which will celebrate its second edition in 5 urban spaces in the city of Barcelona: the Palau de la Virreina, the Bonnemaison Library, the Institut del Teatre, the Plaça el Sortidor and the Plaça Can Basté.
A bridge between Barcelona and Latin America, ULLS Festival showcases contemporary culture with a series of shows including theatre, dance, music as well as audiovisual projections, conferences and exhibitions. ULLS Festival is dedicated to experimental language and to the urban spaces of Barcelona. It offers shows that are accessible in all sense of the word: economical prices, accessible spaces and a programme for all ages and tastes.
When: From 8th to 12th of October
Where: Palau de la Virreina, Bonnemasion Library, Institut del Teatre, Plaça el Sortidor, Plaça Can Basté |
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Barcelona Extreme Sports Festival |
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Barcelona Extreme Sports Festival takes place at Parc del Fòrum and features international competitions for extreme sports including Skateboarding, BMX, Inline, FMX, Wakeboarding, Skiing and Snowboarding. Nationally and internationally recognised riders will take part and there will also be amateur competitions, exhibitions, clincs, music and demonstrations of urban culture.
When: From 11th to 12th of October
Where: Parc del Fórum
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International Jazz Festival |
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Some of the world's greatest Jazz artists will come to the city to celebrate the 40th edition of the Voll-Damm International Jazz Festival, Barcelona. The event, which began in 1966, is now one of the most important autumn festivals in Europe. Highlights this year include Al Green's Barcelona debut on the 24th, a celebratory concert from Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman on 9th November to mark 20 years performing together, as well as Matthew Herbet's Big Band presenting their new album on 13th November.
The Festival also focuses on Catalan Jazz and includes collaborations from La Locomotora Negra and the pianist Lluís Vidal Mompiana. The festival celelbrates more than just jazz though, and features the acclaimed Brazilian singer Adriana Calcanhotto, Mariza, famous for her beautiful Portuguese fados and the revolutionary American country band Lambchop. This is one event that any music fan just can't afford to miss.
When: 23rd - 29th of October
Where: Various, inc. Palau de la Música, L'Auditori and Bikini
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Music in October
1. The Cabriolets
Their first album will be released in October, with urban sounds with pop, soul, electronica and R & B influences. The recording includes collaborations with artists such as the guitarist Marc Ribot and the trumpeter Roy Hargrove.
Where and when: Sala Bikini, 16th of October
2. The Prodigy
The bad seeds of The Prodigy grew in the mud of the raves, in the comfort of the free parties at the end of the 80's. Their infernal mix of breakbeats, metal, voodoo, rap and hardcore-techno would be crystallized in singles such as 'Fire Starter' (96) and in emblematic albums like 'Music For The Jilted Generation' (94) or the furious 'The Fat Of The Land' (97).
Where and when: Razzmatazz, 18th of October
3. Mendetz
Consolidated in the first division of the national inedependent music scene, Mendetz have gone from being an up-and-coming talent to an unquestionable reality. The release of their debut album in 2006 earned the group from Barcelona recognition with their 'casiopunk', the best cure against boredom. Applauded by critics and enthusiastically received by an audience thirsty for new sounds, 'Mendetz' is the work that has consolidated their position on the music scene.
Where and when: Razzmatazz, 18th of October
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Akaza's private
recommendations |
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Santa Maria del Mar
Possibly the most perfect surviving example of the Catalan Gothic style, this graceful basilica stands out for its characteristic horizontal lines, lafge bare surfaces, square buttresses and flat-topped octagonal towers. Located in the district of El Born, it was built between 1329 and 1383, at the height of
Catalonias's maritime and mercantile preeminence. Named after Mary in her role as a patroness of sailors, it was built on the site of a small church known as
Santa Maria
del Arenys, for its position close to the sea.
Plaça de Santa Maria
Open 9.00 - 13.30, 16.30 - 20.00 (On Fridays open from 10.00)
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MACBA
The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, or MACBA) is situated in the Plaça dels Àngels, in El Raval.
It was designed by Richard Meier & Partners (1987-1995). The building's architectural style has strong references to Modernism. This large (120 by 35 meters) white building has much of its southern elevation glazed, providing the visitor with views across the plaza, and allowing natural light into the interior. It includes a La Central library, specialized in art books and publications.
The museum opened to the public on 28 November 1995. All the art dates back from the late 20th century onward. There are three periods of modern art represented: the first one covers the forties to the sixties; the second spans the sixties and seventies; the third period is contemporary. The collections focus on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art, although some foreign art is also represented. Opposite the main museum stands the medieval Convent dels Àngels (the square's namesake), which includes a chapel converted into a separate exposition area known as Capella del Macba, with regular video art performances. Entrance to this part of the museum is free.
Plaça del Ángels 1
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Akaza Special |
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Handball tickets
Handball (or "team handball") is a fast-paced game involving two teams of seven players who pass, throw, catch and dribble a small ball with their hands while trying to score goals. The team with the most goals wins the game. A game consists of two 30-minute halves with a 10-minute half-time break.
We can also arrange tickets for FC Barcelona handball in the Palau Blau Grana. If you a fan of high class handball, we suggest you to go and see FC Barcelona play some of Europe's best teams.
Next games in Barcelona
Sunday 12 October
Saturday 18 October
Sunday 19 October
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Gotical Architecture |
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Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau
Avinguda Gaudí leads to the HOSPITAL DE LA SANTA CREU I SANT PAU which stands at the opposite end of the avenue. Construction of the current premises began in 1902, following a design by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who was sensitive to the new hygienist theories of public health applied to town planning promoted by the doctor Pere Felip Monlau and engineers Ildefons Cerdà and Pere García Faria (designer of the Barcelona underground sewage network in the 19th century).
The new hospital was raised on one of the ends of the Eixample district, on land bought by the Hospital de la Santa Creu thanks to a donation by the banker Pau Gil. Gil provided in his will for the construction of a health centre bearing his Christian name, and thus "Sant Pau" was added to the "Santa Creu". Work started in 1902 and finished around 1926, when the Hospital was finally moved from its old Gothic location in the Raval to the new building.
Domènech i Montaner's work is considered to be one of the best Art Nouveau complexes in the world. The hospital is like a self-contained town, with streets, buildings and gardens. The access pavilion, crowned by a slender clock tower, has the exposed brickwork that predominates in the whole ensemble, with mosaics depicting historical subjects and stone capitals and corbels in the form of angels, sculpted by a young Pau Gargallo. Inside, the main features are the stained glass by Mario Maragliano, the large staircase and the ceilings, which are reminiscent of Islamic architecture.
Together with Palau de la Música Catalana, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today it is still a fully functional hospital. There have been discussions to convert this building to a museum sometime in the future.
Address: Calle Sant Antoni Maria Claret 167
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WE ARE
LOOKING FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU
HERE IN
BARCELONA
AND OFFER YOUR OUR SERVICES
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