Life goes on in Barcelona

Many people who do not live in Barcelona ask how things are in Barcelona given that the economy has been bad in recent months and over 2009. Is the city running as normal. Are all events running? What is it like in Barcelona?

To be very honest, many companies have seen a downturn in business BUT otherwise it has been business as normal. You still see everyone sat out in the cafes on sunny days, all events including for example the city treasure hunt are running and FC Barcelona are top of La Liga - so all is fine.

Plain and simply, COME TO BARCELONA. We are still all here and as a tourist you will notice no difference from previous years!

Barcelona F1 Grand Prix

It is set to be a simply amazing season in F1 with Alonso racing for Ferrari, with Michael Schumacher back in F1 and racing for Braun and teamed back up with Ross Braun. Add onto that, the two last World Champions (Button and Hamilton) both racing for the same team to create an all-English Dream Team and what a season ahead.

The 2010 Barcelona F1 Grand Prix takes place this year in May with practice sessions on the 7th May, qualifying on the 8th May and race day on the 9th May.

Tickets can be bought from the main Official F1 website or direct through partner sites. Barcelona F1 accommodation can be booked online and extra events including Barcelona Football Tickets also online (official agents). See you in Barcelona the 2nd week of May?!

Cave Snorkelling in Spain

One of the newest events for 2010 for corporate, stag, hen and team building events in the Barcelona area is Cave Snorkelling. This event has of course been around for a while but has become a new event on the organised groups list with companies such as BarcelonaAdventure.com

If you are new to the concept of Cave Snorkelling, is pretty much as the title suggest in that you go snorkeling in caves. This gives snorkelling a more interesting feel, sometimes with the caves dark. The tours are normally organised though such that everything is quite safe and in caves in which you'd be extremely unlikely ever to get lost.

In Spain (including near Barcelona) a number of companies offer Cave snorkelling and can provide you with more information.

Quad Biking in Barcelona

I like to try all of the team building, corporate and stag and hen events myself (at least for the ones which are practical to try as I am not interested myself to do the pole dancing lessons). And this last weekend I at last got to try the Quad Biking.

I was a bit nervous to try this as I was not sure if you needed any special skills behind the wheel or just in general, I was not sure what to expect. It's a great activity though and once you have spent 5 minutes driving one of the quad bikes, it is really quite a buzz.

The bikes tend to be 250cc and the biking taking you through some interesting terrain outside of Barcelona, in the countryside. Our ride took just over 2 hours and there was a guide so it was well organised and nothing really to worry about.

This is especially good for stag weekends although to be honest most people would probably enjoy this. It's not suitable for kids though. You can learn more about Quad biking in Barcelona online.

Barcelona to Paris

I love Barcelona and have spent the last 5 Christmas Days in the last 5 years here but now for somewhere different for one year. The choice was somewhere warm such as the Caribbean, somewhere far away such as Thailand or somewhere great for winter sports and winter time. So..well. I decided on Paris.

It comes down to budget and with friends living in Paris it'll be different for one year at least - and it's quite cheap to fly to Paris from Barcelona. I fly tomorrow so I am hoping that the snow affected flights will not stop my flight tomorrow.

Anyway - very best of Christmas wherever you are spending Christmas and hope to see you in Barcelona in 2010.

Tips for Barcelona groups visiting

Barcelona really is a wonderful city for visiting for groups and caters very well for corporate groups for team building, incentive trips and general corporate bonding.

Some tips:

1. Organised team building events - There are some excellent events which are organised by events companies and by pre-booking one of these events, the company can pre-plan and create bespoke event for you, based on the numbers of people and exactly what you would like to get from the event.

2. Consider short-term apartments - in addition to hotels. There are many benefits of holiday apartments and there is an excellent choice in Barcelona. Barcelona apartments for groups are available from several companies are offer more space and extras such as a fridge, sofa and much more.

3. Group rate flights - If you are travelling with approximately 20 plus people, several airlines do offer groups discounts. Be sure to check the airlines' sites and enquire about group rates.

Life Drawing classes in Barcelona

If you are interested in art and have always wanted to try out life drawing, the good news is that Barcelona Adventure have just added 'Life Drawing Classes' to their list of activities.

If you are a hens party this could certainly be a fun event. The event includes a professional model and with drinks on offer (local champagne) this can be a hugely fun and memorable activity.

You do not have to be a hens party visiting Barcelona. Those of you looking for cultural and artistic travel opportunities can also benefit from this activity if you are visiting Barcelona as a group. You can learn more about Barcelona Life drawing art classes online.