So that you can make some decisions before leaving and take some notes, we will give you some recommendations so that you can attend events in New York.

Fashion is something that’s in New York’s DNA, so the Autumn/Winter Fashion Show 2012 is an event that you have to have in your travel diary. It will take place between the 21st and 23rd of February at Javits Center in Manhattan. There you can see the new trends that high fashion design has and have fun in a refined atmosphere.

If you want to dress up for once to see an opera at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, you can attend ‘Don Giovanni or The Rake Punished’, the humorous drama with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, that is presented between the 21st of February and the 17th of March. If you like more serious opera, attend ‘Die Walküre’ by Richard Wagner, that will be presented between the 13th of April and the 7th of May.

A surprising show, like the one’s we’re used to by the Cirque du Soleil, is ‘Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour’. This great show will be presented on three good stages to pay tribute to the King of Pop who revolutionized the music shows. It will play at the Prudential Center Newark in New Jersey on the 30th of March and 1st of April; at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, on the 7th and 8th of April and at the Madison Square Garden from the 3rd till the 5th of April. The tickets are already on sale online.

‘Artexpo New York’ is one of the most highly awaited events by collectors, artists, critics and gallery owners. This exhibition gathers artists from around the world to exhibit and sell their works. This year, the 33rd edition of this exhibition, close to 400 exhibitors are expected. The exhibition will be open from the 22nd till the 25th of March. The tickets cost $15 if you buy them today and, after the 15th of March, $20, with under 12s going in free.

If you’re thinking of going in August, we recommend the Madonna concert at the Madison Square Garden. It’s a first class musical show with excellent choreography. Tickets aren’t on sale yet so we aren’t able to give you the prices.

Remember that in April the baseball season begins and you can attend the New York Yankees or the New York Mets games and live the show that makes New York rock.

Nancy Guzman

Walking around Central Park and around the avenues in Manhattan is an unforgettable experience so, prepare your suitcases and rent apartments in New york so you can enjoy some of these experiences.

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Amsterdam is one of the European cities that carries out a carnival every year. Despite that these parties aren’t part of its culture, the Latin American immigrants have transferred their beliefs and expressions to this cosmopolitan city. This year, the Amsterdam Carnival will take place on Saturday 18th of February and, like every year, the city will dress up to see and listen all the dances.

The carnival begins after the Mayor symbolically gave the keys of the city to the Carnival King. While the party lasts, the Carnival King is the owner of the city and imposes all of his rules in order to transform formality, sadness and obligations into collective joy. During his reign, the city dresses up with feathers and shiny colours.

This celebration, that has brought the citizens of Amsterdam to craziness, has clear Latin American influences, especially from the Rio Carnival, since it’s the community that has the most relevance in its organization. Also, this carnival has influenced the aesthetics of most of these celebrations by being one of the most famous around the world.

For the carnival parades, the Latin communities prepare themselves all year long and each express their culture rather than their religiousness with their music, dances, choreographies and costumes. Carnival is symbolized with the celebration of the god Momo, a pagan expression that pays tribute to the ancient Greek mythology god that represents sarcasm, irony and jest. Momo was the god of poets and writers.

Together with the dance, the music and the gabble, the Amsterdam carnival distends the life of its citizens. To the street party they add new activities in restaurants with Latin American specialities, that on that day fill up with people looking for typical food and emotions that add to the carnival.

Drinking in the street is part of these celebrations because social censorship takes a step back. The serious citizens make the most of it and sing and dance and dress up with a costume or colourful clothes, reminding us that everything is allowed during carnival and that, for a day, we can forget who we are in order to live the fiction that we desire.

Part of the Dutch carnival culture is to go from bar to bar celebrating a day of craziness while they toast three times with a shout of ˝Alaaf!”. To it, they add many visitors and communities of immigrants that, for a day, are all equal in happiness, something that’s part of the philosophy of carnivals around the world.

Nancy Guzman

If you want to live a few days of madness, rent apartments in Amsterdam and go out on the streets to live this carnival!

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However, Barcelona is a little more than a city of excess and celebration. Spain is usually stigmatized as the place where nothing ends until the last bar closes; perhaps the old Hemingway influenced somewhat in this wrong perspective. Barcelona is not necessarily Spain in many ways, and the usual conflict and distance of Catalunya to the rest of the country, is usually present. Catalan culture is difficult to describe without experiencing it or having lived for some time in it. One of the most Catalan sides of Barcelona is surely Gracia.

Gracia is a neighborhood that looks like a small town, which is what it makes it really cozy and pleasant to live and hang out. Its streets are usually full of young people, mostly “hipsters” or “modern” wearing their best clothes taken from the American Apparel and some other clothing store that makes them feel like they’re in Williamsburg.

A walk around Gracia will lead you to its different squares, among which we can find; la Virreina Square, where you’ll find several cafes, restaurants and an ice cream shop to get dessert. This square is a meeting point for many young people who do not hesitate to have a beer outdoors, while singing songs with a guitar in hand, or simply gather to get the night started. Similarly, the Diamant Square, which was the inspiration for the novel of the same name by writer Merce Rodoreda, will show you the bohemian life of gracia while having some tapas and beer in a lively atmosphere.

Among others are also: the Revolution Square, Rovira I Trias Square, Raspall Square, Ruis I Taulet Square, Poble Romani Square and the newest one the John Lennon Square. As in the other places mentioned above, the nightlife is spirited and full of youth, during the day; these places gather families who enjoy walks, as well as children and teenagers playing freely. Barcelona despite the crisis remains as an attractive and relatively comfortable if you are looking for entertainment, fun, and a dynamic that allows you to freely explore all the popular neighborhoods.

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Barcelona and run through the ancient streets of Gracia. Undoubtedly, the cozy atmosphere of this traditional neighborhood will catch you and make you stay for hours, while enjoying the best of the night.

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Thus, Berlinale is one of the most important cultural events of the city and certainly one of the most important dates for the international film industry. With more than 100 countries participating in the festival as well as professionals and journalists from the field of cinema, this festival also invites personalities from the arts and a wide amateur audience to participate in all its events.

In Berlin you can find movies of all genres, themes and backgrounds, especially international films and exclusive European festival premieres. Among the sections that highlight this year’s festival, is of course the core competence of international cinema and “Panorama”, which features the best in independent cinema. For young people there will be the selection called “Generation”, and of course, the best of the new discoveries of young German cinema with the “Perspektive Deutsches Kino”. Experimental and avant-garde cinema is available if that is your taste in “Forum” and other cinematic explorations will be projected  in the “Berlinale Shorts.”

It should be noted that this year, the retrospective and tribute of the Berlinale is dedicated to a movie studio that functioned between 1922 and 1936: Mezhrabpom-Film and its German section, Prometheus. This company was made possible by Moisei Aleinikov, an expert of Russian cinema and Willi Miinzenberg, a German Communist that united enthusiasm with the excitement of creating a new vision in film production, with political emphasis and of course new film narratives course. Thus, the studio was developed in Moscow in addition to its headquarters in Berlin.

This study produced over 600 films and unfortunately had to stop production due to the regimes of Hitler and Stalin. The retrospective of this important work of European cinema is titled “The Red Dream Factory”, and consists of 30 programs developed for more than 40 silent and films with sound. The silent films are accompanied by music performed by important contemporary artists, including several premieres of films that were only available in Russia. For more information on this retrospective, and the various activities of the Berlinale 2012, click on the official festival website: http://www.berlinale.de/

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Berlin and enjoy the best international film festival during the Berlinale 2012. Berlin also offers you a wide range of cultural activities and fun that you can not miss.

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On occasions, the children don’t want to go on holiday with their parents because it’s an uncomfortable experience. We have to remember that the coexistence at home is not only related to the couple but also the children, and that just like a couple can have their stressful times and misunderstandings, the same can happen about the children. Generally, there’s an idea that young people have less worries than the older members of the house, whether it’s because the weight of responsability is on a different level, in the eyes of the rest, of course. However, today, children and teenagers go through stressful times at school, university, the street, daily life or the internet. The constant peer pressure that appears, in different ways, from different media and modern life experiences, can be the reason why the children, who don’t work or have great responsabilities, feel the weight of having to fight with everyday life.

Then, one would have to begin to choose a family grip by talking to everyone, choosing a place that the whole family can enjoy and that everyone wants to visit in the same way and with the same desire. The choice is conditioned a bit by the family budget and, especially, by being able to show the children of the possibilities that exist according to this budget. And so, dilemmas of expenses or unnecessary payments can be avoided.

You have to remember that in a family trip, the shorter the better. In other words, it’s not the quantity but the quality and so the trip won’t become a problematic situation that causes even more stress to the family. Also, it’s important to give everyone space so that each family member can have some alone time to explore their personal interests during the trip. If your children are very young, entertain them in some place where you can enjoy a meal or a drink with your partner. It will mean that you’ll have a more enjoyable time where, for some minutes at least, you’ll be able to forget about work, everyday life and the trip itself. Travelling with the family is possible, you just need some positive attitude and adequate planning. You’ll have a great time if you go to Amsterdam, for sure.

Alexa Ray

Get apartments in Amsterdam and enjoy a trip with all the culture and entertainment options that this fabulous city offers you and your whole family. You’ll be fascinated with this city, you cannot miss it!

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Seville hosts countless trade shows and events including traditional celebrations as the Holy Week, one of the most famous religious events in Spain, which is held a week before Easter and that shows step by step, through a procession of wood sculptures, the passion of Christ. Two weeks after Easter, the famous April’s Fair begins. The fair adorns the city with its booths, dances and chants of Seville at the sound of guitars. But visitors to Seville not only visit this charming city because of its Holy Week, April’s Fair, Islamic architecture, flamenco, flamenco dancers, manzanilla, bulls and guitars, but also for its world famous Marathon.

The 28^th version of the Seville Marathon will take place on the 19^th of February; an event that manages to bring together hundreds of professional and amateur athletes in a race where the joy of Seville and the warrior spirit of sportsmen are the main ingredients.

Recognized by the Association of International Marathons and Road Races (AIMS), the Seville Marathon, takes its competitors around the most representative streets of the city, across the Guadalquivir River and touring the beautiful historic center. There are 42 kilometers of flat and fast road with departure and arrival in the city’s Olympic stadium.

With hydration stations every 5 miles of the journey and a weather forecast to be between 7 and 17 degrees Celsius, this athletic competition promises to be one of the most striking sporting events in recent years in Seville. The registration fee is: 21 Euros (up to January 31), 42 Euros (up to February 15) and 63 Euros (up to February 18).

This is the perfect opportunity for you to visit one of the most charming cities in Spain, do some exercise, (you know you do not have to be a professional to compete) and enjoy a healthy activity through the historic streets of the beautiful Seville; this is something you can enjoy with friends and family.

For more information about Marathon, please visit the official website of the Municipal Sports Institute of Seville: http://imd.sevilla.org/maraton

Hans

And to enjoy this experience as much as possible, rent apartments in Seville a perfect alternative to hotels. You will live an experience like you’re a local.

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If you are a lover of this drink and have prepared trip to Barcelona, ​​we will give some information so you know where to get your Gin Tonic with glamor.

In Barcelona an interesting trend with this drink has been created and Elephanta is an example. Conceived as a place for leisure with an exquisite charming atmosphere, and good music to accompany a nice evening alone with close friends, enjoying their special Gin Tonics. To delight the most discerning palate they has 36 types of gin and 18 different types of tonic water, from which you can choose to have the cocktail of your choice or experiment with new flavors. This teahouse “bar” is in the Villa of  Gracia, and it is a must for those who like the innovative environments. It is located in Torrent d’en Vidalet 37.

XIX Bar is one of those places for connoisseurs of GinTonic. It offers surreal charm, and has the widest range of Gin Tonic preparations in Barcelona served in glasses specially chosen to highlight each flavor. There are about sixty preparations and all are creations of Scottish bartender Mike Cruickshank, some have  lime, others cucumber, others berries and many other flavors make this establishment a must decorated in a Picasso style bar its location is on Carrer Rocafort 19. Pricewise? do not worry, they have prices that are suited to all pockets.

Pink Tower is a place that has it all. Feel that trapping India air that the centennial building surrounded by gardens and terraces evokes. Their list of Gin Tonics is insurmountable, given that it has its own self elaborated tonic water. Each cocktail has its flavor transferred to you by bartender Jordi Reig . It is located in the Congreso neighborhood, in Francesc Tarrega 22.

Very close to Plaza de Catalunya is the Milano Cocktail Bar, a classic cocktail bar where there is not too much innovation, but has the charm and flavor of tradition in every glass of Gin Tonic served. It has a variety of 25 different gins and prepares its specialties that has been distinguished by its regulars that return every year. The most famous combination is the Seagram’s Dirty Tonic which is prepared with maple syrup mixed dramatically with Seagram’s gin, giving it a masterstroke due to the oak flavor with bits of sweetness

Nancy Guzman

Reserve your vacation time by renting apartments in Barcelona and enjoy every evening a delicious Gin Tonic in the particular welcoming air of the city, always open to experimentation.

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The Misfits were born in 1977 in New Jersey as a project by Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only, to which they later added the drummer and the bass player. It wasn’t until 1982 when they released their first album, ‘Walk Among Us’, which was almost the debut and goodbye of the band in its original formation because, a year later, Danzig broke up the band due to internal problems, although they’d already recorded the album ‘Earth A.D / Wolfs Blood’ and then an EP after that. After this event, Jerry Only decided to regroup the band again and he formed what would be the second coming of The Misfits, at the same time that Danzig started a pretty successful solo career.

I don’t think that it’s worth it to talk about the band’s third coming, but rather of how important the band have been down the years. They’re considered as one of the most important punk bands of the last 30 years, an influence of an aesthetic style and a theme that gave a breath of fresh air to punk rock. On the other hand, JuiceheaD is one of the new bands released by Misfits Records, and they have a youthful sound that will surely blow the roof off on the night of the 12th of February in Lisbon.

The concert will take place at the Teatro de Corroios at 9pm. A great prospect for that night in Lisbon!

For more information visit: http://www.laganzua.net/conciertos/The_Misfits_%2B_Juicehead-Lisboa%2C_Portugal_Portugal-865980

Luz Obscura

Horror Punk in the beautiful Portuguese capital. So that you don’t miss it, rent apartments in Lisbon and prepare that horror makeup for a night of horror!

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