MACBA offers four summer concerts in the context of the Nights of MACBA

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA) offers the opportunity to visit and experience its exhibitions in a different format: MACBA has extended its opening time to midnight every Thursday and Friday until the 18th of September. There will be a reduced price for tickets of 3,50 Euros for visting the whole museum, as well as many guided tours included in the entrance fee. In addition, in this context the MACBA is going to present the cycle of summer concerts Post-rock? throughout July, which is part of the programm of the concerts of the Festival Grec 2009. On the other hand one of the terraces on the 1st floor of the museum will be turned into the summer bar, with the same opening time, but remaining open until the 24th of September.

2.000 people demonstrate against gene-modified products

Yesterday 2.ooo people demonstrated in Barcelona against the cultivation of gene-modified products and demanded an advance concerning the application of a law to stop the cultivation of transgenic products in Catalonia, opposed by the PSC, CIU and PP. With the slogan "Democracy, health and good food" the demonstration moved from Plaza Cataluña to the Parliament, where they had to face a confrontation with the police trying to stop them. The cook Santi Santamaria, who headed the demonstration, read a manifest from professionals of the gastronomy, alimentation and health sector, claiming the need of a model for agricultural food based on an organic and artisan local production that is eco-friendly and respects the varieties and distinct culture.

Ceremony in honour of Narcís Monturiol in the Catalan Parliament

Today a ceremony in honour of Narcís Monturiol will take place in the Catalan Parliament to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first dive of the submarine Ictineu. Amongst others Sr. Joan Manel Tresserras i Gaju, Minister of Culture and Media and Sr. Ernest Benach i Pascual, President of the Catalan Parliament will take part in the ceremony, as well as representatives from important institutions like the Institute Ictineu, the Catalan Centre for Submarine Research and the Institut d'Estudis Catalans IEC. On June 28th 150 years ago at the port of Barcelona, for the first time a submarine dived into the ocean and sailed without incidents.

Playwright Pau Miró completes trilogy about wild animals

The playwright and director Pau Miró has successfully completed his trilogy about wild animals. His recent creation called "giraffe" will be performed during the Festival Grec in Barcelona from 2 to 5th of July. Within one year Miró has initiated three plays and has completed the trilogy that takes place in a laundry in the district of Raval where the characters identify with wild animals. The play is set in the fifties and deals with the limitations of the Franquismo. It shows how the characters turn to a silent fantasy to get over their frustration.

Safe celebration of Sant Joan with less firecrackers

The main objective of the governmental campaign this year is to avoid minors to encounter with powerful pyrotechnic articles. Last year 269 people in Catalonia have been injured in the night of Sant Joan, the majority of them were minors who had launched firecrackers that were prohibited for their age. The campaign of this years celebration of Sant Joan therefore wants to sensibilize the points of sale and the parents to the high danger of the powerful pyrotechnic articles and that they may only be launched by people older than eighteen years. To raise the peoples awareness of the danger of firework, about ten thousand placards have been distributed among schools and youth centres, district offices and points of sale throughout Catalonia. These placards contain general advices how to avoid accidents with pyrotechnic articles.

Privalia increases staff with 110 employees, 50 of them in Barcelona

This year, the internet sales label Privalia will increase their staff with 100 employees. Currently the company employs 150 people in Barcelona, 30 in Milan (Italy) and 30 in Sao Paolo (Brasil). Privalia has specialised in selling fashion and sportswear but they are receiving many offers for selling other things that have been affected by the crisis, like cars or apartments. With a market share of 34 % an 1,5 million clients in Spain, Brasil and Italy, Privalia is the leading company of the club of private purchases in Spain. At the end of the year, the staff in Barcelona will comprise 200 people and the company will move to a bigger building due to space limitation.

Guitar festival starts with series of concerts in the area of Girona

The VI. Girona Guitar Festival directed by Josep Manzano will start today with a free concert by Maurizio di Fulvio Trio in the Casa de Cultura of Girona. Most of the concerts will take place in different locations around the Costa Brava such as Begur, Tossa de Mar and Palamós from July to August. For the first time the festival will be divided into three sets of concerts. One part will take place in the old town of Girona, another in the church of Santa Maria de Fenals, and finally there will be three concerts in the Casa de Cultura in Llança. There will be international artists performing, as well as important Catalan guitarists.

Campgrounds in the area of Girona confront 10% less bookings

The bookings for campgrounds in the area of Girona are delayed in regard to other seasons and the camping sector assumes 10% less bookings on average compared to the last year. The association of camping advised the campgrounds not to react with a reduction of prices, as this could affect the quality of the complete offer of campgrounds, which is among the most recognized in Europe. There are 144 campgrounds in the area of Girona and 40 % of them are first class.

Zapatero and Montilla stage reconciliation after one year of alienation

The Spanish president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero promises to maintain a just financing for Catalunya and calls to defeat the right wing party in the elections of 7th June. After one year of alienation, above all because of the default of financing, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and José Montilla yesterday staged the reconciliation at the final convention of the campaign of the Catalan Socialists in the facilities of Mar Bella in front of 5.000 people. All this took place prior to the European elections to defeat the PP, that shows an advantage in the surveys. Zapatero assured Montilla of working "shoulder to shoulder" and guaranteed him their support in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Catalunya.

Tomb of famous pharao Tutankamón comes to Barcelona

Tutankamón, the tomb and its treasures. Thats the name of the exhibition that will open for the public in the Maritime Museum of Barcelona this saturday. The exhibition, produced and organized in Germany, recreates the tomb of the most famous pharao of Ancient Egypt, Tutankamón. Almost one hundred Egyptian artisans have worked on rebuilding the pharao with every detail. The exhibition will open its doors in Barcelona until the 6th of September, continuing its unstoppable international circuit with already thousands of visitors in towns like Zurich or Munich. People have the opportunity to experience the sensational discovery of the tomb by the English archeologist Howard Carter in 1922.

Renting an apartment is 19% cheaper due to the decline of sales and more offers

The price of homes for sale continues to fall but shows signs of stabilisation in some communities. The current difficulty to sell apartments has caused that a great part of the stock is offered for rent with a loss of the rental prices of 19% in the area of Girona within the last half of the year. According to the last study of market prices of the Association of Promoters and Constructors Girona and Real Estate Agents, the development of homes for sale also shows a general decline, although in some towns like Blanes or Roses a stabilisation emerges. All this is related to a drop of demand due to the economic crisis. Regarding the rental prices of the two-bedroom apartments, the largest price drop was detected in Lloret with 14,9 %, whereas referring to homes with three bedrooms, Roses is the town with the most significant decline (19%).

Festival of dance collects money for an NGO working with disadvantaged Christians in Egypt

A festival of classical Egyptian Dance, organized for the second year in Barcelona, yesterday offered a variety of captivating melodies, colors and festive rhythms. The aim of the festival organized by the association Aida Danza Oriental is to collect money for a NGO south of Cairo to provide socially disadvantaged Christians. The assistance of the NGO is mainly for economical and health demands, as the population has to face a big threat by hepatitis C. In the first year of the festival 2.000 euros have been collected, an amount they would like to achieve as well this year.