Find passion in fiestas, tapas, and Gaudí’s magical creations.

By Time Out editors and Sulakshana Gupta  http://www.timeout.com

1. Ramble down colourful La Rambla

One of the most famous boulevards in the world, La Rambla is worth a stroll down even if you only have one day in Barcelona. A gateway to rural Catalonia, the mile-long road bustles with tourists, artists, human statues, fortune-tellers, dancers and musicians.

Vibrant flower stalls, a cultural and exhibition centre, the superb La Boqueria market, a Joan Miró mosaic, newspaper kiosks and cafés line the street. You may pay a fortune to sip a cola at a roadside café but the people-watching opportunities will be worth the price.

2. Get up close to Gaudí’s grand designs

In Barcelona, you can gaze in wonder at Gaudí’s fairytale architecture. The Sagrada Familia is breathtaking and grotesque by turns. At first glance, it seems as though a careless giant has dripped melting wax over a Gothic cathedral, but a closer look reveals that the protuberances create a stone tapestry of Christ’s life. Take the lift to the top for a breathtaking view. Park Guell is a magical place that emulates an English garden city. After seeing the gatehouses, based on designs for the opera Hansel and Gretel, you can walk up a splendid staircase, past a mosaic lizard to what once was a marketplace. Outside, climb to the heights of the park to gaze down at the magnificent panorama.

3. Hit a high note in concert

Barcelona has its fair share of live music venues, such as Razzmatazz and Bikini. But there are also marvellous concert halls. The Gran Teatre del Liceu is a splendid place, decorated by gold leaf, plush red carpets and ornate carvings.

L’Auditori  is a sleek 2,400-seater venue that covers not only classical but also jazz and world music. The Palau de la Musica Catalana is celebrated for its Modernista architecture, and sheer volume of musical activity. There are a cluster of music festivals, ranging from the pop-infused Primavera Sound to the Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona.

4. Picture the city of Picasso’s youth

Picasso remembered Barcelona as beautiful and bright, a city where he spent his early years. Follow in the footsteps of the artistic genius by visiting the landmarks that shaped his youth. Stroll along the Calle Reina Christina and then cross over to 3 Carrer de la Mercè to see where his family lived, though the building was later destroyed.

For a break, stop by the Els Quatre Gats, a café frequented by Catalonia’s fin-de-siècle avant-garde. Then, head straight to the Museu Piacasso, a gallery that records Picasso’s formative years.

5. Pick up a platter at a pintxo bar

Picking on pintxos, platters of bite-sized food served on bread (a Basque version of tapas), is a popular culinary trend in Barcelona. Tradition calls for you to pick at the food with toothpicks, and at the end of the night you will be charged for the number of toothpicks that you have used.The Old Town Basque house Euskal Etxea invites you to savour dainty little croissants filled with jamón serrano, chicken tempura with saffron mayonnaise, melted provolone with mango and ham, or a mini-brochette of pork.

6. Climb up the magical Montjuïic

Montjuïic is perfect for a leafy stroll with great views, but hard to reach so is less populated by tourists. Scattered across the landward side are buildings from the 1992 Olympic Games, including Santiago Calatrava’s Olympic needle, while facing the sea is the lighthouse and vast cemetery.

Energetic visitors can climb to the top of the hill, which is just a short distance from the Olympic Stadium and Jardi Botanic. The Plaça Espanya provides the most popular access to the park.

Here, you can visit the Pavello Mies van der Rohe and cultural centre Caixa Forum.

7. Walk on the arty side

In Barcelona, a walk in the park is not just a relaxing experience but an artistic journey as well. Stroll round the leafy gardens of the Teatre Grec and then head to the Fundacion Joan Miro, one of the greatest museums in the world. It’s home to a collection of over 225 paintings, 150 sculptures and graphic pieces by the Spanish surrealist artist, along with a number of works by his contemporaries. Wander over to the Jardins Laribal, meticulously designed by the French landscape artist Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier. Don’t miss the Tres Pins nursery, where plants are grown for the city’s municipal parks and gardens, or forget to tip your hat to the bronze statue of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri in the Plaça Dante Alighieri.

8. Revel in the Raval

Like Paris, Barcelona has a literary flavour. In this city, many writers have been inspired by the lower Raval, generally referred to as the Barrio Chino, a name coined by an American journalist due to its underworld feel in the 1920s.

Haunted by drifters and prostitutes, the seedy ghetto forms a strangely glamorous setting for Jean Genet’s existential novel The Thief’s Journal (1949) and provides the backdrop for the civil war novel The Palace (1962) by Nobel prize-winner Claude Simon and The Margin by André Pieyre de Mandiargues (1967), which was made into a film.

For a bite of tapas, visit Els Tres Tombs, a favourite with the Sunday book market scavengers.

You can browse through books at the cosy bar of Café de les Delicies and catch a poetry reading at The Quiet Man.

9. Be a model photographer

Barcelona is a picturesque place, so even if you’re new to the art of photography, the city still manages to look good. Some scenes, of course, are more photogenic than others. To spot a few, wander through Almacenes del Pilar.

Here, you’ll find a glorious array of fabrics and accessories for traditional Spanish costumes on display in a Bohemian interior dating back to 1886.

For mouth-watering photographs, head to the city’s most central food market and gourmand’s pilgrimage La Boqueria along La Rambla, where you’ll discover layers of fruit and veg, olives and herbs in full colour.

For a bird’s eye view, ascend the Torre de Collserola, Norman Foster’s galactic communications tower.

10. Chow down fresh seafood

No one leaves Barcelona without sucking on an oyster. The city toasts the fine Galician restaurant Botafumeiro in Gràcia for its fantastic assortment of seafood, served by impeccably dressed waiters against a backdrop of nautical motifs.

Cal Pep in the Born is known for its trifásico, a mélange of fried whitebait, squid rings and shrimps, and exquisite little tallarines (wedge clams).

The Barceloneta restaurant Can Ramonet displays a spectacular haul of fresh seafood every day, which is likely to tempt you if you’re piscatorially inclined.

By Time Out editors and Sulakshana Gupta  http://www.timeout.com

Mecal Air

For the third year, Barcelona’s international short films festival Mecal presents Mecal Air, an open air film season which has become firmly established as one of the summer’s most popular al-fresco meet-ups.

Short films are screened every Friday and Saturday, accompanied by a barbecue and Moritz drinks promotions. There is also a chill out area with hammocks where you can listen to music and audiovisual performances. Each session has a different theme, which includes humour, sex, horror, love, and Star Wars. Spend a pleasant summer evening with quality entertainment under the  stars!!!

When:  Until 17/Sep/2011

Where: Poble Español, Pl de Baluard

Price: 5,50€ ( from 20Hoo to 21H00 a free beer with the entrance)

Web: mecalbcn.org

Adrian & Shane at Artevistas gallery

They are an Irish couple working as one artist since 1998.Their work is a collection of memories, ideas and thoughts, presented with visual, graphic anad stunning impact.Not sticking to one medium, they work with text, paint, collage, aerosol, photography and stencil. Over the past 13 years, they have had many successful exhibitions, and their work has appeared in numerous publications worldwide.

EDGING, their first exhibition in Spain is about bringing the artists themselves back into their paintings. This collection is an invite into the (pop) world of ADRIAN+SHANE. Exciting

When:  Until 28/Aug/2011

Where: Artevistas Gallery, Passatge del Crèdit nº4

Price: Free

Web: www.artevistas.com

Exhibition: You Are Not Alone

“When you share, you are not alone”. Han Nefkens Founder and President of the ArtAids Foundation.This exhibition exemplifies the role and function of art as a medium for exploring social issues, and for finding a language through which one can express difficult experiences and emotions.

14 international artists display work that confronts the discrimination and stigmatization still suffered by people with AIDS today through false perceptions, prejudice and ignorance. The artists have been chosen torepresent their country, and include Lithuania, Denmark, Vietnam, and Norway.

When:  Until 18/Sep/2011

Where: Fundació Joan Miró en el Parc Montjuïc

Price: 6€

Web: fundaciomiro-bcn.org

Mas i Mas Festival

With the idea of providing first class cultural activity during the quietest month in the city, the Mas i Mas group, with the help of San Miguel beer, launched a festival in 2003 that has become a classic nowadays on Barcelona’s summer nightlife scene.

You can catch an extensive variety of styles, from jazz and flamenco to smooth grooves and techno. Gaudí’s Modernist masterpiece of La Pedrera is a unique venue for any occasion, and a dazzling series of classical concerts will be performed here, from Vivaldi and Mozart, to modern vocal arrangements.

When:  Until 9/Sep/2011

Where: Various

Price: Various

Web: masimas.com ( all the info, program, artist, place…)

Barcelona on a budget probably conjures up an image of having to accept less than the best from your stay. But it is possible to visit Barcelona on a budget and still have a top quality trip.

For example, did you kwow that you can sleep in the best hostels from 12€ in the Mellow and Yellow Nest Hostels??Yeah it’s true, check it on www.nesthostelsbarcelona.com

Ok, I stop with the advertise and  now for you some budget tips I hope  it will help you:

1) All the budget airlines fly to Barcelona. Fares, timetables etc vary but fares start from 14€ one way. (One company sometimes runs a promotion with a 1 cent fare). Take the Aero Bus (No A1 or A2) from outside the terminal of Barcelona airport straight to the centre of Barcelona. The buses are air-conditioned and comfortable. The cost is only 5.10€ instead of the taxi cost of 30-35€.

2) Once in Barcelona the best and cheapest way to get around the city is to WALK!! Much of Barcelona is flat and ideal for walking. There is such a lot to see in this beautiful city. Not only is walking less expensive, if you choose the metro or other transport you will miss so much.

As you walk round every corner there is yet another amazing piece of architectural brilliance to admire (& not just the works of Gaudi), and some interesting characters to see.

3) If you do choose to use the transport system of Barcelona, then buy a T10 ticket (available at all metro stations & in Tabac shops too). This costs just 8.25€ for 10 journeys. You can get on and off the transport system with up to 1hour 15 mins gap and only use one of your journeys. The T10 ticket can be used for more than one person. A couple could, for example, have 5 journeys each on the same T10 ticket. The transport system in Barcelona is very well organised and CHEAP

4) An afternoon walk can be taken along the beach, of course. With beaches of golden sand that stretch for miles and a promenade alongside too, this is very easy walking. Or head up to Parc Guell, a Gaudi treasure, where you can enjoy walking around the park that he designed, seeing some of his amazing architecture and decoration and you will have fabulous views over the whole city too. At the opposite end of the city is Montjuic, the site of the Olympic Stadium, a Castle overlooking the port and the city, the National Palace, Miro Foundation and much more. Here, there are lovely gardens to walk around too, plus another amazing view from the other end of the city to Parc Guell. All this for free…except for the ice-cream you may need at the end!  Discover the best beaches of  Barcelona on:  http://www.nesthostelsbarcelona.com/nestbarcelonablog/barcelona-beaches/

5) There are plenty of museums, galleries etc to visit in Barcelona, and if you pick the right day they are also FREE! On the 1st Saturday/Sunday/Monday of the month (depending on each individual museum) they are free to enter. Check this link to discover all the free museums in Barcelona or with free entrance on the 1st Saturday of each month and of the 1st Sunday of each month: http://www.nesthostelsbarcelona.com/nestbarcelonablog/free-museums-in-barcelona/

6) Now for lunch! Most restaurants in Barcelona have a ‘menu del dia’ at lunchtime . This is a 3 course lunch of starter, main course, dessert AND often includes wine! There is a board outside the restaurant showing you the options of the day (usually at least 3 choices for each course) and the price, which ranges from 6.90€ to 11€ for the lunch and a little more expensive on Saturdays and Sundays. The quality of food for these “Menus” is consistently good. DO NOT eat or drink on Las Ramblas. A small beer (very small) can cost 7.50€. A siesta is probably a necessity after a “Menu”!!!

7) Want to get free entrance to the best clubs of Barcelona like Opium Mar, Shoko, Bucaro, Nick Havanna, Mary’sPlace …: Check this web www.welovbcn.com and suscribe you to the party list.

For sun worshippers, Barcelona is just what you’re looking for! It’s coastline stretches for 4.5km and offers the tourists a wide variety of excellent beaches. The most popular beaches among our visitors include Barceloneta,Mar Bella, Nova Icaria and Bogatell.

Barceloneta is probably the closest beach to the city and the easiest way to get to this beach is by catching the yellow line metro. Walking from the city takes about 20 minutes. Barceloneta is a wide long beach full of restaurants, which are mostly American style and bars.

The Nova Icaria beach is quite close to the Olympic Marina and is full with fantastic beachside bars and restaurants. If you are visiting this beach, make sure the sample the cuisine in Mango and Chiringuito restaurants.

Mar Bella Beach is a must for those you like watersports. Here you’ll enjoy the windsurfing, kayaks and hobie cats. Bogatell Beach is actually twice the size of Nova Icaria and is a haven for rollerbladers, cyclists and joggers. This is a more tranquil area and does not have a lot of bars and restaurants.

All the Barcelona beaches are kitted out people with disabilities, sun beds and lifeguards and all the beaches are well maintained.

The Barcelona beach season usually goes between March 15th and November 15th when all installations and facilities are dismanteled, being the high season from 31st May to 28th September.

Sant Sebastiá

It is the oldest beach in Barcelona, this means it is the most traditional and results is one that we can enjoy more services. It has an area of about 1100 meters and belongs to stop line 4 and stop Barceloneta. It is very popular with many tourists and people from the city itself.

Considered as being the last stretch of the beach of La Barceloneta. There are all types of facilities: showers, lifeguards, bars, as well as good disabled access.

Length : 1.100 m
Average width : 81 m
Limits : From the port estuary to Carrer Almirall Cervera
Transport :
Bus: 14, 16, 17, 39, 40, 45, 51, 57, 59, 64, 157
Metro: Line 4 – Barceloneta

La Mar Bella

This is one of the beaches that were prepared and modernized for the Olympic Games of Barcelona 92, is approximately 500 m long. It has a children’s play area, space for skateboarding, volleyball courts, a nautical and space for nudists.

Located between the beaches of Nova Mar Bella and Bogatell. There is a sports centre very near the beach. The Promenade stretches as far as the beach of la Barceloneta. Good for windsurfing on windy days.

The Mar Bella beach has a designated nudist beach area screened by a long hillock of bamboo and is mostly frequented by young people.

Length : 500 m
Average width : 42 m
Limits : From the Mar Bella breakwater to the Bac de Roda breakwater
Transport :
Bus: 36, 71, 141
Metro: Line 4 – Selva de Mar
Tram: T4 – Selva de Mar
Cycle track

Playa del Bogatell

This beach is very close to the Olympic Port and is separated from the other two beaches with similar characteristics by two stone breakwaters. It has a lifeguard service, showers, ramps to take you on to the beach, bars, restaurants, parking, etc. The promenade runs until Sant Sebastiá Beach, in the Barceloneta district.
Length : 640 m
Average width : 39 m
Limits : From the Bogatell breakwater to the Mar Bella breakwater
Transport :
Bus: 6, 36, 41, 92, 141
Metro: Line 4 – Poblenou and Llacuna
Cycle track

Playa del Paseo Marítimo or Llevant

This is the last of the beaches created on the Barcelona coastline. It is situated alongside the Mar Bella beach and was opened to the city in the summer of 2006. Its length is approximately 380 m.  The beach on the other side of the Olympic Port. Separated from Barceloneta Beach by a breakwater. There is a lifeguard post, table tennis tables, children’s playground and a half-pipe for skaters. The beach is very wide and goes right up to the promenade.
Length : 380 m
Average width : 59 m
Limits : From the Selva de Mar breakwater to the future Zoo breakwater
Transport
Bus: 7, 36, 41, 141
Metro: Line 4 – Selva de Mar
Tram: T4 – Selva de Mar and El Maresme
Cycle track

La Nova Mar Bella

Its promenade runs until the famous district of Barceloneta. This is the women’s favourite beach, exceeding 60% of total users. A very good beach with a variety of services, such as showers, lifeguard service, bars and parking. Easy access via ramps.
Length : 500 m
Average width : 45 m
Limits : From the Bac de Roda breakwater to the Selva de Mar breakwater
Transport:
Bus: 36, 43, 141
Metro: Line 4 – Selva de Mar and El Maresme
Tram: T4 – Selva de Mar and El Maresme
Cycle track

La Nova Icária

It is the beach which is next to the Barcelona Olympic Port. The promenade runs until the Barceloneta district. Near the beach there is an esplanade with stone benches for contemplating the landscape.

It is considered one of the quietest in the city, frequented mostly by families with children.

This is a beach and a little smaller and quieter beach 400 meters, from this (and east) are becoming younger beaches.

Besides  Icària beach possesses an area for disabled persons with a bathing assistance service. This service is available to disabled persons or people with reduced mobility and consists of assisting them to get in and out of the water and supervising their bathing time, using an amphibian bathing chair if necessary.
Length : 400 m
Average width : 63 m
Limits : From the Olympic Port to the Bogatell breakwater
Transport:
Bus: 6, 36, 41, 92, 141
Metro: Line 4 – Ciutadella y Bogatell
Tram: T4 – Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica
Cycle track

La Barceloneta

Approximately 1,100 m long, together with the Sant Sebastià beach, Barceloneta is one of the biggest in Barcelona, and it is also one of the oldest and most traditional beach in the city. It is a favourite amongst our foreign visitors and it is commonly used by youth groups and for school activities.

Due to its location and proximity to the metro and many bus lines, the majority of its users get to the beach by public transport.

Stretching out along the entire promenade up to the Olympic port in the renowned and old maritime neighbourhood of the same name. There are all types of services typical to a town beach.

This excellent beach has two beaches one at each end: one near the Olympic Port with Paseo Marítimo Beach and the other near the Puerto de Barcelona with San Sebastiá Beach.

These beaches have a big team of patrolling lifeguards from the local police, particularly in the summer season. It is a favourite amongst our foreign visitors.

Length : 1.100 m
Average width : 89 m
Limits : From Carrer Almirall Cervera to the Olympic Port
Transport
Bus: 14, 16, 17, 36, 39, 40, 45, 51, 57, 59, 64
Metro: Line 4 – Barceloneta and Ciutadella
Tram: Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica
Cycle track

Whenever we travel to any city, we generally want to check out its history and its traditions. If you are of the same mould, your trip to Barcelona shall remain incomplete without viewing the Ciutat Vella. Literally meaning the `old city,’ the Ciutat Vella is the oldest district of Barcelona city.

It is not hard to understand since the astonishing architecture, the many narrow and crowded streets gives a picturesque atmosphere. What makes it viewing even more important is the fact that the locals treat it as the centre of their city.

Surrounded by Parque de la Ciutadella (Ciutadella Park), Paralel Avenue and Pelai Street, witch is an ideal place to take a break next a big day walking around the town, this interesting area of Barcelona is formed by four charismatic neighbourhoods:

Barceloneta, Raval, Gótico and Sant Pere, Santa Caterina y la Ribera.

In the fourth neighbourhood of Ciutat Vella we find the famous and unique area of Barcelona known as Born.

In Born there’s a unique mix between old-fashion charm and the latest fashion tendencies. Some of the coolest designer’s shops – clothes, furniture, accessories, etc. – are located in Born, including              the famous clothes store ‘Custo Barcelona’.

In general Ciutat Vella still preserves its medieval structure. It has small, twisted and narrow streets. Many of them are really charming but others are not very clean or really pleasant to walk through. The historic centre used to be the suburbs of the old Roman Barcelona and there are still amazing constructions and sceneries that testify to that.

While visiting this place, do not miss out on viewing the Placa Catalunya, a large square in the centre of the city, which is the junction for some of the most important avenues and streets of the city, including Carrer de Vergera, Las Ramblas, Ronda de Sant Pere, etc.

So you understand it, this square is a must visit when you travel to Barcelona. It is famous for its statues and fountains. Another important value of the Ciutat Vella is that being the heart of the city, it provides a central point from where tourists can access the other popular tourist attractions of the city.

In fact, this landmark is situated extremely close to some of the top tourist attractions of the city. The Ciutat Vella is perhaps the best spot to begin your tour of the city.

The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is a key reference for understanding the formative years of Pablo Ruiz Picasso. The genius of the young artist is revealed through the more than 3,800 works that make up the permanent collection. Furthermore, the Museu Picasso, opened in 1963, also reveals his deep relationship with Barcelona: an intimate, solid relationship that was shaped in his adolescence and youth, and continued until his death.

Address: C/ Montcada 15-23, 08003, Barcelona +34 933 196 310
Metro: Jaume I.
Free Entry: First Sunday of the month and from 3pm every Sunday.

www.museupicasso.bcn.es

Museo Nacional de Arte de Catalunya

Fine art museum on Montjuïc mountain. The MNAC embraces all the arts (sculpture, painting, objets d’art, drawing, engraving, posters, photography and coinage) and has the task of explaining the general history of Catalan art from the Romanesque period to the mid-twentieth century

Address: Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc, 08038 Barcelona
Metro: Plaza Espanya.
Free Entry: First Sunday of the month.

www.mnac.cat

Centro de la Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona

After over 15 years of continued programming, the CCCB has consolidated its position as a respected point of reference; a focus of cultural and creative attraction for the city of Barcelona, for the whole of Catalonia and Spain, and internationally.

The CCCB has proved its determination to be a place for production and creation as well as exhibition, bringing together a large number of committed cultural actors and users, all convinced that culture is a basic necessity.

Address: c/ Montalegre 5, 08001 Barcelona
Metro: Catalunya/Universitat
Free Entry: First Wednesday of the month. Also free for under-16s.

www.cccb.org

Metronom

A showcase for art considered too experimental for mainstream art galleries.

One of the pioneering galleries on the Barcelona art scene stands opposite the old Born Market, in a former wholesale warehouse. Since 1980, as a result of an initiative by the collector Rafael Tous, Metronom has not only become an exhibition centre but a key point of reference for the most daring artistic experimentation and production.

Its unconventional programme of events includes manifestations linked to the plastic arts, installations, video, photography, experimental music, contemporary dance and performance.

Address: Fundacio Rafael Tous d’Art Contemporani
Metro: Arc de Triomf/Jaume I/Barceloneta
Free Entry: Every day.

Centro Arts Santa Mònica

Arts Santa Mònica, housed in an exceptional building on the Rambla in Barcelona, is a space of convergence and crossover between the different disciplines of contemporary artistic creation and science, thought and communication.

Attentive to the cultural mutations and social changes accompanying the transition to the knowledge society, and working in conjunction with universities and academic institutions, research institutes and centres for the production and presentation of art, science and communication, Arts Santa Mònica generates ideas, projects, research and materials that stimulate dialogue between the local and all it has to offer and the global dimension of society today.

Address: La Rambla 7, 08002 Barcelona
Metro: Drassanes.
Free Entry: Every day.

www.centredartsantamonica.net

Fundacion Fran Daurel

Art gallery with a good website featuring a comprehensive list of exhibits (with pictures). On the 1 December 2001 the Fran Daurel Foundation of Contemporary Art (painting, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, etc.) opened in Barcelona, within the Poble Espanyol venue, a foundation that has endeavoured to offer a global vision of contemporary art.

In this collection we can appreciate a strong passion for everything that is close, immediate, yet with a commitment to the future. The Fran Daurel collection consists of several generations of contemporary artists that include a wide range of tendencies and supports that go from abstraction to figurative art and which move within formalism, expressionism, surrealism, hyperrealism, conceptualism, etc.

Address: Av del Marques de Comillas, Poble Espanyol, 08038, Barcelona.
Metro: Espanya.
Free Entry: Every day.

www.fundaciofrandaurel.com

Fundacion Foto Colectania

The Foto Colectania Foundation is a private non-profit organisation (register nº 1554) founded in Barcelona in 2002, aiming at promoting photography and encouraging  photography collecting through exhibitions, activities (conferences, seminars, trips) and catalogue editions.

Foto Colectania has its own photography collection  that comprises of more than 2.000 works of Spanish and Portuguese authors from 1950 until today.

Moreover, it has a library with free access to the public and a conservation vault, where the photography collection is stored, together with photographer Paco Gómez’s archive (donated by his family in 2001) and the temporary deposit of part of Juan Redón’s collection.

Address: Julian Romea, 6, 08006, Barcelona
Metro: Diagonal.
Free Entry: Every day.

www.colectania.es

Focus on the series ”Children” started nearly 20 years by photographer and journalist Steve McCurry. Having worked and traveled throughout the world, this renowned artist capture the four corners of the globe looks of children.

Steve McCurry has covered many areas of international and civil conflict, including the Iran-Iraq war, the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, Beirut, Cambodia, the Philippines, the Gulf War, and continuing coverage of Afghanistan.

Magnum photographer Steve McCurry never set out to take portraits. Critically acclaimed and recognized internationally for his classic reportage, over the last 20 years he has worked for the “National Geographic” and other publications on numerous assignments: along the Afghan border, in Baghdad, Beirut and the Sahel. McCurry’s coverage of the monsoon won first prize in the World Press Awards, and was part of his portfolio when he was named Magazine Photographer of the Year in 1984.

In 1985, McCurry photographed an Afghan girl for the “National Geographic”. The intensity of the subject’s eyes and her compelling gaze made this one of contemporary photography’s most celebrated and best-known portraits. McCurry is now equally famous for his other portrayals of memorable faces that he has encountered while travelling throughout the world.

Compelling, unforgettable and moving, McCurry’s images are unique street portraits: unstylized and unposed snapshots of people that reveal the universality of human emotion.

Follow him on www.stevemccurry.com www.stevemccurry.wordpress.co

Kabul, Afghanistan, 1992

Hajjah, Yemen, 1999

Peru, 2004

Bojonegoro, Indonesia, 1983

Angkor, Cambodia, 2000

Lhasa, Tibet

Haridwar, India, 1998

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1992

Thirumullaivayil, India, 2003

Mandalay, Myanmar, 2011

Sahel, Bamako, Mali

Kabul, Afghanistan, 2002

Tibet, 2000

India

Afghanistan, 1985

Bagan, Myanmar, 2010

Manigango, Tibet, 1999

Jaipur, India, 1982

A friendly visual match between two cities told by a lover of Paris wandering through NewYork.

Details, clichés, contradictions created by graphic designer & art director Vahram Muratyan the new yorker based in Paris.

This work of original illustration and comparison between the two  cities presents nearly 20 colorful posters around various urban themes. Discover the ten first up to wait for the next episode …

Follow him on his brilliant blog parisvsnyc.blogspot.com

A selection of the important work of Yang Liu, a Chinese student living in Berlin. It compares in an exhibition, cultural differences between China and Germany.

Yang is Chinese, moved to Germany with parents at age 14. She is a graphic designer of international renown, her projects are connected with cultural identity, mainly introducing for public a complexity of Chinese/ Asian thinking in a very simple way.

One of her best well-known project is called” Ost trifft West” – “East vs West”. Has received many international awards. More about Yang on her website www.yangliudesign.com

Thousands of essays were written to describe differences between East and West, but unlike others Yang Liu presented it in a form of pictures exposing stereotypes which are only an ideal type, however, in someway it shows a modal characteristic of people from East and West.

Here are pictures below showing what I called the clash of cultures.

Blue- West VS  Red- East

Anger ( ira )

Contacts ( contactos )

Moods and weather  ( estado de animo y tiempo )

Party ( fiesta )

Punctuality ( ponctualidad )

Queue when waiting ( haciendo la cola )

Sunday on the road ( los domingos )

The boss ( el jefe )

The child ( la juventud )

Transportation ( medio de transporte )

Travelling ( viajando )

What’s trendy ( de moda )

Way of life (estilo de vida )

Self ( yo mismo )

Three meals a day ( las tres cenas al dia )

Opinion ( opinion )

Beauty ideal ( la belleza ideal )

www.yangliudesign.com

Cut Copy survived as one of the fortunate standouts of the indie-dance-punk-whatever wave that crashed on both sides of the Atlantic at the start of the millennium.

So the  Australian indie electronic trio Cut Copy take many of their cues from contemporaries like Air, Daft Punk, and LCD Soundsystem, but with a distinctly pop sensibility that draws on classic AM radio pop singles from the 1970s and ’80s, with elements of vintage disco and synth pop that appeal to song-based listeners as well as the club kidz.

The group started in 2001 as a solo project by songwriter, producer, and DJ Dan Whitford, who released the single 1981 and the EP I Thought of Numbers before drafting in other members to fill out his synth and sample-based sound. Bassist and guitarist Tim Hoey and drummer Mitchell Scott  debuted on Cut Copy’s first full-length album, Brihgt Lile Neon Love, released in the summer of 2004.

After several successful singles were spun off the album  Universal’s Island Records imprint picked up the trio’s international distribution in 2006. Following an inventive Withford live DJ mix that was released in 2006 as Fabriclive.29 (including such unexpected delights as Ciccone Youth’s noisy deconstruction “Into the Groovey” and Roxy Music ’s suave “Angel Eyes” alongside the usual Goldfrapp and Soulwax), the band proper returned in early 2007 with a new single, Hearts on Fire

In 2008, the Cut Copy’s third album  In Ghost Colours saw the band breaking even further from that pack, adding layers of swooning, gorgeous pop to its burbling electro for a record that’s equally euphoric in the sunshine or a dank nightclub.

Rather than relying on those lush, radio-ready structures of In Ghost Colours, the band’s new Zonoscope often lets the arrangements ride, most spectacularly on the 6-minute round-and-round rave of the opener, “Need You Now” ( listen  http://nest-hostels.com/s/10 )

Anyway Cut Copy have a strong reputation as both a live and a recording act.

Want to listen their best  mix? Follow this link.  Cut Copy – So Cosmic (Part I)

http://www.youtube.com/user/NestHostels?feature=mhee#p/f/12/7oCkVP3OWyI