Where would you say the best paella in Sitges is? Some say in the port Aiguadolce in la Taberna del Puerto or in a small side-street restaurant called ‘El Castell’. For me to date the best paella in Sitges is located in none other than Cal Pinxo. Where one might think that just because it’s on the Passeig de Ribera it should be ridiculously expensive…. No the starters a decently priced 12-15 euro for amazing mussels or a warm prawn salad… then it’s to the main dish…. The PAELLA where Cal Pinxo’s home style is light yet filling with chunks of fish, prawns and squid with a  gorgeous taste that leaves you wanting seconds!!! So don’t miss out to enjoy one of the best ways to spend a Sunday or any day for that matter enjoying one of the signature dishes of Spain.

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This weekend get your bobby socks on and get ready to dance!! As the fourth annual Sitges Swing Festival comes to town this weekend. From the 30^th of April until the 2^nd of May you can come enjoy Sitges and learn some of the coolest steps in Amercian Swing. There will be three parties in the Retiro ( each with a different theme ) where the Sitges Stompers will play late into the night!! Each party costs 15 euros to get in but well worth it. There will also be classes held during the day whether you want to work on your ‘lady hop’ and solo swing ( for those who want to groove alone ). For more information regarding events and times please refer to www.sitgesswing.com

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If you’re in Sitges at the moment or will be here until the 23^rd of May. I strongly suggest that you take some time to visit the l’Edifici Miramar. Where collection of 65 works from 54 renowned contemporary artists from 21 different countries.

The exhibition "The precursor of the collection of the Foundation Stämpfli" is the starting point of this organization, led by Peter Stämpfli painter and his wife Anna Maria in 2006 in order to work together in Sitges contemporary artists from around the world hosted by the planned new center in the heart of this town.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by the Minister of Culture Joan Manuel Tresserras and the Mayor of Sitges, George Baijet, Saturday March 20 at 19. The exhibition is curated by the former director of the Orsay Museum in Paris, Serge Lemoine.

The Miramar hosts these works by artists such as Robert Combas, Eduardo Arroyo, Pol Bury, Erro, or Jacques Philippe Cazals Villeglé, among many others, that once the exhibition finishes, will be to integrate the museum into the 21^st century.

The exhibited works have been donated by the artists themselves, individually, because the marriage Stämpfli integrate the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art. In order to create this museum, the Stämpfli formed nearly four years the Foundation that bears his name. The museum is planned on three historic buildings located in the heart of Sitges.

Two of these buildings have been acquired by Stämpfli who along with his residence in Sitges, the same street have been donated to the Foundation. The City Council, for its part, has given the former Fish Market, where he currently works carried out in preparation for a future exhibition hall of the Museum. The first phase of the center will be ready and open by the end of 2010. The second phase, which ended the facilities, will be finished in the coming years.

For more info please check out the foundations website @ http://www.fundacio-stampfli.org/

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We at Sitges & Barcelona Holiday Accommodation would like to celebrate Earth day Today the 22^nd of April 2010. Throughout the world thousands of organizations ( Greenpeace, Nasa , Peta and many more )  strive to make the world a better place. From educating youth on the effects of climate change to recycling. Earth Day, as it is known in the United States, is held on April 22 and is held each year to promote awareness of environmental issues. The first Earth Day was in 1970. It was created so there would be more awareness about the need to clean up the Earth. It raises awareness about the Earth’s condition. It encourages people to reduce their pollutants and recycle more. The idea is to make this planet better for this generation and more to come. It is so that everyone can participate in an attempt to make our global environment better. That’s why we try and think green in our apartments by reminding our clients that 21 Celsius is sufficient when using the a/c, and to turn off all heating/air while out of the apartment. So do your part for mother nature and help reduce our carbon footprint

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Over the past week, a gigantic cloud of volcanic dust from Iceland has been slowly drifting over most of northern Europe. To thousands of travelers whether it has been for business or pleasure have been stranded all across the globe. Also thousands of aircraft and its staff, unable to get themselves or customers home have created a gaping hole of how to get home. Each day the numbers rise with over 95,000 flight cancellations across the world. This disruption has cost over 1.3bn euros of damage to the industry, not to mention tourism ie. hotels and attractions.

Now with the cloud dissipating, the monstrous task  of rescheduling backlogged passengers is now underway. With Paris, Frankfurt, Barcelona and Madrid Airports now forming long queues it will be awhile before order is sustained. With 80% of the Volcanoes’ intensity gone the only cloud we now have is the one left of debt to the business’ which have just started making their way out of the crisis.

For more info check out http://news.bbc.co.uk/

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Across Barcelona, Sitges and all of Cataluyna is the Saint Jordi festivity. Sant Jordi is one of the most beautiful holidays in Catalonia, above all in Barcelona. During this day, the downtown streets are full of colours thanks to the small book and rose stands that are put up in the centre. Many curious tourists and neighbours walk through the city. The men must give a red rose as a present to their ladies and the ladies must give a book to their man. This day is also the Day of the Books, which is a remembering of Cervantes death.

The rose tradition is not new. In the Middle Age the aristocratic class organized lord competitions, where the men gave a flower to the women. The red colour symbolizes the passion and the ear that is put together with the rose stands for fertility.

The legend

The Saint Jordi was a lord and a martyr born in Capadocia (Turkish nowadays). He is the hero of an exceptional gentleman story which took place in Libya. As a contradiction to this the Catalonian tradition believes that it happened in Tarragona, in a small town called Montblanc. In Montblanc there was a dragon that feared the people of the town. Its stinky breath managed to kill the people who come close to it.

The neighbourhood wanted to sacrifice one person every day in order to avoid the monster to attack everybody. Naturally the problem was that there was nobody who wanted to be eaten by the dragon. Therefore, each day they picked one person from the population of the town. The system was very effective until one day the person who had to be delivered to the monster was the beautiful princess. Many people offered themselves, but the king was uncompromising in despite of his sadness: His daughter had to be sacrificed like the rest of his citizens.

They were very worried when observing the princess getting closer and closer to the lake, where the dragon lived. A few meters away from where she came from, suddenly a handsome gentleman appeared in front of the princess. She begged him to go away so that the monster wouldn’t eat him too. He calmed her down and explained to her that he was there to free the village.

At this moment, the dragon came out of the ocean depths with the objective of having a good lunch. However, Sant Jordi threw a spear and got to wound the monster. After that, he tied the dragons neck with a rope and offered it to the princess. She came back to Montblanc with the fearful wild animal and in the central square the people definitively killed the dragon.

A rose for gay couples:

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Have you heard that the “Party in the park” for Sitges Gay Pride 2010 has changed its venue? It is now at the end of the passeig maritimo in a park that is expected to hold 5000 with spectacular stage with some of Europe’s best DJ’s. For the full Sitges Gay Pride schedule scroll down on our blog to find out what’s going on and where!!

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If you’re a car enthusiast and in Sitges this coming weekend look no further with the 2010 version of 6to6 comes to Sitges Barcelona. On Saturday Morning the 6to6experience is somewhat of a ‘gumball 3000’, where the world’s best supercars from Ferrari to Aston Martin make their way across southern Europe. Visiting some of the best cities and race tracks that the Mediterranean has to offer, the 6to6 edition 2010 will embark on their journey from Sitges to Barcelona, Monaco, Milan and Avignon with over 1500km of glamour. 

It is going to be a very special trip this year with adding a few stops along the way. The rally will run for 5 days and 5 nights and pass through one of the most luxurious towns of them all… Monte Carlo with no spared expense. So between 10am-2pm get ready to drool as some of the best sounds of exhausts from Italy, Germany and England get your senses going!! If you want to see what the ‘boys’ got up to last year from Sitges, St. Tropez and Monaco click here

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The boys are back in town!! Each year thousands of bears, cubs and the rest of the clan come to Sitges for the International Bears Meeting ( Bears Sitges Club ). A weekend that has great success over the last 5 years, and is sure to be great this year with the great weather Sitges has been having since Easter weekend. Book your apartment early to because apartments are going fast with it being a holiday weekend in the u.k. If you aren’t a bear just skip the Gillette and have a great time with good company!!

For more info please contact: info@bearssitgesclub.org

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One of the best places in Sitges for a mojito is the Marypili, where they’re  re opening today and want to invite YOU to a free glass of cava. Marypili has always been the place to go for girls and boys alike. Also their famous bathroom has gotten a facelift so come down to Marypili ( Calle Joan Tarrida  beside mojito bar ) and come meet the rest of Sitges. If not have a nice cocktail in Parrots Bar where the drinks as well as the staff are amazing!!

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