Culture is an essential part in the formation of society and museums want to be part of this education. More than 1,200 museums across Europe will participate in the Night of Museums, an initiative promoted by the Council of Europe. This year coincides with the International Day of Museums in which more than 30,000 museums open their doors to raise awareness.

If you are in Barcelona in this special date or ​​Madrid, Paris, among other cities, see their proposals. Under the theme ‘Museums (memory + creativity) = Social Progress’, they have organized exhibitions, activities and workshops for all audiences, including families and children.

Museums in Barcelona

62 museums participate in this special evening. And they present their permanent collections, special events, exhibitions, workshops for children, guided tours… One day open to the culture in which there will also be dance performances and activities for the whole family. Want to know more? Here’s a list of some of the participating museums. Grab your calendar, and make your schedule to leave home!

CCCB. CONTEMPORARY CULTURE CENTRE OF BARCELONA

In the CCCB you will see an exhibition of one of the most original writers of recent times: Roberto Bolaño. Among other things you will find books, manuscripts, correspondence, novels, short stories, poems and personal stuff with which we can deepen the creative world of this author.

In addition, there will be a competition called “Poetry Slam Barcelona”: 50% poetry and 50% performance. A contemporary artistic creation platform that won’t leave anyone indifferent.

FABRA I COATS

This is the first time that contemporary art center participates in this cultural day. And it does offer an exhibition of Peter Downsbrough (1940, New Brunswick, USA). For the first time in Spain, the exhibition ‘The Book (S)’ made an extensive review of his impressive work.

THE CENTRE OF VIRREINA

You will be able to enjoy the photo exhibition of Julio Ubiña and Colita related to the events of the last months of Carmen Amaya’s life. These portraits are a valuable document for understanding the importance of this artist in the world of flamenco.

DESIGN MUSEUM OF BARCELONA

It’s the perfect opportunity to get to know the new home of the Design Museum. You will see the presentation of the virtual club and their robots. Besides this, you will see the inauguration of graphics “BruumRuum!” installed on the plaza outside the building. Throughout the visit you will be able to interact with the building and with a visual environment.

BARCELONA EGYPTIAN MUSEUM

Barcelona Egyptian Museum reaches its 90th anniversary and honors the discovery of the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. The museum is unique in Spain and offers a monograph of ancient Egypt while disclosing the visitor a luxury private collection in Europe of more than 1,000 pieces.

FC BARCELONA MUSEUM

And for sports fans, we also have good news! The FC Barcelona Museum opens its doors to the permanent exhibition and you will be able to do a tour through club’s history and museum.

More than 60 museums and a single night. Quite a challenge for culture lovers. We hope this small guide helps you if you are in Barcelona. If you will be in Paris, find the information in this link. And if you want to want everything about the International Museum Day here you have the information you need.

Enjoy a lot this weekend!

 During the 10th, 11th and 12th of May Barcelona en las Alturas meets Torre Amat, a nineteenth century modernist tower with a gorgeous romantic style garden. A magical place full of Shakespearean essence. Walk among the shade of orange, lemon and bay is a real treat! In addition, the fragrances of jasmine, basil and rosemary of the garden will make you fall in love.

The aim of this event is for the guests to enjoy a good atmosphere and company with their families and friends. You will find stands with gourmet products tastings as caviar, oysters, octopus … Delightful!

And do not miss the must of all editions: mojitos, gintonics and champagne stand. You will have to be fast ordering! All this accompanied always with live music. Little kids have their space activities too. So the whole family is welcome to Barcelona en las Alturas!

The current edition has assembled up to 53 stands. You’ll find everything from products dedicated to the art as photography exhibitions or handmade products to fashion clothes. Small stands full of products you’ll want to buy!

If you are staying in Barcelona this coming weekend, do not miss it! Here you have Torre Amat address: Duquessa d’Orleans, 9 Barcelona.

Have a great weekend! From Derby Hotels Collection

Also known as El dia de la Rosa (The Day of the Rose) or El dia del Llibre (The Day of the Book) is Catalunya’s version of Valentine’s day and is a festival day of romance, roses and books all inspired by the legend of Saint George.

The main event of this special day is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones and colleagues. Historically, men gave women roses, and women gave men a book to celebrate the occasion.

Roses

The roses given on Sant Jordi’s are mostly long stemmed red roses decorated with a spike and a little red and yellow “senyera”, the symbol of four red stripes on a golden background, which is the Catalonian flag.

Most roses are red in accordance with the legend, but In recent years many colours of roses have sprouted up on Sant Jordi’s day. A yellow rose symbolises friendship, white rose means innocence, orange rose symbolises passion and a pink rose means happiness.

By the end of the day, five million roses will have been given.

Books

The book tradition came from Shakespeare and Cervantes. In 1923 the tradition of rose giving was expanded to include the ladies giving the men a book on Sant Jordi’s day. The 23th of April is the anniversary of the death of writers William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. They both died on the same day and in the same year of 1616.

Half of the total yearly book sales in Catalonia take place on Sant Jordi’s day, amazing!

Finding great books on Sant Jordi’s day is great fun.  You can find them along  central streets of Barcelona likeLa Rambla,La Ramblade Catalunya and Passeig de Gracia. Hundreds of book stands present new books, special offers, book readings and there are book signings by famous Spanish and Catalan authors.

Catalonia exported its tradition of the book and the rose to the rest of the world. In 1995, the UNESCO adopted 23 April as World Book and Copyright Day.

 The legend of Sant Jordi

The legend of George and the Dragon is truly a wonderful fairytale of on white horses, dragons and beautiful princesses in the best traditions of honour, romance, heroism and love.

“Once upon a time, a terrible dragon terrorised the inhabitants of a small village in Catalonia called Montblanc. The dragon devoured the until there were none left and terrified the population. To calm the dragon’s anger, the inhabitants of the village decided to sacrifice one person every day, chosen by drawing lots. However, one dark day, the person chosen to be sacrificed was the king’s daughter. Just when she was about to be swallowed up by the dragon, a courageous knight appeared and confronted the evil beast. This was Saint George and he thrust his lance into the dragon and, out of the blood that spurted forth, there grew a red rose bush”.

Derby Hotels special menus

Derby Hotels will join Sant Jordi’s day with special menus in their restaurants: El Regulador Bistrot, La Terraza del Claris and 3 Restaurant. Find all the menus on the website. Don’t forget to make an appointment!

Enjoy this beautiful day… When men are knights and girls are princesses.

Romée de Goriainoff, Olivier Bon, and Pierre-Charles Cros, the owners, took inspiration from New York’s bar scene and created l’Experimental Cocktail Club, a speakeasy on rue Saint Sauveur in the Second Arrondissement. Located just north of Les Halles, you are going to feel like if you are walking through the medieval Paris.

The Experimental Cocktail Club is a discreet venue but it has no secret entrance, just a black façade. Once you enter, you’ll find the perfect combination of New Yorkspeakeasy – with a piano in the corner – and Parisian charm. Step inside, through the heavy velvet curtain, and you’ll be in a  chic-neo-baroque feeling.

This is one of Time Out’s 100 best bars in Paris. L’Experimental Cocktail Club has established a place for itself in the world of fancy drinks. Cocktail fans can choose from a menu of 14 libations made by mixologist Nicolas de Soto. After Experimental Cocktail Club’s mixes, you’ll never go back to the other drinks! The mixologies bars reinvent cocktails with fresh fruit juices and subtle spices.

You can find Tommy’s Margarita Especial made of 100% agave tequila Arette mix with lime juice and organic agave honey, infused with Bourbon vanilla and cloves. Or the Bee’s Kiss, Jamaican rum Appleton VX, cream, organic floral honey and crushed Indonesian pepper. The cocktails are innovative and delicious. Try the Experience Number 1, Hendrick’s gin, lemongrass, lemon juice and fresh basil. So delicious!

L’Experimental Cocktail Club is definitely worth a visit, especially for those who like New York City life, and we do! If you are thinking of going to Paris, we hope you enjoy your visit!

37 rue Saint Saveur

75002Paris

01 45 08 88 89

M: Sentier, Etienne Marcel

M-Th 7PM-2AM; Friday/Saturday 7PM-5AM 

Wearing sneakers in a holiday suitcase is something that is becoming increasingly real. Travel and run, at last, have agreed and have found a shared space in Hotel Claris, Barcelona, and Urban in Madrid.

From Derby Hotels Collection we want to promote the practice of this sport and that’s why we have joined with Josef Ajram, triathlete and trader, to present four routes for runners who visit Barcelona or Madrid.

Josef Ajram

A new city experience

Josef Ajram’s routes are designed for those who stay in the Hotel Claris and Hotel Urban. “These are the routes that I’d choose for running in Madrid and Barcelona, explains Josef Ajram. For him, running is also “a different way to know the cities”. And that is why he has designed routes through emblematic areas of each city. In Barcelona, ​​the route passes along the Avenida Diagonal or Litoral, for example, and in Madrid you can run in el Retiro and Casa de Campo.

Josef Ajram and our runners!

Derby Hotels wants to create an experience beyond the sport, wants to experience the city in a different way. Routes, designed for beginners and experienced runners are very flexible proposals that each rider can adapt to their level or available time.

Josef Ajram’s recommendation is to run in the less busy hours. According to the triathlete “early in the morning is the best time” as there isn’t so much traffic. Josef Ajram recommends eating a piece of fruit before going out and enjoy Derby’s buffet breakfast when returning to the Hotel.

Joaquim Clos, general director of DHC with Josef Ajram

“Running in the city is a different way of living every city”, says Ajram. And Urban and Claris routes offer this possibility. “They are an original resource for tourists and for people travelling for business,” explains Josef Ajram. Moreover, the routes are so easy to follow for those who don’t know the city and could get lost.

Maps available on Derby Hotels’ Facebook – http://on.fb.me/Yj15Ev 

The itineraries are designed to be affordable and easy to use both for guests and for those interested in accessing them. They can also serve as a channel of communication and exchange of views and advices to users.

The interactive map can be downloaded from phone or computer.

Josef Ajram routes for Derby Hotels Collection 

- Route 1,Diagonal-Cervantes Park: Route for beginners with little difficulty. It can be done in less than an hour (about 9 km). Starting point is located in Hotel Claris. It is a very easy journey, impossible to get lost because once you reach Diagonal Avenue you don’t have to abandon it until you arrive to Park Cervantes. To return to the hotel you just have to follow the same route but in the other way back. Of course, it can be lengthened or shortened for convenience.

- Route 2, Coastline: Route to experts from the Hotel Claris part up to Diagonal Av. In this case the route continues towards the Plaza de las Glorias. It is proposed to seek the Rambla del Poble Nou throughCastella Street and Pere IV. Get to the Avenida Litoral down the Rambla del Poble Nou, not-traveled by tourists and very interesting to get to know Barcelona. You can run down the promenade up to the Olympic Village. Return to the hotel going up through Marina’s street to the Diagonal. It can be done in an hour.

- Route 1,Retiro Park: Route for beginners. A different way of knowing downtown Madrid and also a way to integrate into the “runner” environment of the city. From the Hotel Urban, tour begins east on Highway S. Jerome to Plaza de las Cortes. Follow along Calle Felipe IV to take the Calle de Alfonso XII and finally enter the park by the Marquis de Pontejos Paseo. From this moment the asphalt is allowed to run on land. May extend into the park as much as wants each runner. Josef Ajram’s proposal for those who have more time is to walk around Paseo dela Republica de Cuba, Uruguay Paseo, Paseo Paseo Fernan Nunez and Colombia to return along Calle de Alfonso XII and go back to the hotel.

- Route 2, Casa de Campo: The purpose of this route is to stroll through the city to get to Casa de Campo. We also offer an interesting tour of the center and some of the city’s tourist spots such as Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and the Royal Palace. The route is quite long so it is recommended to experienced runners or those who have more time.

We expect you to enjoy the rutes, now you just need to put on your sneakers and run!

Check our Facebook to find the interactive maps:

https://www.facebook.com/DerbyHotelsCollection

http://on.fb.me/Yj15Ev 

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday and ends on Easter Sunday.  Is the annual commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, they are a few days of intense liturgical activity within the various Christian denominations.

Andalusia, pure passion in the South

Arriving in Andalusiaduring Holy Week means smelling the aroma of incense and orange blossom, being moved by the singing of a saeta and impressed to hear the silence of a crowd.

In Andalusia there are many ways to live and feel the Holy Week and everything is in the streets of cities and towns in Andalusia. Every corner is decorated with colour, scent and flavour. And all their inhabitants are fully integrated, from orthodoxy or from a purely cultural environment.

Fraternities take the streets with pictures and sculptures, sometimes of great historical and artistic value, representing scenes from the Passion, Death and Resurrection. Many brotherhoods are accompanied by a procession of penitents or Nazarenes, wearing the habit of the brotherhood, with candles, lanterns and musical accompaniment … And, in the case of women, wearing the typical mantilla.

Andalusian brotherhoods

The Holy Week of Malaga, Granadaand Sevilleare classified as international tourist celebrations. Easter is one of the most reliable expressions of Christian Andalusian feel. Holy Week represents a socio-cultural phenomenon mostly, but it is also a tourism and economic fact.

In Seville we found La Macarena, the most popular of Seville virgins. The green tide, as they call the long line of olive Nazarenes robes, walk each year through the streets of Seville from ‘La Madrugá’ on Friday and for 14 hours before returning to the Basílica.

 Another virgin, Esperanza de Triana, also from Sevilla, leaves from the chapel of the Mariners. And this year it will be accompanied by the choir Julio Pardo, 43 voices singing Crowned Incarnation. Los Gitanos de Triana, founded in 1753 walk through all neighbourhoods ofSeville. It is the brotherhood of Cayetana, Duchess of Alba, who continues to maintain her tradition of going to watch the passing ofLa Salud at 2 am in the morning.

Together with El Silencio and El Santo Entierro, El Cristo de Burgos (XVI century) is the counterpoint of the most popular brotherhoods of Seville. This brotherhood is a serious, austere and silent in almost all the way, only accompanied by music chapel.

In Malaga, el Cristo de la Buena muerte, is one of the most popular brotherhoods in Holy Thursday. It is well known for the parade of a company of legionaries that carry the cross to the throne. In Málaga is very common to see the actor Antonio Banderas, who belongs to several brotherhoods and lives Easter with passion and commitment.

A brotherhood with a very particular history is Jesus el Rico. This brotherhood has the power to release a prisoner (without violent crime) each year, privilege granted by Carlos III.

In Granada, the passion focuses on Holy Wednesday with the Cristo de los Gitanos. Dozens of bonfires illuminate the passage of the procession while, in the caves of Sacromonte, Gypsies sing zambras and fiestas.

And if we are in Jaén, the Christ is El Abuelo, a popular brotherhood founded in 1594. The legend says there was an old man that asked for a log and he stayed alone all night. In the morning, the old man was gone and in his bedroom was a splendid image of Jesus.

If you are planning to get away and you still have no destination, Andalusiaat Easter is a good choice! After this tour of the magic Andalusian Derby Hotels wants to wish happy holidays!

The jury highlighted his ability to “instill into his designs a spiritual and poetic dimension”. In addition, Pritzker members have stressed Ito’s skills when it comes to “erase the conventional meaning using minimalist tactics.” An architecture that “recalls the air and wind”, said the Pritzker committee.

Great Career

“He is a creator of timeless buildings. His architecture projected optimism, lightness and joy, and it’s impregnated with a sense of unity and universality”. This is how Pritzker members, chaired by Lord Peter Palumbo, defined Ito’s architecture.

The jury also highlighted the adaptation capability of the architect. Toyo Ito’s designs are capable of unifying structure, space, and technology scenario, which means that his buildings allow its inhabitants to operate freely in them. Main objective of Ito’s architecture.

His creation is the result of a “thorough knowledge of his work”, stressed the Pritzker jury.

Nature Lover

“An architect is someone who can transform areas into places for humanity”, this is how Toyo Ito defines himself.

It is said that Toyo Ito is the closest we have today to the principles of Antoni Gaudí. His work is the result of complicity engineering and nature, man work versus the ecosystem.

The architect has admitted the inevitable reference to Catalan genius and confessed that reveres his master architecture. His aim is to “reflect the dynamism and fluidity” of Antoni Gaudí like if they were “ocean waves,” added Ito.

Trees are his source of inspiration. These are elements that reminds him of Gaudí, who learned from him that design can never do better than a tree. “They are natural objects that stand for themselves and their inherent structure is so natural,” says Ito.

His work

Toyo Ito is responsible of the facade design of the apartments Suites Avenue Passeig de Gracia, in Barcelona. The organic balconies of the building, owned by Derby Hotels, call your attention for its similarity to the designs of Gaudí.

And in reference to this work there is a story that tells that Toyo Ito accepted the job of Mr. Jordi Clos -President of Derby Hotels- to restore the facade after seeing a jazz concert that took place in La Pedrera.

The views of Antoni Gaudí landmark building made him accept the project as he understood that the facade of Suites Avenue would be a dialogue (in architectural terms) with La Pedrera.

The Tower of Windsin Yokohama, the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion inLondon, the Funeral of Gifu or Tama Art University Library inTokyoare some of his best known works.

The Home for All project, conducted with other architects, to build communal spaces for those affected by the earthquake in Japan 2011 made him earned the Golden Lion award for best national pavilion at the last Venice Biennale.

His presence in Spain is also very present. One of his most iconic buildings is the Hotel Porta Fira, Hospitalet de Llobregat, whose design was inspired by the shape of a lotus flower.

We expect him to continue designing these incredible buildings.

From Derby Hotels we want to congratulate him for the Pritzker!

Everything in the Arai breathes history. Perfectly located where Las Ramblas, the Cathedral and the harbour meet. Its location offers us two thousand years of history: Roman remains, medieval, baroque and modernist. We will also be able to life the daily pulse of the locals: markets, churches, theatres, hotels, shops, restaurants, tourists … So we are in the perfect place to experience authenticBarcelona.

Gothic Quarter, ​​a neighbourhood where the past coexists the present, an open air museum. The scenario of the best legends.

To know every corner and discover its culture background Joan Coll, director of Cultruta, with an experience of over 5 years as a tour guide, shows us some of the stories and the Gothic spaces hidden from us.

Haven’t you ever wondered where the name of Boqueria came? It comes from Boc, which in Catalan means goatling. A history dating back to the XIII century when the meat more succulent and tender of the goat was sold within the city, where wealthy people lived. But in the suburbs, where popular Boqueria market is located today, sold the boc, a tougher meat with lower quality. Managers were selling “boquers” and that’s when the Boqueria name was born.

The street names often have their origin in the history of the city itself. For example, the Puerta del Angel answers a XV century legend according to an angel guarding the city. We can still see a sculpture that references this protective figure in the Portal del Ángel. Porta Ferrisa also gets its name from an old door that was closing this road.

We are in the Jewish Quarter where we will discover, for example, a haunted house or the bridge where Santa Eulalia was locked, one of the patron saints of Barcelona. Precisely in memory of this young geese caregiver who suffered 13 shepherdess to defend Christianity; we can find today 13 of these animals in the courtyard of the Cathedral. Even thoughtBarcelona’s day is celebrated on September 24th in honor of Merce. And when it rains, they say it’s Santa Eulalia crying because nobody remembers her.

All these legends are documented in the work of Joan Amades Catalan, a folklorist, who collected all the stories, legends and myths that older people orally transmitted to their children and grandchildren. His work combines the oral culture of the Gothic and the city of Barcelona, ​​the best way to know and understand the daily lives of our ancestors.

There’s nothing unusual prima facie. But if you go deep in Altamarea’s story, you can get very surprised. What is it that makes this group different? Why is it that you can resume everything with just a word? Success!

Nationwide, most restaurants close within the first year but Mr. Ahmass Fakahany is a financier by training; he did career at Merril Lynch and he built his restaurant group like ‘the money man’ he once was. He has hired back-office members from places like Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital to help him watch expenses. But that’s not all, he also hired his former driver at Merrill Lynch to shuttle around almost everything: from clients to wine crates.

 Michael White, the chef, spent his childhood in Wisconsin and graduated from the Kendal Culinary Institute. Nowadays, he has won several Michelin Stars and has been named Esquire’s Best Chef, just to name a few awards. Not to mention that his restaurant, Marea, is one of the best restaurants in New York City (said by Zagat, The New York Times, James Beard Foundation…).

This team seems to be invincible!

Marea, from the sea to the table

Located in Central Park South, Marea can be described like “the food is so heavenly, I don’t mind going to hell”, as we just read on a blog. Three stars from The New York Times, two Michelin Stars in 2012 and many other acknowledgments from several organizations endorse this sentence.

Marea, meaning ‘tide’ in Italian, redefines the high-end Italian food. The cuisine is committed to the freshest and most seasonal fish and shellfish from theMediterranean and waters worldwide. Selections are crudo, a wide variety of oysters and clams and antipasti.

Mr. White is famous for his house made pasta, plenty of frutti di mare. The menu also includes composed fish dishes, whole fish preparations and a short selection of meat.

And after watching the pictures, the mouth is watering, doesn’t it?

For those who are planning a visit to the city that never sleeps, here’s our recommendation in New York City! Good food, nice venue and incredible business management.

Café Charlot, in Paris, is known to be one of peoples’ favorite places to have a delicious brunch with friends while you’re enjoying the incredible atmosphere. One of the best choices is to order a classic brunch menu. What can you find in this magic brunch? Fresh squeezed orange juice, hot chocolate, pain perdu, toasts, cherry tomatoes and shallots, fresh fruit salad, scrambled organic eggs with smoked salmon and soft chive cream cheese… Delicious!

In Café Charlot you can eat what most people define as ‘the perfect hamburger’. It is served with the right kind of bread (we all know French bread is extremely delicious!), a soft sesame seed bun, a perfectly cooked burger with everything it should have inside, and crispy French fries.

 If you prefer organic food you can also order chicken burger, also served with fries. Among the other gourmet sandwiches are the BLT, the hot sandwich Charlot (cheese, beef and grilled onions served on a french roll) and of course, the typical French croque. Café Charlot’s specials: le croque jeune homme and le croque jeune fille.

Le Marais

Café Charlot’s neighbourhood is Le Marais. The beautiful buildings indicate the moneyed status of the old residents. After the revolution, much of the area was abandoned by the rich, and poor bohemian types moved in. Almost the opposite of what happened in Soho inNewYorkCity.

Le Marais is now one of Paris’ significant localities for artists. Le Marais has become a fashionable district, where you can find many trendy and cozy restaurants, vogue houses, and art galleries.

 You can’t miss it!! Visit Le Marais on your next visit to Paris and chill out with a brunch at Charlot’s Café!!