Barcelona – Red Bull Air Race

The Grand Finale of the 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship takes place in Barcelona on 3rd and 4th October. Britain’s Paul Bonhomme currently with 55 points and Hannes Arch of Austria with 51 points will be contending for the title of World Champion 2009. The battle for the title has lasted all season long and will be decided at the last race of the season in Barcelona! Join the season finale and cheer for your favourite pilot!


Barcelona is expected to be one of the most challenging races so far this year. With the track located on an open coastline, nature will play a role in the outcome. Sudden shifts in wind direction and ocean swells which could cause the Air Gates anchored to floating barges to rise and fall slightly will require the pilots to be extra vigilant in order to avoid costly time penalties.

Bonhomme, who leads the championship standings with 55 points, has been the epitome of consistency so far this year with 2 victories and 3 second place finishes. He has managed to stay at or near the top this year even at races when he did not have the fastest plane. After stalking Austrian ace Arch and his red-hot “silver bullet” Edge 540 through the first half of the year, Bonhomme finally moved ahead of him in the 4th round in Budapest. He then widened his lead from 1 to 4 points in Porto.

Four point lead is not a lot

“I’ve been in this situation before and I can tell you that a 4-point lead is not a lot – especially when there’s 13 points available in Barcelona,” said Bonhomme. “It’s not a big gap so we’re still going to have to concentrate hard in Barcelona. It’s a very different course.” The track in Barcelona will be full of non-stop twists and turns that will put a premium on pilot skill in contrast to the sheer power that was required for the straight out-and-back course through the Douro River valley in Porto.

The Red Bull Air Race World Championship has grown even more competitive in its 5th season with the addition of 4 high-flying rookies. In Porto, newcomer Matt Hall from Australia got the first podium of his career with 3rd place, a record-breaking achievement that lifted the former fighter pilot from Down Under from 5th to 3rd overall in the championship.

Hannes Arch: “I will hunt down Paul in Barcelona”

Arch is relishing his new role as the hunter rather than the hunted since slipping behind Bonhomme with a season-low 4th place finish in Budapest. “Now I really get to put the pressure on and I will hunt down Paul in Barcelona,” said Arch, who has 1 win, 2 seconds, a 3rd and a 4th so far for a total of 51 points. “I have to attack. It suits me better. This game isn’t over yet. Paul is already feeling the pressure. The Barcelona track is better suited to my plane. I’ll go to Barcelona with the mindset of giving Paul a hard time.”

An estimated 1 million watched the 2006 Red Bull Air Race in Barcelona, the Catalan capital widely regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Spectators will be able to view this year’s race from the beaches along the Front Maritim when Qualifying takes off on Saturday 3 October at 13:00 local time followed by Race Day on Sunday 4 October starting at 13:00.

More information can be found on http://www.redbullairrace.com/

Barcelona – What’s happening at this moment?

29 September – 4 October 2009: Docupolis Film Festival


The Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona presents the Docupolis Film Festival, with prizes for the best entries. The programme usually features categories such as world cinema, European films and Spanish documentaries.

  • Where: Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona
  • When: all day
  • Cost: see the article below for more information about the festival

3-4 October 2009: Red Bull Air Race

 
The Red Bull Air race series stages spectacular stunt-flying competitions across the world. Fearless pilots race at speeds of up to 400 km/h through low-level inflatable “air gates”. The final leg of the 2009 competition is in Barcelona.
  • Where: Barcelona beach area
  • When: all day
  • Cost: free on certain places. For specified information, visit the organisation’s website

20 October 2009: Elton John – The Red Piano

 
Rock and pop legend Elton John takes his stage show The Red Piano on tour. Featuring spectacular inflatables, visuals and extravagant sets, this date is at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi.
 
Few entertainers have produced classic, enduring tunes spanning decades, but Elton is one of them. Back in the 1970s he was one of pop’s biggest stars and his popularity has continued into the new millennium.

Diversity and versatility underscore Elton’s music-writing flair, using soul, rock, disco and balladry to great acclaim. His credibility was restored with the release of his 2001 album, Songs from the West Coast, which recalled his classic early 1970s sound. Peachtree Road (2004) and The Captain and the Kid, from two years later, have continued to mine that rich musical seam. 

  • Where: Palau Sant Jordi
  • When: starting 20h o’clock
  • Cost: 45-220€

18 October – 6 December 2009: Internation Jazz Festival

As the sizzling summer heat dies down, Barcelona chills out with the Barcelona International Jazz Festival. Big band, bebop, gospel and Latin-jazz concerts take place at venues across the city, including the Palau de la Música Catalana and L’Auditori. In 2009, catch live music from the Wayne Shorter Quartet, Chucho Valdés & Concha Buika, Cassandra Wilson and Imelda May, among others.
  • Where: L’Auditori
  • When: Concerts begin at 7pm/9pm/9.30pm
  • Cost: €22-€54; prices vary depending on artist

Barcelona – Docupolis Film Festival (29 September – 4 October)

The Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona presents the Docupolis Film Festival, with prizes for the best entries. The programme usually features categories such as world cinema, European films and Spanish documentaries.
b
The world of the documentary is one of the few oases of reality that exist, the paradox takes root in the result of what we see in documentary films and in the contrast to reality which excites us. A few moments of lucidity and basically of real contact seem to remind us of the fragile line between fiction and reality.

We are experiencing a world of fiction, of incredulity and of fictitious realities every day, and the documentary also only exists in the moment of its making, after that being the mere interpretation of the author, their culture and experiences.
In these nine years of the existence of the festival, our own reality, lived through windows of which some are wide open and others closed, amazing us, and in some cases, forcing us to maintain the form to keep on discovering new paths.
We are living in a world where we are not able to see the stars, in spite of their extended and representative image; the world as a reduction of our own interactive reality.

Docúpolis, an event of non-fiction telling about imperfect but brave realities, full of humanity and goodness, honest and authentic personages, excellent topics because of their cruelty, naturalness or brilliant simplicity, new film makers with potential and intuition, with lucidity and the direction where and how to lead the creation of the contemporary documentary film. Documentaries that go their own way and stop for a few days at the festival, prize-winning and unpublished works, encounters of professionals and an expectant public.

In spite of everything, the documentary film needs a meeting with itself for its future reviews, and this moment is appropriate to make this happen, since being more than a mere festival, Docúpolis represents the space to challenge the paradigms which are constructed every day in the unconscious of our society.

Please visit the website http://www.docupolis.org for more information about the film festival.

Seven reasons why it is better to book an apartment then a hotel.

Seven reasons why it is better to book an apartment then a hotel.

There have always been mayor discussions about the advantages and drawbacks of renting a hotel room or an apartment when going on holiday or a business trip. Althoug opinions always tend to be personal and connected to past experiences, we from Rent4Days would like to offer you some interesting points of view considering the advantages of renting an apartment with us.

A brief summary:

So, allow us to summarise the seven big advantages of renting an apartment with Rent4Days once more:

The first advantage of renting an apartment with Rent4Days is that you get loads more space than in a regular hotel room, since almost all of our apartment come with seperate living and dining room, seperate bedrooms, seperate bathrooms, etc. So, more freedom, more space to move, and more like a home!

Hotels will usually will have a small fridge stamped with over-priced drinks and will rate you large amounts of sums if you even dare to take some peanuts from it. All our Rent4Days apartments on the other hand are fully equipped with a  kitchen, so no more having to eat what the hotel’s restaurant is offering you, but deciding on your own what to eat! All our apartments dispose of fridges and a fully equipped kitchen (including a fire place, microwave, toaster, kettle, owen and so on). Cooking by yourself instead of having to eat every night out or in the hotel’s restaurant is furthermore a great way to save money! 

Like we said before, at Rent4Days your comfort is our primary concern, and this means that we will not remain satisfied if your holiday was not a succes. Therefore, we try to offer you apartments which – in our opinion – will offer you loads more privacy then staying in a regular hotel room. Since our apartments dispose of bedrooms seperated from the living and dining room, inviting friends over to the apartment will not form a problem any longer! 

Unlike other apartment rental agencies, in all of our Rent4Days apartments we apply and guarantee a 100% pet-free apartment, meaning that no accompanying animals are accepted in our apartment. Via this way, we can ensure you that all our apartments are compleately allergic free and meet the highest hygienical standards.

Lots of our apartment also include some attractive extra facilities like a (private) swimming pool, a terrace, individual bathrooms, free wireless internet connection, a privat parking space in front of your apartment, etc. Please visit our website http://www.rent4days.com for more information about extra facilities in your selected apartment.

Since a lot of our clients come to Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon on business trips, Rent4Days has been focussing through the years on the comfort and convenience of our business clients. Forget inviting business contacts in our one-person bedroom or having to rent a huge and pricy lounge in your hotel, just let your contacts come over to your Rent4Days apartment for a business meeting!

Since the economical crisis started, the occupancy rate of the number of people that are staying in a hotel has dropped substantially. However, the occupancy rate in apartment has been status quo with the occupancy rate last year, meaning that clients may have lost their confidence in the hotel sector, but still not in the apartment rental sector. Offical investigations by the Apartur (the Associació d’Apartaments Turistics de Barcelona – http://www.apartur.com) have shown that the occupancy rate in August 2009 was 81,29%, while the hotel’s occupancy rate did not even reach 40%!

In case you should still have any doubts or questions, please do not hesitate to contact our information department at info[a]rent4days.com or marketing[a]rent4days.com, and we will contact you immediately!

Lisbon – Elevador de Santa Justa

elevador-de-santa-justa

This lift was designed by an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel and makes the connection of Bairro Alto to Baixa.
Opened its doors in 1902 and in 1907 began working with electric power, presenting itself as the only vertical elevator in Lisbon to provide a public service. Built with cast iron and decorated with filigree work, the lift travels a distance of 45 meters and can take up to 45 people at each of its two cabins. Presents a romantic design neogótico and is one of the mandatory stops to visit in the city of Lisbon.

 

Lisbon – Elevador da Glória

elevador-da-gloria1

 

 

This elevator is one of the few lifts that survive in Lisbon and is located downtown, more precisely in the Restauradores Square. The connection is made between this square and the famous Bairro Alto in a total of 265 meters up and down.
When exiting the elevator, located on the right side is the viewpoint fo S. Pedro de Alcantara, which provides excellent views over the heart of Lisbon and the impressive Castle of São Jorge. Across the street, in Rua de S. Pedro de Alcantara, n. 39-49, is the Instituto do Vinho do Porto, where you can taste and buy a variety of the most famous wine of Portugal.
The lift opened in 1885 and since then, two elevators have done the route in both directions, carrying tourists and residents on a journey that, while not offering a spectacular landscape, remains unique and very pleasant!
Operates every day between 07.00 and 00.55

Lisbon – Castelo de São Jorge

castelo-de-s-jorge

The Castelo de S. Jorge, a charming city where there are still ducks and geese walking the gardens of the castle, was once used as a fortress, however today is one of the most attractive areas of Lisbon to live and it is certainly place not to miss!
Visitors can delight themselves with the spectacular views over Lisbon and the Tagus River and climb the towers and battlements of the castle while the typical residents of this area of the Capital spend their time playing cards in the gardens.
The Castle of São Jorge extends over an area of approximately 6000 m2, including several towers, guards, one gap and two squares divided by an interior wall.
One mandatory stop is the Casa ogival, with its five ogival arches, where you can see the door of the seventeenth century that connected the castle to the prison formerly existing here.
Due to its historical past and exciting views it offers, this is the ideal place for an afternoon well spent and an obligatory stop on sightseeing tour of the capital.

Lisbon – Map of the metro stations.

Although the centre of Lisbon is not as large or complicated as in other European capital cities such as France or London, it can nevertheless be a good idea to get acquainted with its lines and stations before you leave on a trip to the city. That is why you can find a printable metro map below, in order to make your holiday with us even more relaxing:

mapa-metro-lisboa-1