Absinthe and Barcelona!


Barcelona through its connection to the arts and France does have a rich and interesting absinthe culture. Unfortunately it also has a great deal of imitation products made for tourists.
Instead of buying a flask of neon mouthwash, I recommend searching for the real thing. It is a fun adventure in and of itself.


Bar Marsella is a famous 200 year old bar located in the slums of Raval. The place caters to locals and eccentric tourists and serves a home brew absinthe made in the basement. The absinthe itself is ok but the experience is well worth the slightly dangerous walk.


Las Cueva Del Sorte
Calle Giguas number 2


Is a fantastic cocktail bar that looks like the inside of a melted candle. It is again a locals place.

The bar is amazing and they sell a brand of real absinthe called Obsello. If you ask the bartenders for it they usually prepare it in a elaborate flaming thing that includes inhaling the vapors of the drink (ewww). A little unconventional but a great experience. Plus the more absinthe you drink the more interesting the fairytale architecture becomes.

The Circuit de Catalunya, just outside Barcelona, hosts the Spanish Grand Prix, the fourth race of the 2007 Formula One season.
This is the third Spanish track to hold a Grand Prix, and undoubtedly the most exciting, with fast straights and corners. It has produced some memorable finishes, particularly in 1991 when Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna were neck-and-neck right down the finishing straight.


Formula One is the king of motor sports. Since its inauguration in 1950 it has attracted the very best talents in the world of motor racing, hungry for the fabulous riches and unrivalled prestige it offers. As a spectacle it is unsurpassed. The sheer speed of the cars is hard to comprehend, and the noise from the track is almost deafening. It represents the pinnacle of man's motoring achievement and the epitome of his love affair with speed.


Starting in Australia, there are 17 races in the Formula One season, across four continents, ending with the big finale in Brazil. Highlights include the Monaco Grand Prix, set on the roads of Monte Carlo, and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where you can expect passionate support from Ferrari's fanatical Tifozi.


So for all of you Formula 1 fans this will be one not to be missed!


For further information and tickets and travel services please go to the Formula 1 website

The bar - La Caseta del Migdia It's a relaxed bar that throws food on the BBQ every now and then, and its location is amazing. Hidden on the far side of Montjuïc hill, it feels like a beach bar airlifted into a pine tree park. The atmosphere is a hillside Cafe Del Mar - sunset sessions included.


· Take a taxi to Mirador del Migdia

I cannot think of a better way to see Barcelona for the first time! A trip on the tourist bus will include the most famous sites and give you a feel for the city in the comfort of the tourist bus and if you are lucky enough and the weather is good a place on the top open deck!


So where do you buy your tourist bus tickets?


1. Directly onboard the tourist bus.


2. A vendor.

DAVID Lees pick of the week WEDNESDAY OZZY & SHARON OSBORNE THEY may not be the oddest couple ever to present the Brit Awards but Im not convinced the Osborne combo will work.