what to do barcelona

The Museu Blau (Blue Museum) is part of Barcelona’s Natural History Museum, divided into four different locations. It is housed in a futurist blue triangular building by Herzog & De Meuron, at the Forum Park. Blue Space will have a permanent zoology exhibition called “Planet Life”, focusing on the Gaia theory and the link between the Earth and natural life. The 19th century buildings at the Ciutadella Park will be renovated and will host other parts of the Natural History Museum.

Directed by Andrés G. Schaer and featuring popular actors Pere Ponce and Elsa Pataky, the film hopes to reach an international audience. It combines 3D animated features with real images. The movie pictures Snowflake, the popular albino gorilla that lived in Barcelona’s zoo.

The new Barça B manager, Eusebio Sacristán, has told at his presentation press conference that he is loaded with energy going into a job he feels privileged to take. Eusebio congratulated his predecessor Luis Enrique and says he intends to continue his work.

The website ‘Xplore Health’ is an educational tool for secondary school students. It aims to improve the understanding of biomedical science, as well as “inspire future researchers”. It is a European Commission project, led by Barcelona Science Park (from the University of Barcelona) and involving research centres and science museums from across the EU.

FC Barcelona has announced an agreement with Pedro Rodríguez to extend his present contract for one more season. The new contract will expire in June 30th 2016. His buy-out clause has been increased from 90 to 150 million euros. He has scored 45 goals in the last two seasons.

FC Barcelona announced that the Catalan Andreu Fontàs will be playing with the first team in the 2011/12 season. His buy-out clause will be automatically raised to 30 million euros. He is another player from Barça’s junior teams that reaches the club’s main squad.

The European Museum of Art houses 20th and 21st Century figurative paintings and sculptures from all over the world. It is located in Barcelona’s Palau Gomis, next to the Picasso Museum. The MEAM belongs to a private institution and aims at becoming a reference within European figurative art’s landscape.

FC Barcelona’s coaching directorate has always defended the need to prioritise home grown talent and give the youngsters a chance to shine. Last week, the old Masia building closed, as a new and larger one has been built in Barça’s Sporting City. Besides, the contract extension for Thiago Alcántara is the latest example of this policy.

A similar change happened in Girona Town Hall, where Carles Puigdemont, also from CiU, also became the first non-Socialist Mayor in the last 32 years, since the restoration of democracy. Barcelona and Girona Town Halls were constituted later than all the rest because of appeals regarding the electoral vote and the number of elected councillors. These two Mayoral offices consolidate CiU’s hegemony in Catalonia, after last May's municipal elections and after last November's Catalan Parliament elections.

Catalonia’s National Museum of Art (MNAC) hosts the most important collection of Romanesque art in the world. It displays works from the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries, and some mural painting ensembles that are unique. After half a year of intense renovation, the Romanesque collection is on show again, with a new narrative.

Gamelab is organised in Barcelona for the first time and it will take place in the Catalan capital at least until 2015. It is the video game fair of Spain, which is the sixth market in the world. The trade fair contributes to consolidate Barcelona as a technology capital.

Thiago Alcantara has improved and extended his contract with FC Barcelona for two more seasons, until 30th June 2015. The buyout clause will be 90 million euros.

In three weeks time, Barça begin their pre-season with the prospect of more than 20,000 kilometres of travel ahead of them, including visits to Split, Munich, Washington, Miami and Dallas.

This year’s the ‘Festival Grec’ pays special attention to French theatre and dance, both large productions and smaller innovative shows. It brings together both international and local productions, and includes theatre, dance, music and other stage arts. The festival begun on June 17th and will last until the end of July.

The Argentine striker has played 62 games this season for FC Barcelona and his country’s team, and still has the Copa America ahead of him, meaning he is most probably going to play even more than his personal record of 64 games in a season.