2009 June
Jun 22

FIB Heineken 2009 will beat all records of attendance

Summer is synonymous with festivals and outdoor events. What better way to enjoy the best concerts and cultural events than summertime? The weather is good, people are on holidays and they want to have fun. And as the summer is just around the corner, one of the most important festivals of the music scene is approaching too. From 16th July to 19th July the International Benicàssim Festival - FIB Heineken 2009 returns.

FIB Heineken 2009

And this year celebrates the 15th edition of the festival, one of the more established as far as alternative music is concerned. The enclosure will house about 200,000 people, with an expected increase of around 52,000 over last year’s figures and an all-time record attendance with respect to previous editions. In fact, the tickets and passes were sold out two months before its celebration.

Located at Km 986 of the N-340, the FIB enclosure will be the meeting point for thousands of fibers that will come from different corners of the globe to assist the festival. An area of 120,000 square metres will house musical and multi-cultural areas and it will have all the necessary facilities for offering a comfortable and safe stay for the audience.

There will be four stages in which up to 100 concerts will be held: the outdoor Escenario Verde, which is the largest one; and the Fiberbib.com, the FIBClub and the Pista Pop, all located inside different marquees. In addition, there will be fashion marquees where many fashion shows, DJ sessions and other activities will be held.

Also, large areas with spacious lawns and trees for sheltering against the hours of strong sunlight will be setup. They will also feature a varied gastronomic offer distributed in different points of the enclosure and giant TV screens to enjoy the live concerts from any point of the festival. Do not miss the Official Stores to buy gadgets, souvenirs and the official merchandise of the different bands.

The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim has bet on a high-quality program to offset the crisis and to ensure the success at the ticket offices. This way, Oasis will open the festival with the presentation of their latest offering, ‘Dig out your soul’. Other great names are: Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, Kings of Leon, Russian Red, Magazine, Maximo Park and the latest incorporations of important names of the alternative national scene like Christina Rosenvinge, La Bien Querida, Cooper, The Unfinished Simpathy, Oblique or Fangoria. With so many Spanish singers and groups, the festival seeks to recover its national audience, relegated in recent years owing to the avalanche of Anglo-Saxon ‘fibers’.

Enjoy four intense days of concerts at the FIB Heineken 2009 – Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, a full week of activities and of course, the beautiful Spanish beaches. Rent Apartments in Valencia and take it easy!

Jun 18
Shopping in Valencia
icon1 valenciablogger | icon2 Valencia | icon4 06 18th, 2009| icon31 Comment »

Valencia is a city full of wonderful surprises. The best of Valencia is to make purchases in their markets and in the less commercial streets where the most original and charming shops are located. To stroll and discover its typical stores is quite fun. You can find beautiful things to make special gifts. You are going to have a great time shopping in Valencia!

Shopping-Valencia

The popular markets are spread all around Valencia. They are open every day of the week and only in the morning. The Plaza Redonda Market, which is held every Sunday morning, is one of the most charming markets of the city. This is known as “El Clot” (the hole), because it is located in a circular square and it is only accessible through some charming arcades.

The Plaza Redonda Square is located in the historic centre and is it easily accessible on foot. Behind it is located the Lonja de la Sedaper, where the lovers of philately and numismatics meet every Sunday morning to exchange stamps and coins.

The most sybarite people should visit the Central Market. It is an explosion of colours, sounds and tastes all together in a great modernist building. Recently restored, the Colón Market is a modernist gem that has become the favourite one for many people to spend their precious free time. There are cafes, restaurants, craft shops and traditional florists.

For those looking for haute couture shopping, they should visit Colon Street, close to the Market Square. Here are stores like El Corte Ingles, Zara, Mango, Vuitton and many other expensive designer boutiques.
But if you are looking for special gifts, you have to buy the original paella pan (for making authentic paella). Valencia is famous for its ceramics decorated in green and purple, which are original from the nearby town of Paterna. It would be a great present too! You can find the largest ceramic exhibition by Lladró in the Calle Poeta Querol. Would you like to know one of its greatest traditions? If so, you have to buy a fan, made by hand with an ivory frame or from exotic woods.

What are you waiting for? Travel to this beautiful city and go shopping in Valencia. It has many things to visit and to buy! Rent Apartments in Valencia and enjoy a great holiday. You’ll soon see why Valencia shopping is for you!

Jun 10
Albufera’s natural park in Valencia
icon1 valenciablogger | icon2 Valencia | icon4 06 10th, 2009| icon34 Comments »

If you want to have fun this summer, why not travel to one of the most beautiful cities in Spain? This is the case of Valencia, a city that you can have a lot of fun in. It has some great places where you can enjoy good food, nature, culture and entertainment.

albufera park

A few kilometres from the city of Valencia you’ll find a fantastic nature park which is really worth a visit whilst you are on holiday here. It is a charming place where you can relax and get away from the city and enjoy nature in perfect peace. In the park of Albufera there are many shops and restaurants whare you can enjoy a typical Valencian paella. To reach this paradise, it is necessary to travel to El Palmar, scenery that was an inspiration for many of the works of Blasco Ibáñez.

One can usually eat very well here and you can organize wonderful excursions along the coast of Valencia. The lagoon is the largest lake in Spain. This is a place of great ecological interest and where many species of waterfowl live. Its waters are rich in flora and fauna. In the past, the lake was both useful and important to fishermen and rice farmers. As was mentioned before, here are many fine restaurants where you can taste the typical dishes of Valencia such as the aforementioned paella, the Arroz a Banda (rice with fish), the l’i Pebre All (garlic and pepper), made with eels from the lake. After dinner, you might want to take a relaxing boat trip on the lake to admire the shades of red and gold of the sunset over the water.

Would you like to spend your summer of dreams? You will want to enjoy the beach, sun, sand, etc. But as often happens in these periods, the beaches are crowded with people and there is not even a small space where to put your towel. Do not worry about that. If you come to the lagoon you will be lost for words. Here is a wonderful natural beach (Devesa) immersed in nature, where the water is clear. In fact, Albufera Park even managed to earn the Blue Flag award, a recognition that only the best beaches can obtain!

This is one of Valencia’s best kept secrets and on July 8th 1986 the area was declared a Natural Park of Albufera. The area includes many other places, such as: Sedaví, Catarroja, Massanasa and Albal. Do not miss this wonderful opportunity and rent apartments in Valencia.