How to become a real Sevillian (at least for a few hours)

When Sevillians decide to go out for a "tapa" (light snack) and a drink, they often think of it as an opportunity to visit a number of distinct bars and to have a little something in each one. This idea, colloquially, is called "ir de tapas" (going for Tapas) and loosely resembles the idea of "bar hopping". The streets, squares and bars of Seville are brought to life by locals (and tourists) taking part in this special tradition. Included you will find a map which indicates some of the areas where you can enjoy "tapas" in Seville.

The name "TAPA" comes from an old tradition of having a slice of any cured meat whilst drinking a glass of wine. This was done, in essence, to conserve the aroma of the wine. Later on the types and quantities increased and "tapas" began to be served on small, round plates. Today "tapas" vary greatly from one bar to another with the quantity always being mouthful large enough to appreciate whatever one is trying. The concept of "comer de tapas" (making a meal of "tapas") arose from this idea of eating a variety of small dishes instead of a main dish. In Seville, eating out at a restaurant can prove to be quite expensive while dining on "tapas" offers one a wide range of dishes at a reasonable price. "Tapas" include dishes such as "cocina casera" (home-made dishes),"chacina" (cured meats), "marisco" (seafood), "caracoles" (snails), "pescadito frito" (fried fish), "revueltos" (scrambled eggs) and "ensaladas" (salads) which can be found in almost any bar.

The action of "ir the tapas" is normally done standing and on foot from bar to bar or "bodega" to "bodega". It is useful to know that if eating while standing at the bar most establishments will charge separately for the drink and the "tapa", so one is free to order another "tapa" without having to order another drink. Bartenders and waiters tend to verbally list these dishes all in one go. The typical rite is to ask "Qué hay de tapas?"(What "tapas" are there?) followed by the list which, if one finds impossible to catch due to the speed at which it is recited, is usually written on a small, easily visible blackboard.

Bottled wine can be found in any bar. Typical wines from the Seville area include white wines and "fino" (pale,dry sherries which make good aperitifs), "manzanilla" (pale,dry,white fortified wine) from Sanlúcar de la Barrameda, "moscatel" (sweet wine) from Chipiona and "fino" from Jerez, Puerto de Santa María, Chiclana (Cádiz) and from the Condado County (Huelva).
These wines are usually less expensive than other bottled wines and are equally delicious.
Need Seville Centro apartments? Visit the Seville Tourism Board site.

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ART: Barcelona FC Museum

If you are a fan of football and interested in its history then the Barcelona FC Museum is the right destination for you. In 1920s club founder Joan Gamper dreamed of setting up a museum in Barcelona, but he didn’t succeed due to numerous reasons. In 1984, Joan Gamper’s dream became a reality, when President Joseph Luis Nunez was the head of the club. The museum was expanded in 1987, 1994 and 1998, now it is spread over a vast area of about 3500 sq. meters. This is the best museum in the world pertaining to the game of football. Yearly visitors to this museum are in excess of 1,160,000 and all around the world a number of such museums take ideas from this museum.

A visit to the museum takes you through to the four main sections of the museum and to the beautiful Nou Camp stadium itself. The club is almost a century old and the museum houses the numerous trophies won by the club, a series of photographs, sporting gears, a large number of objects and also hosts audiovisual shows taking you through the great history of the club.

Col·lecció Futbolart by Pablo Ornaque, arguably one of the best individual collection of football history is permanently leased to the museum. This collection exhibits the football history right from its origin to the present day. In the other part of the museum there is ‘The Art Gallery’, which houses the work of the famous artists of the country like Dali, Miro, and Tapies. Temporary exhibtions are also organized on the premises which are devoted to the history of poster art pertaining to the club.

If you wish to research the history of the club, a visit to ‘The FC Barcelona Center for Documentation and Studies’, which is housed at the second floor of the museum, will be of great help. Newspaper and periodicals section, a library, historic archives and a photographic archive are the four main sections of this Center. This Center is full of the cultural heritage of the club.

A special tour called the Camp Nou tour gives you the chance to get familiar with the stadium. The tour takes you to the opposition changing rooms, through the tunnel to the main pitch area, the TV studio, the press rooms and the director’s area. This Barcelona tour gives you a chance to see the new dugouts across the stadium. The tour also gives a chance to enjoy a panoramic view of the magnificent stadium and various FC Barcelona facilities.