Latest news with #AllAboutMyMother
Times
25-04-2025
- Times
9 of the best Airbnbs in Barcelona
The way you look for the perfect Airbnb in a city like Barcelona is a little different to other places. It will probably not have passed you by that 'Barna' has a complicated history with overtourism, with protesters targeting visitors and a plan to eliminate tourist rentals by 2028. Whether this will happen, remains to be seen — but with this in mind, you might consider lesser-known neighbourhoods and visiting outside of the peak months of July and August. Our list doesn't include any places to stay in the ever-popular Gothic Quarter, Sant Pere or El Born for this reason, choosing instead to highlight special spots in buzzy Eixample, up-and-coming El Raval, quiet Horta-Guinardo and more. You'll find options from Plum Guide, Vrbo and more, as well as Airbnb, ranging from lavish private villas to apartments with envy-inducing views. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue £ | Sleeps 6 Step back in time during a stay at this fabulous historic three-bed apartment just off the bustling La Rambla. Dating back to the 1800s, it expertly combines modern and old with original frescoes, wood-beamed ceilings and antique wooden doors complementing an open-plan kitchen, modern appliances and three lustrous bathrooms. Step outside your front door and you'll find yourself in El Raval, the grungy neighbourhood to the west of Rambla, known for its urban street art, vintage clothing stores and multicultural vibe. The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA) and La Boqueria, Barcelona's historic covered market are just a couple of minutes away. • Discover our full guide to Barcelona £££ | POOL | Sleeps 4 This gorgeous two-bed apartment offers guests the chance to stay in the historic Casa Ramos, an elegant modernista building, on the edge of the trendy neighbourhood of Gracia and dating back to 1906. Having featured in Pedro Almodóvar's famous film All About My Mother, it has character in spades, from ornate ceiling mouldings and cornices to gilt-edged mirrors, elegant archways and colourful modernista tiles. There's also a shaded flower-filled garden with a relaxing swimming pool to escape to in the heat of the day. Gracia's independent shops and excellent array of bars and restaurants are just a few minutes' walk away, and it's just a 15-minute walk from Gaudí's fairytale-like Park Guell. • Great hotels in Barcelona £ | Sleeps 4 Even entrance to Gaudí's prized masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia won't give you the close-up view of its façade quite like those from the covered balcony of this two-bedroom apartment. The balcony looks directly onto the basilica, which fills the entire view from the lounge area. Enjoy your morning coffee while being able to study Gaudí's fascinating designs from carvings of lizards and snails to coloured balls that resemble baskets of fruit or ice cream scoops. The rest of the apartment carries on the Gaudí theme in the mosaic-pictures on the walls and the mirrored montage headboards. • Best boutique hotels in Barcelona £££ | POOL | Sleeps 8 Surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides, this sleek four-bedroom duplex offers sprawling views across the city and up to the mountains from one end and out across the Mediterranean Sea on the other. It's just minutes from the beach, but also an easy 20-minute metro ride into the historic centre and a short walk into hip Poblenou with many bars and restaurants. The apartment has three private terraces from which to enjoy those spectacular views, plus an indulgent hot tub. And if that's not enough, you also have use of a shared private pool in the building and a concierge service. Decor is relatively simple and modern. • Best family hotels in Barcelona ££ | Sleeps 10 Situated on the elegant Passeig de Gracia boulevard, surrounded by modernista masterpieces and designer boutiques, this large deluxe apartment sits directly opposite some of the most celebrated buildings in the city: Gaudí's Casa Batllo with its shimmering dragon-like scales. But it's not just the location and the views that make this place stand out, the apartment has five bedrooms and retains traditional Catalan detailing such as bare-brick arched ceilings and metal beams. Peacock and flamingo motifs add a bit of flair and glamour to the charcoal grey colour scheme. • What to do in Barcelona £ | Sleeps 16 Villa holidays are more associated with beach resorts and island getaways than city breaks and there aren't many options if you want to rent one in Barcelona itself, so this place is quite a find. The lemon-yellow neoclassical mansion sleeps up to 16 people and boasts a games room featuring ping-pong and foosball tables, an outdoor pool and a hot tub. The inside is decorated in a mix of antique and avant-garde pieces, from huge oriental vases to golden statues and even a replica of Salvador Dalí's lips sofa. If you can tear yourself away long enough from all the facilities this place offers, then it's just under a 30-minute metro ride right into the centre of the city. • Our pick of affordable hotels in Barcelona ££ | POOL | Sleeps 7 Another rare villa-style find within Barcelona city is this Catalan modernista property, located in the northern district of Horta-Guinardo, just before the green hills of the Collserola Natural Park. The exterior of the property is just as spectacular as the inside, covered in delicate detailing and lined with colourful tiles. Inside, the four-bedrooms and common spaces are decorated with grand chandeliers, sophisticated stained-glass doors and original hydraulic-tiled floors. But the highlight has to be the shady garden, where lemon trees and lily-pad-filled fountains surround a swimming pool and alfresco dining spots. • Best restaurants in Barcelona for 2025 £ | Sleeps 14 Ideal for large groups of friends with something special to celebrate, this six-bedroom apartment feels more like a mansion from the inside. Think mirrored walls, wine-glass chandeliers, gilt-edged mirrors, heavy gold curtains. Built in the 19th century, it features traditional elements such as high ceilings and lovely patterned floor tiles. Sleeping a total of 14 people, the apartment has oodles of space and all the latest mod cons. • Best luxury hotels in Barcelona ££ | Sleep 2 Close to the slopes of the leafy Montjuic hill, this one-bedroom duplex penthouse is ideal for anyone who wants their own little secluded haven in the city. Filled with mismatched furniture, exotic prints and lots of colour, it's a cute bohemian hideaway. But it's the outdoor spaces that really set this place apart. From one side are views of the Sagrada Familia from the balcony, while the other is a large, leafy plant-filled terrace. Enjoy alfresco breakfasts looking out towards the mountains and cosy candlelit drinks in the evenings. • Best holiday villas in Spain• Best villas with pools in Spain
Los Angeles Times
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Oscars flashback: Javier Bardem leads Spain to victory
The Oscars ceremony may look like a lot of glitter and glam on the surface, but beneath the glossy surface lurks a battle of worldwide proportions! Or maybe it's just the competition for the foreign language film award, which since 2020 has been called the international feature film award. And on Feb. 27, 2005, in Hollywood's Kodak Theatre the battle royale was fought by Spain, Sweden, France, Germany and South Africa … with Spain emerging as the victor. Gwyneth Paltrow presented the award to Alejandro Amenábar, the director and co-screenwriter (with Mateo Gil) of 'The Sea Inside' ('Mar adentro'). The Javier Bardem-starring film followed the real-life story of Ramón Sampedro, who became quadriplegic after a diving accident and spent nearly 30 years fighting for his own right to die. The film was also nominated in the makeup category, but Jo Allen and Manolo García did not win. This award is not given to any of the filmmakers, though the director accepts it onstage. Instead, the country that submits the film to the academy is considered the winner. This was the first time Spain had won the Oscar since 2000, when Pedro Almodóvar won for 'All About My Mother.' As Amenábar said from the stage, 'This film is based on a man who, despite his desire for death, spread so much life around him. So, the first third of this award belongs to him, wherever he is. The second third is for Javier Bardem for his outstanding performance and his generosity. And another third part goes to, of course, my friend and producer, Fernando Bovaira, to the fabulous cast and crew for being so focused on this movie since the very beginning. And as for me, I'm just so pleased because it seems that I'm in charge of keeping it in one piece for the rest of my life.' Spain has won the Oscar four times out of 21 nominations; it's the fourth-most-winning country, behind Japan (five), France (12) and Italy (14). 'As It Is in Heaven,'from Sweden, directed and co-written by Kay Pollak, was also nominated. It was about an internationally famous conductor who retires to his Swedish hometown only to help out with the church choir. Sweden last won an Oscar in 1983, for Ingmar Bergman's 'Fanny and Alexander.' France also put forward a chorus-focused nominee called, rightfully enough, 'The Chorus,' directed and written by Christophe Barratier. In it, Pierre is the orchestra conductor who goes home after his mother dies, then reminsices about his own music teacher. The film was also nominated (as was Barratier) for the original song Oscar, for 'Look to Your Path' ('Vos sur ton chemin'). Barratier wrote the lyrics, Bruno Coulais composed the music. France last won the category in 1993, with Régis Wargnier's 'Indochine.' Germany's 'Downfall,' directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, didn't win the Oscar, but it did go viral — at least one scene. The film focuses on Adolf Hitler's final days in his Berlin bunker, and the scene features Bruno Ganz (as Hitler) having a meltdown, a performance so powerfully off-the-wall it was parodied around the internet. All of united Germany's Oscar wins have come since 2000, with the most recent in 2023 ('All Quiet on the Western Front'). 'Yesterday,' directed and written by Darrell Roodt, represented South Africa and was the first commercial feature-length production told in Zulu. In the film, the title character learns she has HIV and struggles to live long enough so that her child can attend school. South Africa would win the Oscar the following year for Gavin Hood's 'Tsotsi.'
