Paella and Bovril

Is an old post but in the current atmosphere of athletics it seemed appropriate to post again.  On my last few days of holiday here and they are being filled with a variety of things. One of these things is of course watching all the European footie that is bombarding my TV.  Now there are lots of accounts of how terrible our homes teams were and so many of these reports want to make me top myself.  Today's wee blog post comes from last years letters from Barcelona . Barcelona hosted the European Athletics last year and I was lucky to get tickets for the last night.  PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME LETTERS FROM BARCELONA AUGUSTS 2010   I went to see the last night of the European athletics here in BCN at the Olympic stadium on Sunday 1 st of August. Half full stadium, mostly due to the ridiculously overpriced tickets. The atmosphere was still fantastic, with lots of French supporters having loads to cheer abou...

As the top leagues here in Bonny Spain were on strike for the start of the season my boyfriend (in pic) and I thought (well mainly me he just got roped in) that the fishes around Barcelona could do with a wee bit of an education.  Today's blog post comes from the match day programme of the 20th Aug 2011 Raith 1 - 1 Morton PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME!! Paella and Bovril Vilassar de Mar is a small costal town a short drive up the road from Barcelona and has been more famous than London riots the past few days here in Catalonia’s capitals as Vilassar de Mar famous son is coming home, (when I was wrtiting this Barca were 99.9% sure he was signing). Cesc Faregas has re-signed for the club he left at 16.   After a 3 year “will he won’t he?” he is coming home and the ubiquitous   Twitter played its part again with Carlos Puyol and Gerard Pique announcing a big “welcome home” to Cesc on the famous networking site.   I have to say I am not a big “...

  A great start to the season here in Spain, 'el clasico', 11pm kick off, 28 degrees and Cesc finally was a Barca player.  If you did not see the match you did not miss one of the classisc clasicos but you did miss one of Mourinho's best moves yet (have a look at the photo). Maybe he could not get his point across. mourinho and the man with the tash!!    This blog post comes from a "Letters from Barcelona" mid April 2011 first published in the matchday Prog SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME!! When in made the move to Barcelona I came with less than no Spanish let alone the language of the region- Catalan. I had bought the “listen while you learn” CDs, which gave me at most the ability to order a glass of red wine and get the bill after a meal! So when 5 weeks after we moved I end up in a Barcelona hospital waiting on an operation to pin a broken ankle back together I could not help but wish I had a few more words. For over a week the staff and...

Another footballing Saturday is here again and all of Barcelona is whispering "welcome home Cesc" only whispering mind still not 100% confirmed! Here is another "Letters from Barcelona" from last seasons match day Prog. I am hoping for another footballing saturday in the sun with my almost healed very itchy stiches from an ankle op, Twitter and whatever match coverage I can get. Good luck John and the boys. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME October 2010  Letters from Barcelona People talk about football widows and the hard life they have playing second fiddle on every match day to 22 men and a wee white ball. But spare a thought for those football widowers, the men who have to compete with 22 men and a wee ball every match day. Football has always been a big part of my life for a long time. I loved playing it a school, loved watching it in the park and really loved watching it from the terraces. But it was not my dad who would take me, it was mum...

Well at the weekend I settled down for the first league game of the season. Scarf near by (to hot to wear it at the moment here, but not the nice heat that horrible muggy heat!!) and iPlayer tuned to radio Scotland. Proud to say that I was a tad excited as last season had been great with "open all mics" keeping tuned in to the scores and a bonny wee bit o' Scottish banter. But this season I have been stopped before I have even started!! They have geo-blocked (can't listen outside uk) Scottish football!! Any way I was saved from a desperate wait the final whistle  by Twitter and Raith live update, thanks!! Today Paella and Bovril is from last Saturday's league opener which saw Raith seal victory against Falkirk. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME I am still trying to get to grips with the football season starting and it only really being the start of summer here. Last Friday was the biggest day of the year for holiday travel  “ operación  salida”, l...

I little something to keep you going until after the next home game!! Enjoy Last year I did a bit of writing each home match. Thought I would share it with you. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME From September 2010 “What a game”, no not Barcelona’s multi-millionaire stars but a random basketball 3-on-3 at the one of the local public courts. Any given evening, year-round, and all over the city you can find a pick-up game. Folk of all ages 15 – 55 rock up and play, guys on the way home from the office and teenagers wanting to kill time before dinner (boys and girls). Everywhere you look around the city there is an abundance of sporting activity; basketball and volleyball courts (no nets but folk bring their own, just like they bring a ball and a pair of shorts), distance markers for running and walking laid out on the sea front and in the parks, outdoor gyms on the beach, and nearly 100 miles of cycle ways in the city limits alone. Spain is a country on top of it’s game, ...

This blog is a "spin-off" of the original piece in the Raith Rovers match day programme.  After my wee chat has appeared in the programme I will post it here. These days are hard times for the "diddy" teams and they rely heavily on your support.  PLEASE PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CLUBS MATCH DAY PROGRAMME. Raith Rovers 2-1 Cowdenbeath 23 July 2011 It is a little hard to believe that the footballing  "summer" break is over, as here in Barcelona we are just getting ready for summer. I am especially looking forward to a summer of football on the beach, well, listening to the football on the radio on the beach. (Anyone who has an iPhone, iPod, android phone or app-capable device should know about TuneIn Radio App. Radio from wherever, wherever you want it. ) Barcelona's local government have spent some time and money on installing a public WiFi system or as they say here "weeeeee feeeeee".  This allows you to log on and use the Int...