Barcelona Photoblog: barcelona stores
Showing posts with label barcelona stores. Show all posts
Showing posts with label barcelona stores. Show all posts

August 02, 2012

Apple Retail Store Plaza Catalunya, Barcelona: View from the Upper Floor

 [enlarge]

A brand new Apple retail store opened to the public last Saturday, July 28th right in front of Plaça Catalunya, the most central spot in downtown Barcelona next to Passeig de Gracia. With the intention of getting my wife's Ipod shuffle battery problems fixed we visited the venue two days ago. The first thing you notice is the big wide open space feeling and the materials prevailing in the design, basically glass and wood. Worth mentioning is the translucent glass staircase to the upper floor. If anybody at Apple is interested in my wife's opinion as a consumer, a middle age consumer with no special inclination for the Mac world, the shop is weird. But anyway, it is clear that it is conceived with a certain purpose, facilitate easy access, visibility, movement and a certain state of mind I think. Everything is already planned here. All in all I liked the store but I was overwhelmed by the amount of people and the fact that many were not buying anything. It was hot in there. It is quite hard to give good reviews in such scenario, chaotic as it was due to high temperatures, hordes of locals and tourists alike storming the place and a little bit of the normal craziness during the first week after the opening. Maybe you get a better picture of Apple's new flagship store in this gallery at Cult of Mac or in a previous announcement at Mac Rumors

Note: The picture was taken with a Samsung Galaxy S2

June 21, 2010

Ginseng Root Sample in El Born, Barcelona

Ginseng Root Sample in El Born, Barcelona [enlarge]

Ginseng roots have this peculiar shape which might look kind of bizarre inside a pharmacy container. They remind me of an alien foetus in formaldehyde about to move or some abyssal creature in a natural science museum. But as ugly and uncanny as it may seem, ginseng, derived from the Chinese term rénshēn or "man root", is almost a miraculous plant due to its many virtues when it comes to healing and keeping a healthy balance in our body. I am not familiar with traditional medicine but the age factor is changing my approach towards conventional methods lately. According to what I read, this is good to treat depression, diabetes, cholesterol problems, or even our good old German friend Alzheimer, if you know what I mean. And then there's the eternal concern about impotence which this human-like root seems to handle quite efficiently. Of course, you should consult this with an expert cause there are side effects too. I found this beautiful specimen at a small store in El Born area. According to their description they sell: grains, flour, dried fruit and nuts, herbs, spices, soy, soy milk, pet food, rice, pasta and much more. Here is the location on a map.

Open Mon-Fri 09:15-13.00/16.15-19.30, Sat 09:15-13.30.
Pg Picasso 34, Ciutat Vella, 08003, Barcelona.
Tel: 93 319 7 636

October 20, 2009

Barcelona Wine Stores: El Celler de la Boqueria

Barcelona Wine Stores: El Celler de la Boqueria [enlarge]

El Celler de la Boqueria (Cat. for cellar) is one of those small businesses surrounding La Boqueria stalls that you should bear in mind when visiting this famous Barcelona market. The place is run by the second generation in a family of wine connoisseurs with over 40 years experience. And I won't say more because I don't mean to advertise the shop but to sell the excellence of the Spanish and Catalan wines showcased in this beautiful corner of La Boqueria.

June 06, 2009

Camiseria Xanco at Rambla, 78 - Selling Shirts Since 1820

Camiseria Xanco [enlarge]

In 1820 Antoni Cotchet i Nin founded old Casa Cotchet which he left to his former employers Josep Xancó i Farreras and Joan Bel that got in charge. Xancò who came from a wealthy family in Caldes de Malavella, Girona eventually took over the shop after Joan Bel resigned in 1921. In the 40s, Josep Xancó died, and the shop was inherited by his daughter Herminia Xancó and subsequently by her son Tristan Xancó Kussrrowc, who is in charge at present and has expanded the business. This is a sidewalk metal plaque in front of the store in which the city hall celebrated the 173rd anniversary of this unique historical shop in Barcelona. It reads "Camiseria Xancó 1820 - 1993 to all those years serving the city". Soon I will show you the place in detail.

October 11, 2008

Monge, Philately and Numismatic Store, Barri Gotic, Barcelona

Monge, Philately and Numismatic Store, Barri Gotic, Barcelona

If you ever collected postage stamps then this image will bring back some memories. Come to think of it, stamps are just stamps, a tiny jagged sticky-on-one-side piece of paper but this obsession for antique or rare "pieces of paper" is more than a hobby for many people. I remember well how I used to collect them when I was a child. I had this album that had the black and white image of the future stamp you were suppose to find and stick in place after buying or trading with other collectors. I had some rare stamps of China which were a real beauty, generally with socialist allegories on them and other stamp collections organized by countries. I also had reproductions of the first stamp, the Penny Black issued on May 06 1840, as the one you see engraved on the glass of this remarkable epoch philately and numismatic store (A. Monge, carrer Boters, 2) at the Gothic quarter of Barcelona. But why did they create stamps after all? Postage used to be paid upon delivery and it happened that many letters were rejected by the addressees so a pre-paid delivery system was imposed in 1837 in which the stamp became the proof of payment.

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