Transbordador aeri

Like most of the beautiful, amazing and interesting things in Barcelona, Transbordador Aeri, oftenly called Teleferico del Puerto, was designed in 1929 for World's fair, that took place in Barcelona. By this, it was planned to make it easier to reach Montjuic from the port, or from port Montjuic. Unfortunately, because of lack of fundings, it was finished in 1931, but it's not diminished it's importance and attraction. Trasbordador Aeri is still one of the most entertaining and interesting attractions, so, depends from the time of the journey, near this hoist you can expect many people.

Travel with lift from Barceloneta to Montjuic hill (or backwards) took only 5-7 minutes. During this, you will travel 1.3 kilometers. Journey starts from San Sebastian tower, near Barceloneta beach. In the 78.4 meters high tower, there's a restaurant. You can go all the way up by the lift.

Hoist runs every 10 mins, and cramped cabin holds up to 20 people, including cabins operator. So you need to think if it's worth to go for this adventure if you affraid not only height, but suffer from claustrophobia as well.

So called Jaume I tower is 107 meters high in the Barcelona port, and is interim stop between Barceloneta and Montjuic hill.

San Sebastian, as well as Jaume I towers, are assign as Barcelonas historian monuments, and are under protection. During civil war, both lifts was temporarily dismantle, and both towers served as defensive objects.

Journey with Trasbordador Aeri finishes at Miramar viewpoint, located on Montjuic hill. If you couln't make photos of wonderful Barcelonas panoramic view while flying Trasbordador Aeri, you can do it in this viewpoint. Views are amazing.

Trasbordador Aeri works everyday from about 10 till 18 o'clock, but it would be better to check it in official websites, as it depends on the seasons. Hoist does't work when blowing strong winds or during storms.
Official website: http://www.telefericodebarcelona.com/

The Reasons Behind the Increasing Commercialism of the Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a world wide event, held once every 4 years. It is the most important event amongst the elite athletes of today. It is viewed on television by billions of people across the world, by satellite transmission (started in Tokyo in 1964). This worldwide viewing attracted sponsors as they realised that by supporting the Olympics their product would be advertised on every product sold, as they would be the 'official sponsor'. The advances in technology has played a fundamental role in the increase in commercialism, as large sums of money are put forwards for television rights over the Games from companies such as Sky, the BBC and ABC.  

Sponsorship plays an essential function in the running of the Olympics. Money from sponsors is used for administration, travel and accommodation for the athletes and officials, communication and equipment. In the Barcelona Olympics of 1992, there were 44 companies included in The Olympic Programme (TOP). The commercialisation or Americanisation of the Games involves many multinational companies like McDonald's, who have been involved with the Olympic Movement since 1976 when it became an official sponsor of the Olympic Games in Montreal. McDonald's joins The Coca-Cola Company, Kodak Company, Sema
Group, TIME/Sports Illustrated, Xerox, and VISA as TOP V sponsors, to name a few. A spokesman for McDonald's, Jack Greenberg, believed that McDonald's were a "unique company, capable of bringing the fun and excitement of the world's premiere sporting event to 43 million customers every day."  

However the real reason behind this sponsor was chosen as it was offering the Olympic Committee millions of dollars in sponsorship. McDonald's, as an example, wanted to exploit the Games, using it as an advertising tool, to imply their company has a clean, reliable and idealistic image like that of the Olympics.

The Salt Lake Organising Committee received approximately US$ 1,390.5 million from Olympic marketing programmes, but a question asked by many is

Commercialism is not only used to promote products, but was initially introduced as a way of publicising the Games, and to increase the aware of the 'greatest show on Earth'.

Peter Uberroth is now credited to have 'saved the games,' as he attracted 30 sponsors in the Los Angeles Games of 1984 (the Olympics famous for where commercialism first took off.) The Los Angeles games
were a huge success, obviously from the input from Americanisation. This encouraged many following cities, hoping to hold the Olympics, to do the same. However the American's 'bigger is better' view now means
that each Olympics is trying to better than the last. This means more demands are put upon the next host city. More money needs to be found, and if the hosting country is suffering economically, the 'biggest and
best' sponsor offering most money is awarded the title 'official sponsor'. Although this appears to be an advantage for the country, the Montreal Olympics of 1976 are still today paying off their debts after trying to 'put one over' the Munich games of 1972.

The Olympics Games were first launched to encourage world unity and peace, however as recent Games have demonstrated, people are no longer solely interested by the sporting events, but are thriving on being
the best. I believe that commercialism has both saved and destroyed the Games. The whole ethos of 'it's not the winning but the taking part that counts' (Baron Pierre de Coubertin) is no longer around, and that now the Olympics is simply becoming another victim of being used as a market for advertising.

Pablo Picasso

Picasso was born on October 25, 1881, in Malaga, Spain, son of an artist, Jose Ruiz, and Maria Picasso. Rather than adopt the common name Ruiz, the young Picasso took the rarer name of his mother. An artistic prodigy, Picasso, at the age of 14, completed the one-month qualifying examination of the Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona in one day. From there he went to the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, returning in 1900 to Barcelona.

The years of 1901 to 1904 were known as the "blue period" because of the blue tonality of Picasso's paintings. During this period, he would spend his days in Paris studying the masterworks at the Louvre and his nights enjoying the company of fellow artists at cabarets. 1905 and 1906 marked a radical change in color and mood for Picasso. He became fascinated with the acrobats, clowns and wandering families of the circus world. He started to paint in subtle pinks and grays, often highlighted with brighter tones. This was known as his "rose period." In 1907, Picasso painted "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon," considered the watershed picture of the twentieth century, and met Georges Braque, the other leading artist of the Cubist movement. Cubism was equally the creation of Picasso and Braque and from 1911 to 1913, the two men were in frequent contact.

In 1917, Picasso did the set and costume design for Serge Diaghilev's ballet "Parade." For Picasso the 1920's were years of rich artistic exploration and great productivity. Picasso continued to design theater sets and painted in Cubist modes. From 1929 to 1931, he pioneered wrought iron sculpture with his old friend Julio Gonzalez. In the early 1930's, Picasso did a large quantity of graphic illustrations. In late April of 1937, the world learned the shocking news of the saturation bombing of the civilian target of Guernica, Spain by the Nazi Luftwaffe. Picasso responded with his great anti-war painting, "Guernica." During World War II, Picasso lived in Paris, where he turned his energy to the art of ceramics. From 1947 to 1950, he pursued new methods of lithography.The l950's saw the beginning of a number of large retrospective exhibits of his works. During this time he began to paint a series of works conceived as free variations on old master paintings. In the 1960's, he produced a monumental 50-foot sculpture for the Chicago Civic Center. In 1970, Picasso donated more than 800 of his works to the Berenguer de Aguilar Palace Museum in Barcelona. Pablo Picasso died on April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France at the age of 91.

Turned to the sea

Olympic games, that occured in Barcelona in 1992, made it to remember, that it's already 4000 years as city settled near Mediterranean sea. Till when, Barcelona, was like turned around from the sea. City from the sea was separated by some industrial facilities. While preparing for olympic games, Barcelona cleared away from these industrial facilities near the port in the city center, and to create open space, which is now called Barcelonas gate to the world. Barcelona port is divided into old one, near Columbus statue, and the new one. Before olympic games old part of the port was unrecognizably modernized and transformed by all the newest technologies. Part of the old port during Barcelona olympic game became as an olympic village.

39 thousand square meters "Maremagnum" shapping mall has water all around it. Wide modern design wooden bridge leads to the shopping mall. "Maremagnum shopping mall, one of the most favourite places in Barcelona. It's not only modern shopping mall with wide range of shops, but with pubs, cafes in open terraces with amazing views to Barcelona port and Mediterranean sea. This kind of centre - not the only one gift from olympic games to Barcelona. In the old part of the port there's aquarium, there's collected about 4000 spiecies of Mediterranean sea plants and animals. The most famous aquarium exhibits - sharks, which ones, while flying around, from all the sides you can see while walking through huge glass tunnel.

Barcelona olympic games was recognized as one of the most modern. Objects, built for the games in the old part of the port, was transformed into shopping malls, insurance companies offices, Sea houses, modern stereo cinema halls, for yachts, cruise ships accept designed quays. Olympic games not only made to remember, that city center near sea must belong for city residents and tourists, but change Barcelonians approach to leisure time and rest near the sea. It's hard to believe, that 3 million people city achievement is considered to be the fact, that after olympic games it's beaches widened till 5 kilometers.

Barcelona: a city to visit

Barcelona is a large town on the north-east coast of Spain. Its unbeatable location means you can fly to Barcelona from most capital cities in less than two hours. If there were only three words to describe Barcelona City they would be Culture, Style and Harmony, and only for that, is an ideal place to visit.

With a population of about two million, Barcelona is full of interesting, artistic and fashionable people. The blending of cultures defines to Barcelona as one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world.
Barcelona has many tourist attractions which are worth visiting. The most famous attraction is La Sagrada Familia, a fantastic temple designed by Antonio Gaudi under construction since 1882. Other attractions are La Pedrera, a beautiful modernist building of Gaudi too, the magic fountain of Montjuic, a light, music and water spectacle, and Miró, Picasso and FC Barcelona museums.
There are many activities to do in Barcelona. Walking through the streets of Barcelona let you feel how the new buildings have evolved and integrated with the historic architecture. The Gothic Quarter, Eixample or The Ramblas are good examples.

Barcelona City is plenty of places to go shopping. Most of the main shopping areas are in pedestrianized zones with wide open boulevards.
The nightlife in Barcelona is exciting. There are a lot of music and dance clubs and bars opened in the small hours. On Saturday nights it is quite normal to see hundreds of people strolling up and down the Ramblas till 03:00.

Barcelona is a city that has something to offer everyone. This makes it a truly fascinating place to visit and it is said that once you travel to Barcelona it is hard to turn back.

Amazing architecture and Antoni Gaudi

When you are looking at Barcelona scheme, it gives you strange impression - most of the city divided into equal blocks. This like equal blocks Barcelona in 19th century imagined engineer Ildefons Cerda. But his concept has received categorical other cities architectres resistance. Some of the buildings specially built for them to stand out from the others, or turned for the buildings to stand opposite with strictly structured streets.

The most famous architecture, who was breaking in 19th century ending and 20th century beginning in Barcelona created stereotypes was Antoni Gaudi. His created architectural works in Barcelona is more admired than much older ghotic style buidings or 12-13th centuries heritage. Casa Batllo house with special decorative balconies, which facade decorated with mosaic from colourful ceramics and glass, and the roof looks like scaly dragon back - was one of first Gaudi's work. Other masterpiece, Casa Mila building, built in 1905-1910. House is UNESCO heritage site, as a humans achievement famous because it was built from stone blocks, which were connected into wavy forms. Balconies original as well, minted from metal. One more Gaudi's work - by Barcelona Count Guell ordered and started to built city in the park. Following english parks and redences example, there was a wish to built 60 private summerhouses. They were succeded with only two of them, where lived Count Guell ant architect Gaudi. In the park most valuable is summerhouses, and main entrance of the park stairs, has one hundred colonies, which holding huge viewpoint, hall - with surroundings near mountain and it's beautifully converged stone objects.

The most important architects Gaudi purpose of life was Sagrada Familia church construction, which was started to built in 1883, from sacrificial money, and it's still not finished, although sacrificial money was not enough and Barcelona's government gave money. At the moment, by Gaudi's sketches, church is still being built, and in some places, it's being restored. Sagrada Familia church, is an object, most attractive for the tourists in Barcelona. There's 18 towers more than 100 meters high, dedicated for Jesus Christ, Virgin Mary, 12 apostles and 4 evangelist glory. In the facade of Sagrada Familia church sorted many sculptures, which ones very precisely and in deeply complex symbols shows Jesus Christ life from birth till crucifixion, good and evil battle.

While Sagrada Familia church was built, Gaudi was visiting construction site everyday for 30 years. He hasn't found time to create a family, and because of closed and little bit rigorously manner he has not many friends, in the world famous architecture death was surprise and symbolic. When walking from Guell park to construction site of Sagrada Familia, he was hit by tram. Architect, who gave for the city world famous masterpieces, was not recognised by the doctors, and was taken to part of the hospital for poor people. When it was founded, who is this tram hitted old man, when it was too late. Architect, who was not wealthy after his career, what he has, by will, left for Sagrada Familia church construction.

Foreign languages

Nowadays it is truly important to learn languages. To begin with, knowing foreign languages broadens one‘s outlook and develops mentality. The more languages we know the more intelligent we are. Moreover, knowing foreign languages gives us an oppurtunity to socialize and correspond with people from other countries. For intance, we can travel abroad and communicate with other people easily which gives us great satisfaction. It also helps to understand traditions and customs of the country better.

 However, when working on a computer and using the internet, you must to know English perfectly. While speaking about our gymnasium, English and Russian are taught here. We have all the possibilities to improve these languages. There are classrooms which have a TV, dictionaries, cassette recorders, wall charts, maps or pictures, besides there are various language courses both for children and adults, either state or private.

Furthermore, you can study or work abroad not facing the language barrier. As a result, you better employment opportunities abroad and in your own country as most positions take people with a good command of two or three foreign languages. To sum up, there are a lot of reasons why people should learn foreign languages.