Jofre is a family owned company with several multibrand boutiques. They sell some of the best known international fashion brands: Prada, Miu Miu, Christian Dior, Chloe, Fendi, Gucci, Vera Wang, Aspesi and many more. Next to the Turó Park, an elegant residential area, at Bori i Fontestà with F. Pérez Cabrero, there is a cluster of shops: men, top brands for ladies, casual fashion for ladies, shoes & bags and children
The web is very poor but you will find the list of shops in Barcelona and other locations http://www.jofre.es/
Several shops by the Turo Park, near the Diagonal with Francesc Macià Bori i Fontestà 2, 4 and 6 F. Pérez Cabrero 7, 9 and 13 No metro nearby
The newest shop is at Passeig de Gràcia 104 Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (Green line)
Alejandra has a small shop in downtown Santiago, Chile. Her designs combine silver with semiprecious stones. I particularly like the large rings with a rough finish (I have several of them). She has a one page website and she should improve it to better show her work.
The ninth edition of the fair for those passionate for music and vinyls will take place this weekend, 1st and 2nd of may, at the Estació del Nord, an old railway station. This is the place to buy, sell, share and browse in search for something unique. You will have to pay a small fee to visit the fair.
Baby Version Rock is the brand of Murielle Cohen, a French designer who had worked for the children collections of well known brands such as Petit Bateau or Façonnable. In her shop, situated next to the Plaça del Pi, you will find original designs for "cool" babies and young children. Murielle applies different finishings that often give clothes a washed or vintage look. If you think that babies should have a choice beyond blue and pink, visit this small but unique boutique. SORRY, IT APPEARS THEY HAVE CLOSED DOWN.
Galerias Maldà, next to the entrance on the Carrer del Pi Nearest metro: Liceo (Green Line)
Named after the brightest star of the Aquila constellation, Altaïr is probably the largest travel bookshop in Europe. It is centrally located in Barcelona and there you will find a large selection of travel literature, nature guides, travel guides -Spanish and worldwide destinations, in Spanish and other languages-, maps, and travel gadgets. They also sell books about culture and anthropology, cooking and related topics. A visit to Altaïr is always a pleasure for travel lovers as it is more than a shop. They organise presentations and events and you can also check their board full of notices of people offering travel advice or in search for partners for their adventures.
Gran Via Corts Catalanes, 616 Entre c/ Balmes y Rambla de Catalunya Metro Urgell (red line) http://www.altair.es/
Since 1928 Castelló has been "the" place to buy music in Barcelona. They have two shops located near the Ramblas. One of them is specialised in classical music and orchestral music. The other sells all modern styles such as pop, rock, jazz, blus, metal, electronic...... You will also find second hand vinyls and merchandising. Castelló is a shop for music collectors and it is also the place to buy tickets for concerts.
Tomorrow is Sant Jordi (Saint Georges), the Patron Saint of Catalonia, and although it is not a holiday, it is a day for celebration in Barcelona.
It also the Book´s day, a tradition originated here which has been exported to other countries, including Japan. In 1996, the UNESCO declared the 23rd of April as the International Book´s Day. Most new titles are launched tomorrow, books are sold in the streets and well established writers will sign their books at the main bookshops. Streets will be packed with people and you will see many Catalan flags decorating stalls, buses, balconies or in window displays.
Additionally, it is the day of the rose in which gentlemen offer red roses to ladies. Roses are sold in the streets and many organisations take advantage of this day to raise some money by selling them. They are also offered by bookshops and other shops. Do you want to impress somebody with a virtual rose? This option is available from several websites of catalan organisations and media. This is the one of La Vanguardia, the main newspaper published in Barcelona http://rosa.lavanguardia.es/.
The Palau de la Generalitat, the siege of the Catalan Government at the Plaça Sant Jaume, in the old town, will be open to the public. Behind the neoclassical façade you will be able to discover parts of the building dating back to the XVth century.
Shopping is one of the pleasures of foreign travel and this blog will help you discover Barcelona through shopping. The things we buy when we travel can bring us fun and pleasure, help us grow, create good memories, and share special moments later on. In Barcelona, shopping districts are knitted in the fabric of the city and some of them, made of narrow streets with small shops -where tourists and locals mingle- are a very distinctive trait of our Mediterranean culture. Come and enjoy!!
I am Spanish and, although I wasn´t born in Barcelona, this is the city where I have lived most of my life. For the last twenty years I have done a lot of international travel mostly for work and, being back to Barcelona after five years of living abroad, I felt like sharing a perspective to help others discover the city through shopping. This is a blog intended mainly for travelers and foreigners which is why I have chosen to write it in English. Nevertheless, everybody is invited to participate, and comments in French, Italian or Portuguese and, of course, Spanish and Catalan are also welcome.
