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So you want to dance in the milongas in Barcelona

In Barcelona, tango is a bit different from what it is in Buenos Aires; here too there is a passion for tango, a passion for connection  but everything is not as impassioned.

Outside of Argentina, that passion for the dance and lifestyle is reduced to recreation, whereas in Buenos Aires, tango —the dance and the milongas—has a different intensity. Lots of enthusiasm and energy.

The city of Barcelona has an excellent public transportation system, which allows you to go out dancing late and most nights take a night bus or taxi back home. The night buses run from 10.30 pm until 5.30 am.

It may well be possible to go tango dancing almost every night in Barcelona.

Dance all night

On Tuesday night, there is Milonga Mia. A small but well-attended event, both by locals and visitors.

The room is an ample club space with lovely wooden floors. On either side of the main long wall, couches are placed, along with a few chairs. The most important thing to remember is that the couch or chair is not yours for the entire evening. It’s possible to keep, but it will require some rearranging and sitting.

Dancers range on age

The dancers range in age from the early twenties to the late eighties, and, as usual, there are more women than men. Some dancers feel their tango is superior to others, while others are trying out some new step they learned in a class.

On the whole, the room is friendly and cabeceos can go both ways here.


The DJs usually play a full assortment of traditional tango, and the resident DJ, Eddy, is not only a good DJ but also a beautiful dancer.


Milonga Mia
Time:9:00 PM to midnight
http://www.instagram.com/milongamia/
Bruniquer Street, 45 – Joanic
+34 655 151 194 – lamilonga.mia@gmail.com

There is a Milonga on Wednesday called The Messy, but we have never attended, so we have no information.

Time: 9pm to midnight 

C Olivera 55

Always possible more

On Thursday, there is Casa Valencia. This milonga has been in existence for approximately 20 years, and the organizer is Antonia Barrera. It is located on the 2nd floor, accessible by stairs or elevator, in a beautiful old club complete with a bar.

When you first exit the elevator, you step into the open hall area, which features tables and a bar. Then, as you hear the music and walk into the Milonga, you are greeted by Antonia herself or a member of her family. An abrazo, a bit of conversation, and after paying your admission. A table is reserved for you. Another if not.

The DJs here are usually excellent, hailing from not only Barcelona but also Spain and Europe in general.  Depending on the DJ, the music can be varied. As we’ve been attending this milonga for a while, we are known, and the act of giving and receiving abrazos is a welcoming gesture. It almost feels like we are back at a milonga in Buenos Aires. Almost.

As to the dancing, again the range of embrazos is quite extensive, from open to closed, as per usual, tangueros are listening to the music while some are dancing to the beats of the music that only they can hear.  On most nights, there is a performance by a maestro couple visiting from out of the area. Sometimes these are excellent, and sometimes meh! Like most exhibitions.

What is different

What sets Casa Valencia apart from the rest of the milongas in Barcelona is that it attracts a crowd that is typically a bit younger, perhaps more international in scope, and has been in operation for over 20 years.

However, we are always happy to see old friends and dance with new ones, creating a very friendly experience for both new and seasoned dancers.


The room has large round tables, which create a good atmosphere for not only dancing but also chatting up. It’s at this milonga that we have met new friends from different countries.

Time: 10:00 PM to 1:30 AM
http://www.antoniatango.com
Casa Valencia – C/ Córcega 335, main – Diagonal
+34 934 234 817 –info@antoniatango.com

On Fridays, there is another milonga run by a couple originally from Argentina, Graciela and Osvaldo Tango. Their milonga is on Friday nights, starting at 10:00 p.m. The space is a small, club-like area that they decorate for the season, with small chairs and tables scattered against the walls. This space is well-attended by both locals and visitors, so a reservation is definitely recommended.

And a slightly different

This milonga definitely has its fans and supporters, as Osvaldo liked to consider himself not only the house DJ but also a singer of tango, which is also the sweetest of genres. However, it may take some time to develop an appreciation for it.

Sometimes, at these milongas, the dancing can be somewhat haphazard, as the floor is small and many people want to dance, with a variety of different tango styles.

We have attended many times and enjoyed ourselves, but often left early as the space can get chaotic later in the evening, and perhaps people are thrilled as it is Friday night.

Milonga La Yumba

Time: 9:30 PM to 1 AM

89 Calabria Street

+34 626 10 74 15


On Saturday, there is Milonga De Emotión, held at the old club that is entered by walking down a flight of stairs.  Once situated in the tango club, you noticed a bar to one side, and the dance floor is a medium-sized rectangular space with wooden floors.

And around the room

Scattered around the room are tables and chairs, creating a comfortable space to sit or dance. There is a DJ booth in the back of the room, and the DJs usually play classic old Tango. The space is run by Liliana Tolomei and Santiago Leon, lovely and warm people and tango maestros. Santiago is very generous with his dancing  and will usually dance with newcomers, as is Liliana. Many classes are held in the space too.

n this smaller space, we have danced many a night, enjoying the amiable nature of the space and the dancers. The dancers here are usually very good, both enjoying the floor and the music.

MMolonga De Emotio

Time: 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM
Gran via de les corts catalanes 432 – Rocafort
+34 671 094 986 – http://www.emocion-tango.com lilianatolomei@emocion-tango.com

On Sunday, there is a wonderful milonga called the El Living. It is run by an Argentine man, Martin. The milonga is located in the penthouse of a residential apartment building where the elevators are the size of freight cars. The space is intimate, and the milonga seems to be very friendly and open.

The space is decorated with old vinyl records on the walls and there are sofas, tables and chairs scattered around the room.

In our experience, this milonga is one of the friendliest in Barcelona, which I think is partly due to its obscure location. You almost feel like you’re sharing a secret when you arrive there.

The DJ is usually local playing many classic tangos and the dancing is fun and open. Here things are a little more carefree than in other molingas creating a very pleasant environment where both sexes cabeco.


We had fun here not only for the danceling, but we also met friends from other places at this milonga.

Milonga El Living
Time: 8:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.  C/ Pallars 65-71 4th penthouse

The familiarity of tango

Another aspect of the small tango world that I love. Talk to someone new for 5 minutes and I’m sure there’s common person or place with that person after all tango is a small international world.

Link

Milongas | BCN

Inspirational Barcelona

Crossing Carrer Avenida de Diagonal

Yes, we did it.

We ended our time living in Valencia.
Why?
There are myriad reasons, but most importantly, Barcelona is a city that is continually moving. It’s not a sleepy little village; it’s a city with many moving parts.

Nevertheless, there are many explanations, including a greater diversity of neighborhoods and an easier international airport for travel. Primarily, we have a couple of people we know and enjoy here. In the past, it was challenging to keep up with friends, as it was harder to track their dynamic movements. Living in Barcelona, it’s a city that’s easily accessible.

Now that the leaves are starting to fall into the streets, it’s the middle of October, and the weather is just beginning to cool down. During the day, the sun shines incessantly, and in the evening, the cooler, damper weather begins.

Cooler weather!

Recently, another devastating rainstorm struck just outside Valencia, possibly a result of climate change. We’re glad we weren’t living there to face the massive rainstorm that arose. Last year, we lived near Barrio Gothic, which is the intersection of the old city and the marina. A pretty sweet neighborhood, except that there are a lot of people who want to visit the area.

Open-air mall

Worldwide tourism is a double-edged sword; it cloys its way to the top of a city’s newness and exploits what is old and established. Yes, that’s totally understandable about the protests and trying to keep things local.

It’s a challenging balancing act, balancing the need to generate revenue to cover service costs for residents and visitors while also staging or creating new experiences for the community and its visitors.

It is a fantastic act, but when done correctly, a thing of beauty.

We lived here before.

Last year, when we lived in the neighborhood called Reina Christina, it was a roughly 3-block square area composed of totally renovated buildings that were being repurposed as short-term tourist apartments. I thought that’s great, as this is an expensive process to renovate old buildings and bring them up to current living codes; at least there is a financial incentive that should be helpful.

Street-side cafe

This year, we are increasingly aware of Barcelona’s aptitude as a city, with its rich history, culture, and food, presenting a unique urban village.

As we are doing things differently, the same can be said of our whereabouts. We rented a small apartment in the San Gervasi section of town.


Vast and varied, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi offers a mix of urban tapas bars, brand-name boutiques, and hillside nature walks at Vallvidrera Reservoir. A funicular railway ascends to Parque de Atracciones, with old-fashioned thrill rides and panoramic views on Mt. Tibidabo. Bellesguard is a medieval-style turreted mansion designed by Antoni Gaudí, and the modernist CosmoCaixa museum houses a planetarium and indoor rainforest.”

Vast and varied.

With this location, we are situated on a hilltop, offering a unique view of the city.

Look on the roof!

What’s so fantastic for us is that we are trying to transition to a more local lifestyle. We are looking to rent a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with a balcony and hope to secure a lease for a minimum of three to four years.

We are hopeful about achieving our goal, as last year was the first time we attempted to relocate to Barcelona. I logged many hours looking and registered numerous conversions with landlords and agents.

This year, I plan to achieve my goal by returning to a philosophy I have used. But you will have to have me about that!

Cafe de Paris open kitchen

Another issue we have decided is that we will no longer do much flying in Europe unless the distances are crucial for travel. Now we will also need a garage to store a travel van.

Currently.

Our current one-bedroom apartment is located in an older section of town known as L’Eample. Here, you can find a wide range of trendy clothing stores, shoe stores, and bag stores, as well as my favorite, a diverse selection of both local and international restaurants.

The cafes in this part of the city are a bit more fantastic.  There’s the Flying Monkey just around the corner, serving straightforward food but presented robustly. Its coffee service is delivered in these beautiful, handmade mugs.
Another block away is Santa Gloria’s coffee, another local gem on Carrer Travasare de García.

Even though I have returned to drinking my Jasmine dragon tea, I still enjoy sitting outside and drinking decaffeinated coffee at a cafe.

Life in Spain, especially Barcelona, runs at a different pace. As I go through life, I find that I appreciate this feature more and more.

Allowing oneself to savor, enjoy, and sit with one’s partner is incredibly rewarding, as we discuss our Spanglish ways of what adventures we would like to undertake.

Last year.

Last year, we lived near the Gothic Quarter, and this year, we live in the section of town called L’Example.  This part of town is filled with designer clothing stores, shoe stores, medical and ethical establishments, and, of course, my favorite: the restaurants and bakeries.

Preparation of orders to go.

Around the corner, we have Thai, Mexican, Japanese, traditional Spanish, and a fantastic Cafe de Paris…where we make a reservation for lunch just before we go.

Unfortunately, the other day they were full, and we had to have lunch at a working-class restaurant that served the worst food I have had yet. We discussed why we wanted to share our food. The restaurant worker didn’t understand the concept of eating less.  After a while, I was exhausted from thinking about it and just paid for two portions. We will never return.


“St Gervasius dates back to 987 AD. This saint is known as the protector of people in need and an exemplar of virtue. Please guide us in times of doubt and difficulty. May you grant us the grace to remain faithful to the Gospel. Through your intercession, we ask for the strength to face the challenges of life and peace for our troubled hearts.” Fun folklore!

Home to many.

Once again, returning to the central theme of our travel adventures…tango.

Dance, dance, dance

In discovering the tango culture of Barcelona, we have discovered it’s possible to dance tango almost every night.

Yes, it’s possible to dance tango in a milonga in Barcelona on any night from Tuesday through Sunday.

Yes, we can dance.

We returned to this city because, yes, the tango is good. Lots of spaces with a continuous influx of both foreigners and locals.

In the past, we have chosen our tango events by throwing precaution to the wind. This year, we will be a bit more resolute, not just because of the tango but because it is a country we would like to know more about.

Which tango events in what countries? We have been discussing a road trip to Romania from Spain, possibly a return to Rovinj, Croatia, and exploring Slovenia as well, as all these places offer tango and are relatively affordable.

Adaptación

The exciting news is that we will adapt our travel styles as our bodies change. A recent revelation for me is. I can no longer sit on an airplane for 12 hours!!!

From our house to your house…Abrazo

However, I love road trips to different places, as they are fun and bring back the feeling of being on an adventure.

Links:

https://tangoenbarcelona.es/

https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distrito_de_Sarri%C3%A1-Sahttps://tangoenbarcelona.es/

Walking the street
Venice in December 2024
Maybe it’s time!!!

Tidbits on Valencia living: the odd, the new, and possibly typical.

We arrived in Valencia after a month-long adventure traveling to places that, in June, would be sweltering, but which featured some of the most beautiful ancient cities that played a significant part in world history, commerce, and the development of culture.

How much beauty?

However, the other advantage of this apartment is that the owner, who was from Germany, would let us file for Empadronamiento. This is the official process for registering a place rented as your residence, which helps you obtain other Spanish paperwork.

So I said, Okay, we can try for a couple of months.

OMG…at 72 years of age, being relatively healthy, after the initial week, I was only willing to go down and ascend the stairs two times daily TOTALLY!

Now this really starts to cramp my lifestyle as I resist getting out, but luckily, Maximo is excellent.  He starts going to the store to buy the daily groceries, or if we plan on going out, I will wait for him to take the groceries to the apartment, have a cold beverage, and enjoy the air conditioning.  I must have forgotten to say we were in an only fan-cooled apartment. In Spain, fewer than 50% of older apartments have modern conveniences, such as elevators or air conditioning. This sweet little hotel across the street is Saman Hotel Boutique.

The area Carrer de Industria is middle-class. It has many semi-industrial areas featuring auto garage spaces that emit auto paint and other mysterious fumes when the gigantic bay doors open. The corner cafe has been here for 30 years, leaving a lasting impression on the most critical local gossip, and as we walk by to the bus stop. There are a few other auto garages and what appear to be private parking lots.

Another place of interest is the religious mission for South America. Last but not least is the Halal Store, where the only person I have seen entering the store seems to be the worker or owner, wearing variations on the same clothing daily. He is a compact Muslim man with a manicured beard.  Later in the evening,  I observed this man mopping floors.

Yes, it is a very diverse neighborhood, and the Samam Boutique Hotel is a fantastic oasis of civilization. This is the type of location that encourages conversations with strangers and perhaps shared experiences. I love going there, as I feel I am being pampered, especially since my beverage is a bottle of Tiñó de Verano for just 3€.

Diviversirty in the city!

A great late afternoon stop to literally chill out for an hour or so, before deciding what our next adventure will be.

During the latter part of the week, a milonga can be found on the website.  http://tangoenvalencia.minglanillaweb

A great late afternoon stop to literally chill out for an hour or so, before deciding what our next adventure will be.

Activities in the city!

This city is very active with weekend Milongas, depending on the season.

Our milonga experiences have ranged from the most memorable to the most isolated and forgettable. When we arrive at a new location, we will usually gift the organizer a fee of my travelingtango.com greetings cards. I find that this little kindness is appreciated.  We chat up our travels and try to get background on this particular place.
Reactions range from genuine interest about where in the world we have danced to a total lack of charm, interest, or any basic curiosity.

Living in Valencia, especially in the sections we have become acquainted with, such as Monti Olivet, Rusafa, and El Carmen, the River Turia has given us a deeper understanding of this wonderful city of Valencia, which welcomes you with a warm embrace.

The people who visit Valencia are usually fit, as most people get around the city by renting a bicycle or an electric scooter.
Bike lane traffic is severe, as stepping out into traffic can cause a significant accident.

All the pretty languages!

Typical languages heard on the street are Catalonia, Spanish, lots of Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, English, and Portuguese. Occasionally, I can understand Romanian and other heavily Slavic languages.

All these visitors promote and generate an international restaurant and market section in the city.

We have eaten fabulous food with origins in Thailand, India, Japan, Mexico, Italy, and Argentina.

To try a new restaurant, I read reviews continuously. My standards start at a minimum combined review of 4.4. My experiences have taught me to read the subterfuge. 

The local Valenciano special of Paella doesn’t knock my socks off, as I am not a huge fan of mussels, shrimp, and octopus, or the other version with rice, rabbit, and chicken.

I do love the inky black squid version of Paella.

There are also many local delicacies for drinking, such as Tinto de Verano and Agua de Valencia.

Lots of homemade ice cream, too.

Late in the day, it’s always time for a few tapas and maybe a vermouth.

Food galore!

With the fantastic variety of fresh vegetables, homemade pizza and pastas, amazing selections of cheeses from soft to hard, goat to sheep, and cow. It would be impossible not to eat well in this city.

Another specialty of this city is its excellent transportation system, which includes hybrid electric buses, a few desired buses, an electric tramway system, and an underground train system. All color-coordinated and easy to use, as usual, each station features an LED agenda that displays the upcoming schedule and provides a place to sit in the heat.

With friendly athletic people who are essentially upholders of rules and borders. Valencia is situated in a very peaceful area, with most of the street drinking taking place near the British. While the Germans continue to drink their beer.

Fashion is the top!

The younger women dress fashionably, and the men can look like children in their gangster get-up, but on the streets a positive harmony is manifested.

Making Valencia stop on a visit to Spain is integral to understanding the Spanish psyche.


Now in late September cooler winds are blowing, but the weather of winter doesn’t arrive until December.

And till next time!

Abrazo y besitos

Traveling Tango

Creator of Tango Experiences

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