H I
P T R I P S
...Casa Batillo
features Gaudi's unique style
After this picturesque city
displayed its scenic charms in Woody Allen's popular film, Vicky Christina Barcelona, arrivals
by American tourists have shown a significant increase, and those
arriving by cruise ship
are now a
trend in their own right. Taking
advantage of this surge, the city on the sea is pulling out all stops
to keep
its attractions and infrastructure first rate. In the accommodations
area
alone, some 54 new
hotels have opened in the past two years.
The Port of Barcelona consolidated its position as Europe's top cruise port by welcoming
a record
2,069,651 passengers and 887 cruise ship calls in 2008. An investment
of $19.7
million upgraded infrastructure and introduced the new Terminal A,
which opened
in June ’08 with a capacity for 4,000 passengers. Expansion at the International Airport is now underway, beginning
with the current opening of the new South
Terminal that raises capacity to 55 million passengers a year. Both One
World Alliance
(American
Airlines etc.) and Star Alliance (including Iberia) moved to this new
terminal.
Museums are also on the
upgrade. This year marks the
opening of a new Rock and Roll Museum on the unlikely site of a
converted bull ring. Among the rock memorabilia will be Jim Morrison’s
poems,
the wedding dress Madonna wore on her “Like a Virgin” tour, Bruce
Springsteen’s
manuscripts, plus permanent exhibits on those rock icons, the Beatles
and the
Rolling Stones. Stops at the Museum of Catalan History, the National Museum of
Catalan Art, and
the Picasso Museum provide an in-depth feel for
the city's cultural side. Plans are underway
to erect a Society Museum to unite three existing
structures
featuring the area’s Catalan roots.
Speaking of the Catalans, due
to their
well-known devotion to blending native food flavors, Catalonia now boasts an amazing 40
Michelin-starred
restaurants. A new dining trend in Barcelona itself is called
“bistronomia,” a
combination of bistro and gastronomy. At least 15 restaurants of this
type have
sprung up recently, offering three-course meals for about $30.
We can’t leave Barcelona without a mention of the
city’s favorite
sculptor Antonio Gaudi. Camp Nou Stadium, Europe’s largest, celebrates its 50th
birthday this year with a $350 million redesign by Norman Foster.
Inspired by Gaudi’s trencadis style, the architect covered the
stadium’s
exterior with a mosaic of tiles that change color, offering
intricate
light displays at night. www.spain.info
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