The first documentary reference we find to the church of Santa Maria del Mar is in a text from the year 998. This basilica is the work of the architect Berenguer de Montagut, and the first stone was laid to commemorate the conquest of Sardinia, which completed the Catalan domination in the Mediterranean initiated ten years earlier with the conquest of Mallorca, and which reached its fullest extent with the entry of Sicily and Greece into the domains of the House of Barcelona.
Externally, it is the only perfectly-finished Catalan Gothic church. Its outer walls display the features which differentiate Catalan Gothic from European.
In the Catalan style, there is a predominance of horizontal lines, of solid panels over empty spaces, of flat terraces without roofs, and a preference for large bare surfaces. The buttresses are swithout flying buttresses as in the European Gothic cathedrals, and the towers are octagonal and flat-topped.
The interior of the church is of an extraordinary beauty and has exceptional acoustic conditions that make it an ideal space for concerts, usually of classical and Oriental music but occasionally of jazz.
The Best stadium in the World – Camp Nou
By Norman Foster will be the latest in a long list of emblematic buildings that make up Barcelona’s modern skyline, and will be an icon of the city itself and of the modernity and traditions of Catalonia.
Barcelona, the city of progress, design and architecture will soon extend this vision to the district of Les Corts in the form of the British architect’s new design for the football stadium. The new Camp Nou will reflect the past, present and future of Barcelona, Catalonia and modernity’s architectural identity.
Three sources of inspiration
In the words of Norman Foster himself on the day that the model of Barça’s new home was presented, three main elements inspired his restructuring project: the club’s history, the stadium itself and the link between Barcelona, its city and its country. Taken together, this inspiration is manifested in the form a Gaudi-esque mosaic on the façade and roof that will offer dramatic effects at night and pleasant, bright colours by day.
Local influence
Foster’s intention was for the new Camp Nou to be an icon, and at the same time a tribute to Catalan architecture in the form of an allegory to Barcelona and Catalonia. Foster’s inspirations are a synthesis of different traditional and modern influences taken from constructions that already exist in the city, and that help ensure that the Camp Nou will remain an essential part of any sightseeing tour of the city of Barcelona.
In this sense, the international recognition acquired by Barcelona as a result of the Olympic Games in 1992 is particularly worthy of mention. Since the city was announced as the host, Barcelona pulled out all the stops to seduce the world. It has been mainly since then that Barcelona, through such buildings as the Torre de Collserola and the Torre Agbar, among many others, has transformed as it continues to hold major events. The city and its main thoroughfares have been transformed as a result of these events, although its icons are not the cause of this transformation, but rather the consequence.
Best Hotels in Barcelona… Travelers have long believed there are only two options for sleeping in Barcelona: backpacker hostels or luxury high rises, and never the twain shall meet.
Challenging that premise, the Chic and Basic company (chicandbasic.com) gives travelers three low-cost options: hotel, hostel and rental apartments sprinkled across downtown from Born (carrer Princesa, 50;, 34-93-295-4652) to Plaza Catalunya (Calle Tallers, 82; 34-93-302-5183) to Gotico (Calle Estruch, 20;34-93-200-2588.). Hostel rates start at 75 euros for a double; 55 euros for a single (about $102 and $75 at $1.36 to the euro); the hotel goes up a notch to between 110 and 210 euros per night. All rooms are very bright, very white — with an eye to sound design (iPod docks and television music channels) and basic needs, which in the jargon of Euro-travelers means bottles of water, plasma televisions and Internet access. In the hotel and hostel, there are small shared kitchenettes. Just down the street from Chic and Basic Born, Ciutat Barcelona (Carrer Princesa, 35; 34-93-269-7475; ciutathotels.com), has minimalist rooms with tall French windows that begin at 95 euros with free high-speed Internet connections and plasma TVs. A roof deck has an itty-bitty pool. A few new apartment rental companies provide Ikea-basic apartments for two to four people in high-end locations. At the newcomer Decimononico (Calle Pescatería, 1; 34-93-319-1661; decimononico.com) apartment rentals in Born begin at 65 euros a person for a double.
Summer’s coming and we want to drink something lighter. Admit it, you’ve got a case of 2-Buck Chuck in the closet and you’re wondering if it will cellar well until next fall. The Spanish have that one all figured out.
Tinto de verano: the red wine of summer. The term refers to a mixture of red wine with various carbonated beverages, spiked with lemon. Forget sangria; not only is tinto de verano a no-sweat version of this summer classic, but it’s also refreshingly delicious, and can be varied to suit one’s taste.
Beer gets the same treatment in Spain, mixed half-and-half with sparkling lemon soda – Fanta limon is preferred here – and the resulting mix christened a ‘clara.’ The term refers to the white of a raw egg, precisely the substance that a clara resembles, at least in color.
While you’re sipping a tinto de verano on a hot summer (or spring) day, you can remind yourself that you’re still getting your antioxidant quotient but cutting your alcohol consumption by half. Here are a couple of recipes.
TINTO DE VERANO
One-half liter of cheap red wine
One-half liter of sparkling lemon or lemon-lime soda, or tonic water, or sparkling mineral water
Dash of red Vermouth (to taste; optional)
One lemon, sliced
Mix ingredients and serve over ice.
CALIMOCHO
Pour half a glass of cheap red wine; top with Coca-Cola. Add lemon slices and ice and serve cold.
Thanks barcelonajane.blogspot.com
La Nova Icaria Beach presents a high grade of occupation and is located close to the Olympian Port of Barcelona and separated from the adjacent beaches for small breakwaters, they connecting with the seafront of the Barceloneta.
The local police, Red Cross and a station of rescue and evacuation only give service during the summer period, as the lifeguards.
La Nova Icaria has the Blue Flag. There is also a seafront promenade with chiringuitos and restaurants.
Equipment and services: this beach has special handicapped persons facilities, renting from water crafts, red cross, walloways, restaurants, chiringuitos, beach umbrellas and hammocks, rest rooms, camping, lifeguards, parking, public phones, bus stop, cleaning service and waste bins.
You can practice here windsurfing, jet skiing and sailing.
Type: Urbanized
Size: Small (400 m)
Abarcelonage width: 40 m
Type surface: Fine golden sand
Surge: Calm