Destination Barcelona » catalan

VIP Barcelona

admin — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 09:51:49 +0000

The coolest places in Spain’s hot seaside city. Nestled in Aribau, one of the main thoroughfares of the compact and largely tourist-free Eixample neighborhood, the restaurant “Five Senses” wins praise for its market-based tasting menus that change with the seasons.”Barcelona, posa’t guapa” — “Doll yourself up!” That’s what Barcelona’s city hall advised the denizens of this vibrant Mediterranean city to do in the run-up to the 1992 Summer Olympics. Sixteen years later, they’re still fervently following that characteristically Catalan directive. A distinct yen for experimentation in design — look no further than Antoni Gaudí’s iconic Sagrada Familia, now expected to be completely roofed by 2010 — coupled with a buoyant civic pride make Barcelona fertile ground for creative types and rewarding terrain for the curious traveler.

Design in its myriad forms is a central thread uniting the fabric of this city, which means that one could see things as opposite as Santiago Calatrava’s ethereal Communications Tower atop Montjuïc hill (built for the 1992 Olympics) and Gaudí’s ebullient Parc Güell garden, with its glorious mosaic work and sweeping coastal views, making more sense here than they might somewhere else. And if the over-the-top Palau de la Musica Catalana concert hall of a century ago is a symbol of Catalan creativity, so too is the soon-to-open Terminal B at Barcelona International Airport, which very nearly replicates the gentle blue waves lapping a few hundred meters away.

Palau de la Música Catalana

admin — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:33:11 +0000

The Palau de la Música Catalana is one of the world’s leading concert halls. Considered to be one of Modernism’s chief exponents, it was built by the Catalan architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner between 1905 and 1908. In 1997 it was declared a “World Heritage Site” by the UNESCO. The Palau de la Música Catalana plays host to musical seasons arranged by different organizations, with a frequency exceeding three hundred sessions per year.

Since it’s opening, Barcelona concertgoers have had the privilege to attend concerts performed by the world most famous artists, i.e., Leonard Bernstein conducting West Side Story, Duke Ellington performing his masterful swing music, as well as Karajan, Chick Corea, and so many others.

These musicians have given the Barcelonians some unforgettable nights of music. While in Barcelona you should experience such a magical night too.

Address: St.Francesc de Paula, 2
08003 Barcelona
Web: www.palaumusica.org
Metro stop: Urquinaona

Barceloneta

admin — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:22:15 +0000

Very wide and long and fringed by woodendecking along which lies a series of American-style eateries(pizzas and Tex-Mex mostly) plus the busy Catalan restaurant Agua. Somewhere along its length, the beach becomes San Sebastian (Metro: Barceloneta), a traditional and popular stretch with locals and consequently crowded, noisy and very jolly.