Sometimes it takes an Olympic Games to rejuvenate a city – think Barcelona in 1992.
And with under three years to go before London’s turn, some forgotten city treasures are being dusted off for the benefit of the visiting throng.
One such is the British Telecom (BT) Tower (formerly the Post Office Tower), until recently considered an unfashionable 1960s monolith that served merely as a handy way of getting your bearings in London’s West End.
The 581-foot tower, opened in 1965, has suddenly been given new life. Not only was it the venue for a spectacular firework display to mark 1,000 days to the Games, it’s been given the honour of holding a 500-foot high Olympics countdown screen.
And now there’s even talk of reviving the once-famed revolving restaurant on the 34th floor. BT is said to have recently begun searching for celebrity chefs to oversee the restaurant, which was closed 30 years ago amid security fears.
The rotating floor where the restaurant would be situated takes 20 minutes to complete a circuit - roughly 10 minutes less than the London Eye. It’s likely to have seating for 60–70 diners. It’s thought BT would like to have it open by Christmas 2011, although a spokeswoman said rather tersely:
“We don’t comment on rumour and speculation.”
by Andy Moreton
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The Catalonia region of Spain – which includes Barcelona and the Costa Brava resorts – has announced a crackdown on the supply of cheap drinks in bars and clubs.
Among other things, it’s banned the ‘Happy Hour’ promotion, in which people are typically offered two drinks for the price of one, and the practice of clubs supplying free drinks after payment of an entrance fee. Violations could result in a fine of up to £6,000 ($9,800).
Barcelona is a popular destination for young Britons holding pre-wedding stag (bachelor) and hen (bachelorette) parties, but these sometimes end in drunkenness and debauchery.
But it’s likely that the new measures are equally aimed at the young Spaniards who engage in what are known as botellones – drinking jamborees in which students crowd public squares, drink heavily and disturb the peace.
“We must protect citizens,” said Catalonia’s public health director, Antoni Plasencia. “We want to impede the uncontrolled consumption of alcohol.”
by Andy Moreton
Luxique has a wide and varied selection of luxury hotels in Barcelona, as well as in other parts of Catalonia, including Tarragona and Girona.
The beautiful and vibrant Spanish city of Barcelona has just earned a less welcome tag – the pickpocket capital of the world.
In a survey carried out by a major the holiday review site, the Catalan capital was even ranked ahead of Rome, where the problem has been deep-rooted and much-publicised. Prague was third.
The travel review site based its rankings mainly on comments made by its website users. Particularly notorious was Barcelona’s famous boulevard, La Rambla, which has also recently become a magnet for street prostitutes. One tourist commented: “The place is rife with pickpockets …. I know of three people who were victims in the four days we were there!”
A spokesperson for the travel review site said: “The combination of an awe-struck traveller and a bag bulging with local currency, not to mention passports, cameras and credit cards, is an appealing prospect for any light-fingered thief.”
Don’t be put off from going to this delightful city, but read the useful safety tips on the Barcelona Tourist Guide website: http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/general/barcelona-safety.html. And for accommodation, you can do no better than browse Luxique’s comprehensive selection of luxury hotels in Barcelona.
by Andy Moreton
I spent a day in Paris a couple of weeks ago and was impressed to see the cycle-renting service Vélib working very effectively, in spite of problems with theft and vandalism.
Cities all over the world are making big efforts to go green and encourage people to cycle rather than drive. Amsterdam has always been in the vanguard of this, but Copenhagen is making a bid to become the world’s friendliest city for cyclists. It has good reason - the Danish capital is hosting the UN climate change summit at the end of the year.
At present, about a third of people in Copenhagen already cycle to work, school or university – there are 217 miles of cycle routes. “The city has worked consistently to improve things for cyclists,” said Andreas Rohl, who’s in charge of the city’s cycling programme. “For people here, going on a bicycle is a bit like brushing your teeth, you don’t think much about it!”
Two of the city’s main bridges have recently had a makeover to encourage more people to cycle. One is now completely car-free, the other includes double cycle lanes on both sides. Other cycle-friendly measures are being considered.
Barcelona and London are among the other European cities openly committed to improving cycle routes.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique can offer a choice of five of the best luxury hotels in Copenhagen - from the Nyhavn 71, ‘a rustic warehouse conversion’, to the smartly refurbished Avenue Hotel.
A leading US magazine has named Tokyo as the world’s hottest city for food lovers – for a second consecutive year.
Food and Wine singled out the Japanese capital for its cutting edge restaurants and superb ingredients. “Tokyo is the best food city hands down,” said the magazine’s travel editor, Jen Murphy. “That’s where chefs are going for innovations. They are so far ahead of us.”
The magazine said Japanese chefs were dictating the world’s dining trends with their fierce devotion to seasonality and respect for aesthetics.
Barcelona came in second, followed by Copenhagen, London and New York. Of Copenhagen, Food and Wine said: “The world’s foodies are fascinated by the city and its avant-garde chefs, who experiment with unconventional ingredients.”
One surprise was that Paris slipped out of the top list. “Right now, there’s no new excitement to the food scene there,” claimed Ms Murphy.
Also out is Food and Wine’s 2009 list of the top restaurants at hotels worldwide. It includes Celadon at the Sukhothai in Bangkok; Moo at Omm in Barcelona; NoMI at the Park Hyatt in Chicago; Lung King Heen at the Four Seasons in Hong Kong; Le Meurice at Le Meurice in Paris and Mathias Dahlgren at the Grand in Stockholm. All these luxury hotels are bookable at the best rates through Luxique.
by Andy Moreton
The electric bike could be the future; for many Chinese it’s the present.
The e-bike is assisted by a battery-powered motor that makes pedalling feel almost effortless. With China being a nation of 450 million cyclists, it’s caught on there with astonishing speed; industry analysts believe two-thirds of them could eventually switch to electric power.
One man is determined to show the world the benefits of the e-bike – and he’s not Chinese. Guim Valls Teruel, a 33-year-old from Barcelona, is riding one around the world from Beijing to London, where he hopes to arrive in time for the 2012 Olympics.
Using solar power to recharge his three batteries, Mr Teruel plans to pedal-glide through five continents before arriving in England via Ireland.
“Millions of Chinese people already use them and they can be an important part of a green revolution in the rest of the world,” said Mr Teruel, who’s lived in China for two years. “It’s so easy, it feels like you’re floating.”
The e-bike has been much slower to catch on in Europe and the United States, even though it is has zero emissions, is whisper-quiet and can deliver a commuter to his desk without the need for a shower and a change of clothes.
However, there are now signs that the e-bike is about to make a breakthrough in Europe, starting among the cycle-loving citizens of the Netherlands.
by Andy Moreton
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It’s been announced that museums in the Spanish city of Barcelona will offer free entry on Sundays from the beginning of April.
At present, the scheme applies only to the first Sunday of every month, but it’s been decided to extend it to help encourage tourism and promote Barcelona’s well-established arts tradition.
Announcing the initiative, the City’s Mayor, Jordi Hereu, also said there would be an 11 per cent increase in the budget provision for culture in 2009. “It’s at times like these, when the economy is going through a difficult patch, when a city’s will to invest in culture is put to the test; this is a fundamental policy for the Barcelona that we want to build.”
The Mayor also announced that refurbishment work on one of Barcelona’s most iconic buildings, the Meridiana dog racing track, could be finished by December this year.
A final decision on the use of the building is yet to be made, but it appears likely that it will be the new home of the Barcelona Arts Centre.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique’s Top Destination guide says Barcelona is a gem of a tourist destination – you’d better believe it! We can offer a choice of more than two dozen of the best luxury Barcelona hotels – both traditional and cutting-edge.
One of the most protracted works in progress in Europe is the cathedral of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
The building was the creation of the visionary architect, Antoni Gaudi, whose vivid and unusual designs have left an indelible mark on the city. But Gaudi’s untimely death in 1926 under the wheels of a tram meant that completion of his opus was left to future generations.
That project is finally nearing its conclusion – well, comparatively … it’s about 20 years off now – but it seems not everyone is happy with the work.
More than a hundred figures from Spain’s art and heritage world have signed a manifesto protesting at what they see as a betrayal of Barcelona’s most famous son by those determined to leave their own stamp on the cathedral. They write of ‘the mediocrity of a group of technicians and developers who are well-meaning but full of anachronistic paternalism.’
Among those protesting is the director of Madrid’s Reina Sofia modern art museum, Manual Borja-Villel, who says visitors will not be able to tell where Gaudi’s work begins and ends.
“What they are constructing has little to do with the spirit of Gaudí. It has more to do with building a tourist attraction and for propaganda purposes.”
Architects working on Gaudí’s masterpiece have been plagued with difficulties from the start. The designer refused to stick to a blueprint, preferring to direct a building’s evolution on the ground. The plans that did exist following his death were badly damaged during the Spanish Civil War.
And fears for the foundations of the cathedral have been raised after approval was given earlier this year for a high speed rail link between Madrid and Barcelona that passes within yards of the building.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique has a superb selection of luxury hotels in Barcelona with great rates!
