SPAIN'S NEW NORMAL BEGINS: Life After the COVID-19 Lockdown

Mijas-Málaga, by Jose A.

On Sunday June 21, Spain will enter what the government is calling the “new normal.” After three months, the State of Alarm will come to an end, but it will not be a situation completely free of restrictions. Hygiene and safe-distancing measures will remain, e.g., the obligatory use of masks when a safe inter-personal distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained, with fines of up to €100 for violators.

Regarding many other matters, the Autonomous Regions will take control of much of the management of the crisis from now on, with each regional government establishing its own measures. For the most part, these will involve regulating capacity in establishments and events of all kinds, whether indoors or outdoors. Madrid, for example, has already announced that nightclubs will remain closed until July 5th. Local fiestas may also be suspended. 

Nationwide, the biggest change is an end to mobility restrictions within Spanish territory and the freedom to once again travel to other regions without need for justification. Travel restrictions with most European Union and Schengen area countries also come to an end on Sunday. The exceptions are: Portugal, whose border will not reopen until July 1st, and the United Kingdom, for which no date has been set for normalizing travel. The Spanish government is considering implementing a  quarantine requirement with the UK, given that people traveling there must self-isolate for two weeks. Meanwhile, the British government is considering revising this measure, but not before June 29.  

Borders with the rest of the world will begin to open on July 1st, on a gradual basis, but there will be some requirements before travel is allowed: an epidemiological situation that is similar to or better than that of EU member states; certain health conditions in the country of origin, the journey and the destination; and reciprocal acceptance of travelers from the EU.

Will there be another lockdown in Spain? If there are localized outbreaks of the coronavirus, specific lockdowns will be possible on an individual basis and in very specific areas, such as in a town or city. Of course, a national lockdown under another State of Alarm could occur, if the need arises.  As Health Minister Salvador Illa said recently, “If we have to use it again, of course, we will use it again.”

Source: El País

Spain to allow German tourists to travel to the Balearic Islands without quarantine: 47 flights already scheduled

Bienvenido de nuevo

The Spanish government made it official today: Germans will be the first tourists allowed to try out Spain's famous sun and sand resorts in what is being called the New Normal—or what I call, “Life after the Coronavirus lockdown but not quite after COVID-19.”

The details: When, where, and how

Next week's partial opening of the country's borders is partial in two ways: 1) only for tourists from Germany and 2) only for travel to the Balearic Islands. In addition, these visitors will be exempt from the 14-day quarantine other travelers to Spain must currently undergo.

Specifically, beginning next Monday, June 15, some 10,900 German travelers are expected to begin alighting on the shores of the islands of Mallorca, Ibiza, and Menorca. (Sorry Formentera fans.) There have been 47 flights scheduled thus far—38 to Palma, 8 to Ibiza and 1 to Menorca. The first two flights are planned for Monday, and will arrive in Palma from Frankfurt and Düsseldorf. The third is scheduled on Wednesday, from Düsseldorf to Ibiza. The premiere flight to Menorca is scheduled to run June 27 from Düsseldorf.

Empty beach in Peguera, Mallorca: Marco Verch

Despite all these plans, these flights are actually provisional, since the official government declaration includes this caveat: “Additionally, by resolution of the official responsible for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, and in accordance with the Monitoring Committee referred to in article 4, the annex may be expanded, modified, revised or updated.” (Emphasis mine.)

On arrival at the airports, passengers will have to complete health questionnaires and undergo screening by healthcare workers. Anyone with symptoms, e.g., a fever or cough, will be given a test. If the test is negative, they will have to agree to "telematic monitoring of their symptoms." A Monitoring Committee, made up of at least one representative from Spain's airports operator AENA, the Ministry of Health, the Secretary of State for Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and relevant bodies in the areas of health and tourism in the Balearic Islands, will meet every two days.

Tourists will also have to stay a minimum of five nights and provide details about where they will be staying.

Other Special Routes Being Considered

Ibizas's sidewalk cafe's await

Other autonomous regions in Spain may soon be allowed to do something similar. Yesterday, Minister of Health  Salvador Illa said that in the coming days he expected to announce comparable agreements with other regional governments. Indeed, negotiations with the Canary Islands are reportedly in advanced stages, although at least one sticking point remains regarding mandatory requirements, since the government of the Canary Islands wants PCR tests carried out on each tourist arriving on the islands, not only those with symptoms. With the autonomous region of Galicia set to leave the state of alarm this coming Monday, it could be another candidate to open an early travel corridor with an EU country—or countries.

These early travel bubbles are consistent with the government's official declaration, which stated, "It is recommended that pilot programs be launched through the establishment of safe tourist corridors, prior to the end of the state of alarm, in order to verify the operation of the model for lifting temporary controls on internal borders and the recovery of freedom of movement.”

What does Brussels say?

Brussels actually wants to move a bit faster on all this, having recently called for the European Union's internal borders to be reopened next Monday. Some states, like Italy, have opened their borders for all citizens of countries in the Schengen area. Others, like Austria, have only done so for some of their neighbors. And a third group, of which Spain is a part, has not yet lifted barricades for anyone—at least it will not have until this exception of the new Germany-Balearic Isles route comes to pass. The European Commission wants to end this inconsistency and do way with all internal border controls in order to allow free movement from June 15 on, as detailed in a report it presented Thursday.

Source: Contando Estrelas Flickr

It seems that the EU’s call to open internal borders next week has increased pressure on Spain to open up faster. According to El País, “EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, insisted on the recommendation that internal borders must 'reopen as soon as possible.' But she added that the main thing is for everyone to open internal borders completely before opening the EU’s external ones to third-country travelers.”

Despite this, the Spanish government insists that its decisions will be made based on health criteria alone and that, regional exceptions aside, the plan remains waiting until July 1 before completely opening borders to the rest of Europe. In fact, Spain continues to prevent full mobility between its own regions. This situation is due to end by June 22, when the Spanish COVID-19 state of alarm expires.

Meanwhile, Brussels seems to have accepted the fact that the opening of borders within the EU will probably not be completed according to its dictates.

“We understand that reopening on Monday for countries that have not yet decided to do so could be complicated, and that some might take an extra week or two,” Johansson also said.

In other words, the New Normal will not arrive throughout the European Union until July—maybe.

Carlos

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Sources: “Los turistas alemanes vuelven a Baleares y sin cuarentena: ya hay 47 vuelos programados a partir del lunes,” Hugo Gutierrez, El País, 12 June 2020 and “EU’s call to open internal borders by June 15 increases pressure on Spain,” Álvaro Sánchez, El País English Edition, 11 June 2020.

Did you know the Alhambra was a popular board game? Probabaly didn't if you're Spanish.

Most Spaniards unaware of popular board game based on one of their country's most emblematic sites.

In Spain you can find all kinds of things named Alhambra: travel agencies, driving schools, pastries, even a famous beer brand. That's understandable since the Alhambra palace fortress, a symbol of the city Granada and one of Spain's most popular tourist sites, is known throughout the world, and Spaniards are rightly proud of it. What few Spaniards are aware of, however, is that it has inspired one of the most popular board games in Europe. While Alhambra the game flies off store shelves in places like Germany, France and the Nordic countries, it currently has no distributor in the land of its namesake.

“In Spain many people have held the license for Alhambra, but nobody has kept it very long” Haritz Solana, spokesman for Asmodee, the game's last Spanish distributor, explained to the El Mundo newspaper recently.

“It's funny, because it's a game that has won game of the year several times, with more than seven extensions, but it does not work here. We sold 500 units on the first run and little else.”

Alhambra is a classic board game, with cards, but no dice, in which players must collect materials to construct the monument and take turns to build it step by step. The game, which can be played by up to four people and can last hours, has received at least half a dozen international awards. It is one of a series of Alhambra themed pastimes produced by Queens Games.

Its creator, Dirk Henn, a German with a love of and fascination for Granada, has just developed another game carrying the name of the city itself. Granada can be combined with Alhambra, which makes the competition last much longer, because you not only build the palace, but the city around it. A video game version of Alhambra was in development, but has been indefinitely postponed.

Juan Cruz who owns Freak Mondo (Shorn Freak), the only store that sells the board game in Granada, told El Mundo, “At Christmas I sold the last three that I had. Now I have one sample and if anyone wants one, I have to order it from Germany. Though there's not much interest. I had to take it out of the store window because my regular clients took it as a joke.”

While on first sight it may invite some chuckles among Spaniards, what with the box bearing images of exotic Ottoman looking domes and Arabs wearing turbans and slippers with curled-tips, Cruz thinks if they gave it a chance they would appreciate it

“I understand that is was developed with a Central European audience in mind,” explained Cruz, “but when you play it, being from Granada and knowing the monument, you realize that it has been designed by someone who knows and likes the site.”

However, Asmodee spokesman Solana added that “there is no culture of modern board games, in Spain. Yes, there is a love of traditional games, but among the youth there is no interest in more recent board games. To start with there is the weather, so in Spain they hang outside with friends. And when something did take hold, it was the video console.”

The three best-selling board games in Europe are the The Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne and the Alhambra, according to Solana.

“Here Alhambra sells nothing, or very little – not even among [board game] aficionados.”

Cruz is more direct and attributes the lack of interest to “a certain snobbery, a shame that we seem to have when something successful has to do with our city. Yes, it is true that in recent years, because of the [economic] crisis, people have been buying more games, because if it costs 20 euros, and you go in on the purchase with four or five people, then you can tire yourself out playing and buying sodas without spending much. But the Alhambra has a curse.”

The Alhambra cursed? Well, the game in Spain, anyway.

You can check out how the game is played in the video review below:

When the clock strikes midnight in Spain...

..it's time to eat grapes – very quickly! One for each chime of the bell. Why is that?

The 12 grapes represent the months of the new year, with the hope being that each month will be as delicious as the grapes you gulp down. Therefore, the ideal thing to do is to pop 12 sweet grapes into your mouth, because that will mean 12 pleasant months to look forward to. If you're unfortunate enough to have a sour one in the bunch, then that month will be as bitter as the fruit. So, for example, if grape number 6 is off, then your July will be, too! God forbid that there are multiple unsavory ones, as that could spoil much of your luck for the year ahead. And should you miss out on the grape eating altogether, you are quite simply courting bad luck for the entire 365 days.

That is one of the reasons why tonight throughout Spain people will welcome in another New Year with a mouthful of grapes. It's quite funny, too, because as you see those around you hurriedly trying to wolf down 12 grapes in a row, the laughter starts, which in turn makes it difficult to swallow, which causes more laughter, and then more of a panic as everyone tries to finish devouring their grapes while the chimes are still ringing.

After that, many Spaniards will wash down the grapes with one of Spain's other great vintage products, cava! Then for some people it will be dancing and celebrating in the streets, while others will watch and toast one of the festive programs on TV.

As to the roots of this “oral” tradition, I have heard different things. One of the more fanciful stories is that it started long ago at the end of a year when there was such a bountiful grape harvest that on New Year's Eve (Noche Vieja) the King generously distributed the fruit to everyone throughout the land. On the more mundane side is the report that in 1909 a group of Spanish grape growers created and promoted the idea in order to sell more product. The truth probably lies somewhere else.

It is interesting to note that similar traditions exist in other Mediterranean countries, as well as in Latin America. Cook and writer Nigella Lawson observed on a radio show on New Year food traditions broadcast by NPR a year ago that a tradition of eating exactly 12 grapes also exists in Malta, whereas Italy's midnight grape consuming tradition involves manically eating as many grapes as possible to ensure good health in the coming year.

Lawson also mentioned what she thought were deeper meanings of such customs. She saw a connection to folk wisdom, in that people in grape growing regions have always known that grapes are healthy, whereas science only discovered relatively recently that grape skins contain resvesterol, which may prevent cancer and heart disease.

But perhaps just as significant is the fact that, as Lawson said, “you’re doing something year in, year out, that your antecedents have done as well. And I think that’s such an important part of human ritual.”

So, here in Spain the old year ends and the new one begins with laughs, hugs, kisses, good wishes and, most of all, the tradition and hope symbolized by 12 guileless grapes.

Feliz año nuevo amig@s,

Carloz

Bad news: Barcelona 20; Madrid 24

This was the "score" that made headlines here last week, but it wasn't soccer results -- it was about how expensive the two major Spanish cities have become. So, "Barcelona, tan cara como Nueva York" ("Barcelona, as expensive as New York") screamed the front page of Barcelona's La Vanguardia newspaper on March 19th.
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Sure enough, according to the latest "Prices and Earnings: comparison of purchasing power around the globe" report by the Swiss banking firm UBS, Barcelona is the 20th most expensive city in the world, while New York City is 18th. Madrid comes in at number 24. (FYI, the 5 most expensive cities according to USB are Oslo, Copenhagen, London, Dublin and Zurich -- in that order.)
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However, looking a little closer at the data, one can see that this first list, referred to as the "Prices" list has two columns -- one including rent costs and the other not. Therefore, according to UBS, Barcelona is the 20th most expensive city in the world for visitors, and Madrid number 24, etc.
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For a look at the cost of living in a city, one needs to look at the second column, which includes rent costs. Here Barcelona is ranked as the 26th most expensive city to live in, Madrid number 22 and New York City number 5. So, saying Barcelona is as expensive as New York city could be considered stretching things a bit -- but it certainly isn't cheap anymore! (By the way, according to this list, the most expensive city to live in is London followed by Oslo, Dublin and Copenhagen.)
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Another list in the report is called, "Domestic purchasing power including rent prices." Here Barcelona is ranked number 24, Madrid goes down to 30 and New York comes in at number 22. (The five most expensive cities in this grouping are Copenhagen, Zurich, Berlin, Geneva and Frankfurt.)
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Here are a few interesting quotes from the report:

• "The euro has continued its extraordinary ascent."


• "...Eurozone cities are even more expensive."


• "In 2006, Barcelona and Hong Kong were similarly costly. Now the Catalonian port city is 22% more expensive than the Chinese one."

Well, it seems from this report that Europe is the most expensive part of the world to live in today. As for the Euro, I have definitely seen a substantial increase in the cost of living since it was introduced in 2001. And I can personally attest to how much more it costs me to live in Barcelona than it did in previous years.
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In 2005 someone on a forum about life in Spain asked me how much I usually spent on groceries and sundries. Since I keep my supermarket receipts that was easy for me to answer -- at the time it was typically between 120 and 130 euros a month. Looking at current receipts, I can say that today I regularly spend between 165 and 175 a month.
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I need to mention that I am single and relatively frugal. Certainly there are single people who spend less than me on groceries and such, but there are probably many more who spend a greater amount than I do to eat each month.
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In closing, let me mention another report that made the news this week: Personal Income and the Risk of Poverty in Catalonia by IDES-CAT, the Statistical Institute of Catalonia. According to this study, 19% of the Catalan population falls beneath the poverty threshold. This means that 19 out of every 100 people living in Catalonia live on less than 689 euros a month!
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While I know many "mileruistas" who struggle by on about 1,000 euros a month, it must be incredibly difficult to get by on less than 689 -- especially on one's own. Sharing an apartment would be a must on such an income. Indeed, it is for many people above the poverty level.
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IDES-CAT also reported the following:

• 30% of people surveyed reported that they had difficulty making ends meet each month;
• only 4 out of ten persons surveyed stated that they had NO difficulty making ends meet;
• income is 22.3% lower in households headed by women;
• households that suffer the most economically are those made up of foreigners and those with divorced or separated heads of households;

And on that cheery note, I need to head out to do my weekly marketing.
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Chao amig@s,
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Carloz

Immigrant Reading

Aside from the free daily newspapers I've mentioned before, there are also at least two weekly papers targeting immigrants: Sí, Se Puede and Barcelona Latino. Both papers publish editions in Madrid, Catalonia and the "Levant", which is how Spaniards refer to the Southeastern coast.

Sí, Se Puede's full name is, "Sí, Se Puede el periódico de la integración", or "Yes, You Can the newspaper of integration." It's aimed at immigrants from Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and the Near East.

Sí, Se Puede is a Spanish owned company and claims that its main objective is to inform immigrants about how to integrate and about what is going on in the community. It also owns and operates a foundation named "Fundación Sí, Se Puede." Although I read the paper when I can, I really know nothing about the foundation and how genuine a non-profit organization it may, or may not, be.

Barcelona Latino is part of the "Latino" group of papers by a company named Novapress, which doesn't provide a lot of information about itself on its website. (Which leads me to believe it is probably not owned by Latin Americans, just as Sí, Se Puede isn't owned by immigrants.) Their byline is "La voz de nuestra comunidad," or "The voice of our community." As the name implies, it targets Latin Americans living in Spain. The paper claims to "identify emotionally" (sounds a little scary) with its Latin American readers and to provide information useful to their lives.

Both papers usually offer features on individuals who have successfully adapted to life here (usually successful business people), updates on issues effecting immigrants (which I always appreciate), news from home countries (nothing from my country, but then that's usually in every other paper), sports coverage, entertainment and lots and lots of advertising. Here are a few of the popular advert categories:

Money Transfer Services
Banks
Long Distance Phone Plans
Attorneys
Autos
Fortune Tellers
Dental Clinics

...and pretty much in that order. So, although neither paper mentions it in their mission statements, another goal of theirs is also to sell advertising, like all papers. And I suppose the fact that Spaniards are publishing such periodicals is a sign of the growing economic power of immigrants here.

I usually enjoy reading both newspapers, but I wish they had more information about local activities and community listings. I'm sure I'm not the only immigrant who would find locations and contact details of important services a handy thing to see in a paper.

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In addition, I'd like to see a listing of where restaurants that serve food from various nations are located. As it is, I just see the odd advert for an ethnic restaurant now and then, so I catch as catch can. As a matter of fact, I'm looking at an ad right now for a place named Mi Cali Bella that says it specializes in Colombian and Ecuadoran cooking. Hmmm, sounds interesting. I'll try to check it out soon and let you know how it is. In the meantime, I'm going to cook myself some dinner!

Ciao amig@s,

Carloz

Barcelona - Pakistani "capital" of Spain

Sometimes after a long day, like today, I don't feel like cooking dinner nor am I hungry enough to go out to eat. In this situation I sometimes pop down to the Pakistani owned convenience store next to my apartment building to pick up a couple or three of the large, generously stuffed homemade samosas on offer there for 75 cents a piece. Mmm, delicious! This little convenience store is one of several owned by Pakistanis in my neighborhood -- indeed, throughout Barcelona.

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My first contact with such a business occurred not long after moving to Barcelona. It happened one Sunday when I was looking for a convenience store because here, as in all of Spain, larger stores are not allowed to open on 'the day of rest.' So, I stopped a policeman on the street to ask if he knew a place that was open where I could buy bread and milk. I can still hear his reply, "Quieres decir un Pakistani?" (Do you mean to say a Pakistani?)

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I wasn't sure what that meant, but I replied something to the effect that, if that's what he called a convenience store with Sunday hours, then, yes. It turned out to be exactly how locals refer to such shops and my first introduction to Barcelona's large, thriving Pakistani community.
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After living here a bit I began to sense that Barcelona probably had the highest concentration of Pakistani immigrants in all of Spain, consisting mostly of men, many of whom seemed to come from the Punjab. Recently I discovered a couple of interesting reports that actually confirm these perceptions: Multiculturalism and Health and Immigration, Education and the Labour Market. For example, the first one states that 95% of Pakistanis in Barcelona are male and are not only from the Punjab but from a particular city there - Gujrat. The second report claims that 69% of Pakistanis living in Spain live in the province of Barcelona.
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Although it looks to me like the convenience store is the major business they are involved in, they also seem to be heavily represented in 'locutorios' (small businesses where you can pay to use a phone by the minute), Internet cafes (often combined with locutorios) and restaurants. In addition the local gas company's butane delivery staff appears dominated by Pakistanis and the many construction sites around the city usually have at least some Pakistani laborers. Obviously, Barcelona is a place where many Pakistani immigrants are establishing a life for themselves.
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I would love to know more about the history of this community and how Barcelona came to be the destination of so many. (I've heard estimates as low as 10,000 and as high as 60,000.) I have asked a few Pakistanis about this, but have not discovered much other than things like, "I had a friend/neighbor/relative who lived here" or "who knew someone who lived here."
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Although I don't know when the immigration began, I believe the majority have arrived relatively recently. (Another perception verified by the Multiculturalism and Health report.) However, I do know one man from Pakistan, an owner of an electronics shop, who has lived here for over 25 years and who has raised his children here.
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If anyone knows anything about the history of this community, please feel free to share it here. It would be another piece in the puzzle about how Barcelona has become (or maybe I should say, is becoming) such a diverse and interesting place.
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Chao amig@s
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Carloz

Then there's Madrid...

...which is another great Spanish city. I lived there for almost two years and thoroughly enjoyed it. I recall a New Yorker I met there when she was taking a TEFL certification course. After completing the course she went to Paris to join her boyfriend, but a few weeks and a break-up later, she returned to Madrid to teach English for a year. She liked the city so much she returned the following year to teach there again. I remember her telling me near the end of her second stint in the capital that, although she only went to Madrid after the break-up to be in a supportive environment with friends she'd made during her TEFL course, she was glad that it worked out that way because otherwise she might never have known how nice a place it was.
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This young woman had lived in London, Paris and Stockholm and here she was rating Madrid along with these other European cities. In fact, she described it as one of Europe's best kept secrets. Over the years I've heard others say similar things when singing the city's praises. Well, perhaps the the cat is finally out of the bag.

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According to a news report in EL Pais, a study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has found that the Spanish capital is one of the best cities in Europe. In fact, the paper quoted the director of the study, Mario Pezzini, as having said, "We liked it so much that if we had to leave Paris, the members of the team would move to Madrid."
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The OECD report claims that among Madrid's strengths are its public transport system, low unemployment and successful integration of immigrants, who currently make up 16% of the city's population. On the negative side, the report highlights traffic congestion, low spending on Research and Development and the high rate of temporary employment.
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Overall, however,the OECD team members found Madrid a "prosperous space" with high demographic and economic growth, according to another news source, Diariocrtico.com. The report apparently cites proactive public policies as one of the reasons the city's attraction and quality is improving.
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All of this must be good news for Mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, who reportedly wants to gain more power within the conservative Popular Party (PP) and enter national politics. He's seen by many as a moderate voice within the PP, not unlike Rudolph Giuliani in the U.S. Republican Party.
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Another goal of his is to see Madrid host the Summer Olympics. Although the city's bid for the 2012 didn't win, it did receive good marks. Therefore, the OECD report is probably equally welcomed by the Spanish Olympic Committee (Comité Olímpico Español), which is working on the application due to the IOC by September 13th.
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So, that's a little update on Madrid, the capital, the center of the country, the largest city in Spain and apparently not such a secret anymore.

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Chao amig@s,

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Carloz

A Tale of Two Cities: Barcelona Bicing & Paris Vélib

Hey, I see that Paris will be starting its own public bicycle transport program tomorrow. It's called Vélib which is a mix of the French words for bike (vélo) and free (libre). I say bon for them!
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Here's my 2 cents worth of a comparison between it and Barcelona's Bicing program.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the names: To me "Bicing" is a much catchier and international sounding name. I mean, "veleeb parreee" sounds OK, but Barcelona Bicing, that's snazzy, rhythmic, alliterate, mnemonic. (By the way, it's pronounced "beecing.")
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Bicing vs Vélib, the websites: The Bicing website is available in Spanish, Catalan and English, to make it more accessible to the city's cosmopolitan population. The Vélib website is available in French and, well... er... French, to make it more... er... French! Chalk another one up for Barcelona Bicing. Acreditase un mas a Barcelona Bicing. Acredita-se un mes a Barcelona Bicing.

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Bicing vs Vélib, the water-side view: Yeah, yeah, yeah, biking along the Seine sounds romantic and like something Judy Collin's grand kids probably do. However, it's really just a little river and no amount of Paris plage-ing during the summer is going to make it feel like the MEDITERRANEAN! Barcelona Bicing on the beach is the winner here.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the weather: Biking in Paris during the summer may be nice, but really, who wants to bike in Paris on a cold, gray winter day? During the winter most Parisians are probably looking at Spanish travel brochures and dreaming about THE MEDITERRANEAN!! Summer, winter, spring or fall, wouldn't you rather be Barcelona Bicing on the beach?
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Bicing vs Vélib, the sites to see: Ok, both cities do really well in this category. Eiffel Tower, Sagrada Familia, Champs-Élysées, Las Ramblas, Arc de Triomphe, Arc de Triumf, etc., etc. etc. Paris may even have the edge here... but... come to think of it, we've got the foothills of the Pyrenees to look up to when we're tooling along Paseo de Gracia! Can one bike from the sea to the mountains in Paris? Creo que no.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the population: Would you rather bike in a city of about 1 and a half million people, like Barcelona, or about 2 and a half million, like Paris? (Now before you answer, don't only think of the heavier traffic, but remember those cold, dreary Paris winters and the sun shining on the Mediterranean all year long.) OK, Barcelona Bicing on the beach wins here, too.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the rates: Bicing 24 euros annually; Vélib, 29 euros. BBOTB.
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Bicing vs Vélib, the countries: Bicing's in Spain, the other's in France. I rest my case.

Barcelona Bicing on the beach, yeah! Barcelona Bicing on the beach, yeah! Barcelona Bicing on the beach, yeah!

Spain's Monday News: Goya and the Great Canarian Telescope ; Woody Allen & Scarlett Johansson in Barceloneta ; Spain is number 1 in...

Star Gazing with the Great Canarian Telescope - El Gran Telescopio Canarias will give a star gazing preview this Friday at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory on the island of La Palma. Although only partially complete, enough of it has been assembled to allow telescope operators to make initial test runs. So, at 10 p.m. Canary Island time Crown Prince Felipe will fix the telescope on Polaris, the North Star, for a “first light” ceremonial observation.

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The rest of the telescope will be completed over the next year, with a grand opening presided over by King Juan Carlos I next summer. At that point the installation will be fully operational.

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One of the its first projects will be an investigation into the origin of galaxies. A team of 40 astronomers from Spain, France, the UK and the US, referred to collectively as the Galaxy Origins and Young Assembly, or GOYA, will conduct the study.

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The facilitywill have taken 7 years to build and will be the largest segmented mirror telescope in the world. The lens alone will weigh almost 17 tons and measure 10.4 meters (34.1 feet) across. It will reportedly have vision equivalent to four million human eyes.

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Star Gazing in Barceloneta - Today Woody Allen started filming his new movie in my neighborhood. Security was strong to keep him and Scarlett Johansson away from curious folks like me. Apparently Johansson plays a tourist in the film. Well, they're definitely in the right neighborhood! Click here for a photo and article.

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Spain is Number 1 - when speaking of cosmetic surgery in Europe, that is.

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Spain has more "esthetic interventions" annually than any other European country, with some 400,000 last year at an average cost of 2,000 euros. And the number in increasing between 8 and 10% each year, according to the Sociedad Española de Cirugía Plástica, Reparadora y Estética. (SECPRE - the Spanish Society for Plastic, Reparatory and Esthetic Surgery.)

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As a matter of fact, plastic surgery has become a common enough expense in the family budget to be included in Spain's official Consumer Price Index, which is used to calculate inflation!

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SECPRE reports that men, who make up 20% of patients, most often have surgery on the eyelids, abdomen and liposuction. Breast augmentation and liposuction are the most popular procedures for women.

Spain's Sunday News: Dalí, Photos, DNA, Music and Money, Money, Money, Money

Dalí Photos - El Pais announced today that Salvador Dalís former photographer and personal assistant, Robert Descharnes, is exhibiting 147 of the thousands of photos he took of Dalí and his muse, Gala, at the Municipal Museum of Cadaqués until January of next year. The photos focus on the Catalan artist's relationship with the coastal town and the nearby village of Port Lligat.

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The 83 year old French photographer said he is computerizing and cataloguing the more than 60,000 photographs that he took of Dalí and Gala over 40 years of friendship with the couple.

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Note: this photo (Dalí with ocelot) was not taken by Robert Descharnes, but by Roger Higgins.

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Dalí DNA - Descharnes revealed to El Pais that he has provided samples of Dalí's DNA to American scientific experts for the purpose of obtaining the genetic map of the surrealist icon. He apparently obtained the samples from the tubes inserted into Dalí's nose when the painter was last hospitalized. Descharnes claims that due to Dalí's genius a study of his DNA would contribute much to science.

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Test for buskers - Musicians now have to pass a test in order to perform in the Metro, Barcelona's subway system. El Pais reported that some 80 musicians auditioned yesterday before officials of the Street Musicians Association of Barcelona (Amuc BCN) and the Barcelona Transportation Metropolitan agency for permission to perform in Metro stations and trains. "The objective is to guarantee minimum standards," stated Hugo Guerrero, president of Amuc.

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Until now, permission to perform was given to anyone who registered with Amuc. Esther Ayala of TMB explained that the audition was organized because the previous system did not work well, which resulted in people who did not really know how to play or sing performing.

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Reportedly many of those who tried out yesterday were Latin-American guitarists and Eastern-European accordionists and the most were successful in their bids. "Between 85% and 90% were approved," according to Guerrero.

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Have you seen any 500 euro bills lying around? Apparently there are over 113 million of them in Spain, worth over 56,529 million euros, but they aren't seen very often. Spain's Tax Office has been has been investigating the situation for years, but to little avail. In fact, this past May a record number of 500 euro bills in circulation was reached, according to the Bank of Spain -- 64,3% of the total currency in Spain!

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Spaniards humorously refer to the bank notes as "Bin Ladens" because hardly anyone claims to have seen one. El Pais noted that over the past year the number of 200 euro notes in circulation has increased, too -- from 19 to 21 million.

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What do you think is going on?!

Friday's News in Spain: The Prince, Nature & Science; Zapatero and his ministers; local audience lacking for Spanish cinema

Prince of Asturias Foundation awards Communications prize to 'Nature' and 'Science': British and American publications ‘Science’ and ‘Nature’ have jointly received the 2007 Prince of Asturias Communications Prize. Other nominees this year included the BBC and Google. The prestigious award includes 50,000 € ($67,000 and a Joan Miró designed statuette.

This is the fifth of the Prince of Asturias awards to be announced so far this year. Other winners in 2007 have been Al Gore (the International award), Bob Dylan (Arts), Amos Oz (Literature) and Ginés Morata and Peter Lawrence (Science). Later this month the Social Science award will be announced, followed by the Sports and Concorde awards in September.

'Science' magazine is a US weekly that was first published in New York in 1880. The British journal 'Nature' dates back to 1869.

The Prince of Asturias Foundation, headed by Spanish Crown Prince Filipe, awards eight prizes every year. It was founded in 1980 with the objectives of, "strengthening the links between the Principality of Asturias and its Prince and of contributing to upholding and promoting all those scientific, cultural and humanistic values that form the heritage of humanity."

Zapatero makes cabinet changes ahead of election: Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has announced a cabinet reshuffle, including the dismissal of three ministers -- Jordi Sevilla (Public Administration), Carmen Calvo (Culture) and María Antonia Trujillo (Housing).

Elena Salgado will move from Health to Public Administration. Cesar Antonio Molina of the Cervantes Institute becomes Culture Minister, molecular biology investigator, Bernat Soria, becomes Health Minister and parliament vice-president, Carmen Chacón, becomes Housing Minister. Chacón, at 36, is the youngest minister in the government and arguably has the most difficult portfolio in that Spanish citizens are experiencing a housing "shortage" while a corruption and speculation support a real estate boom in tourist areas.

Opposition Popular Party (PP) leader, Mariano Rajoy reacted to the changes by saying: "There is no crisis. This is simply a cosmetic operation which can't disguise the fact that this government lacks any credibility."

Reportedly Zapatero had decided a few weeks ago on making the changes and that he would announce them after the State of the Nation debate.

An election is due to be called by net spring. Polls show Zapatero's socialist PSOE party as more popular than the PP.

Top 25 movies in Spain -- not 1 Spanish: El Mundo reported that so far in 2007 there has not been a Spanish movie in the top 25 films at the Spanish box office! Out of a total of 45.8 million movie tickets sold in Spain since January, only 3.7 million were for films from Spain.

Click here to see the list of the 25 most popular films in Spain during the first half of 2007 and here to see the 10 most popular Spanish films.

Spain's Thursday News: Fire in Catalonia ; Telefonica told to pay up ; World told to eat walnuts

Catalan residents and visitors evacuated: The biggest story locally was the forest fire in Montroig del Camp near Tarragona, which is south of Barcelona. Residents and tourists had to be evacuated and around 300 hectares were destroyed, including woodlands, farms, a camp-ground and a restaurant. There were only a few light injuries, mostly smoke inhalation, and people were eventually able to return to their homes thanks to the efforts of local firefighters. This makes six forest fires reported in Catalonia so far this week.

Telfonica slapped with a fine: The European Commission fined Telefonica, Spain's former telephone monopoly (that still acts like it is!), a whopping €152 million ($206 / £102m). This is the largest fine ever for a telephone company and the second largest penalty of any kind imposed by EU regulators. (The record holder? Microsoft's €497 million fine.)

Telefonica has long been accused of abusing its market position in Spain by charging other companies excessively high rates to use its lines. EU regulators claimed this has impeded competition and, therefore, hurt consumers.

EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said, "Telefonica's conduct harmed Spanish consumers, Spanish businesses and the Spanish economy as a whole, and by extension Europe's economy." She claimed that the large size of the fine was necessary as a deterrent and a warning to other companies.

Telefonica has pledged to go to the European Court of Justice to appeal the fine.

I say, "Way to go, Neelie!"

More proof that the Spanish diet is healthy! Probably everyone would agree that a low fat diet is good for you, but could a daily dose of virgin olive oil and walnuts be even better? According to the Prevencion con Dieta Mediterranea (aka, PREDIMED) study, it sure looks that way. The Spanish study of the Mediterranean diet revealed that regular consumption of walnuts and/or virgin olive oil could prevent coronary heart disease (CHD). The first results of the study were published last month in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study concluded that there is enough, "evidence to recommend TMD [The Mediterranean Diet] as a useful tool against risk factors for CHD" because "individuals at high cardiovascular risk who improved their diet toward a TMD pattern showed significant reductions in cellular lipid levels and LDL oxidation."

I say, "Way to go, TMD!"

Will success kill 'Bicing', Barcelona's new public bicycling system?

Below is my translation of an article by JAUME BAUZÀ from last Sunday's El Pais newspaper.

Click on the title below if you want to read the original Spanish version.
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Success threatens to drown 'bicing'
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In biology it is said that an insect survives because it is small, but that if it grew to the size of a cow, it would suffocate. Something similar could happen to Bicing, with its overwhelming success in Barcelona.
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The public transportation system established by City Hall last March has already has attracted 70,000 users so far -- a figure that grows by 1,000 new subscriptions a day. However, the number of available bicycles is much lower: 1,500 located at 100 stations. This difference between supply and demand is starting to cause problems in getting hold of a bicycle.
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Empty stations for much of the day, queues to get hold of one the prized methods of transport and users who, after an initial phase of skepticism followed by enthusiasm for the innovative service, are beginning to grow impatient.
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"The other day I had to go to three stations until I found a bicycle. If it to had gone home on foot since at the start, I would have arrived there earlier," said Ana at a stop near the cathedral.
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"At first there was no problem, but when I leave for work it's a miracle to find a bike," claimed Antoni in the Eixample area.
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Although the majority of users consulted believe that Bicing is an excellent initiative, a lot of criticism was expressed about the lack of bicycles. Nevertheless, those responsible for the program are not worried.
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"I don't believe there is a serious imbalance between supply and demand. At any rate, the service is still not up and running 100%," stated a spokesman of Barcelona Municipal Services, the public business that operates the new urban transportation system. City Hall foresees by year's end 3.000 bicycles in circulation, distributed through 200 stations all over the city. But how many users will have registered by then?
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"Now we are in a state of flux. With the summer's arrival the promotional [membership] rate of six euros annually has ended. It doesn't seem probable that the number of requests will continue at this pace after September."
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The system is seen as an alternative method of public transportation, so it only allows for trips of half an hour. In case that time limit is surpassed, the user is penalized 30 cents. This way the bicycles move constantly. Clear Channel, the company that put the service operation in Barcelona, reported that there have already been more than 500,000 trips recorded.
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"According to our calculations, each bicycle is used an average of 12 times a day and we believe that those rotations will rise to 15 by the end of the year. So when they say that there are few bicycles, one must keep in mind that they are in continuous movement," City Hall said in response to the criticism.
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At Barcelona Municipal Services, they prefer that things develop naturally. "It's logical that in the future some users will drop the service, having tired of not finding a bicycle. Thus the supply and demand will balance out," explained the municipal spokesman. "At any rate, it's still very early to speculate on that question. The system is new. We started from scratch and we need a year to study where the gaps are and find solutions", affirmed this spokesman.
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The advantages of Bicing are undeniable and explain why Barcelonans have been tripping over their feet to get at this service. It's comfortable, ecological and cheap. According to a profile provided by City Hall, the average user is more than 35 years old (48%), is a professional with an advanced degree (30,6%), lives in the Eixample (26,4%) and uses the bike an average of 15 minutes.
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To absorb such user demand, the town council is working towards installing a new station every day. The Bicing map already includes 75 stations that extend all over the city. For example, the six kilometers that separate Plaza d' Espanya and Glòries can be covered in 28 minutes traveling almost in straight line along Gran Via. The stress and heat produced by cars in two lanes, pedestrians that cross the street without looking and furious cabdrivers suggest making the return trip by Metro. The eight stations that separate both Plazas require 12 minutes travel time.
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Such a system is necessary, many citizens say, above all in a metropolis that has always boasted of treating bicycles well. But success can also kill and the flood of users threatens to reduce the effectiveness of the service.
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"There are things that need fine tuning, but in July we'll have 150 maintenance and distribution staff, 10 vehicles with trailers to carry bicycles and another four vehicles for maintenance. So, we'll fill up empty stations more quickly," pronounced City Hall.

Spain's Wednesday News: Zapatero & Rajoy; Bread & Butter; Valencia & Dubai

Zapatero vs. Rajoy: The big story today was the State of the Nation debate between socialist Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and conservative opposition leader Mariano Rajoy.

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Some say Zapatero was kicking off his re-election campaign with his promise to give families €2,500 ($3,400 or £1,700) for every newborn child. However, he claimed it was one way to encourage childbirth in a country with one of the lowest birth rates in the world. "We need more families and more children to progress in Spain," Mr Zapatero said.

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He also promised that the country would reach full employment within the next five years and to reduce the number of Spaniards with only temporary employment.

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Regarding ETA, he accepted responsibility for the failed negotiations, saying he was aware of the risks and the opportunities in trying to talk with the terrorist organization. However, he said that was over now and in future his government would do everything it could, including asking for international assistance, to make the terrorists' lives "impossible".

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For his part, Rajoy focused much of his time on terrorism. He said that negotiating with ETA was the most important failure of Zapatero. "While your government has been taking a three-year siesta our neighbours have been using economic reforms to increase competitiveness and productivity. We need more competition, more flexibility, a better education system and a better image abroad" he said. He also challenged Zapatero on his handling of the deaths of Spanish soldiers in Lebanon and Afghanistan and illegal immigration.

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National elections are due to be called by next March.

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Bread & Butter Returns to Barcelona: Urban Style Fair Bread & Butter, which began in Cologne, in 2001, jumped to Berlin in 2003 and then spread to Barcelona 2005, starts it's 2007 version today. What's involved? Fashion shows, concerts, dances, art exhibitions and parties. For more details here's the official BREAD & BUTTER BARCELONA web site.

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Valencia or Dubai in 2110: Now that Valencia's successful hosting of the America's Cup has resulted in another win for Alinghi of Switzerland, news reports are saying that Alinghi will probably keep the event in the Spanish city for the next competition, although Dubai is apparently in the running. For more details here's the official America's Cup web site.

Tuesday's Spanish News: Spaniards Killed in Yemen; Eurocontrol and air travel; Idealista.com and housing prices; El Señor Woody Allen en Barcelona

Spanish Tourists Killed in Yemen: The top story in all the papers today was about the 7 Spaniards and 2 Yemenis killed by a suicide bomber's car bomb. The attack seemed to be aimed at tourists in general, as the car drove through a gate and into a line of tourist vehicles at the Queen of Sheba temple in Marib. This was at least the 4th terrorist attack in Yemen since 17 American sailors died and 39 were injured in a suicide attack on the US Navy ship, the USS Cole.

According to ADN, the web site of the Spanish Foreign Ministry has stated for quite some time that Yemen is a dangerous place to visit and requires maximum vigilance. The paper went on to point out, however, that the web site does not maintain a list of dangerous countries, as the British Foreign Office does. On the Spanish web site, one must first select a country and then read about it to see if there are warnings about travel there.

The Spanish tourists had arranged their trip to Yemen through the Barcelona travel agency, Banoa, which specializes in adventure travel.

In the better news department, low-cost airlines are growing in Spain: According to Eurocontrol (European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation), low cost airlines, such as Catalonia's Vueling and England's EasyJet, now control 25% of the country's market, as opposed to 16% in Europe as a whole. The organization cited the growth of business in the Spanish low cost sector at 36% since January of this year, while the major airlines only saw a 15% growth.

In the mixed news for home buyers department: According to idealista.com while Barcelona's housing prices fell 3% this past quarter (the area's first decrease since 2001), Madrid's prices remained nearly the same with an increase of o.1% and the third largest city, Valencia, saw an increase of 1.2%. Idealista cited the continued influence of the America's Cup as a reason for Valencia's increase.

Woody Allen's Summer Project 2007: That is the temporary name given to the director's next movie, set to start filming in Barcelona on Monday. At a press conference in Barcelona yesterday, El Sr. Allen, as Spanish Culture Minister Carmen Calvo referred to him, said that he was looking forward "with great, great enthusiasm" to shooting the film in the city. "I want to write a love letter to Barcelona and from Barcelona to the rest of the world," Allen said. He claimed that he wanted to depict Barcelona, "the same way I presented Manhattan to the world through my eyes."

Alan said he was also pleased to be filming for the first time in a non-English speaking country. He joked that he tried to learn Spanish when he was a child but, "the truth is I never paid much attention in class."

The film will star Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.

Monday’s News in Spain: Spain's eternal summer challenge; more than one million did it in Catalonia yesterday; Catalonian condom machines

Spaniards Take Up Their Annual Summer Challenge - English! Yes, many Spaniards take time during the summer to study English -- children and adults -- at home, in camps and abroad. Intensive courses abound in Spain's cities; children's summer camps (colegios) are held in the countryside where studying English is a major focus; and trips are made to the UK, Ireland, Canada, the USA and as far away as Australasia to participate in immersion courses. According to to the newspaper-ita, Que! , more than 100,000 Spaniards will travel abroad this summer to study languages. And this year Spain's Ministry of Education has made grants available for 18 to 30 year olds who want to study English abroad.
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One million and counting: According to freebie paper ADN, the first day of "rebajas de verano" (summer sales) saw more than one million shoppers turn out in Catalonia yesterday. The most popular items: clothing and shoes.

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Condom Machines Spreading: It's not uncommon to see condom machines in bars, restaurants, schools and on walls outside pharmacies in Barcelona. Now Catalonia's government, the Generalitat, plans to install them in public libraries throughout the region and in metro stations in the greater Barcelona area.

Spain: News for Sunday 1 July 2007

Glasgow, of course, was the major story in all of the newspapers. El Pais ran the following headline: Alerta máxima antiterrorista en el Reino Unido tras un ataque. (Maximum anti-terrorist alert in the United Kingdom after an attack.) However, in Spain life went on as usual, as you can tell from the following local stories:

Summer sales start! Today was one of only 8 Sundays/Holidays a year when all stores are allowed to open for business. This is because today coincided with the start of Spain's summer sales period, which will last until 31 August. The Catalonia Commerce Confederation has predicted sales of between 800 and 900 million euros during these two months, 6% more last year. According to the estimates of the Spanish Commerce Confederation, Spanish consumers will spend, on average, between 150 and 200 euros.

Summer "sails", too! The massive exodus for summer holidays started yesterday, with queues at the ticket counters and traffica jams on the highways and freeways. Freeway AP-7 had vehicles lined up to 20 kilometers at noon. El Prat airport reorted record breaking operations, with a total of 1,102 take-offs and landings.

Glad I stayed home and enjoyed the beach! Hasta mañana...

Un poco morboso, ¿no? (A little morbid, isn’t it?)

Originally posted by Carloz on June, 2007 at http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/

Like all ancient cities, Barcelona has a colorful, exciting, and gory past. For example, have you ever wondered where the victims of the inquisition, the “autos de fe” and even the more run-of-the-mill death penalties took their last breaths during the times executions were public events in Spain? Well, the next time you’re shopping in La Boqueria public market or enjoying an evening out in El Born or taking a stroll through Ciutadella Park, stop to think that a little more than a hundred years ago you might have run into a hanging, a garroting or a firing squad in the same location.

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The death penalty was legal in Spain until the 1970s. However, until the end of the 19th century it was actually an outdoor event in most of the country, including Barcelona. The official reasoning for public execution was that it not only carried out the proscribed punishment, but did so in a way that was an example for everyone to see what end wrongdoing led to. In reality, however, the great popularity of the spectacles might have made them look more like public entertainment and a distraction than anything else. Apparently as late as the last public execution in 1897 revelry surrounded the event. While police held back the throngs, hawkers walked through the crowd selling nuts.

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Catalan writer Joan de Déu Domènech, who has just published a book on the subject, called The Spectacle of the Death Penalty (In Spanish, El Espectáculo de la Pena de Muerte; In Catalan, L’espectacle de la Pena Mort), pointed recently out that perhaps it was not mere coincidence that public executions came to an end at the same time that other events such as soccer, bullfighting and boxing were becoming popular.

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The book, which reportedly recounts the rather long, sad history of public executions in Barcelona, is published by La Campana. El Periodico de Catalunya ran a great article on it in their June 27, 2007 issue, along with a map of Barcelona highlighting places where public executions were held and with little illustrations of the preferred methods of killing in each location — burning, hanging, garrotting, firing squad, etc.

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Have a look for yourself at http://www.elperiodico.com/EDICION/ED070627/CAS/CARP01/PDF/g041mR07.PDF

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Here you can see that Plaza de la Boqueria held burnings at the stake, in addition to hanging and firing squad spectacles. The Born was a little tamer, with only the occasional hanging. But just a few steps away one could find not only hangings and firing squads, but also public garroting.

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As you can see from one of the illustrations on this map, the Catalans were not content with the plain old Spanish “garrote vil” (vile garrote) but added a sharp boring point to it. That way it not only choked the victim, but pierced the neck to break the cervical vertebrae and destroy the medulla.

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Look closer at the map and you can find other locations that will send a chill down your spine, according to Domènech:

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Plaza del Pi: underneath this little plaza adorned by the lovely little Church of Pi was the ossuary were the bodies of those who were hung at Creu Coberta were buried.

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The corner of Taulat and Llacuna streets: Where today modern apartment buildings are rising, a charnel-house (carnero in Spanish; canyet in Catalan) held the rotting bodies of heretics who were not “deserving” of burial.

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Cross-check with a modern street map of Barcelona to find Llibreteria Street and Bòria Street

http://www.tmb.net/onsoc/en_US/resultatcerca.jsp?origenx=31419.62&origeny=81968.20&descripcioorigen=C.+de+la+B%F2ria%2C+0001

where, according to Domènech, the processions of the condemned began; some who, because they had already had hands, ears or a nose amputated, did not even make it alive to the scaffolds of the Boqueria or Pla de Palau.

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Or what about the Milà i Fontanals Institute located at number 15 Egipcíaque Street? http://www.imf.csic.es/plano.htm Perhaps it is symbolic that where this institution of research and learning dedicated to the humanities now stands was where Barcelona saw its last public execution, by garrote, on June 15, 1897.

Wednesday’s News…………BCN’s El Grec Festival; Spain 2, Catalonia 1; and Thierry Henry’s Shirt

Originally posted by Carloz on June, 2007 at http://myspainblog.wordpress.com/

EL GREC, Barcelona’s Summer Festival has begun! Last night saw the premiere of the 31st El Grec Festival, Barcelona’s summer performing arts festival, with Sacred Monsters, a dance performance by Sylvie Guillem (France) and Akram Khan (India). According to El Periodico de Catalunya, the duo surprised the public at the Montjuic amphitheater and heated up the festival’s cool first night.

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El Grec is geard toward everyone, including hip-hop fans this year. Popular musical performances (e.g., Barcelona Big Latin Ensemble, Laurie Anderson, Jorge Drexler, Antony and the Johnsons) and family entertainment (Circus Night, the Wizard of Oz), will be held along with classic works, like Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale and Goldoni’s La famiglia dell’antiquario. New works like La Fura dels Baus’ Imperium will alternate with innovative dance and theater, like that of Nau Ivanov, La Caldera de Gracia and the Sant Andreu Teatre.

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Here’s a link to the program: http://www.barcelonafestival.com/eng/programme
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Spain is number 2 and Catalonia number 1! Spain is the world’s 2nd most popular tourist destination, and within Spain, Catalonia is the most popular Autonomous Region. Between January and May of 2007 a total of 5.1 million tourists from other countries visited Catalonia – 25.3% of all foreign tourists who came to Spain according to data presented yesterday by the secretary of Innovation, Universities and Business, Josep Huguet. The most popular areas in Catalonia were Barcelona, followed by the Costa del Maresme, the Costa del Garraf, and the Costa Daurada.

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Number 14 fever: Vendors report that Henry’s number 14 T-Shirt is fast on the road to being the second most popular seller among Barça souvenirs. Watch out Ronaldinho!