What's New In Barcelona?

Barcelona is more popular than ever with American tourists. The Tourist Office of Spain writes, "This year [we're] welcoming millions of cruise passengers as well as thousands of first-timers who enjoyed the beautiful scenery in the film Vicky Christina Barcelona. Some 54 new hotels are set to open in the next two years."
The Barcelona International Airport is also about to expand, adding a new terminal designed by Ricard Bofill in the first half of 2009. This means more widespread airline coverage and an overall increase in the number of flights entering the city.

In the next week or so, the ILC blog will be focusing on some new and exciting opportunities in Barcelona for those interested in the arts and dining. Let's start with music.

For our audiophile travelers, a new rock and roll museum is planned to open in 2009. Permanent exhibits will include The Beatles and Rolling Stones, along with rare documents by Bruce Springsteen and Jim Morrison. Housed in a converted bull ring at Las Arenas, the new space provides yet another reason to prolong your stay in Barcelona for another day.

It's also worth noting that Barcelona's modernist concert hall is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary with special concert plans through March.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page

Films Of Spain

It's certainly no surprise that Spanish cinema continues to grow in international popularity. The country's beautiful scenery has served as a great inspiration to both local and foreign directors. Luis Buñuel was the first to receive major international recognition. Then the 1980s brought the legendary Pedro Almodóvar - a renowned auteur who has inspired recent cinematic sojourns to Spain from filmmakers such as Woody Allen.

Spanish cinema is also gaining local popularity. Around 15 percent of box office receipts are now from domestic films. The government openly supports this trend and has made sure that national television stations have appropriate funding to film and screen local work.

Due to Spain's beautiful terrain (and its subsequent ability to produce amazing cinematography), many Spanish films are produced in English. Famous examples include: The Machinist, The Others, Goya's Ghosts and an upcoming film by American critical darling Jim Jarmusch.

As usual, thanks for reading. Please visit International Lodging Corporation at our home page.