On the Menu…Tapas 24, Barcelona (Spain)

Foodies looking for a dining experience in Barcelona that won’t break the bank should make a beeline to Tapas 24, where the atmosphere is casual and the menu offers everyday favorites that have been raised to new heights. Tapas 24 is one of chef Carles Abellan’s three restaurants in Barcelona, which include Comerç 24 (with 1 Michelin star) and Bravo24 in the W Hotel. Chef Abellan worked for many years alongside chef Ferran Adrià at his world-renowned restaurant El Bulli on the Costa Brava, before opening his own restaurants in Barcelona.

The first thing you need to know about Tapas 24 is that it does not take reservations, and it is a very small restaurant with limited seating. Most diners sit at a counter facing the bar and kitchen where you can watch your food being prepared. There are additional tables indoors (high-top tables with stools), as well as a handful of tables located outdoors on the sidewalk terrace. The next thing you need to know is that this is a very popular place, with both locals and tourists, so if you want to eat here you’ll have to arrive early (by Barcelona standards) between 7:00 - 8:00pm. Once 8:30pm rolls around the locals will start streaming in and there will be a long wait for your chance to sample the delicious tapas on the menu.

While you’re deciding which tapas to try, start out with the Pan con Tomate (bread with tomato, olive oil and salt), an absolute staple in any Barcelona restaurant. Another must-try is the Bikini Comerç 24, which is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich that has been elevated to a whole new level. The ham in question is actually the fine cured Spanish Jamón Ibérico, the cheese is a mild white cheese, and the special ingredient that takes the Bikini out of the realm of a normal sandwich is the shaved black truffle that they add to it. Don’t be surprised if you order seconds on this one, you won’t be alone. Even if you don’t normally order fried eggs for dinner, you really should try the Huevos Estrellados (literally “smashed eggs”), which is a delicious combination of fried eggs, french fries, and a selection of meats that you get to choose from. This is an egg dish that is delicious at any time of the day. The tapas menu also includes traditional dishes, such as Patatas Bravas, Croquettes, Lentils with Chorizo, and Tripe, which makes it hard to select from so many great choices.
Be sure to leave room for dessert so you can try the Xocolata Amb Pa Oli i Sal, which is a chocolate mousse, drizzled with olive oil and sea salt, and topped with toasted bread. While you may not normally add olive oil and salt to your chocolate, you may start doing so after tasting how well they all come together at Tapas 24.

• Carrer de la Diputació, 269
• Phone: (93) 488-0977
• Barcelona, Spain
• Website: Tapas 24

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Checking In…Suites Avenue (Luxe) Apartments, Barcelona (Spain)

Visitors to Barcelona looking for spacious accommodations that are contemporary in design, centrally located, and offer a fully equipped kitchen, need look no further than the Suites Avenue (Luxe) Apartments.

Located in the heart of Barcelona on the Paseo de Gracia, the Suites Avenue (Luxe) is a modern building with a sleek stainless steel façade that was designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito. Its prime location, directly opposite Guadí’s famed Casa Milà (La Pedrera) in the upscale Eixample neighborhood, provides easy access within walking distance to the city’s finest shops, restaurants and sites of interest.

Suites Avenue offers 1 and 2 bedroom suites that are fully equipped with high-quality furnishings, a living room with a large flat screen LCD TV, small dining area, full bathroom and a fully equipped kitchen. Some suites face the interior courtyard, and others offer a view of La Pedrera and have a terrace facing the Paseo de Gracia.

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Checking In…Hotel Roger de Llúria, Barcelona (Spain)

Barcelona is one of those cities that you can visit over and over again, and discover something new each time. It is a truly cosmopolitan city that embraces the old and the new, as well as the classic and the contemporary, whether it be in art, architecture or even food.

The city has an extensive metro system that can get you just about anywhere, and taxis are readily available. But the best way to see the city is on foot, as most sites are just a short walk from the city center.

The Roger de Llúria is a 4-star boutique hotel that is located in the heart of the city, near the Plaza Cataluña, and just 2 blocks from the Paseo de Gracia, the city’s main shopping thoroughfare. The hotel is housed in a traditional 19th C. building that previously formed part of César Ritz’s original landmark hotel.

The classic styling of the hotel gives it a timeless elegance, and with just 48 guest rooms, guests can feel at home in an environment that is intimate and welcoming. The hotel offers Classic rooms and larger Deluxe rooms. The Classic Family rooms are a rare find in European hotels, in that they are large enough to fit 2 full size beds and can accommodate a family of 4 people comfortably. The two Junior Suites in the hotel are truly special, in that they offer a living room with a wood-paneled ceiling, and a separate bedroom with either a king size bed or 2 queen beds. The Junior Suites can also be combined to create a large Suite with a large living room, 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

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On the Menu…Irati Taverna Basca, Barcelona (Spain)

  
Irati Taverna Basca is located just off the bustling Rambla de San Josep, not far from the famous Liceu Opera House.  It is one of our favorite places to grab a light snack of Basque pintxos in the Gothic Quarter.

Along the line of tapas, pintxos are small snacks eaten at bars, but they tend to be a bit larger and are usually served individually on bread slices with a toothpick (i.e. "spike" - or pintxo in Basque) in them. A variety of toppings is offered, and since they are all displayed on the bar, all you have to do is pick the ones that look most interesting or appealing to you. You can eat as many or as few as you'd like, but if you're like us you'll find yourself with a stack of toothpicks on your plate before long. Be sure to hang on to those toothpicks, since the bartender will count them up when you're done so he can tally up your check

Cardenal Casañas, 17        Phone: (93) 302-3084

Barcelona, Spain               Web: Irati Taverna Basca

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Sites to See…Picasso Museum, Barcelona (Spain)

A visit to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona is essential to understanding the formative years of this iconic artist.

The permanent collection includes over 3,800 of his works, with a concentration on his early production. Half of the collection was donated by Picasso’s personal secretary, Jaume Sabartés, with the other half coming from the artist’s own collection.

The Picasso Museum is housed in five palaces that date from the 13th-15th centuries. It is located in the Gothic Quarter, just a short walk from the Cathedral.

• C/ Montcada, 15-23
• Barcelona, Spain
• Phone: (93) 256 30 00
• Website: Picasso Museum

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Time to Save...Barcelona Card (Spain)

For your next visit to Barcelona, don’t forget to purchase a Barcelona Card. This savings card features free travel on public transport, discounts and free offers at museums, cultural venues, leisure facilities, night clubs, shops, and restaurants, as well as other services and unique means of transport.

You can purchase a card for 2, 3, 4, or 5 consecutive days, and prices range from €27 - €45, so pick the one that best fits your itinerary. For more info on the card click here.

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Foodie Friday...Cinc Sentits Restaurante (Spain)

Located in the Eixample area of Barcelona, this restaurant provides cuisine of unparalleled freshness and excellence.

They partner with small local purveyors from the region and consistently exude a passion for quality. From fish and foie gras, to lamb and veal (not to mention exclusive farmhouse cheeses), Cinc Sentits (Five Senses), encourages visitors to take a tasting tour of all the fine cuisine Spain has to offer.

We hope you enjoy our restaurant selection. Click here for their website

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Lionel Messi's Path To The World Cup

"To become a legend, to be great, you also have to win a World Cup," Lionel Messi told El Mundo in a recent interview. Well, if recent statistics are indication, Messi is well on his way to winning that honor. A member of Barcelona's team, Messi has scored 11 goals in his past give matches, earning him comparisons to fellow Argentinian Diego Maradona.

Soccer, or "football" to the rest of the world, is an extremely important part of Spanish culture and having Messi on Barcelona's team makes a game a must-see attraction if you're visiting. In a local Madrid publication called Marca, readers are already voting Messi as the greatest player of all-time by overwhelming margins.

"I have only just turned 22," he added. "It's all happening very quickly and you have to stay calm."

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New Terminal T1 Opens At Barcelona Airport

Travelers to Barcelona will be treated to a more luxurious arrival and departure with the official opening of the new Terminal T1. The Ricardo Bofill-designed terminal will accommodate approximately 30 million people annually.

Created for $1.7 billion, Terminal T1 boasts some serious amenities. In addition to a 256,181-square-foot shopping promenade, there's also a spa, fitness center, hair salon, four VIP lounges and a multi-faith chapel. Business travelers will have access to a series of offices, boardrooms, a private gym and rest area with beds, baths and TVs.

More from the Tourist Office of Spain:

This terminal is one of the largest civil engineering projects recently undertaken in Europe. Bofill designed the structure with sustainability in mind, placing hundreds of solar panels on the aluminum roof. Thus, 70 percent of the water in T1 is heated using thermal collectors. Curtain walls, designed to resist air, water infiltration, wind and its own dead load forces are composed of an aluminum framing filled with glass to provide an architecturally-pleasing and light-filled structure.

The opening of T1 has created 3,000 jobs in a terminal where over 6,000 will be employed. Many will work in the new processing building which has 166 check-in desks and 52 auto check-in machines. The Barcelona Airport is now able to serve 55 million passengers per year. Improvements have also been made in regards to flight operations. In 2004, the airport facilitated 64 operations per hour. Flight operations will now increase to up to 90 per hour. A total of 19 airlines are currently based in T1 including: Lufthansa, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Spanair, Swiss International, TAP Portugal, US Airways and Egyptair. At the beginning of September, One World (Iberia, American Airlines and Vueling), will move to the new terminal and by the end of the year, SkyTeam (incorporating Air Europa) will relocate there. Every seven minutes, a shuttle bus connects passengers from T1 to T2. For further information about the Barcelona Airport, go to www.aena.es.

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Hot Deal: Hotel Duquesa de Cardona

As the snow melts and temperatures begin to rise, we know nothing gets the blood flowing better than a hot deal. Today we're featuring a fantastic set of offers for Hotel Duequesa de Cardona - a stylish 4-star boutique hotel in the heart of Barcelona's Gothic Quarter. Overlooking the Olympic Port, Columbus monument, the World Trade Center and Las Ramblas, Duequesa de Carbona provides the perfect home base for an unforgettable Spanish experience.

Our hot deals are as follows:

• April Special - Weekday (Minimum stay of 3 consecutive nights required): Valid April 1 through April 30
  
  Rates: Start at €137.70 + 7% Iva tax, per night (based upon double occupancy in a Classic Room). Offer is subject to availability. Rates with breakfast included also available.


• April Special - Weekend (Minimum stay of 3 consecutive nights required): Valid April 1 through April 30
  
  Rates: Start at €165.24 + 7% Iva tax, per night (based upon double occupancy in a Classic Room). Offer is subject to availability. Rates with breakfast included also available.


• Free Night Offer: February 1 through March 31 (except February 15-20), and July 1 through August 31
  
  Stay for 3 consecutive nights and pay for only 2 nights. Offer is subject to availability.

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Cal Pep: Catalan Dining in Barcelona

Cal Pep has long been a favorite of locals in Barcelona. Serving a variety of Catalan dishes - from tallarines saltadas to brazo de gitano de patata - the restaurant features a wide variety of flavors in a vibrant yet casual setting. When planning a trip to Barcelona, this is some authentic local cuisine that we highly recommend.

Click here for the Cal Pep Web site or call (93) 310-7961 for reservations.

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Wine Pleasures Wine Tourism Workshop

At this point, it's no secret that we at ILC are into wine culture. Today we've come across a great opportunity to pass on to our travel professional readers: The Wine Pleasures Wine Tourism Workshop. This event, taking place January 27-28, 2009 at the Port Sitges Resort in Barcelona, will bring together European wine providers and tour operators/travel agents at a unique event devoted to achieving results and growing international wine tourism in Europe.

The event draws a distinction with normal trade fairs and exhibitions as it takes place in a private environment that is perfect for one-on-one business meetings between wine providers (wineries, hotels, restaurants, cultural venues, etc.) and travel professionals.

This is a great way to secure those important business relationships without having to travel all over the continent in search of the right people.

You can get further registration information here.

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Hotel Claris in Barcelona

Today we'd like to feature the wondrous Hotel Claris in Barcelona.

This contemporary 5-star G.L. (Gran Luxe) hotel was built within the former 19th C. Palace of Count Vedruna, and offers guests classic old world style. It is located in one of the finest areas of Barcelona, on one of the best shopping blocks in the city

• Only 1 block from the Paseo de Gracia, a block made famous by Antonio Gaudí’s two most distinctive buildings, the Casa Batlló and Casa Milá


• A short walk to the Plaza Cataluña, Las Ramblas, and the Gothic Quarter (old section of the city)


• In the old section, visit the Cathedral of Barcelona (13th C.), La Boquería Market (7th C.), Gran Teatre del Liceu (1847 Opera House), Frederic Marés Museum, Olympic Port & Aquarium, Picasso Museum


• 10 minutes by taxi to the Sagrada Familia, Montjuïc, Museum of Catalán Art, Miró Foundation


• Metro Station: Passeig de Gracia - 2 blocks away


• Train Station: Sants - 10 minutes by taxi or metro


• Airport: 15-20 minutes by taxi (12 km)

Visit our site on Hotel Claris for more information and some amazing photography.

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